Eee.

[Shorty]

Alrighty. I think I've made some sort of squeal about this problem before, but I can't remember.

So. My computer has been randomly shutting down the past few days. No blue screen, no warning, nothing. Just barely it started that nasty little count down thing where you get 60 seconds and then it dies. And I can't remember what causes it or how to get rid of it.

Windows XP = OS, MSN browser. If anyone would kindly let me know of a way to get rid of it, that would be just grand.

[Leeza]

That was happening to me as well. I went to Windows Update and downloaded a few items that were supposed to be critical and it hasn't happened again since then...but it's only been a day.

[Rostum]

It's probably that infamous virus that had been going around; MBlast.exe I think? Well there should be a quick fix for it on the microsoft website. Be sure to keep firewalls on and do anti-virus scans regulary, as it can reduce the amount of damage your computer takes from the internet and all it's nastiness!

[Leeza]

This came up just after I ran Norton and Spybot and they found nothing. I then scanned with Norton and Spybot again when it was happening and they found nothing again.

[Yamaneko]

Seems that you have the blaster worm.

First of all. Control Panel > Administrative Tools > Services > Remote Procedure Call (RPC) > Recovery > Take no action in all three fields

After that download and run the removal tool:

http://securityresponse.symantec.com/avcenter/venc/data/w32.blaster.worm.removal.tool.html

Then apply the MS patch:

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyId=5FA055AE-A1BA-4D4A-B424-95D32CFC8CBA&displaylang=en

EDIT: Fixed with the url clout gave below. So people don't download the wrong one. :p

[crono_logical]

You don't even have to be infected to be affected by Blaster - if you're not patched and don't have a firewall, then another machine with the worm is enough to shut your PC down without even infecting you.

Yam's has linked to an old patch though, you want http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyId=5FA055AE-A1BA-4D4A-B424-95D32CFC8CBA&displaylang=en instead. You'd also want to select Restart the Service rather than Take No Action in those 3 fields he told you to change :p

[Yamaneko]

How come you can't take any action?

[crono_logical]

Well, you can choose Take No Action if you want, but then what happens when some program needs that service after it's died? You've let the service stay dead, so the program won't run properly, not at least until you reboot anyway. At least if you force the service to always restart, then that won't happen :p

[crono_logical]

http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/bulletin/MS04-012.mspx

Guess my patch link was out of date too :p

[Shorty]

Thanks much, guys.

[Rainecloud]

I must be pretty fortunate, because I've never been affected by this.

Cheap and nasty firewalls rule, people. :D