I think my laptop has a virus... please help
Scrufox86
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Hi I am not sure what is going on with my laptop. I tried to type in a web address and when I typed the first letter it gave a list of random websites I had not visited. I tried other letters at random and it did the same thing. Random websites I had not visited.
Could anyone help please. I have used Norton 360 and did a scan but it only found tracking cookies which it labelled low risk.
Also my cursor was getting a blue circle next to it every 5 or so seconds until I deleted temporary files and did the scan.
What could this be? Should I use the Microsoft essentials thing?
Could anyone help please. I have used Norton 360 and did a scan but it only found tracking cookies which it labelled low risk.
Also my cursor was getting a blue circle next to it every 5 or so seconds until I deleted temporary files and did the scan.
What could this be? Should I use the Microsoft essentials thing?
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http://www.malwarebytes.org/
Hi well at the moment I am trying the Microsoft security essentials... is that any good or should I still try the malwarebytes thing too?
I'd try the malwarebytes too afterwards. Basically, if both run successfully and both say nothing, then your problems are elsewhere.
I'm confused what it could be. I just tried to type in c and it came up with a list of websites beginning with c that I have not visited. It has only recently started doing this. Is it malware?
Edit - also Norton 360 found no threats other than 29 tracking cookies. And a recent update by Microsoft does a maleware scan thing each month and the monthly scan was only a few days ago.
I don't know. Do the two scans we are talking about before you panic.
I believe the History/Back feature of browsers is open to manipulation by websites via Javascript, so they may have primed your History list or something.
This (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Autocomplete#In_web_browsers) says the matches come from your history list. So do a test and see if you can find one of the suggestions in your history. Things could, for e.g., get in your history by being popped open by another website. Have you, or somebody else, been cruising porn sites with lots of redirects and popups, for example? (Assuming your malware scans come back clean).
Ok the essentials scan came back clear as well as Norton 360
I am stuck on downloading the malewarebytes though. It says it is going to download soon but it isn't. And a list of other anti spyware things are listed.
The other listed stuff is because malwarebytes uses CNET (general software site) for its downloads.
On the link: http://download.cnet.com/Malwarebytes-Anti-Malware/3000-8022_4-10804572.html?part=dl-10804572&subj=dl&tag=button
Click the green "download now", then save (if the browser asks). Save the exe file to e.g. your Desktop, then run it.
I dunno what browser the OP is using but Chrome certainly does this as standard and it's not malicious. Just tested it on both my Mac and Win PC and it does the same - begin typing in something in the URL box and it begins to give a list of suggestions, some previously visited, some not.
Still worth the OP running MalwareBytes etc. though...
Hang on so the suggested list thing may not be a virus?
well I will try to download the malwarebytes thing. Is it safe to use?
Strange! So Chrome uses entries other than those you have visited for its autocomplete suggestions in its URL bar?
Never knew that. IE just seems to be places you have already been.
Possibly not - what browser are you using?
Malwarebytes is safe to use and it's definitely worth doing a scan with it if you haven't already.
Oh I recently downloaded Internet explorer 10 because it came in an automatic update. Do you think that has anything to do with it? What is autocomplete is that what it is doing?
But is it IE10 that is giving you the places you have never been to?
Yes. I have opera on my laptop as well and that is not doing it. I type the letter "C" for example and it does not bring up any random websites.
But in IE10 it lists websites I haven't even typed into the address bar. Is that autocomplete?
Autocomplete does what it says on the tin. With Autocomplete switched on, whenever you have a text box and start typing, autocomplete will try to autocomplete what you're writing. Basically...
Yes. As I say, it might just have been an avalanche of popups that did it. Carry on with testing with Malwarebytes. If you can't download it on the PC in question, try anothe browser on the same PC, or download it on your laptop, copy to a USB key and bring it to the problematic one.
Read this: http://superuser.com/questions/487364/ie10-suggests-sites-i-have-never-visited
It seems like this is a new IE10 thing.
So you are probably OK, but the Malwarebytes is still a good idea.
Oh so I may have been panicking for nothing?
Well Norton 360 and Microsoft essentials both found nothing. And the malwarebytes is currently still scanning. It is taking ages.
Ok so it came back with results and found exploit.drop.gsa
I think it removed it. But what is that?
You can look it up for yourself. Just get the software to get rid of it. It may well simply be remanants of some old attack, rather than an active new one - Malwarebytes is sensitive to old bits n pcs left behind. Your autocomplete issue is probably not related.
Then do the instructions to disable the autocomplete at the link I mentioned (if you so want).
Erm, potentially a biggie but I've not read into it: https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=exploit.drop.gsa&aq=f&oq=exploit.drop.gsa&aqs=chrome.0.57&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8
Oh it seems to have been removed. malwarebytes said it would remove it. Yeah I read your link and I have disabled autocomplete. It appears to have worked.
Now thinking about it I think I had this with Internet explorer 9 when I first switched from IE8 and I think I remember disabling it before.
Thank you for your help everyone.
Now relax! LOL.
Oh btw, uninstall Malwarebytes now you're done. You've already got two AV packages on that PC and a third might cause trouble (and will slow it down in any case).
Yeah I read about it. I got the police virus in Oct 2012. I used a maleware, spyware etc removal disc my brother downloaded from a different computer and it got rid of it. I then had to take it to a shop to be fixed due to another issue.
Since then I have not had any issues. And I scan for viruses etc regularly.
thanks for your help