Virus Causing Rebooting

[tonynace]

I have a Windows 7 computer that reboots itself randomly. I suspect a virus because this is a new computer that I bought this year and I have this problem on another computer I have that is running XP. I've tried everything to try and find this virus including Avast of course and Malwarebytes, but they all report back negative. I finally decided to wipe my hard drive clean on my XP machine. When I reformatted the hard drive, I found that there was a section still on there that was reported as unformatted or something like that. I believe a virus is hiding there and I am still trying to figure out how to remove it. I now suspect that this virus might have migrated to my Windows 7 machine, as it is now exhibiting similar behavior. Anybody heard of a virus like this? What can I do about it?

[Lisandro]

You can use a free partition manager to remove that space (if it is not the recovery partition created by Windows 7...).
Then you can resize the other one.
I suggest Partition Wizard or Easeus Master to do this job.

About the infection, I suggest:

1. Clean your temporary files.
2. Schedule a boot time scanning with avast with archive scanning turned on. If avast does not detect it, you can try DrWeb CureIT! instead.
3. Use MBAM (or SUPERantispyware or even Spyware Terminator) to scan for spywares and trojans. If any infection is detected, it is better and safer to send the infected file(s) to quarantine (Chest), rather than simply deleting them.
4. Test your machine with anti-rootkit applications. I suggest avast! antirootkit or Trend Micro RootkitBuster.
5. Make a HijackThis log to post here or this analysis site. Or even submit the RunScanner log to to on-line analysis.
6. Clean your Hosts file (replacing it) with HostsMan tool.
7. Disable System Restore and then reenable it again.
8. Immunize your system with SpywareBlaster.
9. Check if you have insecure applications with Secunia Software Inspector.

[tonynace]

You can use a free partition manager to remove that space (if it is not the recovery partition created by Windows 7...).
Then you can resize the other one.
I suggest Partition Wizard or Easeus Master to do this job.

About the infection, I suggest:

1. Clean your temporary files.
2. Schedule a boot time scanning with avast with archive scanning turned on. If avast does not detect it, you can try DrWeb CureIT! instead.
3. Use MBAM (or SUPERantispyware or even Spyware Terminator) to scan for spywares and trojans. If any infection is detected, it is better and safer to send the infected file(s) to quarantine (Chest), rather than simply deleting them.
4. Test your machine with anti-rootkit applications. I suggest avast! antirootkit or Trend Micro RootkitBuster.
5. Make a HijackThis log to post here or this analysis site. Or even submit the RunScanner log to to on-line analysis.
6. Clean your Hosts file (replacing it) with HostsMan tool.
7. Disable System Restore and then reenable it again.
8. Immunize your system with SpywareBlaster.
9. Check if you have insecure applications with Secunia Software Inspector.

I'll give those a try and let you know. Thanks.

[tonynace]

You can use a free partition manager to remove that space (if it is not the recovery partition created by Windows 7...).
Then you can resize the other one.
I suggest Partition Wizard or Easeus Master to do this job.

About the infection, I suggest:

1. Clean your temporary files.
2. Schedule a boot time scanning with avast with archive scanning turned on. If avast does not detect it, you can try DrWeb CureIT! instead.
3. Use MBAM (or SUPERantispyware or even Spyware Terminator) to scan for spywares and trojans. If any infection is detected, it is better and safer to send the infected file(s) to quarantine (Chest), rather than simply deleting them.
4. Test your machine with anti-rootkit applications. I suggest avast! antirootkit or Trend Micro RootkitBuster.
5. Make a HijackThis log to post here or this analysis site. Or even submit the RunScanner log to to on-line analysis.
6. Clean your Hosts file (replacing it) with HostsMan tool.
7. Disable System Restore and then reenable it again.
8. Immunize your system with SpywareBlaster.
9. Check if you have insecure applications with Secunia Software Inspector.

Apparently, I can't do #2 as I have a 64 bit Windows OS. Why is there no provision for this? There are enough 64 bit systems out there now. I have a paid version of Avast also, so I should have this.

[Pondus]

avast 5 boot time scan
http://sites.google.com/site/spg20scottsweb/home/avast-5-boot-time-scan

[tonynace]

avast 5 boot time scan
http://sites.google.com/site/spg20scottsweb/home/avast-5-boot-time-scan

Yea, I found the tab to do it in Avast, but found out I could not do it because I have a 64 bit OS. Why doesn't Avast have a version for this OS?

[Asyn]

Yea, I found the tab to do it in Avast, but found out I could not do it because I have a 64 bit OS. Why doesn't Avast have a version for this OS?

5.1 will provide this feature. (out at the end of summer)
asyn