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#1
Gazza G

Gazza G

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I noticed that in the malware removal forum, there are many threads about people with problems with the same malware. For exampler WinFixer, PSGuard, Aurora etc.

Maybe you could organize the malware forum to have separate forums inside, one for each major virus? That way users can go into the relevant forum, which inside could have a guide to removing that specific piece of malware, or follow information given to someone with a similar situation. It will also help you, as the threads will be organized into ones with the same problems.

Just a suggestion, may make things easier for you, and quicker for us?
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#2
Justin

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Hello!

While some people do have the same major infection, there are usually some minor infections on a system. These change from computer to computer.

In theory your idea sounds really good, the only thing that I see wrong with it is that if everyone uses the "Premade Fixes", they could delete something by accident, and in return blame us.

The human eye will always be the best tool to find errors in HiJackThis logs. There are just too many minor details that could change, which could effect a computer.

Thank you for the suggestion, and I hope the above explains our reasoning in enough detail. Please let me know if you have any other questions.
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#3
Gazza G

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I understand the above, yes. Although you may not be able to provide a
'premadefix', you could still organise the forum into sections for the major offendors, and one for all other cases? As I saw posted earlier by an admin, some members of staff are used to some viruses, but not so much others. This could help members of staff offer help where they can give it best?

Also, maybe you could have a basic premade fix. Not one that says to delete certain files, but one that recommends the best software to use for that problem. For example, I found that CWShredder wasn't that useful in removing my problems with PSGuard, but Ewido was excellent. People could use these basics to eliminate most of the problem, then post the hijackthis logs for the eyes of the staff to go through in detail to fully remove the threat.

So really, the premade fix wouldn't be to solve the problem, and be a detailed list in removing certain files, programs etc, but just say what to do first? I was infected for the first time before, and I had no idea what to do, where to start, and what was going to happen - whether I could get rid of it, or need to re-set up my system. It could be used to just reduce the impact of the virus - help kill the major points, and reassure people. It could also contain information on what to do, and what not to do. Do not click any suspicous links, do close popups by pressing ALT + F4 etc.....

Using the suggested basicscould help the users to gain control of their internet browsers back, and elminate pop-ups, making thier PC more useable, and easier to deal with. It would also reduce the work needed to do in detail by the staff, and a lot of common problems would be solved.

Just my opinion :tazz:

Edited by Gazza G, 30 July 2005 - 05:06 PM.

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#4
Atribune

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I dont write pretty well detailed responses like the 2 of you but i am considered an expert in this field.

The whole idea of trying to get the user to completely fix there own machine is just plain bad.
Too many things can go wrong without proper advice. Thats the whole reason forums like this exist.
To walk the user through the fix step by step as needed based of the users abilities. Thats why we have the schools, and i wouldnt want most of the fixes I've written being used without the user having a proper understanding of what is going on.

Often when i post to someone i post that my instructions are case specific and with malware changing almost everyday thats the truth.

Edit: There are over 200 "major offenders" at the moment. be way to much work to expect volunteers to go through 200 different ares to help ppl

Edited by Atribune, 30 July 2005 - 05:20 PM.

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#5
Justin

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Hello!

I am going to address some of these issues by each paragraph that your wrote.

I understand the above, yes. Although you may not be able to provide a
'premadefix', you could still organise the forum into sections for the major offendors, and one for all other cases? As I saw posted earlier by an admin, some members of staff are used to some viruses, but not so much others. This could help members of staff offer help where they can give it best.


I am a little confused here by what you mean. Do you mean that we should have a sub forum for smitfraud/psguard/avgold, one for epolvy, one for winfixer ect? Or do you mean that we should have our normal Malware Forum, along with a subforum titled Major Offenders (for example, it does not have to be named that). Where in this forum we have the basic "outlined" fixes for each major offender?

Not one that says to delete certain files, but one that recommends the best software to use for that problem.  People could use these basics to eliminate most of the problem, then post the hijackthis logs for the eyes of the staff to go through in detail to fully remove the threat.


At this time, we have something similar to what you have described above. We have a post that is stuck to the top of the malware forum that is titled You Must Read This Before Posting a HiJackThis Log. In this topic, we have the basic tools for download, these tools are AdAware, Spybot, Trojan Hunter, Ewido, CleanUp, and others. The purpose of this post is for users to be able to clean their system and get rid of the most basic infections. This allows us to come in and read the HiJackThis log and determine what infections are left over, and the appropriate method to removing this infection.

For example, (this might get technical). If a person has smitfraud and avgold on their computer, along with lets say nail.exe and a nasty cool web search infection. I can post the basic tools needed to remove the infection, but there are times when a certain infection needs to be removed before others can be cleaned. If we had a topic that just told a user what tools to use, the tools might be ineffective due to how and when they are used. There are also other infections, like the VX2 infection, that requires a log to be posted for a helper to look at before the infection can be cleaned.

Using the suggested basicscould help the users to gain control of their internet browsers back, and elminate pop-ups, making thier PC more useable, and easier to deal with. It would also reduce the work needed to do in detail by the staff, and a lot of common problems would be solved.


In theory, yes the suggested basics could help a user gain back the basic functions of their computers, but they could also do more damage to the system. As most infections require a fix in HiJackThis, as well as using the fixes that have been made by people. If a person is asked to go into HiJackThis and looks for a file, and does not see the exact file, but they see something similar, that file could be required for your computer to operate.


We use our eyes to find the wrong infections, we trust a few programs to get rid of the basics, but most of the time, we are creating registry fixes, and other programs to help a user get rid of an infection.

I really enjoy discussing this with you, as it is something a lot of members wonder about. So if you have more questions, please ask them.

I also thank you for keeping this discussion civilized, as it makes it a lot easier to communicate.

Edited by Jfcap, 30 July 2005 - 05:57 PM.

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#6
Gazza G

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I am a little confused here by what you mean. Do you mean that we should have a sub forum for smitfraud/psguard/avgold, one for epolvy, one for winfixer ect? Or do you mean that we should have our normal Malware Forum, along with a subforum titled Major Offenders (for example, it does not have to be named that). Where in this forum we have the basic "outlined" fixes for each major offender?


I meant to have it organised into sub forums. A forum for each main offender :) I looked at all threads related to PSGuard that people had problems with, to find out how they resolved their problems, and used that to compare against my problems. Grouping it can make it easier for others to do the same.

Also, I agree with the whole multi-virus thing, needing things to be done in a certain order. [bleep] viruses, messing things up... again! :tazz: I suppose the'You must read this' would cover most things anyway by the end, with any problem.

So, forget the premade fix kinda thingymabob. But if you were add sub-forums for major offenders, you could produce a help page pinned in each one? Not with how to resolve the problem etc., but things like what the symptoms are of the virus, what it does, how harmful it is, and what to do and do not do. A little bit of information for us, put our minds at rest.




The other thing I was wondering (not related to this topic though :() is what is being done to stop viruses at the source? Is there anything being done to track down the company producing them, like PSGuard 'anti'spyware? If there is something, which door is it??? ;)
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#7
Justin

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Hello!

But if you were add sub-forums for major offenders, you could produce a help page pinned in each one? Not with how to resolve the problem etc., but things like what the symptoms are of the virus, what it does, how harmful it is, and what to do and do not do. A little bit of information for us, put our minds at rest.



As Atri stated in his reply:

There are over 200 "major offenders" at the moment. be way to much work to expect volunteers to go through 200 different ares to help ppl.


It would be impossible to make a sub forum for each of the major offenders, because there are so many of them, and they change so often. A few months ago, it was Nail.exe, then it was PSGuard/Smitfraud/AVG, and not it looks like winfixer is coming into play.

Regarding your last question about what is being done to stop things at the source. Thats a great question, and honestly, I do not know, but Im going to ask around and see what I can come up with.

Thanks for the great questions :tazz:

Also, since you seem interested in how we do things in the HiJackThis Forum, we offer a Malware training program here at GeeksToGo.com, called GeekU, or GeekUniversity. If you are intersted in malware removal, I would encourage you to join. You can read a bit more here

Edited by Jfcap, 30 July 2005 - 07:18 PM.

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#8
Gazza G

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Never knew how many major offenders there were ;) I just assumed there were a certain few, looking at the current threads.

And about the geek university, I posted earlier today:) I'm at college (In the UK, so in the US, that would be............ Whatever you're doing at 17 :tazz: ) studying to become an 'IT Practitioner', but we haven't and probably won't do anything on viruses etc. We also don't do much on operating systems, restoring them, settings etc. So that could be quite useful :)
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#9
Justin

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Wow..In college at 17...Im 17 and im gonna be a senior in highschool =)

I look forward to seeing you in GeekUniversity!
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#10
Gazza G

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Over here, we have compulsory education until we're 16. From 11-16, we go to 'Secondary School', I guess like high school or whatever. This is where we pick up our most vital qualifications probably. However, ones at college and especially university are 10 x better than these. But from then on, the choice is ours. College is an option, which you can do from 16 - 60 lol, and the length varies. After that, either get a job, stay in college, or go to university - from 18 onwards though. Or, the Geek university, from any age, any skill, anytime, anywhere!:tazz:
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#11
Justin

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Hmm thats quite interesting..

Here I have to goto school until 10th grade I think..then im welcome to drop out....But to get into college I have to graduation K-12.
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#12
Justin

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From a staff member here a GTG, ScHwErV,

Be careful what you call a virus. A virus must spread itself. If it doesnt actively look to spread itself, its not a virus.

Most viruses are written by 13 year olds in a basement somewhere. I believe the kid who wrote blaster was in a south american country? We look for them, but we cant get them all.

As for malware, you should write a letter to your congressman.


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#13
ukbiker

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Hi there Gazza G.

I would like to expand slightly on Jfcaps replys to your questions. The idea of more defined infection specific board structures would probably have been a worthwhile approach up to about the end of last year. Since then we have seen an astonishing expansiuon in infections and a truly horrific increae in the complexity of what we are dealing with. You see, 18 months ago, just about everything could be fixed pretty much with the use of a few tools such as Adaware, Spybot and CWShredder. Then suddenly the world changed, we started seeing things like VX2 which were of a whole new level of difficulty, and as we became better at getting to grips with that, the Scummers raised their game again, and again, and again.
As soon as we got the better of the latest nasty, the malware coders gave them a new twist, sometimes an infection would have 3 or 4 versions in a single week!

The current state of play is that we see multiple infections of a system with combinations of up to 6 or 7 different infections on a log. In practical terms this means that every single line has to be identified and its relationship with the different infections identified. That is hard enough to do on a log that has not had some items removed by pre treatment and is intact, never mind one where the dirt has only been partially cleaned and we cannot see the full extent of the problem! As you appreciate im sure, the key to a succesfull fix is theacurate identification of the infections present, accordingly the innapropriate use of the very powerfull tools available by untrained hands can often cause more problems than the infections themselves!


have a read at THIS article, and also THIS one. The battle is starting to heat up here, and i dont see it getting easier, because frankly, the malware coders have got a lot of money and resource behind them. Just as well that I enjoy a good row! :tazz:

UKBiker

PS, there are quite a few of us from the UK helping here.
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#14
Gazza G

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Ouch.... I use MSN, and do click the random links people send me.... I'll double check them first now :tazz:

Also, thanks for the explanation. I didn't know much about viruses, how they've changed etc. But hopefully that'll all change with GeekU university ;)
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