VIRUS ALERT!

[Rand-m]

Alright, so lemme start. My computer has a very crafty virus.

(If it's really tl, and you really dr, skip to "QUESTION:")

WARNING: NERDSPEAK INCOMING.

Every two weeks or so, it corrupts a different file in my WIN32. Not a crucial one, but it won't let me repair it. So I have to delete it. Not only does this effectively grind my computer to a screeching halt at random times, but it really is an inconvenience having to click "OK" on 5 different popups telling me that I "accidentally" deleted something along the lines of "FCXYZK.dll" or whatever every time my computer starts.

It's picking my computer apart.
Slowly.
FROM THE INSIDE.

QUESTION:

What is the WORST virus you've ever had? Was it creative, or just a piss off? How did you fix it? DID you fix it?

Discuss.

 

[hittite]

First thing I thought of.

OT: sorry, I got nothing.

 

[Wardnath]

I'm currently infected with Tango Toolbar.

Avast can't pick it up and I got it through Malwarebytes.

Now I know what not to download in the future, what a load of hype.

 

[AvsJoe]

Worst one I got was this pesky little bug back in aught three that disabled my computer's windows. For about a month I had to run everything through the run program and used MSN Messenger to access the Interwebz. It was annoying.

Then, because I'm an idjit, I decided that it was the perfect time to install NHL 2003 onto my buggy PC. But, because I've always had ridiculously good luck, when my computer was updating, the folder that stored the virus was deleted. Fixed computer was fixed!

 

[Rand-m]

First thing I thought of.

OT: sorry, I got nothing.

The first poster got the reference. That kinda makes me happy.

Good job to you.

 

[SpecklePattern]

Had a freaking rootkit virus little time ago. (Windows XP.) I really don't know how I got it. Avast! noticed it and when it noticed it, it was already in the system dlls so I was boned. I tried to get it in safe mode and all that but after two restarts only thing I got was slowed down computer, Avast! did not see anything, but weird processes were present in the process tree. So I knew the virus was alive and well. (Disconnected my backup media in the instant I saw that Avast! listed the virus as a rootkit type.) Formatted hard drive and wanted an adventure. Installed Ubuntu 10.04 which I am using now on my second computer (work). My main computer (games) is still just fine with windows 7 on it.

So actually when you have good backup system the viruses are not that bad. Reinstall operating system is something I do every now and then anyways. Cleaning all the shit I install and speeding up my computer.

 

[Charli]

Well...I'm something of a twitchy suspicious non-porn downloading scrooge. The last time I got a computer infected I think I must have been twelve. And we're talking windows 98 here folks, not exactly a hardy defended piece of operating system (Lol virus protection? Good luck). What it did was slowly pick apart the graphics on my computer screen each time I booted it up. I don't for the life of me know what it was but I get the feeling I had been trojon horse'd by innocently daring to access a webpage on Ye Ol' Netscape Navigator.

Now if I had that problem I'm sure I'd know how to tackle it, but for my dear twelve year old self the only thing I could do was run to my dad in tears, scared I had fucked the expensive machinery somehow.

...He was good about it, he just wiped windows and reinstalled it and gave me the valuable lesson of Internet = Careful. Always.

 

[SimuLord]

I was waiting for the Weird Al song. Well done, Escapist. I love you guys. <3

 

[cheese_wizington]

Just the average porn virus that requires a system restore.

 

[child of lileth]

One time someone used my laptop and gave it 3 worms and over 49 trojans. That's probably the worst I've ever had.

 

[joshuaayt]

Luckily, I don't tend to get viruses. The worst one (most annoying) was also pretty funny- every three hours or so, a pop up would inform me, whilst making an incredibly loud sound, that I "Had a 'suriv'", and it then would ask me to delete an item from my sys 32 folder. Just a random one, it wasn't picky.

Eventually, we installed Norton (Yeah, it IS terrible- but it's also good at removing threats. Even though it considers most online games a threat...) and it went swiftly away.

 

[manaman]

...deleted something along the lines of "FCXYZK.dll" or whatever every time my computer starts.

I was going to say you may not even have an infection, however that dll file is a random file name, not actually a windows file. If you do a search for the file name it comes up with nothing, not even a suggestion to a real file similar to it.

I would assume you already ran virus scans. You should ask the company that made your AV program if you can forward samples to them so that they can effectively remove this in the future. Without the infecter files it maybe a hopeless cause, but you never know until you try, however this might be something they are struggling to create an effective definition for and any information might help them.

 

[demoman_chaos]

I once had one that would shutdown the computer whenever I started MSConfig, twas rather irritating.

But I have switched to Linux and now I don't have to worry about viruses.

 

[manaman]

One time someone used my laptop and gave it 3 worms and over 49 trojans. That's probably the worst I've ever had.

You would be surprised how many companies label cookies in the same category as trojans just to trick people that have no idea into thinking they have massive infections on the computer.

 

[Romidude]

First thing I thought of.

OT: sorry, I got nothing.

Friggin' ninja.

 

[child of lileth]

One time someone used my laptop and gave it 3 worms and over 49 trojans. That's probably the worst I've ever had.

You would be surprised how many companies label cookies in the same category as trojans just to trick people that have no idea into thinking they have massive infections on the computer.

I honestly don't even remember if they were all actual trojans or not. I just remember the worms. If it wasn't for those, I wouldn't have had any problem, since trojans have never really done anything anyway with my stuff.

 

[Kaboose the Moose]

Yeah I got a particularly nasty one that corrupted the kernel. On restarting the PC it just failed to load Windows and to make matters worse I didn't have the OS or the recovery CD to do a system reboot. Fortunately though I did have the all knowing operating system on hand, commonly referred to Linux. So I was happy in the end.

Virus:0 Me:1

 

[SleepsAnyWhere]

What really shits me off is when I KNOW I have a virus (not a huge obvious one, like a worm, but a clever rootcit or trojan agent) I can't find it and my anti virus software can't pick it up (I use Avast, MSE and Malwarebytes soon to get AVG back)


I used Avast boot time scan to nab a couple of agent-OA (trojan) but I can never be sure if I'm completely clean. The most terrifying thing is no damage has incurred on my PC (running W7).

I think not knowing is the worst of all.

 

[Kaboose the Moose]

I once had one that would shutdown the computer whenever I started MSConfig, twas rather irritating.

But I have switched to Linux and now I don't have to worry about viruses.

Ooh a follower of Tux! Pray tell kind sir, what be your distro?