Network Printing Problem/Virus !!! 1

[PerryTorres]

Please kindly help me out, our corporation is running through LAN, our division has 6 computers and sharing 1 printer (same setup with other depts.). It was all working fine before then suddenly a few weeks back we noticed that sometimes the printer just starts to print pages with garble characters without neither of us printing, Second is, when we're printing, it says "printing" but it doesnt actually print, the printer doesn't respond(sometimes it does). It usually hangs-up when the printing windows shows up, if we press ctrl-alt-del to end printing process, it removes the printer icon from the printer settings and you have to reboot again to retrieve the printer. please help/teach us how to resolve the problem, it is causing us delay on printing of maps. please..please...please...anybody...thanks! (Perry)

 

[smah]

First, how do you know that you have a virus? If you're unsure, try this free online virus scan:

http://www.mcafee.com/myapps/mfs/

If the scan finds the bugbear virus, run this removal tool on all computers on the network:

http://www.mcafee.com/anti-virus/virus_removal/bugbear.asp

 

[jrbarnett]

I don't think that this is a virus, but there is definitely something amiss. However, to help you further I will need to know the answers to the following questions:

1. What sort of printer is it?
2. Is this hooked up to the network directly (eg via ethernet or JetDirect box) or run as a local printer from a workstation which is shared?
3. What operating system(s) are running on the workstations?

John

 

[KimberTech]

If I were you, first thing I would check is the printer cable.
I have seen this before, user ran over it with an office chair.

If that doesn't do it, then members have already asked you the right questions.

Members of Tek-Tips provide answers to questions based on the information given. For the best answers, post detailed descriptions of the issue. Use the search features of the site to see if your issue was already addressed in another thread.

 

[PerryTorres]

thanks for your replies guys! anyway, SMAH - I downloaded the bremove software and run it on C but it didnt find the virus, am trying to run it to the other computers which is using the same printer right now. We were able to print before without any problem, then this suddenly happen.
JRBARNETT - the printer is an HP1220C shared and connected to a workstation and running through LAN and Windows 98. I wish you could still help me guys! thanks again!

 

[PerryTorres]

Thanks too kimber Tech, i checked the cables but they were alright. thanks!

 

[FatesWebb]

UH... BUGBEAR!!!!!!

http://vil.nai.com/vil/content/v_99728.htm

Bugbear replicates across network shares... only thing is it doesnt check to see if they are a printer and ends up printing itself out on the printer...

Methinks you have bugbear

FatesWebb

if you do what I suggested it is not my fault...

 

[PerryTorres]

Thanks fateswebb! i did the steps inside the web address u gave me. it didnt say that there was a virus but its currently working right now, so far. thanks again. i hope it works permanently.

 

[wbg34]

Did you run the removal tool in safe mode. Some removal tools wont work correctly on an infected machine unless it is run in safemode.

 

[bfralia]

Went through all this printer stuff a couple of months back. Turned out to be BugBear connecting through an un-protected network print server. We traced the probablem back to an affiliate in Scotland.

The Stinger tool worked but you have to find the right machine. To run it on.

 

[PerryTorres]

bfralia, do i have to run it on DOS or inside windows? the machine you were referring to is it suppose to be the one with the virus on? thanks for the reply. I hope this would really solve it.

 

[bfralia]

You can run it inside of windows. McAfee, Symantec and others all have utilities to do this that work well and they are free.

 

[wmccall]

Do your printers have their own IP addreses accessible from outside your network? We had a student place a program on a Unix machine that send garbage to IP addresses with macs common to HP jet direct cards.