Blinking desktop - virus?

TurnipHead · 24 Apr 2012 at 22:13

Ughh. Was playing WoW when everything decided to freeze.

Desktop is blinking and can't open anything. Can't open in safe mode. Can't open any anti-virus software to scan. When it blinks "explorer.exe" also blinks in the task manager.

So any ideas or am I screwed?

edit: it stopped blinking but still can't open any programmes.

Joshct · 24 Apr 2012 at 22:37

Plenty of steps inbetween where you are and this but:

A reinstall will fix it if it's a virus.

Try a few hardware troubleshooting points (unplug everything that doesn't need to be there, extra drives, graphics cards / misc pci cards, all but 1 sticks of ram) and see how it goes, if it works, add in a component and try again, etc etc.

If you have an old pc or similar, stick in that hdd on its own and boot into the OS, check everythings fine.

Or just wait for someone less tired to give better advice i guess

TurnipHead · 24 Apr 2012 at 22:51

I tried Rkill which managed to stop the blinking so now I can get online. Although all the anti-virus/malware programmes won't open. And all the anti-virus/malware/spyware websites are down. Which I'm guessing is part of the virus.

Fire_fly · 24 Apr 2012 at 22:55

Do you have access to another computer so you can make an anti-virus boot disk?

TurnipHead · 24 Apr 2012 at 23:01

I'm doing that at the moment. Any good ones you can suggest?

Snodge · 24 Apr 2012 at 23:21

Get Hitman pro 3.6 on a memory stick run it and that'll solve your problems.

Fire_fly · 24 Apr 2012 at 23:25

What anti-virus software do you use, most of the mainstream ones have this type of thing available to download off their websites.

TurnipHead · 24 Apr 2012 at 23:34

MalwareBytes won't open.
Ad-aware crashes instantly.
AVG scans the whole computer in under 2 seconds and says it's safe.
Avast causes me to bluescreen.

All the websites are down on my computer. But working on my laptop.

Fire_fly · 24 Apr 2012 at 23:44

It may be safer, and somewhat easier to just nuke it and reformat the drive.

Tealc · 24 Apr 2012 at 23:47

These types of virus are a real pain to get rid of. Hopefully there will be some lesser known av program or something that will get it. Anything untoward in task manager? I there's a strange process running searching for that sometimes helps find a cure. Sometimes they just have a random process name generation or make it sound like a legitimate file.

I've had a few similar virus over the years but always seem to fin a way to cure them. I should probably not download torrents but never seem to learn.

TurnipHead · 25 Apr 2012 at 00:09

Got Avast working. It's picked up 1 infected file so far. I may just reformat if this don't work. I backed everything up recently.

Only pain is reinstalling/downloading WoW. Sigh.

TurnipHead · 25 Apr 2012 at 00:37

Scanned and deleted these

Seems ok for now.. I can open Ad-aware and AVG now so scanning with them.

Edit: Sigh, everythings going slow. Can't open any programmes still. Skype/WoW/photoshop..

redknight333 · 25 Apr 2012 at 07:39

omg thats going to be a nightmare reinstalling WoW from scratch, i have a external drive so i back my WoW folder every so often, maybe you need to do this from now on.

Joshct · 25 Apr 2012 at 08:11

WoW doesn't need to be installed in the conventional way, moving the entire folder from another pc or location will work perfectly when you run it, i recently moved it via crossover cable from laptop to pc in about 40 minutes, didn't find server list on first open but was perfect after a close and reopen, and no troubles since then.

Beats a 2 day download

Snodge · 26 Apr 2012 at 07:40

Get Hitman pro 3.6 on a memory stick run it and that'll solve your problems.

Puppetmaster · 26 Apr 2012 at 08:20

Download combofix from bleeping computer (NOT combofix.org) and run that in safe mode. Then do the same with malware bytes.

Phage · 26 Apr 2012 at 08:49

Nuke it from orbit. It's the only way to be sure.

pandem0nium · 26 Apr 2012 at 18:55

Yeah it sounds ballsed essentially. Just back up what you can and do and reinstall windows or whatever OS.

Crowort · 26 Apr 2012 at 19:17

Save this as a .reg file in notepad

Code:

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[-HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Classes\.exe\shell\open\command]

[-HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Classes\secfile\shell\open\command]

[-HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\.exe\shell\open\command]

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\.exe]
@="exefile"
"Content Type"="application/x-msdownload"

[-HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\secfile]

Then merge it.

Should be able to run stuff then. The website issue is likely a proxy setting. Changing everything back to automatic in IE (this does the windows side of things) should fix it.