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win 2k pro; no task manager (for starters)


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#1
dkellermann

dkellermann

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My bil's computer (win2k pro) has the task manager grayed out when he uses Alt-Ctl-Del; he says it was there the other day... He's concerned about this.

What I'm concerned about is when using his computer sometimes, he has no control; the mouse moves on it's own, opening folders and/or files.
First thing I did was run AVG, Spybot, NOD 3.0, and another adware finding program (one he bought, it scans on booting), nothing was found. So I started getting rid of some of the junk...he had 4 chat programs, but only uses aim. 3 toolbars in IE, Itunes (doesn't use), the list goes on.
I plugged my flash drive into his computer and copied some utilities to his C: drive, closed the flash drive's dir and the next thing I know, the mouse is moving on its own and reopens the flash drives dir! Bil reboots. and it boots s l o w l y ...
OK, so I run one of the online scanners and just after it finishes, the mouse started moving about and opened a file - it wasn't one of the normal extensions like com or exe, but I was so freaked I don't recall what it was, I did see the word trojan in the file. He rebooted again. The mouse moves fast, not like someone browsing through the folders/files, or like they know where everything is.

Last year when he had a problem with his computer not booting he took it to the shop that built it for him, they said it was the latest ms update and that he shouldn't get any more updates! Of course, he doesn't really know, just that it booted fine after that. He is missing updates...

Has anyone had experience with this type of thing? I can only get at his computer 1 day a week for an hour or two, and I don't know the first thing about 2k, so it's difficult to help him. I would just do a format/clean install, but then I'd have to figure out what needed backing up and burn it to cd. He uses this computer for his silk screening business.

He imed me tonight to tell me it happened again (I set NOD to interactive mode), he just allowed everything incoming and outgoing. :) {sigh}

If nothing else at least I got it off my chest :)
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#2
sari

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dkellerman,

First off, any shop that told him he didn't need any more updates doesn't know what they're talking about - updates come out on a regular basis. It may have been up-to-date on that day, but it wouldn't have stayed that way for long.

I'd say it's most likely that your brother-in-law is infected. In fact, if he uses that computer for any online financial/banking transactions, he should go to another computer and change all of his passwords until he gets a clean bill of health.

He needs to go to this forum and read the instructions for downloading and running hijackthis. He can then post a log here. After he's done that, I would suggest keeping this computer disconnected from the internet as much as possible. If it is taken over by some sort of backdoor trojan, this will prevent anyone from accessing it until it can be cleaned.
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#3
dkellermann

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I'll pass it on. I had already told him to check out Geeks to Go! but he hasn't yet...

THANK YOU!

Diane
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#4
sari

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You're welcome. We'll be happy to help him when he posts.
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