Expert: Lorry - 2/15/2006

Question
Hi!
A friend of mine is having the following problem with their computer.
Everytime she starts up windows (XP Pro) a dialog box appears with "you or a program is trying to contct" and then either of the three of:
j.m3gak00rt.info
damn.h0tx.com
damn.germancar.biz

I tried using Spybot S&D 1.3, and although it turned up with about 15 problems (from memory connected to WMP, IE and something else). I fixed those errors but the dialog box still comes up.

I tried connecting to the net and looking for solutions from that computer, and the computer had uploaded over twice the information it had downloaded (it is a dialup connection so there was n't much) - with uploads at ~1mb and downloads at ~400kb.

I've looked through the "Processes" tab in Taskman and checked up on any apps I thought looked sus but didn't come up with anything.

Hope you can help!

Answer
Hi Peter,

Check for viruses, using Internet Explorer go to:

http://security.symantec.com/sscv6/default.asp?langid=ie&venid=sym

Click the GO button, then under Virus Detection, click Start. You might be told that you need to download and install ActiveX Controls for the scan to work, answer Yes.

Write down exactly anything it finds, then go to: http://www.symantec.com/search/  and do a search for what was found. Symantec usually has a removal tool and/or directions for removing manually. Make sure that you follow the instructions for removal, step by step, especially the part regarding disabling System Restore.

As your friend is on a dial-up, this will take some time but well worth it.

I would suggest downloading Spybot - Search & Destroy 1.4, a program that removes spyware, available from:

http://www.pcworld.com/downloads/file_description/0,fid,22262,00.asp

Once installed, enable Tea Timer. Open the Spybot Search & Destroy, click  the "+" sign next to Tools on the left side of the screen, click System Startup, then on the right side of the page check HK_CU Run Spybot Tea Timer.

The Resident TeaTimer is a new tool of Spybot-S&D which perpetually monitors the processes called/initiated. It immediately detects known malicious processes wanting to start and terminates them giving you some options, how to deal with this process in the future.

Check for updates before running. If you have trouble getting the updates, near the top of the Update Window, click the little arrow next See-Cure  #1(Europe), highlight the next one on the list, See-Cure #2 and try to download the updates. If that doesn't work, try the next one the list. until you get one you can download from. Being a free program, if too many people are using the same site to download the updates, some people will not get them.

Go to Windows Update and download the available updates.

Hope this helps!
Lorry