JimFiore wrote:
If you have spyware/malware and the usual attacks don't work (Spybot, AdAware, etc.) you may have a mutating form which spawns a process that keeps reinfecting your machine. These are a bear to remove, but it can be done (had one on my office computer).
First, run Spybot and AdAware and see what they tell you. Have them fix the problem, but then immedaitely run them again. If the same errors keep popping up, you've got the evil form. For example, one common version shows up on AdAware as "Virtumundo" (or "Vundo" or similar variant). On Spybot you'll get errors regarding "ATLEvents". This malware will do two things: 1) Hijack your browser and take you to places like "StopGuard" and "WinFireWall", and 2) spawn a the aforementioned process that will slow your system to a crawl. You can check on this by simply hitting Ctrl-Alt-Del to open the Task Manager (from XP). In the task list, you'll see a process that cycles from 0% CPU to about 90% CPU over and over. What it's doing is reading/writing files to/from your HD (basically refreshing itself). If you're reasonably computer savy and muck about in the OS, this won't be too bad. If you're a greenhorn, you might want to grab a friend who's a bit more knowledgeable to assist you with some of the more arcane stuff.
Go to
http://www.majorgeeks.com. Register for their support forum at
http://forums.majorgeeks.comand go to the subsection "Spyware Specific". Before posting anything, read the FAQ, and the "sticky" threads at the top of the Spyware section (these will give you an overview of what to do. Folks will be rightly pissed if you don't do a little homework and just start posting your problem). Finally, download the required tools (HiJackThis for example) and make the appropriate adjustments to your system (like setting Windows Explorer to show Hidden and System files).
Now, if after reading the items above and trying their tips, you can't get rid of the problem, post a message on the Spyware Specific forum. Someone will probably get to you within a day, sometimes within a couple of hours. Be patient. There are a lot of nice people there who are willing to help you.