Newbie: Desperately need help.

[Confused Computer User]

Hi,

I'm realizing that when I login it tells me:Warning - while you were reading 15 new replies have been posted. You may wish to review your post. 
then I scroll down I don't see any new posts & the page is all plain-no colored icons for the different people that have replied to me.  And there is only one page.

Yesterday when I told you that it was different & had brightly colored icons for the people who replied to me & there were 2 pages of posts & replies.
When CCU told me that he put a picture at the bottom of his post-when I was in this view (plain page) there was no picture but when I got on the colored pages it was there.

CCU said

Not spooky. The only way yo can see the photo I attached is if you log on/sign in to the forum. If you are just browsing as a visitor you will not see it.

 
When I log in it tells me that I can stay logged in forever or something like that & that's where I clicked.  I was not on here as a visitor.  Today I logged in but nothing is colored etc. & some of the pages are missing.  Also CCU's picture that he posted at the bottom of his post is not there today.

Am I somehow in a different place on the forums? 
I would like to understand how to navigate this forum.

Thanks for your help.

I really can't understand what is going on. I have attached a pic of how the page should look when you are logged on. Hopefully it will help.
Now, if you look at the photo, you will see that:

   -at (A), you have the word "LOGOUT". As long as you see this, it means that you are signed in and you should see anything I attach to my posts.

   -at (B), you have a line that states: "Show new replies to your posts." when you click on this, it will point to the threads that posted in and that have had new posts made since you last visited.

Outside of your problems with forum software, how is your computer running now?
Otherwise fine?

Please answer this 4frustrated.

Do I need to run another scan?  Or can I consider my computer virus free.

When did you run the last scan and what were the results?

Oops, I have a 2nd question.  Do you people use firewalls like Zone Alarm?

You have to learn to use the search option. This question has many answers.
There are forum users that use Zone Alarm and there are some that use PC Tools Firewall Plus. I use Vista's built-in firewall along with Vista Firewall Control. The later is a program that allows you to use/modify out-bound activity.

Let's explain. A firewall has In-bound and out-bound activity. Think of the firewall as a port. Ships come in and they go out. The port is a gate between to the great wide sea (ie the web) and your land (ie your computer). Before something from the web/net gets in your computer, it has to pass by the firewall (or port). Now if your firewall is not expecting a ship/program/information to get in, then that object will not get in. This is known as In-bound protection (when you stop things from getting in)
Now out bound is the exact opposite. It prevents things from getting-out. In vista this last one is not active. So I use Vista Firewall Control in order to make it work adequately.

If you use Zone Alarm, then this is done automatically for you.
Here are the results for the search for the word "firewall":

http://forum.avast.com/index.php?action=search2

Is there anything else I need to do?

Try to limit your questions to the goal of your initial post. From my perspective at least.

[Lisandro]

One more question.  Do I need to run another scan?  Or can I consider my computer virus free.

Well, the thread is long to read it all and check if you're clean.
I'll post a step-by-step procedure to clean a computer, if it helps.

If a virus is replicant (coming and coming again), you could follow the general cleaning procedure:

1. Clean your temporary files. You can use CleanUp or CCleaner for that.

2. Schedule a boot time scanning with avast. Start avast! > Right click the skin > Schedule a boot-time scanning. Select for scanning archives. Boot. Other option is scanning in SafeMode (repeatedly press F8 while booting).
If avast does not detect it, you can try DrWeb CureIT! instead.

3. It will be good if you download, install, update and run MBAM (or SUPERantispyware or even SpywareTerminator).
If any infection is detected, better and safer is send the file to Quarantine than to simple delete them.
About legit antispyware applications or the bad ones see here.

4. If you still detecting any strange behavior or even you're sure you're not clean, maybe it will be good to test your machine with anti-rootkit applications. I suggest avast! antirootkit or Trend Micro RootkitBuster for XP/Vista. For XP only: Panda.

5. Also, if you still detecting strange behaviors or you want to be sure you're clean, maybe making a HijackThis log to post here or this analysis site. Or even submit the RunScanner log to to on-line analysis.

6. After you're clean, disable System Restore on Windows ME, XP or Vista. System Restore is not available in Windows 9x and 2k. After disabling you can enable it again.

7. Use the immunization of SpywareBlaster.

8. Finally, when you're clean, check for insecure applications with Secunia Software Inspector to update insecure applications and avoid reinfection.

Oops, I have a 2nd question.  Do you people use firewalls like Zone Alarm?
I do have Defender on here.  I know it's is not a firewall.  I just wanted to mention so you would know.
Is there anything else I need to do?

I suggest one of these:
Online Armour
PCTools
Outpost Firewall Free (easy to use, can begin with it).
Comodo
ZoneAlarm

[Confused Computer User]

Hi tech,

Your a sight for sore eyes.

Well, the thread is long to read it all and check if you're clean.

Answer:

I ran the MABM & SAS.
...
The last conclusion was that there were no infections.

Next I ran SAS.  It found 111 cookies & I told it to delete them & remove them.  I know some cookies you are supposed to keep but I was afraid to leave all of them on there because it said they were dangerous.

I'll post a step-by-step procedure to clean a computer, if it helps.

Ahh...  "the list". You modified it somewhat.

I'll shamelessly quote it, anywhere where its needed. 

[mkis]

Thanks Tech.

My impatience. Sometimes I get bit carried away. You step in at right time, is good, and lists have everything and more needed to keep PC clean of malware and maintained now and over time . Good for 4frustrated to work with and become more familiar with the computer.   

[Lisandro]

Ahh...  "the list". You modified it somewhat.

No, it's a second version, not stripped. They are the same procedures but more explained.

[Confused Computer User]

Ahh...  "the list". You modified it somewhat.

No, it's a second version, not stripped. They are the same procedures but more explained.

oh... I was not aware you had two different versions of it. I guess I was using/quoting your striped down version with out knowing. Why would you use both versions at the same time. Isn't this later one better than the striped version?

Thanks Tech.

My impatience. Sometimes I get bit carried away. You step in at right time, is good, and lists have everything and more needed to keep PC clean of malware and maintained now and over time . Good for 4frustrated to work with and become more familiar with the computer.   

And with the forum, which is a gold mine of information if one scratches the surface a little bit.

[Lisandro]

Isn't this later one better than the striped version?

It can fright the user, too much info, too difficult... so I made it easy, shorter, stripped.
If the user needs more info, then I could post the full one.

[Confused Computer User]

good point... I tend to learn slow an forget fast... got to work on that

I can see how I would be a bit overwhelmed by the more informative post than the striped down version if I were to have got it the first few times I  log-ed on to the forum.

[4frustrated]

Hi All,

I'm still not sure how this forum works.  I have been away for a week or so & got home & got on the forum-the other page w/o colors & icons for people replying to me.  Last week mkis gave me a link to this part.  It seems like there are different posts on the two different pages.  I was using a bookmark to get to the one w/o colors etc.  I have bookmarked this page so I will come directly to this one now.

Yesterday there was a post with a list of things I should do to make sure my computer is clean.  I had done most of the scans in the first half & yesterday I ran an Avast rootkit scan. but I couldn't stay until it finished.  Is there a way to retrieve the results of that scan after the fact?

Thanks so much for your help & for the list.  I will continue following the list to get to the end & hopefully end up with a clean computer.

Regards,

[mkis]

Hi 4frustrated

This is what I would suggest at this point in time to ensure you are on solid ground.

Run a boot-time scan

1. Right click 'a' icon in tray lower right hand corner of screen--choose Start avast
--when scanner comes on screen, firstly check the virus chest - reply post anything in there to this thread

2. right-click body of scanner - choose Schedule boot time scan

To run boot scan ----set thorough---check archive---select move to chest ---check allow move

3. Restart and let scan run - reply post outcome

4. Run HjT scan and reply post log to forum.

You can post all outcomes as a single reply post so someone here can check the results.

Continue with list that Tech gave you - is good guide to keep your PC malware free.

[4frustrated]

Hi mkis,

--when scanner comes on screen, firstly check the virus chest - reply post anything in there to this thread

I went to check the virus chest.  Under infections 0,  I clicked on each button on left all said 0 except the last one-All chest files.  I don't see any way to copy the info in there to post in here.

Is there anything in that section that needs to be posted here.  If so, can you explain how to copy it to post it in here?

I'm going to continue with the boot scan.  Also is there a link to HJT
that I can use to get to that scan?

Thanks so much.

[4frustrated]

To run boot scan ----set thorough---check archive---select move to chest ---check allow move

Another question:I don't see a place to select move to chest or allow move.  The top of the radio pops up where you choose thorough & archives but I don't see the other choices.  Where do I find them?

I'll wait to hear from you before I run the boot scan.

Thanks.

[DavidR]

I really do wish Alwil would get rid of this All Chest Files collation of the three sections:

• The only area you should be interested in is the Infected Files section, this is where the files detected by avast and selected by you to move to the chest are placed.
• The User Files section is where the user can add files they suspect of being malware but not detected by avast.
• The System Files section is where avast keeps back-up copies of important system files in case the original becomes infected (leave them alone).
• The All Chest Files is a collation of the three sections.

Advanced option of the scheduling of the boot-time scan should allow for sending to the chest. Personally I prefer to know what is going on in my system so I don't advise automating the actions on detection. That means the boot-time scan is interactive upon detection.

[mkis]

You can perhaps follow DavidR's advice and dont run - select move to chest - and - allow delete or move.

You need to select schedule boot-time scan from the menu at the top left corner of the scanner and follow directions. If you want, you can watch the scan through and choose what to do if and when prompted.

[4frustrated]

Hi,

Last night I shutdown my computer.  I thought I had closed down the
Avast Scanner thing that looks like a radio because I was waiting to find out how to set "move to virus chest etc".  But today when I turned on the computer it immediately started scanning w/o going to the desktop or anything.  I couldn't find a way to stop it so I let it run.
It scanned for about 4 hours.  It had stopped before I came in to check it after 4 hours so I followed the directions someone on here gave me before to get the report.  This is what it said:

07/17/2009 15:29
Scan of all local drives

Number of searched folders: 6548
Number of tested files: 496030
Number of infected files: 0

I asked about a link to HJT to do one of those scans but I haven't gotten an answer.

mkis said something about posting a single reply or something like that which I'm not sure what he means.

Can someone please give me a link to HJT to scan my comp?

Thanks so much.