What is this?

If this is what I think it is, it’s a fake MicroSoft notice that purports to be an emergency assessment and fix of your PC for spy and malware invasion, but in fact is actually hijacking your browser and dumping viruses into your PC. It’s a bitch to get rid of because you usually can’t close the window without actually pulling the plug and removing your battery to shut your computer down cold. But when you boot back up, there it is again. If this is familiar, you’ve just been hijacked. I’d PM @ET_Pro or @jerv on this. They’ll either know what to do or to whom you should talk to. DO NOT CLOSE THIS TAB. If you close all the other tabs that do not have this notice, you may not be able to access the net again and therefore unable to get advice here or any online help.

Shit

PM them. They know the free malware download that will get rid of it. Just down’t close your last healthy tab until you can download the fix.

I don’t know if I already did that or not…..

You haven’t because you are able to communicate with me at this very moment. This tab is clear. Keep it open and contact the boys. DO NOT REFRESH. Just keep it open.

Contacted…..

Frozen…

Afraid to move….

Getting a beer….or two.

I want my mom!

I pm’d ET as well.

Watching E Corvus craft a response, wondering if his bird is gonna crap on my computer.

Thank you.

No, but if I’m wrong about this, don’t hate me or think I was playing with head, OK? I don’t do that. I gotta leave for bit and I’ll check back later. I hope these guys come back soon.

I know you wouldn’t. That was my first response anyway, was to freeze. I’m not even sure how I managed to get here….had to go all around the mulberry bush to find you guys. I feel safer just sitting here, in lock down, with ya’ll to talk to….wish I had a gun. Don’t know why. Just seemed the thing to say Wish I had pajamas. And food stamps. Anything but this virus.

What happens when you try to open a fresh tab?

Depends on where I try to open it from….If I just do control N, it seems to open a new tab just fine. If they were all closed (cause I closed them…) and tried to click on the icon, it came up with that message. I did control tab and navigated to my home screen and I could open it from the programs menu.

…Just did a right click on my icon at the bottom opened new tab. Seemed to be OK….

That message did’nt show up and block you?

It is a computer virus, and the reason I had to dump my wife’s laptop, and my son’s computer, and I had to wipe the memory off my 2nd computer.
It’s that bad.
Do yourself a favor, and back up your photographs and important stuff NOW.

OK, you still need to get rid of this thing ASAP. Wait for help. It’s do-able, but I can’t remember the name of the free malware program download. I think I got it from either @jerv or ET.

Do I still have to open a burn program or can I jump stuff directly to disk? Computer is less than 1 year old.

Should I just shut if OFF, unplug it NOW and get it to the vet??

NO!!! DO NOT DO THAT!!! YOU WILL BE CUTTING YOUR LIFELINE. YOU WON’T BE ABLE TO GET BACK ON THE NET. I’ll PM some more and send people over here.

Ok. Still here.

Dumping to CD now. It’s a lot easier than it used to be. Got an hour to go though (I have a lot of pictures….they won’t all fit on the CD, I’m sure.)

Ummmm…but by PMing you and ETPro etc. didn’t that referesh?

I don’t have enough space on disc (duh) need 17.5 GB Free space is only 702 MB. Guess I try one file at a time.

One freaking picture at a time??

Yeah, that’s what I was thinking and that’s why I asked you what happened when you opened a new tab. I’m puzzled, but I’ve had this thing before and filmfan is right, it is a bitch and I wouldn’t do anything until I talked to somebody who knows abot this stuff. I just contacted Augie and asked her, since she knows just abouit everbody here to send us a couple of geeks. It’s the best I can do for you right now.

No. not one pic at a time, you need to back up your whole hard drive. It’s the press of a button, but it can take a couple of hours. But I’d still wait for somebody to show up with some answers first. To back up the HD, you need an equally large external HD to back it up to. Everybody should have one, but most people don’t. Just hang in. If you’re able to open tabs with CONTROL, then I suggest opening some and try to get some advice, but be sure to keep this one open and check it regularly in case someone shows.

It’s 19:31 here and I’ve got to be somewhere by 20:00. Good luck Dutchess. I’ll check later if I can find some wifi.

Thanks. You got my number. You can give it to whom ever you need….

OK. Good luck, D.

Give it to Auggie.
Thanks. :/

Done.

You’re awesome. Thank you.

I’m going to go sit on the deck now and watch my husband attach a freaking DOOR KNOB to a used fridge we picked up for cheap, that doesn’t have the bottom handle (He is SUCH a redneck!.) Who ever picks this up, Auggie has my cell. You can text or call…..
Over.

I’m here.

If you left the window that popup opened in open, and did not click ANYTHING in it, then try this. Use the 3 fingered salute, Ctrl + Alt + Del. When the task manager opens, select the offending programs or processes and shut them down. If the shutdown process says it can’t finish because a running program is waiting for input, don’t go to the affected program. Instead close task manager and shut the system down, using the Force Shutdown button if necessary to avoid returning to the hung page and clicking anything.

Boot back up if necessary and open Firefox. Firefox may open the same window tabs again and if it does, just go through the three fingered salute process 1 more time. On the second try, Firefox should ask you if you want to open old tabs or start fresh. Start fresh.

If even that doesn’t work to keep FF from going right back into the loop, then download (with a different browser like IE then download ccCleaner and run it to get rid of the scripting that’s taken control. As soon as the system is back to being able to open and run FF without going to the rogue page, run a complete Virus Scan with your AV software.

Whenever a web page opens a popup that insists you click on it, DON’T DO IT. Instead, use the three fingered salute and start task manager. Close the program (browser, or browser process/es that are giving the problem).

…I did click. It asked if I wanted to save it. I said…yes.

Download ccCleaner and run it. Then do a complete Antivirus Scan. You’re going to loose bookmarks and have to log back in to sites that normally know you, but that’s a small price to pay.

Says I have to purchase it?

K. It’s downloading…The first link said it was free. So I clicked on that one.

? It’s not asking for any further prompts. How will I know when it’s done? Also…all web pages just closed, but I was able to get back here.

Also, I have a Malwarebytes Anti-malware icon on my bookmarks. Is that what I want to run next?

@Dutchess_III Yes, ccCleaner Professional isn’t free, but it’s inexpensive. The free version may do, but you may want to try Pro if needed. Yes, if you actually previously got MBAM, it would be a good idea to run it. You also might want to upgrade to the paid version of MBAM, as it guards against known malware and automatically performs scheduled scans.

How will I know if I need it?
Also….that shite is saved in my “download” file (I’m assuming.) Do I delete it?

Well, I ran stuff….I’m still here….

Well, that was finer than a frog’s hair, @ETpro! THANKS! Free chocolate covered cherries for you. :)

Carbonite (making a note for my self….)

Nice. You have a good night. And thanks, ET. Lurv for all.

One last question….the website that hit me with it was the website for a very large company. I was filling out a job app. It was in IE. Does this company need to be notified?

I have such a happy feet feeling right now @Espiritus_Corvus. Fluther just….it’s just family.

Thank you all. :)

If you want to notify the company, do it by phone, ask to speak to their I.T. guys and tell them what happened. I would never, ever open that site again.

OK. But…is it attached to them? Is there something they can do about it?

That’s what IT is paid to do.

OK. Signing off now, uni til refuter notice. Peace, out.

Eek, sorry I was gone most of the day and didn’t see this earlier. So glad you got it sorted out!