[barry1gingrich]

Donna ...

 

Again thank you for all your help. I hope this plays out as you have wished.

 

 

1. I was given no manual from the tech support folks on the “router firewall” … I’ll look for something  from the original documentation of the hardware.  Remember it is because of the tech support folks that I was not comfortable with,  that I started down the geekstogo path
2. I cannot find a adw icon on my desktop,  nor under “all programs”, when searching through programs looking for “adw” I find three files named adwcleaner, which I can execute as adwcleaner.exe.   I have simply  “deleted “ the programs.  Is there something else I should do?
3. The  “remove OTL thing”  has been completed.
4. I have found neither of the referenced programs on my desktop.

AdwCleaner.exe
JRT
esetsmartinstaller_enu (ESET)

 

1. ESET has been uninstalled, per your directions

 

1. I have deleted the adwcleaner files

 

1. I have removed multiple versions of the Junkware emoval tool (JRT), that were on my computer

 

1. I HAVE FOUND NO VERSIONS OF AN ESET PROGRAM

 

1. I HAVE AGAIN FOUND NO eset  Programs

 

1. … barry

[Advertisements]

Barry,

I am not surprised that you did not receive a manual. Either way, the router/modem firewall is not the same as a 3rd party firewall such as what is included with the Comodo Internet Security software that is installed. It's actually an incentive and seen as an extra layer of protection to prevent malware from entering your computer in the first place. Following is an article discussing the difference between hardware and software firewalls. The article does focus on the Shaw communications device that they provide to their customs, but I am sure it applies to other communication providers such as AT&T. The article will at least give you an idea how the different types of firewalls work.

Concerning the programs you could not find, there is a strong possibility that some of the tools downloaded will be found in the downloads folder. Let's clean the downloads folder out:

1st Step:

In IE:

Click on Tools in the menu bar.
In the list that opens, look for and click View Downloads to open.
At the bottom of the window that open, look for and click on the Clear List button.

In Firefox:

Click on Tools in the menu bar.
In the list, click on Downloads.
At the top of he window, click on the Clear Downloads button.

2nd Step:

We also want to flush out and create you a new, clean restore point.

Clear Restore Points

Go Start > All Programs > Accessories > System tools
Right click Disc Cleanup and select run as administrator
When it pops up at the first prompt select OK after it has done some calculations the tabs will appear
Select More Options tab
Press Sytem Restore and Shadow Copies Cleanup button


The above will flush out all the old Restore Points and keep the latest one we created. <--Very important

When you're finished, I have a couple of recommendations that will help keep your computer purring like a kitten.

I do go back to work tomorrow after a couple weeks off, so my replies will be limited to evening hours.

[DonnaB]

Barry,

I am not surprised that you did not receive a manual. Either way, the router/modem firewall is not the same as a 3rd party firewall such as what is included with the Comodo Internet Security software that is installed. It's actually an incentive and seen as an extra layer of protection to prevent malware from entering your computer in the first place. Following is an article discussing the difference between hardware and software firewalls. The article does focus on the Shaw communications device that they provide to their customs, but I am sure it applies to other communication providers such as AT&T. The article will at least give you an idea how the different types of firewalls work.

Concerning the programs you could not find, there is a strong possibility that some of the tools downloaded will be found in the downloads folder. Let's clean the downloads folder out:

1st Step:

In IE:

Click on Tools in the menu bar.
In the list that opens, look for and click View Downloads to open.
At the bottom of the window that open, look for and click on the Clear List button.

In Firefox:

Click on Tools in the menu bar.
In the list, click on Downloads.
At the top of he window, click on the Clear Downloads button.

2nd Step:

We also want to flush out and create you a new, clean restore point.

Clear Restore Points

Go Start > All Programs > Accessories > System tools
Right click Disc Cleanup and select run as administrator
When it pops up at the first prompt select OK after it has done some calculations the tabs will appear
Select More Options tab
Press Sytem Restore and Shadow Copies Cleanup button


The above will flush out all the old Restore Points and keep the latest one we created. <--Very important

When you're finished, I have a couple of recommendations that will help keep your computer purring like a kitten.

I do go back to work tomorrow after a couple weeks off, so my replies will be limited to evening hours.

[barry1gingrich]

Donna … Thanks for letting me know … I was wondering a how a postal carrier had so much time to assist me.

1. There were no downloads in IE
2. I have removed the downloads from firefox
3. I have cleaned up my disk per your directions

Do you happen to know anything about rootkitcleaner and if it might be of value to download and run?

 

… Thanks … Barry

[DonnaB]

Barry,
 

I was wondering a how a postal carrier had so much time to assist me.

It's not too often that I can take that much time off. When I do, I make good use of it.
 

Do you happen to know anything about rootkitcleaner and if it might be of value to download and run?

Yes I do. There are many different rootkit cleaners. Some are legit, some are not. Rootkit cleaners are not the types of tools that you just install to run a scan every now and then without the guidance of a trained professional. May I ask why you ask?? Are you experiencing strange symptoms or did you just come across a rootkit cleaner tool while browsing around? I've seen many PC users just come across tools and download them to see what they do. Next thing they know their computer has turned into an expensive doorstop.

We're almost done here, Barry. Just a few tips to help with basic maintenance.....

1st) Install TFC by Oldtimer from here --> Temporary File Cleaner

Right click on TFC.exe and choose Run as administrator to run it.

TFC will close all programs when run, somake sure you have saved all your work before you begin.

• Click the Start button to begin the cleaning process.
• Depending on how often you clean temp files, execution time should be anywhere from a few seconds to a minute or two.
• Please let TFC run uninterrupted until it is finished.

Once TFC is finished it should restart your computer. If it does not, please manually restart the computer yourself to ensure a complete cleaning.

2nd) Go to Start > Programs > Accessories > System Tools > and click on Disk Cleanup

• Click OK.
• Allow Disk Cleanup to calculate how much space you will be able to free up.
• Click on OK.

Allow Disk Clean up to do it's job till finished.

3rd) Windows defrag:

Go to Start > Programs > Accessories > System Tools > and click on Windows defrag

4th) Malwarebytes Anti-malware (MBAM):

Before running a scan, make sure to allow MBAM to update. There is a Pro version that you do have to pay for a yearly subscription, though it is not too costly. It is designed to run silently in realtime along side your AntiVirus software as an added layer of protection.

Here are a few links you might find interesting that will educate and enhance your online surfing abilities:

"So how did I get infected in the first place?" by Tony Klein and updated by Corrine
How Malware Spreads - How did I get infected by quietman7
How to prevent Malware: by miekemoes

If you have any questions or concerns please don't hesitate to ask before I close this thread and mark it as solved.

Donna

[barry1gingrich]

Donna …

1. I had a friend who had a real problem and it got solved with rootkit revealer.  He has much more experience than I and he just mentioned it. I thought I’d ask. I suspect it is nothing I need worry about.
2. I ran TFC and then manually restarted the computer
3. Rand disk cleanup
4. I could not find  ” Go to Start > Programs > Accessories > System Tools > and click on Windows defrag” but I found a “disk defrag”.  I ran that and it indicated that my disk was 0% fragmented.
5. Can I still access the thread once you have closed it?
6. In the future I will have to do this to my wife’s computer.  How should I proceed?
7. Thanks … Thank you so much … I really appreciate the time, effort and patience you have shown.  I really have … Barry

[DonnaB]

I had a friend who had a real problem and it got solved with rootkit revealer. He has much more experience than I and he just mentioned it. I thought Id ask. I suspect it is nothing I need worry about.

Barry, if there was a rootkit installed on your computer, there would be some kind of symptom that would indicate that something is just not right and your computer would not be running a good as it is.
 

I could not find Go to Start > Programs > Accessories > System Tools > and click on Windows defrag

Oops! That's my fault. It should be Start > All Programs > Accessories > System Tools > Disk Defragmenter. The Windows Disk Defragmenter tool is located in the same folder in your Start Menu where the Disk Cleanup tool is by following the path above. The easy way to find it is to click in the Start and when the Start Menu appears, type disk Defragmenter or Disk Cleanup in the Search programs and files area, then click on the little magnifier glass to the right.
 

Can I still access the thread once you have closed it?

Yes. You will be able to come back and read your thread anytime you want, though once closed, you will not be able to post a reply. The thread will also disappear out of site as other threads are created. To find the thread again, you will have to place your mouse on your username after you login and click on the Find Content button found under your name. That will take you to a page where the thread will be listed. All you have to do is click on the link to the thread to access your thread.
 

In the future I will have to do this to my wifes computer. How should I proceed?

If you think you might have a malware problem, start HERE as you did for this topic thread. You can skip Step #1 since you already have an account. Continue on through Steps 2, 3, 4 and 5 of the guide which will be finalized by starting a topic thread in our Malware Forum.

If it is not malware related, on the Geeks to Go Home Page you will find an assortment of the other forums that are offered for anything that is not related to malware. When you get a chance, take time to browse around the forum and sub-forums to familiarize yourself with Geeks to Go. Especially have a look at the Site Orientation and FAQ forum.
 

Thanks Thank you so much I really appreciate the time, effort and patience you have shown. I really have Barry

Gratitude is what makes volunteering so rewarding. It has been a real pleasure working with you. I'm sure we will meet again. Till then, happy and safe computing!

Donna

[DonnaB]

Since this issue appears to be resolved ... this Topic has been closed. Glad we could help.

If you're the topic starter, and need this topic reopened, please contact a staff member with the address of the thread.

Everyone else please begin a New Topic.

Thank you,
Donna

[DonnaB]

Since this issue appears to be resolved ... this Topic has been closed. Glad we could help.

If you're the topic starter, and need this topic reopened, please contact a staff member with the address of the thread.

Everyone else please begin a New Topic.