Korean Job Discussion Forums

Yesterday

sorry - my stories are always long.......

My computer somehow got a "Virus - trojan" or something - which was identified as a "autorun" virus...

My anti-virus software - (at that time - "AVG") - couldn't get rid of it - but just kept popping up a WARNING!!! every 5 seconds...

I changed anti-virus software to "Avast" but it couldn't remove the virus either - kept finding it and showing me that it was jumping from G drive to F drive then C drive then E drive... etc

and "Avast" kept popping up a very annoying WARNING!!! on the screen every 3 seconds...

so then I "PAID FOR" and got the anti-virus software - "Trend-Micro Professional" program... (yes with real cash - via paypal)

It found heaps of viruses - but REALLY they were the same virus "AutoRun" which was jumping from drive to drive... and it couldn't erase/clean/disinfect the virus either - kept popping a WARNING!!! on the screen every 10 seconds... telling me that I had to find the virus myself and remove it...

so finally - I removed that anti-virus software and installed "Windows Live OneCare" anti-virus software..

It REMOVED the virus immediately!! and NO MORE pop-up WARNINGs!!!

Happy!!!!!!!!! but.........

now I cannot open any of my drives in the "My Computer" desktop icon...

basically if I click on "My Computer" icon and it shows me the drives (C, E, F, G drive) - when I click on them to open them - it pops up with that "window" asking - which program do you want to open this with (gom, winamp etc)

so what do I do to be able to fix that problem and get back into my drives?

and I have already tried - "system restore" - doesn't work..

and I DO NOT wish to reformat the computer again... I have reformatted too much during the past 12 months - and I know that even reformatting may leave be back in the same situation - because the "virus" was jumping back and forward on all my drives (until it was removed) but I do not want to have to reformat all my drives...

so - anyone - been in same situation before and how do you fix the problem?

ttompatz · Joined: 05 Sep 2005 Location: Kwangju, South Korea

You MAY, if your system was cleaned, be able to re-install windows over top of the current windows and repair the damage but I suspect that the registry was damaged beyond any simple recovery.

The quickest way would be:

Copy your data to any one of the other drives. Don't worry about the virus.
Then disconnect ALL the drives except your C: drive.
Format C: drive.
Install your anti-virus and set the auto protect to "ON"
Turn off the computer then re-connect the next drive.
Do a scan on it and clean it.
Repeat the process for all your additional drives.
This should clean your system, save your data and only take you an afternoon.

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news.

One caveat here:
If your main drive is simply partitioned into multiple drives and NOT several physical drives you may have a problem with the virus hiding in the master boot record.
This would require you to (delete the partitions), do a cold start on the computer and create them all over again with a full format.

.

the_beaver · Joined: 15 Jan 2003

Just for fun (it won't hurt anything) try to open it with explorer.

spliff · Joined: 19 Jan 2004 Location: Khon Kaen, Thailand

Instead of double clicking on the drive right click and select open.

Yesterday · Posted: Sat Feb 09, 2008 4:27 am Post subject:

thanks for both your advice/posts...

but I have done both of those things...

double clicking...

right clicking and open..

right clicking and explore...

still doesn't work...

is there any other way - or anyway or "restoring" or "re-installing" the registry (if that is the problem)... without having to reformatt again for the 100th time this year?

I was saving my time and money to install a new "cooling" system/fan to aid my computer - I would hate to have to waste that time/money reformatting all again..

,

the_beaver · Joined: 15 Jan 2003

Yesterday · Posted: Sat Feb 09, 2008 5:17 am Post subject:

might try to get a good "wokable" "Registry mechanic" - but many downloaded from torrents don't work..

the_beaver · Joined: 15 Jan 2003

Yesterday · Posted: Sat Feb 09, 2008 5:28 am Post subject:

explorer - explorer still works...

the_beaver · Joined: 15 Jan 2003

Since your computer seems to be fucked five ways to Sunday you don't have much to lose.

Go to http://dougknox.com/xp/file_assoc.htm and use the drive association fix and possibly the EXE file association fix (and any others that act up).

(this is assuming that you're using XP)

Yesterday · Posted: Sat Feb 09, 2008 5:52 am Post subject:

wow - you are knowledegable -

you wouldn't happen to know - which ones I run..?

the_beaver · Joined: 15 Jan 2003

Yesterday · Posted: Sat Feb 09, 2008 6:11 am Post subject:

thanks - but no success yet....

SuperHero · Joined: 10 Dec 2003 Location: Superhero Hideout

take the hard drive out, put it in an external case and then scan it on another computer and fix any problems.

Yesterday · Posted: Sat Feb 09, 2008 2:26 pm Post subject:

I was up all night - however I figured something out by "mistake"..

I put a plugged a small 4GB "USB drive" into the computer - which was empty... and once again - in the "My Computer" desktop icon.. I could not open the drive (which appeared as "J drive")...

so (as it was empty already) - I just right clicked on it and "formatted" it...

took 2 minutes - and WOW! after that - I could now open that drive...

so using the program "Total Media backup" - I back-up'ed all my files from E, F & G drive.....

then I did the same to "E, F, G drives" (I right-clicked on "E drive" and reformatted it - then did the same to "F drive" and "G drive") re-formatted them all.

It left E, F & G drive empty - but also with NO viruses and I was then able to open those drives "NO PROBLEMS"... (in the "My Computer" icon)..

then using the program "Total Media back-up" I was able to restore all my files back into those drives...

so now I am able to open all my drives NO PROBLEMS and they have all my original files back into them -

- EXCEPT C drive...

of course I can't just "format" that drive - because then windows would stop working...

however - their E, F, G (and J) drive now work normally/fine - and they have all my files/docs/programs stored in them... (with no viruses)..

so now I just have to "fix" C drive somehow - perhaps reformatting it.. (I won't feel as bad this time - because everything is already backed up on the other drives - which are now working fine - with no viruses..

I really need some sleep now -back to work tomorrow..