Very Slow PC

[Shenan Stanley]

Robert Macy wrote:

> Apologies for the jump in, but how can a *.txt, or a *.bmp or a

> *.doc or a *.xls etc be infected? I thought they were just data

> files and as long as the doc and xls don't have macros there can't

> be any potential for a virus. Have these files always had the

> potential to carry malwares and virii?

>

> Isn't it still possible to ctrl-alt-del and look at what is running

> and 'see' if something took over?

>

> Or, do the new forms 'say' they're legitmate applications when

> they're not?



You said it...



"I thought they were just data files..."



All files are just data files. How they are presented to you is determined

by what you view them with.



They can contain a lot of things you probably never see. Some files contain

metadata (use google.) Considering how you can compress files - do you know

how large a file *should* be even? What if I replaced your normal

executable for opening Microsoft Word with one I created that was larger -

but still seemingly acted the same - would you know the difference?



Open an executable file with notepad (pick a smaller one.) Know all that

was there?



You are speaking of "Task Manager" I assume (CTRL+SHIFT+ESC)? There are a

lot of applications that show you running processes - but do you even know

what all *should* be running?



I can write you (handwritten) a letter that says one thing to you - but to

someone else - something entirely different.



What if the application you are using to open things has a known security

flaw that can be taken advantage of? Automatically run something that can

be used to start something else that tagged along and so on?



--

Shenan Stanley

MS-MVP

--

How To Ask Questions The Smart Way

http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html

 

[Rick Merrill]

Jose wrote:

> On Feb 18, 7:47 pm, Jose wrote:

>> On Feb 18, 5:01 pm, Searcher7 wrote:

>>

>>

>>

>>

>>

>>> On Feb 18, 4:40 pm, 20100218 wrote:

>>

>>>> Searcher7 wrote:

>>

>>>>> OK. I've re-installed Windows XP.

>>

>>>> Very good. You have at last decided not to follow Pig-Bear with his

>>>> non-working, non-tested solutions. He is a Scum-Sucking Pig as far as

>>>> users of this NG are concerned.

>>

>>>>> Of ocurse I'd have to assume they are infected, but is there an easy

>>>>> way to transfer my needed files back to "C" without the virus also?

>>

>>>> They may not be infected but it is always a good idea to be careful I

>>>> suggest scan the files with Avast you have recently installed (assuming

>>>> it is fully updated) and when you get all clear, you can copy the files

>>>> back on to your hard disk.

>>

>>>>> (After re-installation of Windows XP I installed Avast! and Zone

>>>>> Alarm).

>>

>>>> I am not fond of Zone Alarm because that software may be the culprit to

>>>> corrupt windows installation. They are giving away a free software for

>>>> something you don't know about. They are not as big as M$ to work for

>>>> nothing! Avast is a good Anti-Virus software but you should also

>>>> install Microsoft's MSE as a fail-back solution.

>>

>>>> hth

>>

>>> Weird. Zone Alarm is the one system maintenance app that I've never

>>> had problems with.

>>

>>> The new installation is all clean after running Avast!

>>

>>> But I'm sure the file on the other drives are not virus free because

>>> those are the drives I had to back up to.

>>

>>> Darren Harris

>>> Staten Island, New York.

>>

>> I would run MBAM and SAS as well.

>>

>> No single application knows about everything and those are my

>> favorites this week.

>

> Forgot the links:

>

> Download, install, update and do a full scan with these free malware

> detection programs:

>

> Malwarebytes (MBAM): http://malwarebytes.org/

> SUPERAntiSpyware: (SAS): http://www.superantispyware.com/



Agree! These are both great (and free, if you're careful).







> They can be uninstalled later if desired.

 

[Rick Merrill]

Robert Macy wrote:

> On Feb 18, 11:56 am, Searcher7 wrote:

> ...snip...

>> OK. I've re-installed Windows XP. Now I have to figure out how to get

>> the files back from the unplugged "D" drive and also the three USB

>> flash drives I have.

>>

>> Of ocurse I'd have to assume they are infected, but is there an easy

>> way to transfer my needed files back to "C" without the virus also?

>>

>> (After re-installation of Windows XP I installed Avast! and Zone

>> Alarm).

>>

>> Thanks.

>>

>> Darren Harris

>> Staten Island, New York.

>

> Apologies for the jump in, but how can a *.txt, or a *.bmp or a *.doc

> or a *.xls etc be infected? I thought they were just data files and

> as long as the doc and xls don't have macros there can't be any

> potential for a virus. Have these files always had the potential to

> carry malwares and virii?

>

> Isn't it still possible to ctrl-alt-del and look at what is running

> and 'see' if something took over?

>

> Or, do the new forms 'say' they're legitmate applications when they're

> not?



Files can be given different file extensions, so you cannot Totally

judge just by the fine file extension.



You know that .doc files can carry word-viruses...



ctrl-alt-del launches the "task manager" and you can see Almost All of

what is running (except root kits) BUT do can you recognize the baddies?



Many of the infections run "as" some normal programs!



So don't be too paranoid, but let the AV programs scan everything once

in a while.

 

[Searcher7]

On Feb 18, 7:52 pm, Jose wrote:

> On Feb 18, 7:47 pm, Jose wrote:

>

>

>

> > On Feb 18, 5:01 pm, Searcher7 wrote:

>

> > > On Feb 18, 4:40 pm, 20100218 wrote:

>

> > > > Searcher7 wrote:

>

> > > > > OK. I've re-installed Windows XP.

>

> > > > Very good.  You have at last decided not to follow Pig-Bear with his

> > > > non-working, non-tested solutions.  He is a Scum-Sucking Pig as far as

> > > > users of this NG are concerned.

>

> > > > > Of ocurse I'd have to assume they are infected, but is there an easy

> > > > > way to transfer my needed files back to "C" without the virus also?

>

> > > > They may not be infected but it is always a good idea to be careful I

> > > > suggest scan the files with Avast you have recently installed (assuming

> > > > it is fully updated) and when you get all clear, you can copy the files

> > > > back on to your hard disk.

>

> > > > > (After re-installation of Windows XP I installed Avast! and Zone

> > > > > Alarm).

>

> > > > I am not fond of Zone Alarm because that software may be the culprit to

> > > > corrupt windows installation.  They are giving away a free software for

> > > > something you don't know about.  They are not as big as M$ to work for

> > > > nothing!  Avast is a good Anti-Virus software but you should also

> > > > install Microsoft's MSE as a fail-back solution.

>

> > > > hth

>

> > > Weird. Zone Alarm is the one system maintenance app that I've never

> > > had problems with.

>

> > > The new installation is all clean after running Avast!

>

> > > But I'm sure the file on the other drives are not virus free because

> > > those are the drives I had to back up to.

>

> > > Darren Harris

> > > Staten Island, New York.

>

> > I would run MBAM and SAS as well.

>

> > No single application knows about everything and those are my

> > favorites this week.

>

> Forgot the links:

>

> Download, install, update and do a full scan with these free malware

> detection programs:

>

> Malwarebytes (MBAM):  http://malwarebytes.org/

> SUPERAntiSpyware: (SAS):  http://www.superantispyware.com/

>

> They can be uninstalled later if desired.



I actually had SUPERAntiSpyware downloaded already. So I just

downloaded Malwarebytes.



I ran everything. Then connected the "D" drive and ran everything

again.



My biggest problem off the bat is that I can no longer open certain

text files I previously transferred to the "D" drive, and copied back

to the "C" drive. OpenOffice which I used to create them will not

install, and IBM Lotus Symphony doesn't work. Neither will a couple

other text editors I tried.



At best I get them open only to see a lot of gibberish.



Darren Harris

Staten Island, New York.

 

[Rick Merrill]

Searcher7 wrote:

> On Feb 18, 7:52 pm, Jose wrote:

>> On Feb 18, 7:47 pm, Jose wrote:

>>

>>

>>

>>> On Feb 18, 5:01 pm, Searcher7 wrote:

>>

>>>> On Feb 18, 4:40 pm, 20100218 wrote:

>>

>>>>> Searcher7 wrote:

>>

>>>>>> OK. I've re-installed Windows XP.

>>

>>>>> Very good. You have at last decided not to follow Pig-Bear with his

>>>>> non-working, non-tested solutions. He is a Scum-Sucking Pig as far as

>>>>> users of this NG are concerned.

>>

>>>>>> Of ocurse I'd have to assume they are infected, but is there an easy

>>>>>> way to transfer my needed files back to "C" without the virus also?

>>

>>>>> They may not be infected but it is always a good idea to be careful I

>>>>> suggest scan the files with Avast you have recently installed (assuming

>>>>> it is fully updated) and when you get all clear, you can copy the files

>>>>> back on to your hard disk.

>>

>>>>>> (After re-installation of Windows XP I installed Avast! and Zone

>>>>>> Alarm).

>>

>>>>> I am not fond of Zone Alarm because that software may be the culprit to

>>>>> corrupt windows installation. They are giving away a free software for

>>>>> something you don't know about. They are not as big as M$ to work for

>>>>> nothing! Avast is a good Anti-Virus software but you should also

>>>>> install Microsoft's MSE as a fail-back solution.

>>

>>>>> hth

>>

>>>> Weird. Zone Alarm is the one system maintenance app that I've never

>>>> had problems with.

>>

>>>> The new installation is all clean after running Avast!

>>

>>>> But I'm sure the file on the other drives are not virus free because

>>>> those are the drives I had to back up to.

>>

>>>> Darren Harris

>>>> Staten Island, New York.

>>

>>> I would run MBAM and SAS as well.

>>

>>> No single application knows about everything and those are my

>>> favorites this week.

>>

>> Forgot the links:

>>

>> Download, install, update and do a full scan with these free malware

>> detection programs:

>>

>> Malwarebytes (MBAM): http://malwarebytes.org/

>> SUPERAntiSpyware: (SAS): http://www.superantispyware.com/

>>

>> They can be uninstalled later if desired.

>

> I actually had SUPERAntiSpyware downloaded already. So I just

> downloaded Malwarebytes.

>

> I ran everything. Then connected the "D" drive and ran everything

> again.

>

> My biggest problem off the bat is that I can no longer open certain

> text files I previously transferred to the "D" drive, and copied back

> to the "C" drive. OpenOffice which I used to create them will not

> install, and IBM Lotus Symphony doesn't work. Neither will a couple

> other text editors I tried.

>

> At best I get them open only to see a lot of gibberish.

>

> Darren Harris

> Staten Island, New York.



Office does create some aux files - this is a problem if the original

files were not saved correctly. What are the file names?