HaloMods "Classic" Read-only Archive

my computer is infected with spyware and I cant change my desktop background i have zonealarm security suite but it cant delete the spyware because it is in my windows components

try starting windows in safe mode, and then remove it

if that doesn't work, you can always use a linux licecd, boot it, and delete the infected stuff manually

http://www.Lavasoft.com maybe?Get the personal version;its free

citruspers wrote:try starting windows in safe mode, and then remove it

if that doesn't work, you can always use a linux licecd, boot it, and delete the infected stuff manually

umm i dont know what folder its in i know its somwere in windows though

somewhere in windows...
yeah, that cuts the possibilities down a bit lol
i suggest transfering your essential data (that is not infected) to another computer, and scan it to be sure.
then just format and reinstall your computer.

i know, it sucks, but it's the only to make sure you have nothing crappy on your system anymore

Make sure when you reformat, that you have the drivers of all your components like video card, sound card, etc etc on a CD or something because I forgot to do that and it cost me $60 to get it fixed. I didn't have a copy of the video driver and the screen wouldn't scale to the full size of the monitor. So...um don't make my mistake and make sure that updated versions of all your drivers are part of your "essential data"

Tip: The most popular security suites aren't usually helpful in getting rid of a well thought-out virus/spyware program. The developer incorporates routines to disable those from within the system.

i wouldn't reccomend reformatting and re-installing unless you have a free day, all the necessarry OS CDs, and all anti spyware/virus solutions don't work.

when i said in windows i meant it was in the necessary windows files screw it ill live with a plain white desktop background

manually start explorer.exe?

well if i try to change my background i open desktop properties and go to background and it wont let me press the button or select a different background and if i restart my comp within a few seconds itll say ending program fgfhfvdsfvdbd or something like that

see if you can catch that program name. also hit crtl+alt+delete and give us all the processes in there, i'm willing to take a half hour and sift through them to find spyware.

half an hour, how many programs are running lol

and i think you would be wasting your time, if a virus is so smart not to let an app delete it, it probably uses a rootkit to hide itself, even from the process list.

true .. but still. eh, whatever.

pretty much all i can say now is to run different apps in safe mode like spybot, AVG free, maybe even an install of webroot's spysweeper.

or use a linux distro that mounts your harddisk, and uses some virus/spyware removers on it