Good progress.  Keep it up. 

Make sure you run a boot scan (i.e., one that checks for viruses before Windows loads).

Jonbouy

It seems like a good restoration policy is still the best policy. 

If one can be arsed to do it.

SteveStrummerUK

Jonbouy


The fact this particualar machine got infected with MSE installed has also been notable.

Jon, as far as I know I don't have MSE on this PC. Well, I say that, I've never downloaded/installed it - could it have been pre-installed on my Dell do you think? I can't find it anywhere in my Program Files though.
 
 

I think I conclude that I will still be keeping a replacement HD unit at hand with a selection of OS images I can restore that are not connected to the machine in question is still a good idea.

I like the idea I can be back up and running in a few minutes after I have ruled out a hardware problem and I don't have to guess whether I have successfully completely removed an unwanted guest.

It seems like a good restoration policy is still the best policy.

This seems like the best way to be set up mate. Unfortunately I've never even taken the back off a PC yet alone actually fiddled around inside of one. I wouldn't know where to start - it might as well be a space shuttle engine in there. However, it seems like it would be a good idea to start learning a bit more about this sort of stuff though. Where would I start though?
 
 
 
 

It wasn't meant as a criticism of you good self sir.

I appreciate we all have different levels of comfort as far as technical stuff goes.

Trust me I learned a lot for reading this thread.

I'm just glad you've got back up and at 'em.

After all it could have been much worse.......

(btw sorry for the confusion about whether you had MSE installed, I just re-read the thread and I note that McQ originally introduced that idea somewhere from the ether...)

Looks like the Smart Check Virus to me. Where did you pick that up from? Do a system recovery first.

Really I think prevention is the best cure :P Just gotta make sure you've got the best anti-virus and firewalls up in advance so that nothing can get on.

Good luck though, hope you get your computer back to normal :) Just keep scanning to make sure it's really gone!

FWIW - I've never had MSE and got this virus from an email by my business partner (because he uses Facebook which is where he got it).  I've since gone with ESET and not had any further issues.

SteveStrummerUK


(Hopefully) a final update!

Booted up this morning and **touch wood** everything seems to be running fine.

Thanks again for all the help and advice, and for the software to check out (I'll certainly take a look at those Grant).

You guys rawk!!

YAY!!!

Some forum Strummification is overdue.

Jonbouy


Now I find this thread interesting.

The fact that folk could identify malware from the limited info the OP was able to convey I found incredible.

The fact that so many staunch advocates of MSE have so much experience of dealing with 'malware' is also interesting.

The fact this particualar machine got infected with MSE installed has also been notable.

I think I conclude that I will still be keeping a replacement HD unit at hand with a selection of OS images I can restore that are not connected to the machine in question is still a good idea.

I like the idea I can be back up and running in a few minutes after I have ruled out a hardware problem and I don't have to guess whether I have successfully completely removed an unwanted guest.

It seems like a good restoration policy is still the best policy.

All good observations. 


1. It's easy to know this stuff and recognize it when you have experienced it before. I saw it on my wife's computer and removed it. All the screens look similar. They are designed to look legit, and at the same time scare people. As you set there and watch the "virus count" run into the hundreds..... most people panic and hit the wrong button. And the fact that it won't let you out..... (the looper) causes people to be convinced their computer is in fact infected...... again they hit the wrong button to try to get out. 


2&3. MSE is looking for viruses that "ride in" on emails and other means mainly by themselves or embedded in downloads. MSE has stopped several virus/Trojan attacks on my computers successfully.   The difference here with this SMART thing is it is not exactly a virus.  It's more of a looper and people choose to let in it voluntarily. MSE can not stop the things you allow to enter. People may not realize they are letting in something bad, but MSE doesn't read minds or overrule your decision


4. keeping backups is always good and using restore in this case was successful. Probably because it was not a real virus. A real virus would likely not be removed by a system restore. A looping program would be removed. There will likely be a time in the future when the writers of these things figure that out and restore will not remove them. 


5. the best policy is to understand these things and know how to keep them out in the first place. 


Steve probably won't get this thing again or anything like it..... 

Good progress. Keep

bapu

Jonbouy


[NagBapProMoob]Some forum guitar Strummification is overdue.[/NagBapProMoob] 

 
Harsh... etc

 I don't think that's an arsenine suggestion...but what do i know?

i remeber when i was looking for anti virus when i used to run my daw as my everyday computer.
i set up a test station (made a system image,yes i did.)
and tried to get a virus,it wasnt hard,alot of lovely ladys helped out.

anyway,after i tried one,i would system image and try another.
i got the whole process down to about a 15 minute restore to back where i could install a new ant virus and try it out.
i tested,avg,bit defender,norton,kapersky,avast and comodo.

i found the free version of avast to be the best
uses next to little resources,avg was good to,but the interface is easier in avast i think.

anyway,moral to the story is,windows sevens system image is just as good as a piad for back up software a.f.a.i.c.

even with sonar,a good amount of plug ins and your projects,yourlooking at about 50 gigs to back.
a simple install with just win 7,sonar x1 is 21 gigs.

hopefully you keep your samples on another drive,along with projects.
but even if you kept the projects on your C:/
youd still hover under 50 i m willing to bet.

Some of the ads that you click on... the legitimate ones, also have a kind of thing in them that prevents you from clicking off the page..... I was just looking at something and when I went to close the page a little window popped up asking me if I really wanted to close the page and leave it. 

Duhhh... yeah.... but I had to close that to leave the page..... the issue with Steve and others is similar but a whole lot worse. 

I think the worst malware I ever had was IE8 when that was launched...

That excercise prompted my current restore policy.