trouble with trojans

[shelf life]

Nothing exists that will catch and remove all malware. A firewall isnt really a soultion for catching malware. A firewall prompt just means its already on your computer. No malware will open its own port but rather just uses a existing connection or launch other Window components. They can also put up very technical messages to answer. Do I allow this or not? Not to dissuade you, if you want a firewall get one.
As far as AV goes-- some free ones. The paid suites have nothing over the free ones. I have never used a paid AV in Windows.

avast
AVG
Avira
MS Security Essentials
Clamwin
Clamwin is a on-demand scanner, it does not run in the background offering real time scanning/protection.

These AV also all (i think) include a anti-malware component.
You also have Spybot and Malwarebytes for anti-malware.
Note that malwarebytes must be updated manually and a scan started manually.

So one AV and 2 or 3 anti-malware apps, and possibly a firewall.

A few other solutions you can check into;

Spywareblaster

Use spybots tea timer and immunization feature

Non-Admin Accounts

Hardening Internet Explorer

I have never heard of this: sytem Security 1.04. Can you provide a link to the website?
If all is good we can finish up.

 

[wmbeyer]

Thanks for the tips. I have 5 people that use that computer. Giving them all their own accounts is something that is simple and will help. The main fear that I have is the virus that gets in when I am not aware. I do not like private information getting out, and trojans really are what bother me most. no so much because of the damage, but because of their ability to capture passwords, bank information, ect.

I use a watchdog program that you did not see call win patrol. Anything that gets downloaded, changes start up, or write to the registry I get a notification. This was the first time that a virus was actually attached to that program.

The program system security suite 1.04 is a program to remove internet tracks and junk files from my computer. I delete Cookies, clear Internet Explorer Cache, delete index.dat Files, clear Typed URLs, Windows Temp Folder and much more. I can also specify custom folder locations with file masks, which will be cleaned in addition to my selected items. Also, it allows me to view and optionally remove programs that launch automatically at Windows startup. That is redundant to Spybot, and others, but I found that sometimes stuff that doesn't get on one program, gets on the other. In short, It is more of a privacy tool than a security tool though.

One thing that some people don't like is that you have to re-boot to get a complete clean up. That is how the ini. files get deleted. You can down load it from a number of sites here is one http://www.spychecker.com/program/3s.html

Again Thank You! Thank You! What you guys do for us is outstanding!!!!

 

[shelf life]

your welcome. Its a guess but I think tea timer and win patrol have similar features. Might only want to use one of them, not both.

you can get one more download which will remove combofix and gmer. you can delete TDSSkiller from your desktop:

Please download OTCleanIt and save it to desktop.

http://oldtimer.geekstogo.com/OTC.exe

Double-click OTC.exe.
Click the CleanUp! button.
Select Yes when the "Begin cleanup Process?" prompt appears.
If you are prompted to Reboot during the cleanup, select Yes.
The tool will delete itself once it finishes, if not delete it by yourself.

You can make a new restore point. The how and the why:

One of the features of Windows XP,Vista and Windows7 is the System Restore option, however if malware infects a computer it is possible that the malware could be backed up in the System Restore archive. Therefore, clearing the restore points is a good idea after malware is removed and your computer appears to be functioning ok.

To reset your restore points, please note that you will need to log into your computer with an account which has full administrator access. You will know if the account has administrator access because you will be able to see the System Restore tab. If the tab is missing, you are logged in under a limited account.

(winXP)

1. Turn off System Restore. (deletes old possibly infected restore point)
On the Desktop, right-click My Computer.
Click Properties.
Click the System Restore tab.
Check Turn off System Restore.
Click Apply, and then click OK.

2. Reboot.

3. Turn ON System Restore.(creates a new restore points on a clean system)
On the Desktop, right-click My Computer.
Click Properties.
Click the System Restore tab.
UN-Check *Turn off System Restore*.
Click Apply, and then click OK, then reboot

If you use firefox it has a lot of add-ons. like this one.

If all is good, A few more tips:

10 Tips for Reducing/Preventing Your Risk To Malware:

In no special order

1) It is essential to keep your OS,(Windows) browser (IE, FireFox) and other software up to date to "patch" vulnerabilities that could be exploited. Visit Windows Update frequently or use the auto-update feature. Staying updated is also necessary for web based applications like Java, Adobe Flash/Reader, QuickTime etc. Check there version status here.

2) Know what you are installing to your computer. Alot of software can come bundled with unwanted add-ons, like adware, toolbars and malware. Do not install any files from ads, popups or random links. Do not fall for fake warnings about virus and trojans being found on your computer and you are then prompted to install software to remedy this. See also the signs that you may have malware on your computer.

3) Install and keep updated: one antivirus and two or three anti-malware applications. If not updated they will soon be worthless. If either of these frequently find malware then its time to *review your computer habits*. There is no reason why you can not stay malware free.

4) Refrain from clicking on links or attachments via E-Mail, IM, IRC, Chat Rooms, Blogs or Social Networking Sites, no matter how tempting or legitimate the message may seem.

5) Do not click on ads/pop ups or offers from websites requesting that you need to install software to your computer--*for any reason*. Use the Alt+F4 keys to close the window.

6) Don't click on offers to "scan" your computer. Install ActiveX Objects with care. Do you trust the website to install components?

7) Set up and use limited (non-privileged) accounts for everyday use, rather than administrator accounts. Limited accounts can help prevent *malware from installing and lessen its potential impact.* This is exactly what user account control (UAC) in Windows Vista and W7 attempts to address.

8) Install and understand the *limitations* of a software firewall. A firewall is not a solution for attempting to control or catch malware sneaking out.

9) A tool for automatically hardening and securing Internet Explorer 8.0. Requires site registration for downloading. Changes some of the default settings of IE 8.0, Read the FAQ's.

10) Warez, cracks etc are very popular for carrying all kinds of malware payloads. If you look for these you will encounter malware. If you download/install files via p2p networks, then you are also much more likely to encounter malicious code in a downloaded file. Do you really trust the source of the file? Do you really need another malware source?

happy safe surfing