Raistlin1040
2011-03-22, 10:36 PM
Bleck. So, it seems like my computer has come down with another virus, and my least favorite kind, the one where the virus pretends to be an anti-virus software. I've had these kinds of viruses before and been able to stamp them out easily enough as they've only affected my internet usage. This one is obviously different. Firstly, it changed my desktop background to a blue screen with a large warning about Spyware and that I need to secure myself right now or my nonexistent wife and children will find out about my private information and my life will be ruined.
More concerningly, I cannot seem to launch any problem. When the virus first hit and changed my background, Zune and MSN Messenger immediately shut down. Like I said, my internet appears unaffected except for some slowness and the disabling of my StumbleUpon toolbar. Unfortunately, it seems to have severely crippled my ability to kill it. My taskbar, which once contained icons for Microsoft Security Essentials, among other things, has had a lot of icons removed. Trying to start MSE manually leads to a box cropping up on my taskbar that says something along the lines of "Warning! Application cannot be executed. The file [whatever].exe is infected." If clicked, it brings up a program showing my alleged 40some viruses and leads me to a page offering an anti-virus known as "System Tool" for upwards of seventy dollars. Periodically, a warning pops up that says "Windows has detected spyware" and then something about installing/activating an antivirus.
I can't use MSE, I can't use a free trial of Norton I downloaded, I can't Ctrl+Alt+Del to open the task manager (as the file for the task manager is apparently infected) to see if I can disable the program there, and running my computer's Action Center and shutting down or restarting the computer is of no help. I'm researching into the problem on the internet but I was wondering if anyone here, particularly someone more technically inclined than myself, could help.
My computer is running Windows 7. Any further questions about my specifications should include instructions for how to find that information out because I probably will not know. Thank you.
More concerningly, I cannot seem to launch any problem. When the virus first hit and changed my background, Zune and MSN Messenger immediately shut down. Like I said, my internet appears unaffected except for some slowness and the disabling of my StumbleUpon toolbar. Unfortunately, it seems to have severely crippled my ability to kill it. My taskbar, which once contained icons for Microsoft Security Essentials, among other things, has had a lot of icons removed. Trying to start MSE manually leads to a box cropping up on my taskbar that says something along the lines of "Warning! Application cannot be executed. The file [whatever].exe is infected." If clicked, it brings up a program showing my alleged 40some viruses and leads me to a page offering an anti-virus known as "System Tool" for upwards of seventy dollars. Periodically, a warning pops up that says "Windows has detected spyware" and then something about installing/activating an antivirus.
I can't use MSE, I can't use a free trial of Norton I downloaded, I can't Ctrl+Alt+Del to open the task manager (as the file for the task manager is apparently infected) to see if I can disable the program there, and running my computer's Action Center and shutting down or restarting the computer is of no help. I'm researching into the problem on the internet but I was wondering if anyone here, particularly someone more technically inclined than myself, could help.
My computer is running Windows 7. Any further questions about my specifications should include instructions for how to find that information out because I probably will not know. Thank you.