After my downstairs PC was fully “healed,” I took time this weekend to download Avira on to our living room laptop, upstairs. Everything downloaded from CNet just fine, and I ran the anti-virus program on the laptop.
The old Norton antivirus program prompted me to update, but I turned it off. (Something my better half’s office IT guy had installed.)
Then Avira began finding a number of bugs. While it ran cleanly at first (no infections), it soon snared a number of different trojan, worm, and other buggy programs. As Avira ran, the Norton program also began finding stuff and warning /alert prompts began ballooning in front of me.
Then Avira kept picking up the same virus–it popped up in the dialog box listed as “temp/temp file#” with # representing a number at the end of the virus that just kept increasing, 1, 2, 3, etc.–until I’d had enough of the round robin chase I was on (click the “delete” radio button, mouse down to click “ok”; next! click “delete” radio button again, mouse down to click “ok”, over and over).
My cumpulsive side kicked in, so I have to admit that I got carried away, but at 100 times it was enough. I hit the power button, shut it down, and went to email our techie service guy.
I’m now keeping that laptop turned off until I can go in and purge it with his advice. Fortunately, the downstairs PC is fine; I still run Avira here and have no problems.
It occurs to me that the best way to deal with the laptop infections will be to get out of range or shut off the wi-fi, then open the folders in windows explorer (many years ago more appropriately called the file cabinet), and empty the elements in that temp file folder, as that’s where the infection seemed to be originating.
I have to say, it all makes me a bit leery of turning on computers at home.
On a happier note, spring is pretty much sprung out here. we have flowers in our yard–I’ll share soon.
I’m looking forward to the day that some clever person invents a nice disinfectant cleaning spray which will work on computers as well as bathrooms and kitchens…
argh! sounds like a nightmare!
Spring has sprung here, too… finally. We had an unusually cold and longer winter than usual. I thought some a few of the younger trees in the neighborhood had died in the freezes we had but it looks like little leaf buds are starting to pop out.
On viruses… I gots me a Mac. Virus free (as far as I know) for nearly four years. I say as far as I know because she seems to be running a little funky now and again. Not sure if it’s a virus or just too much junk taking up space.
Norwichrocker, sign me up!
Hello, Heather. You know, it made it a lot easier in that I didn’t lose all computer access. I’ve had that happen when, I freelanced, where the whole business got shut down, and that was a nightmare. This was more a step-by-step slog through it I know I’ll get there, how annoying is it going to be type of thing.
Julian, it sounds like it’s time to do some online spring cleaning!