Dumba$$ here in need of Help!!

[Mavs78]

Hello all!

Help me, Tech-Forums...you're my only hope! I've been running Win 98 and Norton 2003 on my home PC for years now. My machine got a virus the other night that Norton didn't detect for some reason. Being the very un-tech-savvy person that I am, I stumbled across stop-sign.com and got a free scan from them. It seemed to fix the problems so I downloaded their software. Now my computer would only load Windows in Safe Mode! So I reinstalled Windows. Then I reinstalled the eAcceleration software again (from stop-sign.com). My computer got infected AGAIN! I tried re-installing Norton 2003 but of course, Windows will now only boot-up in safe mode. I'm so friggin lost.

#1. Was I a dope for the stop-sign.com/eAcceleration stuff? I have now read something online that they are actually spyware themselves..??

#2. Where do I go from here? Any recommendations for this rookie on the ideal anti-virus/anti-spyware products? Obviously, Norton 2003 isn't getting the job done and who knows what this eAcceleration stuff is all about.

I am open to ANY suggestions.

Thanks a million!!

 

[Sashoon]

Reinstall your Windows and then Install Norton 2003 and update it before scaning.

 

[jaksback]

just remember big name OS names (like Microsoft) and big name antivirus names (like norton and Mccaffee) draw attention to themselves and draw attacks from the virus/trojan writers. I have heard of so many probs with them. Personally I use easy armor by www.my-etrust.com

 

[roadrage]

Ummm, yep unfortunately you were.

pop in a 98 start disk setup the system to boot off a floppy and restart, boot off it, FDISK the drive, shutdown then restart and setup the system to boot from the CD again, pop in the XP disk and restart, it will do it's thing.

Once installed do your AV first, NOTHING ELSE, then setup your mail a/c when that's done the AV will update automatically, DONT install anything else until the AV is complete up to date and active.

Next go to MS for all their updates, hope your using broadband and waste a couple hours installing all their stuff, make sure all your drivers are up to date.

Stop sign stuff ? toss it in the bin, literally.

Once the system is running fine then start to re-install the programs again.

EDIT, a good Trojan finder is called "the Cleaner" get it, it's a freebie.

Take a Valium and it will be OK.

 

[Lone Wolf]

Once installed do your AV first, NOTHING ELSE, then setup your mail a/c when that's done the AV will update automatically, DONT install anything else until the AV is complete up to date and active.

Good post. But first, install all your OS updates before installing your AV software or applications.

Take a Valium and it will be OK.

Three cheers to that!

Mavs78,
I've been a Norton user for the past 4-5 years... never had a virus that Norton could not detect. Do you regularly update your virus definitions? or just whenever you remember to? It's a good AV IMHO and I wouldn't do w/out it. If you really want a good alternative, PCCillan is a good one... used to be free... not anymore sadly... or AVG is fairly good considering it's free. But my money is on Norton.

 

[roadrage]

You will find that why I said to setup your AV "first" is due to that a*** wipe in Germany that put the Sasser worm and it's variants into the MS updates, sure they have been removed now but how safe do you feel at MS ?

Many users on other forums have done the same and gone to MS first, result = loss of a working system with corrupt files on XP Pro that needed to be formatted over and over until they fixed the AV first, learn from other peoples mistakes.

That's why the setup of whatever AV you intend to use is done and fully updated "first" before going online to ANY other site but your AV maker which is / should be the most secure, includes not going to MS early on, while NAV and several others have to be safe or they would be out of buisness, many are only just OK and do NOT remove some worms and or Trojans, there comes "the Cleaner" a 30 day genius put to a disk and used whenever needed, just be carefull which AV you choose.

Early versions up to and including 2003 of NAV were not 100% , they were system hogs and not the best at finding the real nasty bugs, 2004 does a better job and has tested out OK for me, the 2005 NAV Beta version is TOTAL CRAP and is unfinished, it cost me a system restore within an hour, never again, I have used AVG on one box running 2K pro and it works fine, it was tested on NAV's site with their online scan and no viruses were found, not bad for a freebie, True, Pcillin is another good one, just not free, they stopped putting full AV programs into m/b disks a while ago, bummer.

BTW I lost 3 systems on 2003 NAV, one in less than 5 minutes as system files just dissolved "literally" one after an other while up to date on NAV 2003, so take from that what is given in good faith, choose wisely or use what the rest use, NAV corporate version is brilliant.

NAV 2004 is a good one but it also has an install limit "not shown in the fine print", 5-6 installs once reached and it will NOT install on any box and Symantec will do Zip about helping, all my installs were used up on one box in one day where the raid simply refused to do the right thing, so it was formatted many times in the one day, very dissapointed with Symantec there, BTW that's the box that now has AVG on it, works fine, AVG works fine and is highly recomended.

RR....