Hi
beatles4life,
I just asked my housemate how her laptop was, and she said that the update shield hasn't appeared at all. 
Well that's a good thing.
I guess we can move along with the housekeeping portion, then you are all done.
We have a few items to take care of before we get to the
All Clean Speech.
=========================
Clean up with OTL:- Right-click OTL.exe select "Run as Administrator" to start the program.
- Close all other programs apart from OTL as this step will require a reboot
- On the OTL main screen, press the CLEANUP button
- Say Yes to the prompt and then allow the program to reboot your computer.
========================= Removing/Uninstalling AdwCleaner:- Windows XP : Double click on the icon to run it.
- Windows Vista, Windows 7 & 8 : Right click and select "Run as Administrator"
- Click on the Uninstall button.
- Click Yes when asked are you sure you want to uninstall.
- Both AdwCleaner.exe, its folder and all logs will be removed.
========================= Spybot - Search & Destroy's Tea TimerWe need to enable
Spybot - Search & Destroy's Tea Timer. Please follow the instruction below.
- Locate your copy of Spybot - Search & Destroy's and open it.
- In the menu bar at the top select "Mode", then select "Advanced".
- In the left hand menu expand the "Tools" menu.
- Select "Resident", then place a check mark for "Resident Tea Timer"
- Then exit the program by clicking "File" then select "Exit"
========================= You can now delete any tools and/or logs remaining on your desktop.========================= Uninstall via Programs and FeaturesClick
Start >
Control Panel >
Programs and Features. Locate and select the following that are present on the list and click the
Remove button:
========================= Adobe Reader:
Go to
http://get.adobe.com.../otherversions/- Use the drop down menu's to select your operating system
- Select your language > Select The current version of Adobe Reader for your language
- Remove the check mark from the box "Free! McAfee Security Scan Plus"
- Click the Download button, and follow the onscreen directions to complete the installation.
Please note, depending on your settings, you may have to temporarily disable your antivirus software for the Adobe Reader update.========================= Clear All Restore Points (except the most recent)- Click Start > All Programs > System Tools > Disk Cleanup
- Select Files from all users on this computer
- Click on Continue
- Select the appropriate drive letter (usually C: )
- When the Disk Cleanup Window opens, select the More Options tab
- Under System Restore and Shadow Copies click on the Clean Up button
- All but the latest restore point will be removed
Note: In some editions of Windows Vista, the disc might include file shadow copies and older Windows Complete PC Backup images as part of restore points. This information will also be deleted.
=========================With the above items taken care of let's move on to the All Clean part of the process.The following procedures are recommendations for helping to keep your system running smoothly. If you are currently satisfied with how your system is running some or all of these may not pertain to you. Impliment what you need.This infection appears to have been cleaned, but I can not give you any absolute guarantees. As a precaution, I would go ahead and change all of your passwords as this is especially important after an infection.Any of the logs that you created for use in the forums or remaining tools that have not yet been removed can be deleted so they aren't cluttering up your desktop.Here are some tips to reduce the potential for spyware infection in the future:Make your Internet Explorer more secure - This can be done by following these simple instructions:
- From within Internet Explorer click on the Tools menu and then click on Options.
- Click once on the Security tab
- Click once on the Internet icon so it becomes highlighted.
- Click once on the Custom Level button.
- Change the Download signed ActiveX controls to Prompt
- Change the Download unsigned ActiveX controls to Disable
- Change the Initialize and script ActiveX controls not marked as safe to Disable
- Change the Installation of desktop items to Prompt
- Change the Launching programs and files in an IFRAME to Prompt
- Change the Navigate sub-frames across different domains to Prompt
- When all these settings have been made, click on the OK button.
- If it prompts you as to whether or not you want to save the settings, press the Yes button.
- Next press the Apply button and then the OK to exit the Internet Properties page.
Make your Mozilla Firefox more secure - This can be done by adding these add-ons:
Use and update an anti-virus software - I can not overemphasize the need for you to use and update your anti-virus application on a regular basis. With the ever increasing number of new variants of malware arriving on the scene daily, you become very susceptible to an attack without updated protection.
Free Anti-VirusFree FirewallUsing a third-party firewall will allow you to give/deny access for applications that want to go online. Without a firewall your computer is susceptible to being hacked and taken over. Simply using a firewall in its default configuration can lower your risk greatly. A tutorial on firewalls can be found
here.
Make sure you keep your Windows OS current.
Windows XP users can visit
Windows update regularly to download and install any critical updates and service packs.
Windows Vista/7 users can open the
Start menu > All Programs > Windows Update > Check for Updates (in left hand task pane) to update these systems. Without these you are leaving the back door open.
Consider a custom hosts file such as MVPS HOSTS. This custom hosts file effectively blocks a wide range of unwanted ads, banners, 3rd party Cookies, 3rd party page counters, web bugs, and many hijackers. For information on how to download and install, please read this tutorial by
WinHelp2002Note: Be sure to follow the instructions to disable the
DNS Client service
before installing a custom hosts file.
WOT (Web of Trust) As "Googling" is such an integral part of internet life, this free browser add on warns you about risky websites that try to scam visitors, deliver malware or send spam. It is especially helpful when browsing or searching in unfamiliar territory. WOT's color-coded icons show you ratings for 21 million websites, helping you avoid the dangerous sites. WOT has an add-on available for Firefox, Internet Explorer as well as Google Chrome.
Finally, I strongly recommend that you read TonyKlein's good advice
So how did I get infected in the first place? Please reply to this thread once more if you are satisfied so that we can mark the problem as resolved.
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Windows Automatic Updates
, clicking All Programs, and then clicking Windows Update.
Administrator permission required If you are prompted for an administrator password or confirmation, type the password or provide confirmation.
Are you still getting prompted to update Windows on shut down?
