Computer Virus

[RatzoRC]

I got hit with some kind of Virus last night on my home computer. (at work now).
I might be out of commision for a while, unless I hook up my laptop.
It's the first time that I've been hit with one of these, so I don't know how long I'll be down.
See you guy's soon!!

 

[vbgagnon]

Good luck with that, I had one of those about 6 months ago and it was a pain in the ass to take care of.

 

[Rolex]

You GOT to have Norton System Works. A virus is something I never got in any of my computers, yet I have had the Norton banner pop up numerous times to let me know it had quarantined one.

 

[msly]

Are you running any antivirus with the lastest virus definitions? Norton with the automatic update is a great way for protection. If I ever even think a virus has touched my computer I re-format the beeotch and start from scratch. Or I have an image of the computer from a fresh install usually on CD using Ghost and start from there. Some of you guys should look into ghost or another Disk cloning utility.

The way it works is I load the OS and all my software and get the computer exactley the way I want it. Then I run ghost and it pretty much makes an exact copy of this configuration. If I feel my system has been acting funny or slow or just feel its the time to start again. I pop in the first disk that my image is on and it brings the computer back to that exact configuration when I created the image. The only thing you really need to do is make sure all of your data is backed up somewhere else before you Ghost it back to its orginal format. If Ratzo had an image of his computer he would be back up and running in 20 mins.

If anyone is intrested in knowing more about this I can point them in the right direction.

sLY

 

[Rolex]

Included with Norton System Works is Roxio GoBack 3.0. If you have a problem with anything, from a program install or uninstall or a virus, you can pick a time when the computer was fine, and 'go back' to that point. Normally I only install or make changes immediately after booting up. That way, if there's a problem I run GoBack only to last boot. That way no files have been lost.

 

[msly]

Also if you have XP there is a System restore function that will do the same thing... and its built right into the OS. If you use Ghost that would also be good if your HD crashes or you want to transfer everything over to a bigger HD.

Included with Norton System Works is Roxio GoBack 3.0. If you have a problem with anything, from a program install or uninstall or a virus, you can pick a time when the computer was fine, and 'go back' to that point. Normally I only install or make changes immediately after booting up. That way, if there's a problem I run GoBack only to last boot. That way no files have been lost.

 

[Error401]

Ghost is a really good tool. Another one is drive image. Anyway, I do the same thing, clean install, install major apps, config the network, set up users, etc. Then make a restore CD set. I do regular backups of data (documents, media, etc), so there's no need to have that on the restore disk. Working where I do, and seeing all the viruses and such that come in on machines, I have developed a nearly complete lack of sympathy for folks who have backup solutions but choose not to use them. There's not a week that goes by where someone with a DVD burner, or external hard disk, or even a CD burner comes in with a dead main drive, or one that eaten up with a virus. Most of the time their data is gone, and they cry a river. That may sound cold, but most of those people have been in our shop before and were advised to do regular backups. Programs can be reinstalled, but data is something else.

Another point about ghost, and this is a bit off topic, but, my office has started a policy of imaging XP machines before we install SP2 on client machines. So far we have had a couple of customers who have installed SP2 at home and it killed their boxes. This isn't an anti MS rant, just a heads up. Sometimes SP2 goes south, and from what I've seen and read, it stays south and only a reformat will bring the machine back. A small investment in ghost and another hard disk can prevent a reformat. Ghost your disk before you put SP2 on. If it goes south, ghost it back and you're up and running again.

 

[Rolex]

True, you're up and running again, but without SP2. It will take you back to a point before it's installation.

 

[RatzoRC]

I'm partially running. I do have the ghost thing, that I will have to use.
My sister has computer stores in florida.
She will give me the info I need. Thanks for all your support.
Rob

 

[Error401]

True, you're up and running again, but without SP2. It will take you back to a point before it's installation.

So, which is worse, having SP2 that won't boot, or having SP1 that will? My money is on SP1 and a functional machine.

 

[mr_bob]

not to sound stupid but what is sp2


I'm thinking service pack 2 and what not but i just want to be clear

 

[Rolex]

Yes, it's service packet 2. It's a LONG download and install. It took over an hour, but it's supposed to repair an endless amount of critical security issues with XP Home. I'm not sure about XP pro. Go the the MS site and check it out.
I installed it about a week ago, and haven't noticed any problems at all......yet.