Crash and Virus

[Depression Moon]

I'm having problems on my home PC. I recently got a virus that made a lot of pop ups on my IE eventhough I haven't been using it for months. A brother of mine suggested that I update my VP but the computer wouldn't allow me to and now my PC is shutting down on its own after 20 min after it's been cut on. I tried downloading new VP but my computer wouldn't let me and I tried system restore, but when I click next to confirm the restore, it does nothing.

Please help me!

[Aerith's Knight]

First thing you do in that 20 min window, is go to task manager and pretty much shut everything down but the main things. Access(if possible) the security on IE and your OS and put everything on high security(annoying, but it's only for a little while). Then go download Kaspersky or something similar, a quality antivirus, download the free trial and scan like hell. This should get rid of the virus that actually shuts down your computer. Also download the free trial of superantispyware(a very good anti spyware), that should get rid of those pesky popups.

If one or all of the above isn't possible, reformat your computer. Usually already installed on hard drives, just restart and go to your OS setup(by pressing F10 or F3 or whatever, should be displayed). It is advised to totally reformat(clean the hard drives), but if you can't, create a seperate partition for your old hard drive so it can't come in contact with your OS.

[Depression Moon]

Where do I access Task Manager and what is the option that will let me shut down the main things?

[Aerith's Knight]

In windows XP, just press Ctrl+Alt+delete
In Vista, go to start, then to the little search box underneath and type "taskmgr"

When you have the window, go to processes, click on the ones that seem unneccesary(only the ones where the computer name is next to it, not the ones with SYSTEM!), then press delete and okay.

Also, you might want to stay clear of the process "explorer.exe", seeing as that shuts down your desktop. Just end the suspisious ones.

[Momiji]

In windows XP, just press Ctrl+Alt+delete
In Vista, go to start, then to the little search box underneath and type "taskmgr"


Alternately, the shortcut on Vista is Ctrl+Shift+Esc.

[Depression Moon]

I'm not sure if this helps any or if it's important, but my desktop also is sort of blank white with a large ! inside of a triangle and it asks to restore desktop. I thank you for that last bit of info, I'll try it when I get home.

[Aerith's Knight]

In windows XP, just press Ctrl+Alt+delete
In Vista, go to start, then to the little search box underneath and type "taskmgr"


Alternately, the shortcut on Vista is Ctrl+Shift+Esc.

really?

I should remember that, thx.

[Rantz]

In windows XP, just press Ctrl+Alt+delete
In Vista, go to start, then to the little search box underneath and type "taskmgr"


Alternately, the shortcut on Vista is Ctrl+Shift+Esc.

Or right click the task bar and select Task Manager. :)

[Balzac]

In windows XP, just press Ctrl+Alt+delete
In Vista, go to start, then to the little search box underneath and type "taskmgr"


Alternately, the shortcut on Vista is Ctrl+Shift+Esc.

Or right click the task bar and select Task Manager. :)

Or go to run and type "taskmgr".

[Depression Moon]

Everyone's names is appearing in red. I forgot some of the info while I was at school so I decided to log on here. Something else at the top says for me to do a scan, but I'm afraid it's just a trap. I tried that thing you said about ending the explorer.exe task, but when I do that I get a warning and the desktop background goes blank so I can't do anything but look at the task manager and then other programs start ending. Are the suspicious one the onbes in all Caps? I hit F10, but it was talking about something to reboot from a floppy disk or a CD-ROM. I'm using Home XP.

[Aerith's Knight]

Also, you might want to stay clear of the process "explorer.exe", seeing as that shuts down your desktop. Just end the suspisious ones.

I think you'd better leave that stuff alone, not everyone sees which ones are harming your computer.

Anywho, if you don't have the boot-up disk you got with your computer, just download an antivirus from this site Kaspersky Anti-Virus - Kaspersky Lab (http://www.kaspersky.nl/nl/retail-components/kaspersky-anti-virus.html)

And download the english version, scan and get rid of the main virus!

[Jessweeee♪]

In windows XP, just press Ctrl+Alt+delete
In Vista, go to start, then to the little search box underneath and type "taskmgr"


Alternately, the shortcut on Vista is Ctrl+Shift+Esc.

...and for the last two years I've been pressing Ctrl+Alt+Del and clicking Task Manager. Thanks Momiji xD

[Momiji]

In windows XP, just press Ctrl+Alt+delete
In Vista, go to start, then to the little search box underneath and type "taskmgr"


Alternately, the shortcut on Vista is Ctrl+Shift+Esc.

...and for the last two years I've been pressing Ctrl+Alt+Del and clicking Task Manager. Thanks Momiji xD

Merry Christmas.

And a happy new year. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Table_of_keyboard_shortcuts)

[Mirage]

Or right click the taskbar and select Task Manager :p.

You could also just copy the important stuff you've got onto a usb drive or something, then reinstall the whole thing. That'd probably be easier!

[crono_logical]

Ctrl-Shift-Esc works in WinXP too, which is easier since you can do that single-handed :p Ctrl-Alt-Del only works if you have the XP-style login screen enabled and not the Win2k style one :p