I'm taking our computer to the repair shop.

[SOONER44EVER]

I've had it with all the virus/spyware crap. I've got a downloader.tibs virus and 4 or 5 running processes that I believe are spyware. I found a place that will fix it for $40-$60. Is that a good price?

[yermom]

that isn't bad, basically an hour of labor for most shops

lots of times bad virus/spyware infections can take hours to fix, so a flat rate like that doesn't sound too bad to me

[yermom]

but like i said in that other thread, the first thing i'd do is run the scanner here:

http://housecall.trendmicro.com/

[Widescreen]

Personally, I'd backup any data that I wanted to keep and reformat the mofo. But like yermom said, the price you were quoted doesn't sound too bad.

[NormanPride]

I'll hit it with a wrench for $30.

[critical_phil]

Personally, I'd backup any pr0n that I wanted to keep and reformat the mofo.


good thinkin'

[SOONER44EVER]

but like i said in that other thread, the first thing i'd do is run the scanner here:

http://housecall.trendmicro.com/
I've tried to run trendmicro before but it seems to take forever to load. I'm trying it now. Almost 15 minutes and it hasn't installed yet.

[yermom]

i'm lazy and i don't want to do a search to see if you've already said, what are the stats of this computer?

OS? RAM? Proc?

[SOONER44EVER]

i'm lazy and i don't want to do a search to see if you've already said, what are the stats of this computer?

OS? RAM? Proc?
Windows XP Home
256
Intel Celeron

[BajaOklahoma]

Dell has a sale on their computers, about 40% off.
It was a story on the morning news.

[yermom]

Windows XP Home
256
Intel Celeron

Celeron is a little broad... but 256 is not very much anymore with XP, Firefox alone is using about that on my machine right now...

if your machine will take it, adding like 256 MB would probably give you a marked improvement (probably ~$30 on newegg.com)

did it ever finish the scan?

[SOONER44EVER]

Celeron is a little broad... but 256 is not very much anymore with XP, Firefox alone is using about that on my machine right now...

if your machine will take it, adding like 256 MB would probably give you a marked improvement (probably ~$30 on newegg.com)

did it ever finish the scan?
I just go back on. It was scanning the whole time and never finished!

[yermom]

is this the same machine you are posting on?

i'd let it go, if possible, it can take a long time... especially if it's out of RAM and running goofy adware/virus crap

[critical_phil]

this is the type of problem that pushed me over the edge w/ IE.... no probs since making the switch.

[yermom]

yeah, it's lots less likely

Redhat and Mac OS are even better in that department ;)

[SOONER44EVER]

is this the same machine you are posting on?

i'd let it go, if possible, it can take a long time... especially if it's out of RAM and running goofy adware/virus crap
Yes. I already turned it off. 6+ hours is plenty long enough to try.

[olevetonahill]

I'll hit it with a wrench for $30.
Ill shoot it for free, Got any beer ?

[jacru]

ad-aware by lavasoft is a good spyware/malware removal program and it's a free download. Recommended in Consumer Reports.click for download site (http://www.download.com/3405-8022-5153545.html?part=dl-ad-aware&subj=dl&tag=top5)

[SOONER44EVER]

ad-aware by lavasoft is a good spyware/malware removal program and it's a free download. Recommended in Consumer Reports.click for download site (http://www.download.com/3405-8022-5153545.html?part=dl-ad-aware&subj=dl&tag=top5)
I just got through running it for about the 3rd time today. I get spyware without even surfing the net. I think its because of some of the running processes.

[jacru]

Ad-aware saved my bacon, once when I got a bad infestation from some crap my daughter downloaded. Usually all it needs to do is remove tracking cookies for me.

[SOONER44EVER]

Ad-aware saved my bacon, once when I got a bad infestation from some crap my daughter downloaded. Usually all it needs to do is remove tracking cookies for me.
It removes them and the next time I get on they are back.

[yermom]

Ad-aware saved my bacon, once when I got a bad infestation from some crap my daughter downloaded. Usually all it needs to do is remove tracking cookies for me.

i just ran it for the first time since November, all it found was 22 cookies from the sparse few times i used IE

i use Windows Defender, AVG and Firefox

switching from KaZaa/Morpheus to Limewire and from IE to Firefox have reduced spyware by 99.97%


44, the backup/reinstall option is a good one, but can be technically difficult with only one computer

[SOONER44EVER]

i just ran it for the first time since November, all it found was 22 cookies from the sparse few times i used IE

i use Windows Defender, AVG and Firefox

switching from KaZaa/Morpheus to Limewire and from IE to Firefox have reduced spyware by 99.97%


44, the backup/reinstall option is a good one, but can be technically difficult with only one computer
Thats why I'm just going to pay to have it fixed. Should I go from 256 to 512 while its there? Will it make my computer faster? About how much will it cost if I do?

[yermom]

if it's less than like $50 i would probably have them do it while it's there

and yeah, i think you'd notice it being a fair amount faster

[soonerboomer93]

spybot - search & destroy had proven very good at removing spyware.

[SicEmBaylor]

yeah, it's lots less likely

Redhat and Mac OS are even better in that department ;)

You know the weird thing about Red Hat (and I think you're the one who actually got me to install Red Hat last year); I had it dual-installed with XP on my old comp and everything worked well on it (the stuff that didn't had more to do with me not knowing how to use linux than it did with linux not working). Anyway, things were going great and I was really getting into Linux but I had to buy a new monitor and Red Hat stopped "showing up." As soon as I'd choose Red Hat at the boot screen it'd go completely black. I'm almost positive it was still running, but it was incompatible with the monitor or something.

I could understand compatability issues if it weren't basically the same damned monitor I was replacing. Anyway, I haven't used linux since.

[yermom]

i would bet that the new monitor doesn't work with the display settings for some reason and the box is booting into runlevel 5 (X) by default

you need to rerun the display config utility from runlevel 3

to do this, you'd need to edit the line in grub when it starts

when it gives you the boot menu, choose the Redhat line, and hit 'e'

then choose the line that starts with 'kernel' and hit 'e' again

add a '3' at the end of the line, hit 'enter' and then 'b' to boot

this will make it start up in the text mode for this session, and let you run system-config-display or redhat-config-display depending on the version, it should be one of those

[SOONER44EVER]

if it's less than like $50 i would probably have them do it while it's there

and yeah, i think you'd notice it being a fair amount faster
I went and talked to the guy today. I'm going to take it in Monday so wifey can use if for her class stuff this weekend.

Here is what the guy said:
He will remove all viruses and spyware and install new virus and spyware protection for $60. If he has to restore the system it will be $100 instead of $60. He can upgrade it from 256 to 512 for $32 or upgrade it to 768 for $52. I'm thinking I'll go with the 768 upgrade. The most I'm looking at to do everything is $152. Is that a good price?

[SOONER44EVER]

Anyone?

[49r]

I'll do it for $142

[yermom]

Anyone?

that doesn't sound too bad to me

[olevetonahill]

Hell Ill shoot it for free !

[Mjcpr]

They had brand new Dell's with a 19" flat panel on sale the other day for $Tree-fiddy.