Help found here. PC users

[aviongeno]

To those of you who are indeed infected by some sort of virus or spyware i do have solutions for you that will work.

#1- The easiest solution in which case is not always possible, would be to purchase a copy of "Spysweeper w/ Anti Virus", update the software and then do a full system scan. I say this not because its a personal preference but because it works. Spysweeper w/ Anti Virus is a program the GeekSquad use when it comes down to a couple viruses left on the computer that just wont be removed using our MRI disc. (Dont ask its confidential)

This anti virus is best used to remove viruses and also a way to prevent them. The software auto updates so it always has the newest definitions, and is user friendly.

If you cannot update the software in normal mode, try restarting your computer and entering safe mode by pressing F8 and clicking safemode with networking. This will only start critical windows processes and allow you network access.

#2- The not so easy solution would still require you to purchase some sort of security software (if you dont already have one). This solution is necessary when your computer will not allow you to do any sort of update of your security software on your system. What you can do is take out your hdd (primary hdd with windows os on it) and place it into another computer as a slave drive (or use a different way of connecting it to your computer using specialized cables that attatch the hdd as a device) and scan the hdd using the security software you purchased.

This method is a little more advanced but not impossible and is used when ideas are running out.

#3- The only time you should restore (after backing up your information of course) would be when neither of the first two methods worked. You can use recovery discs which may have come with your system (ie: Dell & Asus computers come in factory box) or the recovery discs you made. You may also have a recovery partition on your hdd if your computer is not custom built, try pressing F11 to access the recovery partition.

In some cases the recovery option is labeled something entirely different such as "Repair my computer" after pressing F8 during startup before the windows logo appears.

With the recovery discs you can restore your computer to factory settings and you may also be given the option to backup your data and restore if you use an HP/Compaq computer.


All of these methods will rid you of any virus or spyware out there. Spysweeper is not a heavy load on your system, its user friendly and i gaurentee it will find your infections and remove them. Please note you must purchase the spysweeper w antivirus if you want it to remove viruses as well.


If you have any questions you can post or PM me i do remove viruses pretty much everyday at work. Keep your personal opinions about the Geeksquad to yourself i dont need to know if they ruined or saved your life.


note: i may have other solutions but its 2:30am not entirely awake.

 

[Bad_Dude]

Thank you, but there is already a thread about this. http://www.edgegamers.org/forums/showthread.php?t=63455

 

[aviongeno]

i saw that obviously it said malware n such removal. my issue with that is at the geeksquad we use similar techniques (multiple programs) that are actually paid for and dont always get the job done. In fact we dont even boot into safe mode we boot into our own created environment called MRI PE and remove the viruses there. What you dont get is that doesnt always get the viruses or spyware, none of those freeprograms are going to have great definitions to catch the virus/spyware because well theyre free. you get what you pay for sorta thing, thats why i added in a different solution #2 which isnt discussed in that thread. Updating your security software while you have a virus is not always possible and sometimes your computer may be bootlooping which wont allow you to load windows at all. At that point you may think you need to restore but you could still rid yourself of the viruses using solution #2 and that may solve your problem as long as the hdd isnt dieing.

most computers have diagnostic tests you can run in bios to see if your hdd is indeed bad id suggest running one before bothering to rid yourself of an infection. may not be worth the time!

 

[Bad_Dude]

Geeksquad eh? As in those people that think they know what they are doing at best buy? I wouldn't let them put a stick of ram in my computer, let alone give me advice on anything.

 

[aviongeno]

please respect my position i dont go telling you your a failure. obviously we dont all have the same experience or knowledge in anything but myself im not stupid.

 

[Bad_Dude]

I know that, That was aimed at the Best Buy in my area and not at you, sorry I didn't make that more clearly.

 

[Dieinpeace]

Ha Ha.. Keep it clean. But i would have some choice word when it comes to Geeksquad and bestbuy. Along the lines of lets say they arent always the best people to call when your computer crashes.

 

[trykael]

What you dont get is that doesnt always get the viruses or spyware, none of those freeprograms are going to have great definitions to catch the virus/spyware because well theyre free. you get what you pay for sorta thing...

Just wanted to clear the air on this - that's not true at all. there are several completely free programs that match or exceed the abilities of paid programs. yes some paid programs are very good, but there are plenty of good free programs as well. SOMETIMES the adage of "what you pay for is what you get" works very well, but in this case it can be very misleading. If you know what you're doing and where to look there's absolutely no reason to pay for protection software.

As a tech professional of 13+ years I keep track of this stuff, and I can tell you from experience that you really don't have to pay for it to get good coverage. If you feel more comfortable paying then that's awesome and I would support that as well, but there's no need to add confusion by telling people they HAVE to pay to get good software.

 

[!EpIc fAiL!]

i have Windows Live Onecare for my virus protection and so far it has stopped several virus being download onto my pc from a random pop-up website. ya i was google searching and this website came up and said it was a virus scanner and scanned my ENITRE pc in about 3 seconds... i thought psh whatever, my scanner takes almost all day, and another way i saw it was a fraud was it had windows xp theme and my pc doesnt i have vista. it was called Virus doctor, i think. but what i do if i have a virus i cant get rid of, i just wipe my entire pc via the "restore pc to factory setting" i lose everything, but i save files i want on my flash drive first. and i dont keep anything of real value on my pc, as soon as i get it i put it on discs or flash drives, etc..

 

[aviongeno]

well if your smart you dont need any protection.

 

[bigbaddabooma]

well if your smart you dont need any protection.

all ways wear a condom!

 

[TaLoN]

I run AVG anti-virus, it's free, used by many corporations and it's free. Did I mention it's FREE? Malwarebytes is another program that will flush out badness...

 

[!EpIc fAiL!]

well if your smart you dont need any protection.

well now-a-days you do cause you can get a virus by just visiting a website. :facewall: :scared: :crying: "WHATS WRONG WITH THE WORLD!"

 

[Havegooda {A|R}]

well if your smart you dont need any protection.

If you're smart, you won't go to Geek Squad.

~Gooda~

 

[Adam]

well if your smart you dont need any protection.

Ha. Not even going to bother with you. Uninstall your Anti-Virus and Anti-Spyware, turn off your firewall and try being smart for awhile. Let me know when you've formatted.

Oh and, I've looked at several review sites, none mention Spysweeper's epic Virus removal software. It's the best, hmm.

Geek Squad sure knows what they are doing. Let's see, if I have to have them come to my house and have them tell me what's wrong with my computer, it's $130. Regardless of how far they drove or how much gas they used. They also offer ISP/Network Troubleshooting. They charge you $80.00 for this. Call your ISP, have them help you, it's free. Want your new video card put in by "professionals?" I hope you have $50. Wait, they are coming to your house? That'll be $150.

Gee, I sure love geek squad.

 

[aviongeno]

whatever you say man, like i said in my original post i dont care to hear any opinions on geeksquad but obviously its too hard to read let me make it easier for the preschoolers,

Talk about GEEKSQUAD :chair:

thanks. Also not everyones a 13 yr experienced IT guy, i offered user friendly solutions because kids read these posts and you guys made that very apparent.

 

[Havegooda {A|R}]

Ha. Not even going to bother with you. Uninstall your Anti-Virus and Anti-Spyware, turn off your firewall and try being smart for awhile. Let me know when you've formatted.

Oh and, I've looked at several review sites, none mention Spysweeper's epic Virus removal software. It's the best, hmm.

Geek Squad sure knows what they are doing. Let's see, if I have to have them come to my house and have them tell me what's wrong with my computer, it's $130. Regardless of how far they drove or how much gas they used. They also offer ISP/Network Troubleshooting. They charge you $80.00 for this. Call your ISP, have them help you, it's free. Want your new video card put in by "professionals?" I hope you have $50. Wait, they are coming to your house? That'll be $150.

Gee, I sure love geek squad.

Odd, I've never used anti-spyware, and the last time I did a virus scan was when I first built my machine (November). I've yet to format.

Though I do agree, the geek squad is pathetic.

whatever you say man, like i said in my original post i dont care to hear any opinions on geeksquad but obviously its too hard to read let me make it easier for the preschoolers,

Talk about GEEKSQUAD :chair:

thanks. Also not everyones a 13 yr experienced IT guy, i offered user friendly solutions because kids read these posts and you guys made that very apparent.

Uhh, we are. Obviously it's too hard to type, or rather to convey your meaning to us in a logical sense, maybe you're the one who needs to go back to preschool. After all, you do work for geek squad, anyone equipped with Google and a keyboard could do your job while you were away.

~Gooda~

 

[aviongeno]

Odd, I've never used anti-spyware, and the last time I did a virus scan was when I first built my machine (November). I've yet to format.

Though I do agree, the geek squad is pathetic.



Uhh, we are. Obviously it's too hard to type, or rather to convey your meaning to us in a logical sense, maybe you're the one who needs to go back to preschool. After all, you do work for geek squad, anyone equipped with Google and a keyboard could do your job while you were away.

~Gooda~

oo i can say convey in a sentence finally! honestly do you feel better about yourself being an ego because thats probably the closest thing youll get to being important. flame more, you were chosen because of your maturity level right and not because you believe in "respecting everyone". your pathetic and your ability to help anyone is as well. i was being friendly i didnt need your input nor do i care to hear anymore of it. and no not everyone can do my job or else we would have given you a chance.

~Seacrest Out~

 

[Havegooda {A|R}]

oo i can say convey in a sentence finally! honestly do you feel better about yourself being an ego because thats probably the closest thing youll get to being important. flame more, you were chosen because of your maturity level right and not because you believe in "respecting everyone". your pathetic and your ability to help anyone is as well. i was being friendly i didnt need your input nor do i care to hear anymore of it. and no not everyone can do my job or else we would have given you a chance.

~Seacrest Out~

Actually, no, I don't care about ranks. I got promoted to eGO nearly a year ago, whoop-dee-do. I normally don't flame (don't mix up sarcasm with flaming), but when the geek squad comes in with their "knowledge", it pisses me off. All you guys (the company, perhaps you don't do this, for I have no past knowledge of your actions in your workplace) do is sell, sell, sell, not help. I was in line behind a mexican couple at Best Buy and they needed to get some family pictures off their laptop that had died. Your geek squad "expert" managed to sell them a $100 kit of RAM that could be had for $15 on Newegg and convince them they needed to let the "experts" install it. The laptop was DEAD. Pathetic.

Sadly, I probably know more than 95% of your "experts" (there's gotta be SOME smart people there...or at least I hope so), and I'm only 18.

My ability to help? I get daily PMs from people on this forum asking me for tech help, how does that sound? Most everyone here respects my opinion, as they know I have a lot of knowledge. Does this mean I know everything? Hell no, when I'm not sure on something, I let people know, and thank them when they correct me.

"not everyone can do my job or else we would have given you a chance. "

Let me revise that. "Anyone with Google, a keyboard, and a slight bit of retardation could do your job".

Thank god I've never applied at geek squad. Having to deal with uneducated customers is bad (I did it for 8 months at my previous job), but having to deal with stupid and deceitful co-workers? No thanks.

EDIT: Why is it whenever I call someone on their ****, they try to poke fun at my signature? I've used it for the past 8 years, your puny attempt to poke fun of it is really making me think twice about using it in the future. [/sarcasm]

~Gooda~

 

[Adam]

I'm curious, what does Geek Squad think of FinallyFast.com? If I come to your store and appear like I don't know anything about computers, are you going to recommend I use it?