[ilovemygrandkids]

1st am very computer illeterate. Laptop running slow, long starts and end. Message HI CPU usage/ Frequent error messages and locks.
E-mail from PC Power Speed. I hit the free scan message and then I get a phone call re: all the errors in the 'event viewer'. I was told I had multiple viruses and only a 'Certified Microsoft Tech' could help this computer. I was easily talked into a 3yr, $600 dollar contract. I told her I would just buy a new computer. She said it would not help, that the viruses would just transfer to the new computer. Is this true? I called the # she gave me for tech support. The person who answered sounded just liike the person I had just talked to. I was told I was being put on a list and I would get a call back within 2hrs. I called them back after 5hrs and got a message machine. Surfing I found this site. I paid for and advertisment called 'Speed Max PC'. Ran that and it has blocked PC Power Soeed. I am really confused and don't know what to do. Any body have an easy solution for a real novice? Would a virus really transfer to a new computer?
Thanks, Lora

[1002richards]

Hi,
1. Please tell me you didn't sign up for that $600 contract? Those so called scans are scare tactics.

2. The ads on this site are to help fund the site & are not necessarily recommended - so stay away from registry scanners/boosters etc. Reason explained here: http://library.techguy.org/wiki/Registry_Cleaners

3. If you used a portable flash drive in an infected PC and then use it in another PC then I guess a virus could jump across but basically what she was telling you was more scare stories.

I'll re-read your posting and see what I can suggest unless someone else replies sooner.

Hope this helps.

Richard

[Cookiegal]

First of all, you need to stop clicking on and downloading things or even opening e-mails from sources that you don't recognize. If you did agree to that $600.00 contract try contacting them again to cancel it but don't rely on that alone even if they agree. Depending on what method of payment you used (Visa, Mastercard, etc.) contact your financial institution to see if you can cancel the transaction.

PC Power Speed is a rogue program and you need to uninstall that. Please do that after taking care of the contract and then do the following:

Please download DDS by sUBs to your desktop from one of the following locations:

http://download.bleepingcomputer.com/sUBs/dds.scr
http://www.forospyware.com/sUBs/dds

Double-click the DDS.scr to run the tool.

When DDS has finished scanning, it will open two logs named as follows:

DDS.txt
Attach.txt

Save them both to your desktop. Copy and paste the contents of the DDS.txt and Attach.txt files in your reply please.


Please download GMER from: http://gmer.net/index.php

Click on the "Download EXE" button and save the randomly named .exe file to your desktop.

Note: You must uninstall any CD Emulation programs that you have before running GMER as they can cause conflicts and give false results.

Double click the GMER .exe file on your desktop to run the tool and it will automatically do a quick scan.

If the tool warns of rootkit activity and asks if you want to run a full scan, click on No and make sure the following are unchecked on the right-hand side:

IAT/EAT
Any drive letter other than the primary system drive (which is generally C).

Click the Scan button and when the scan is finished, click Save and save the log in Notepad with the name ark.txt to your desktop.

Note: It's important that all other windows be closed and that you don't touch the mouse or do anything with the computer during the scan as it may cause it to freeze. You should disable your screen saver as if it comes on it may cause the program to freeze.

Open the ark.txt file and copy and paste the contents of the log here please.