Whoa! Not Good! - Got Virus From This Site!

[Gilli]

When I came to this forum last week I picked up a nasty new virus which my anti virus software warned me of while on the site!. It completely wiped my desktop hiding all my files, deleted all my printer drives and told me my disk space was compromised and asked me to download and pay for new software to fix it! Needless to say I didnt but it took my husband who is a computer expert all night to fix it and get everything back to normal!

Im hoping the mods know about this and have fixed it? Ive been too scared to come here but my anti virus has been updated so im hoping it is ok now.

Anyone else had this problem?

 

[StandbySetting]

It was sorted by William over the weekend.

 

[emma12321]

my computers knackered too unfortunatly i don't have the funds for someone to fix it

 

[brian2708]

I had it too on my laptop.

Managed to get rid of it, but unfortunately it had damaged too many driver executables, so a re-format was in order.

I did wonder where I got the virus from, but now I know!

 

[William]

Really sorry to hear of the problems you guys have experienced, unfortunately last week a hacker exploited a vulnerability in Invisionboard's code, this allowed them to place a virus on the server. It took us some time to locate the cause, but when we did we removed it immediately and at the time, we had the server host, invisionboard and myself and Tolak working on it.

 

[Gilli]

my computers knackered too unfortunatly i don't have the funds for someone to fix it

find out what the virus is called then look up on the internet how to fix it!

 

[PJPJ]

I have been using a simple virtual drive program for the last few months.

This has saved me on a number of occasions from virus attacks just like this, including this one.

After a virus has been detected by your existing anti-virus, you simply delete the virtual drive files, very easy to do, and then restart your web browser. How it works is the virus thinks it is attacking your real files on your hard drive but in actual fact only effecting a copy.

This will not help you if the virus is already on your computer.

The program I am using is called Sandboxie

Considering the last few attacks I have had and how easy it was to deal with bunched with the fact these attacks are on the increase, I cannot recommend it enough.

As always though, do your own research. Don't just take somebodies word for it on a forum.

Regards

PJPJ

P.S. I am not fearful of going to any website anymore.

 

[MBOU]

I wish i had seen this sooner... I have lost THOUSANDS of photos... aLL of my word documents... they arent even hidden... i followed instructions and got rid of virus... ended up sending my laptop away but the files just arent recoverable...

Only then did i find out the hard way my hard drive backup was corrupted (virus last time round before i backed it up... long story). So i cant recover anything...

devastated

 

[Carlovel1]

I get viruses all the time, they have no effect on my computer. Viruses...

 

[MBOU]

Muwahaha thats what you think!! Just wait until you lose teverything, wont think you are so lucky then!

 

[Proxo]

I get viruses all the time, they have no effect on my computer. Viruses...

Lol same for me, i keep my important files on a hard drive unplugged in the PC.
Another 2 running (1 for windows for quick formats) and another for less important files & copys of the files on the unplugged drive so i can use them.

You could also buy some external hard drives for keeping your pictures ect on and leave that somewhere safe,
there's some cheap ones out there..

I have major £££ of software on my PC so i dont risk anything lol.

 

[Mikaila31]

Well considering my laptop has not had a HDD last more then 2 years and I am pretty good at removing documents/media off it and putting them on hard media(DVD discs). I have backup DISKS for Windows Vista and Windows 7 for my computer when these OS were first installed. I have not had any experiences with damaging viruses. Ironically though Norton picked up 2 Trojan(java) files it did not like today. It has be pretty active in the last week or so, but I visit a number of invision boards. I find DVDs much more reliable for data storage and HDD backup. Put them in cases and file them away, not much can happen to them. We have a 1 TB external HDD too in this house, I believe it might be on the network though.

As far as losing everything I've been there twice and yeah its a pain. Took me over a week both times to get it back up and running. 1st time it was still under warranty, second time I learned how to use the command prompt for various functions and lots of other things like HDD replacement. Also UBCD is a wonderful tool that can help fix or pinpoint a lot of problems. I've removed viruses/malware off friends laptops successfully. I might have to try that sandbox program this time around. I have returning laptop I cleaned a couple months ago. Thought I made that thing bomb proof before I returned it lol...

One thing I do out of habit is I always have a administrative account on my computer. IDK if really has any safety effect, but my main personal account that I always use does not have admin rights.

 

[AstonN24vantage]

*cough*get a mac*cough*

 

[MBOU]

Im the only one in my family without a Mac and whilst i got the virus, not a fraction on the other problems and im not poor from the ridiculous prices the Macs are and i'm not giving any money to the scum of Apple. LOL. Nothing but bad experiences with them.

I have a seperate 'Admin' user on my laptop and it was unharmed by the virus, i have managed to recover everything but photos I added in the last few months which wasnt more than a few hundred (not many in my standards).

Ido have an external hardrive too but i had two copies on there, original when i got my laptop in feb 2010 and the newest one... that ended up a corrupted file and didnt work.

Its bad but could have been worse. Tempted to stop using forums though.

 

[lilfishie]

i have had the same problem it wired all my files and knackered my harddrive luckily my dad works with someone that can fix it