You don't seem to have a third-party firewall installed. You must install one firewall.
It is possible that you're using the Windows XP firewall. That is of course better than nothing but I recommend that you install a more advanced firewall that gives more protection. Windows firewall doesn't eg protect your computer from inbound threats. This means that any malware on your computer is free to "phone home" for more instructions. Remember to use only one firewall at the same time. I'll give you a few alternatives if you want to install a third-party firewall:
These are good (free) firewalls:
You can remove the tools we used.
Now you can make your hidden files hidden again.
- Go to My Computer
- Select the Tools menu and click Folder Options
- Click the View tab.
- Checkmark the "Display the contents of system folders"
- Under the Hidden files and folders select "Show hidden files and folders"
- Check "Hide protected operating system files"
- Click Apply and then the OK and close My Computer.
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Now that you seem to be clean, please follow these simple steps in order to keep your computer clean and secure:
- Clear your system restore
This will clear the system restore folders from possible malware that was left behind during the cleaning process.- Use ATF Cleaner
Download and install ATF Cleaner. Clean your temporary files & folders with it regularly.- Use Ad-Aware
Download and install Ad-Aware. Update it and scan your computer regularly with it.- Use AVG Anti-Spyware
Download and install AVG Anti-Spyware. Update it and scan your computer regularly with it.- Use Spybot S&D
Download and install Spybot S&D. Update it and scan your computer regularly with it.- Install SpywareBlaster
SpywareBlaster will prevent spyware from being installed.- Install MVPS Hosts file
This prevents your computer from connecting to harmful sites.- Use Firefox browser
Firefox is faster and more secure browser than Internet Explorer.- Keep your systen up-to-date
Visit Windows Update regularly. How to enable Automatic Updates?- Keep your antivirus and firewall up-to-date
Scan your computer regularly with you antivirus software.- Read this article by TonyKlein
So how did I get infected in the first place?- Stand Up and Be Counted !
The site offers people who have been (or are) victims of malware the opportunity to document their story and, in that way, launch a complaint against the malware and the makers of the malware.
Stay clean and be safe
