I'm running Win XP Home and AVG Anti-virus 9.0.864. Due to viruses that seem to be incurable, I'm getting ready to wipe and reformat my hard disk, then reinstall Win XP Home, and all my other software. My email (Thunderbird) files are very important to my work - I would like to save them on flash drives then put them on the cleaned up hard disk. If I do this, will I be taking a chance on bringing back the very viruses that are now causing me problems?
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Safe to put old email files on new hard disk?
- Thread starter philrock
- Start date
Well only you can answer that. If your emails are the ones with the virus then yes. If the virus is elsewhere then no.
However only you know whether or not your emails have viruses.
AVG has its Email checker which should prevent such infections.
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Phil AKA Vacunita
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Ignorance is not necessarily Bliss, case in point:
Unknown has caused an Unknown Error on Unknown and must be shutdown to prevent damage to Unknown.
Behind the Web, Tips and Tricks for Web Development.
However only you know whether or not your emails have viruses.
AVG has its Email checker which should prevent such infections.
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Phil AKA Vacunita
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Ignorance is not necessarily Bliss, case in point:
Unknown has caused an Unknown Error on Unknown and must be shutdown to prevent damage to Unknown.
Behind the Web, Tips and Tricks for Web Development.
tranfer those emails onto the USB stick...
install XP, update it fully! install an AntiVirus, an AntiMalware app (e.g. Malwarebytes Antimalware, short MBAM), have both running and have both scan the USB drive once you attach it to the PC... that will minimize a reinfection...
suggestion: before you install XP, wipe the drive using DBAN, that will definitely destroy any remnants of any virus on that drive, but be prepared for a LONG wipe time...
Ben
"If it works don't fix it! If it doesn't use a sledgehammer..."
How to ask a question, when posting them to a professional forum.
Only ask questions with yes/no answers if you want "yes" or "no"
install XP, update it fully! install an AntiVirus, an AntiMalware app (e.g. Malwarebytes Antimalware, short MBAM), have both running and have both scan the USB drive once you attach it to the PC... that will minimize a reinfection...
suggestion: before you install XP, wipe the drive using DBAN, that will definitely destroy any remnants of any virus on that drive, but be prepared for a LONG wipe time...
Ben
"If it works don't fix it! If it doesn't use a sledgehammer..."
How to ask a question, when posting them to a professional forum.
Only ask questions with yes/no answers if you want "yes" or "no"
Do you know what virus infection you have, or what indication are you seeing that it is a virus or other malware? Somebody here might recognize it (and know of a removal method) and save you the reformatting altogether.
Did you try any scanning from Safe Mode?
Did you run these two programs?
Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware
SuperAntispyware
Did you try any scanning from Safe Mode?
Did you run these two programs?
Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware
SuperAntispyware
goombawaho
MIS
I would make a second (backup) copy of your mail files on another USB stick IF you're going to scan the USB stick for malware. You never know what an AV program might do to the files if it starts to detect bad stuff
So, that's just a CYA to have another copy.
So, that's just a CYA to have another copy.
- Thread starter
- #6
Guys - thanks for your help.
Linney, the main symptoms are:
1. For quite a few months, inconsistently, I've gotten the Blue Screen of Death on shutdown. I've seen so much of this that I now pay little attention to it. I know - probably a bad idea. The next time I start the computer, it always starts up o.k., except as described below.
2. Recently, AVG has started treating AutoHook, a very helpful utility app I use, as a virus. AutoHook loads on boot, but does not do anything until you are running AutoCad. AutoHook is a very small key macro program. It's used to program keys to send strings to the console. For example, I program the num pad Enter key as: "copy <enter>". AVG decided it does not like AutoHook, and disables it, apparently by removing the .exe file. When the computer can't find the AutoHook .exe file, I have to click through a few Windows notifications, basically saying; o.k., never mind, forget about AutoHook. AutoHook installs itself so it loads on boot. I'm sure I could set it up so it just loads right before AutoCad, but I doubt this would fix the problem.
I tried removing and reinstalling AutoHook several times. Usually works o.k. for a couple of days then goes back to the same problem.
I took my hard disk to a professional I know and trust. He did a scan and spent an hour or so with all kinds of malware removal tools. He found a lot of problems and fixed them. Computer worked great for a week or two, then the BSODs came back, as did the problem with AutoHook. I'm inclined to think there's a recently created virus out there that somehow looks a bit like AutoHook, and when AVG does a scan it mistakes AutoHook for the virus.
Linney, the main symptoms are:
1. For quite a few months, inconsistently, I've gotten the Blue Screen of Death on shutdown. I've seen so much of this that I now pay little attention to it. I know - probably a bad idea. The next time I start the computer, it always starts up o.k., except as described below.
2. Recently, AVG has started treating AutoHook, a very helpful utility app I use, as a virus. AutoHook loads on boot, but does not do anything until you are running AutoCad. AutoHook is a very small key macro program. It's used to program keys to send strings to the console. For example, I program the num pad Enter key as: "copy <enter>". AVG decided it does not like AutoHook, and disables it, apparently by removing the .exe file. When the computer can't find the AutoHook .exe file, I have to click through a few Windows notifications, basically saying; o.k., never mind, forget about AutoHook. AutoHook installs itself so it loads on boot. I'm sure I could set it up so it just loads right before AutoCad, but I doubt this would fix the problem.
I tried removing and reinstalling AutoHook several times. Usually works o.k. for a couple of days then goes back to the same problem.
I took my hard disk to a professional I know and trust. He did a scan and spent an hour or so with all kinds of malware removal tools. He found a lot of problems and fixed them. Computer worked great for a week or two, then the BSODs came back, as did the problem with AutoHook. I'm inclined to think there's a recently created virus out there that somehow looks a bit like AutoHook, and when AVG does a scan it mistakes AutoHook for the virus.
Do you BSOD on Shutdown if you set any Preferences in AVG to ignore detection of this Autohook program?
If you wanted to you could zip this Autohook and send it to AVG so that they could examine it and possibly fix any false positive or confirm malware.
You can check your version of autohook here and have it scanned by multiple scanners.
Jotti's malware scan
Try running ChkDsk to check your drive for errors. Right-click your Drive icon/ Properties/ Tools/ Error Checking. Try it first by not checking either box (this will run it in a Read-only mode) to see if it flags any hard drive or file problems. If it does, restart it by ticking both boxes, and rerun it to allow it to attempt to fix any found problems.
WINDOWS XP SHUTDOWN & RESTART TROUBLESHOOTING
What is the BSOD error mumber and is any file mentioned in the error?
If you wanted to you could zip this Autohook and send it to AVG so that they could examine it and possibly fix any false positive or confirm malware.
You can check your version of autohook here and have it scanned by multiple scanners.
Jotti's malware scan
Try running ChkDsk to check your drive for errors. Right-click your Drive icon/ Properties/ Tools/ Error Checking. Try it first by not checking either box (this will run it in a Read-only mode) to see if it flags any hard drive or file problems. If it does, restart it by ticking both boxes, and rerun it to allow it to attempt to fix any found problems.
WINDOWS XP SHUTDOWN & RESTART TROUBLESHOOTING
What is the BSOD error mumber and is any file mentioned in the error?
For the file issue, sounds like a nut and sledgehammer issue.
Just simply exclude the file:
Robert Wilensky:
We've all heard that a million monkeys banging on a million typewriters will eventually reproduce the entire works of Shakespeare. Now, thanks to the Internet, we know this is not true.
Just simply exclude the file:
Robert Wilensky:
We've all heard that a million monkeys banging on a million typewriters will eventually reproduce the entire works of Shakespeare. Now, thanks to the Internet, we know this is not true.
- Thread starter
- #10
ANFPS26, My copy of AutoHook is legit.
Sympology, even before I started this thread, I had put the file on the white list. This did not work; the file kept disappearing.
My AVG subscription was about to expire. Instead of doing a big wipe, re-format, re-install, etc., I decided to give McAfee a try. Much better - not 100%, but a huge improvement. The AutoHook problem seems to be gone.
Many thanks to all of you for all of your help.
Sympology, even before I started this thread, I had put the file on the white list. This did not work; the file kept disappearing.
My AVG subscription was about to expire. Instead of doing a big wipe, re-format, re-install, etc., I decided to give McAfee a try. Much better - not 100%, but a huge improvement. The AutoHook problem seems to be gone.
Many thanks to all of you for all of your help.
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