I've Got Bugs

[Nienke]

... on my computer.

It looks like a beetle kind of thing that 'eats' the screen.

I got it this morning already. Called my computerman, who came at 5pm. He did all sorts of stuff on the computer, then said it should be ok and left.

Me happy ... for 30 minutes (when I did something else then using the computer), then aaaargghhh Ad-Watch alarm again! and the bugs are back or still there

Went already to the computer forum, searched for bugs, only to realize that I have no clue what to search for.

As I'm such an enormous layman in computer stuff and put on top of that loads of computer fear, I'm now looking for someone who has very good knowledge about these things and whom I can call to come over to solve the problem.

Any recommendations?

Oh, and can I or can I not close the computer without risking to crash the whole thing?

Thank you,

Nienke, who's not happy at the moment.

[Farma]

Nienke it sounds like a virus. Google "computer virus bugs on screen" and you will find plenty of hits on how to rid it.

It's possible these files blackster.scr and ctfmonb.exe are the cause of your problems.

[ChiangMaiFurnishedApts]

First thing, isolate the computer from the dogs, you dont want the virus spreading.

Then go to Google and type in " free anti virus scan ".

It will give you a few options like Panda, Norton ......

Run one of these and it might tell you what virus you have.

Do you have anti virus software on your computer ?, if so update it, if now download AVG. Its free and quite effective.

If you have used any thumb drives recently it could have come from or jumped to it. Scan it as well.

Before you scan, just copy your important documents into one file and burn it on CD / DVD, just in case.

Good Luck

[Nienke]

Thanks for the responses.

I'm googling now, but it hasn't brought much light to the situation yet. Will have a look if I can find the files blackster.scr and/or ctfmonb.exe.

My computerman has updated Norton, and that doesn't seem to work plus he has been searching for an hour.

Then I tried http://housecall65.trendmicro.com/ for a free virus scan, but it seems that my Java support is disabled or there is no run time environment installed. Try to download Java and get

java1.bmp

I have no idea what a thumb drive is, and thus no clue if I've used one unknowingly.

And I wish my dogs could help, one of them loves eating bugs.

Nienke

[Nienke]

Find the following: http://sg.answers.yahoo.com/question/index...25200419AABuRYl

won't do much good running an anti-virus program, your infected with a malware / spyware and not a virus.......... Hopefully you have some anti spyware programs on your machine.... You should run them in Safe Mode to be the most effective, but that may not be absolutely necessary.......

One program you really need, a blocker that sits and blocks the registry from invasions, and uses absolutely zero resources of your system is SpywareBlaster (one word). I won't run a computer without it for protection, currently from over 10,300+ bad sites/guys..... Then I would include an anti malware program like SuperAnti Spyware (SAS) and or Comodo's great program called BOCleaner (version 4.25 is the latest I believe)..... You can get these free programs at Filehippo.com, http://www.filehippo.com/ where they are listed under the heading of anti spyware......

And if you have this malware, you could also have worse on there, so you should also give very strong consideration to turning off your System Restore (Windows key plus the Pause/Break key, uncheck System Restore)..... now reboot into Safe Mode and then run your anti virus program (AVG isn't rated very high on thoroughness, but if that is what you prefer then run it in Safe Mode).... After you have cleaned your system of Malware and followed that with a safe mode AVG check, then you can turn System Restore back on and rebboot the machine again.... Now you will have a clean machine and a brand new, clean and safe Restore Point....

SAS and BOClean run in the background to prevent these problems in the first place and SpywareBlaster is critical as a guard of the whole system....

I think you where looking for this:

Blue Screen With Cockroaches? Some users can get this type of infection from installing fake video codec’s (such as Flash Activex Object Error, Video ActiveX Object, Video Activex Object Error) which could help to display video. These codec’s actually install Trojans (like Trojan Zlob) onto a user's computer. In this way, they open a backdoor for all kinds of malware, spyware and even viruses to gain access to the user's PC.

http://www.pcthreat.com/parasitebyid-686...

I'm going to give it a try. Will see where this end ...

Nienke

[cmsally]

Try Spybot Search and destroy

It normally clears off most things and you can delete everything it finds, pretty safely; although on that list will probably be the adaware program so you might have to uncheck it.

I used to run it as well as Adaware and found this one better so now only use the one.

[mcgriffith]

AVG 8.0 Free (new release) for anti-virus

Ad-aware for spyware, good, but...

I stopped using Ad-aware a while ago....they got a bit tedious with their exhortations for upgrades/paid version.

Window Defender (yeah I know it is weak, and everyone loves to hate MS) is free, updates/scans daily and blocks a lot of the spyware.

You can also set AVG 8.0 to remove cookies, and it is pretty painless/non-intrusive- highly recommended.

Good luck!

[Nienke]

Ok, Noadware (www.noadware.net) shows:

registry: 2 (both W32.Spybot.UBHC )

cookies: 1

files: 2

2 severe, 1 dangerous and 2 not critical.

For cleaning up, need to pay by credit card. Don't have credit card.

Downloaded adaware and Spybot search&destroy.

Spybot is busy scanning.

And in the meantime the Ad-Watch keeps on popping up.

Nienke

[Nienke]

And they are really funny.

Ad-watch gives a warning for Spybot Search and destroy/teatimer and

Spybot gives 9 entries of NoAdware as problems.

Go figure!

[Rasseru]

Sorry to hear about your difficulty, Nienke. You might want to consider switching to a Mac. They don't suffer from problems like the one you are going through.

[Nienke]

And then ..... after loads of search, brain breaking, and suffering .... while spybot was deleting only Gawd knows what ... PLOOP ... NO INTERNET anymore disconnected , try the tools-connections-setting or whatever. Nothing works. Did I delete internet, par accidante?

Ah well, time to go to bed anyway. Tomorrow another day, and who knows maybe some miracle brings it back. And guess what, IT DID! Probably it was something with the satelite connection or ... or ... or ...

Anyway, time to call my computerman again as I seem to utterly fail in this -it-seems-so-easy-but-my-reality-says-different kind of thing.

Oh, and Ad-watch is from lavasoft, MAc's no option for the time being unfortunately, and how about Firefox? I've heard when using that there is less change on these sorts of problems? Is that correct? And still my request remains about recommendations for a computervirus/spyware/malware/and all other computer stuff genius.

And above all, THANK YOU ALL for your help. Very much appreciated.

It's just that it is like teaching an 8-year old how to build or repair a plane engine. She (slightly oler than that) can certainly learn but it'll take some (considerable) step-by-step time.

Nienke

[cmsally]

Try this link - some good answers here.

CNET

Try the screensaver option first. Then you might want to look at the others - setting to none for screensaver

If you look in your Windows\system32 folder and find a blackbug screensaver you should be able to delete, it definitley shouldn't be there.

On the link says needs to be done in safe mode.

[Nienke]

Thanks cmsally!

Windows/system32 blackster = bug on my screen. Date modified 27/05/2551 FOUND IT!

And ... there's ctfmonb in BMP file (ACDsee 6.0 BMP image) . Same modified date.

I assume I need to delete both in safe mode.

But then .. how does one go to safe mode and after that back to normal?

Also found WLCntrl32.dll = application extension. No idea for what. Can it be for Norton? I assume don't delete?

Nienke

[cmsally]

Thanks cmsally!

Windows/system32 blackster = bug on my screen. Date modified 27/05/2551 FOUND IT!

And ... there's ctfmonb in BMP file (ACDsee 6.0 BMP image) . Same modified date.

I assume I need to delete both in safe mode.

But then .. how does one go to safe mode and after that back to normal?

Also found WLCntrl32.dll = application extension. No idea for what. Can it be for Norton? I assume don't delete?

Nienke

Looking here:

Malware

You need to delete blackster and the ctfmonb and it looks like you should have a ctfmona which should be deleted as otherwise it would just replicate itself again.

To start in safemode you press F8 on the keyboard when windows is starting. Has to be done at the right moment though.

If not successful try here for tutorial. Can be done through system configuration utility for windows xp

How to start in safemode

[tigerbeer]

go for Antivir. its the best free antivirus software out there.

otherwise just move to Ubuntu. no more Bugs

[Nienke]

Huge thanks cmsally

Can't find ctfmona. I won't be surprised that my computerman has deleted it already yesterday, thinking to have solved the problem with that.

The rest I'll do this afternoon ... I hope.

[Nienke]

YOOHOO, managed to get rid of the bugs.

Now, I do have ctfmon (and Mona = toetje = desert ) in Windows/system32, but it was installed about 4 years ago. So, I'm in doubt: do I need to delete that as well, or just leave it?

Thank you all so much for your help, especially cmsally who understood my step-by-step brain and brought me on the right track, and anti-virus software links. Have bookmarked them all and oploaded some already (although now it seems they interfere with eachother, Spybot and NoAware that is). Will look into the others over the coming days. Then choose which will suit me most.

:D

Nienke

[cmsally]

Hi,

Glad you got it sorted out.

Leave ctfmon alone. It should be there. I think it controls MS office languages.

The ones you deleted had an a and b on the end - different things.

[Priceless]

YOOHOO, managed to get rid of the bugs.

Now, I do have ctfmon (and Mona = toetje = desert ) in Windows/system32, but it was installed about 4 years ago. So, I'm in doubt: do I need to delete that as well, or just leave it?

Thank you all so much for your help, especially cmsally who understood my step-by-step brain and brought me on the right track, and anti-virus software links. Have bookmarked them all and oploaded some already (although now it seems they interfere with eachother, Spybot and NoAware that is). Will look into the others over the coming days. Then choose which will suit me most.

:D

Nienke

Congratulations on your success! I'm sorry that I couldn't help you when you called But you see how many helpful and knowledgeable friends you have on the Internet if you let them know that you are in dire straits

/ Priceless

[mickybigears]

try > http://forums.majorgeeks.com/forumdisplay.php?f=35

and

READ & RUN ME FIRST. Malware Removal Guide