Is my computer infected?

[Princess Nancy]

HELP!
Hopefully Firedancer is on here soon and can save me!!

I use firefox and have avg. I just got a message that I am infected. AVG ran a scan and says I am..then wants me to download

loaderav_2003-1_rs5.exe

When I run it, I get a message that says unknown source.
My instinct says stop, but I don't know what to do next!!

Anyone, please!

 

[luv2sew]

eek I don't think that's good, usually those things that pop up saying your infected is a virus trying to get in...I have no knowledge of computers but when this happened to me it was bad....I think you should turn off your computer and find a friend that can help you.

 

[bellebud]

HELP!
Hopefully Firedancer is on here soon and can save me!!

I use firefox and have avg. I just got a message that I am infected. AVG ran a scan and says I am..then wants me to download

loaderav_2003-1_rs5.exe

When I run it, I get a message that says unknown source.
My instinct says stop, but I don't know what to do next!!

Anyone, please!

I see you're in Ohio... can you drive to Franks house??

(ok, don't mean to drag up the "i have a crush thread", just couldn't resist!)

 

[FlightlessDuck]

Are you sure AVG is what popped up and said to run loaderav_2003-1_rs5.exe?

It was probably a popup ad or something that open through FireFox.

Assuming you didn't finish running that file, delete it, and with Fixfox closed, run an AVG scan.

You will also want to make sure you have anti spyware or malware software such as Windows Defender or Adaware. You will also want to make sure you have Firefox configured to block popups.

 

[FireDancer]

My first instinct is that you were tricked into thinking AVG was telling you that you had a virus. It is referred to as scare-ware and is used to trick you into installing something that is actually harmful. That file doesn't sound like an AVG file and I run AVG so I searched the files they install and didn't find anything close.

I would see if that program was added into you add/remove programs list and remove it. It it wasn't you'll have to manually uninstall it but that isn't always as easy as it sounds since it is an .exe file. It could have loaded other programs.

If you have your data backed up and know how to reinstall Windows I would just do that. I know it is a pain but in reality the only way to know you have cleaned something malicious off your computer is to do that.

One more thing I would suggest is to run the Microsoft Malicious Software Removal Tool. Click Star -> Run -> type MRT in the box and do a full scan. The tool that opens should be for January 2011, if it isn't do an update and try again.

Good luck, I'm sure this isn't exactly what you want to hear.

 

[Princess Nancy]

Thank you Flightless Duck and Fire Dancer!

I think Also I was tricked. I did delete it from my downloads immediately.

I will run the other info now.

Firedancer originally recommended firefox and AVG, so I knew he could save me!

Thanks!!

 

[Imzadi]

I see you're in Ohio... can you drive to Franks house??

My first instinct is that you were tricked into thinking AVG was telling you that you had a virus. It is referred to as scare-ware and is used to trick you into installing something that is actually harmful. That file doesn't sound like an AVG file and I run AVG so I searched the files they install and didn't find anything close.

One more thing I would suggest is to run the Microsoft Malicious Software Removal Tool. Click Star -> Run -> type MRT in the box and do a full scan. The tool that opens should be for January 2011, if it isn't do an update and try again.

Yes, I have AVG, too. It likes to run it's own thing in the background. Whenever it decides to do a full update or anything like that, it downloads & installs stuff on it's own without ASKING me. I don't see why it would be different in this case. The only thing it tells me I need to do is reboot when it is all done.

The couple of times it has caught something before, it just told be that it found something and asked WHERE I want the infection to go: in the AVG vault or to be deleted. I didn't have to download anything else to get rid of it.

Another program to download & run instead of the Microsoft Malicious Software Removal Tool is Malwarebytes. A lot of us had success with it getting rid of stuff that other programs couldn't get rid of.

Firedancer originally recommended firefox and AVG, so I knew he could save me!

Thanks!!

Yep! He recommended a few things to me that saved my computer when others were hit with a virus embedded in a webpage when it was hacked.

 

[Princess Nancy]

Imzadi,

I knew there was someone else who helped me before, but I could not remember your name!

Thanks!
I am good now. AVG does a good job and I think something was just trying to get me to download! Ugh!

BTW -- Firedancer, I love you for your mad IT skills!!!

I must add Imzadi & Flightless Duck to that list of dissers I love for their mind!!!

 

[FireDancer]

Imzadi,

I knew there was someone else who helped me before, but I could not remember your name!

Thanks!
I am good now. AVG does a good job and I think something was just trying to get me to download! Ugh!

BTW -- Firedancer, I love you for your mad IT skills!!!

I must add Imzadi & Flightless Duck to that list of dissers I love for their mind!!!

You're welcome and it's good to be loved, just maybe not on a 30+ page thread.