Please help, got a virus and lost everything on pc!

Do we have any computer people out there, i need HELP!

Yesterday i picked up a virus (trojan) that installed a malware virus (?) that was trying to get me to purchase something to help clean the pc. My laptop kept shutting off or all kinds of warnings and junk kept popping up.

I was able to get to AVG and download their free software and cleared my laptop of all that junk , NOW, i have no programs, no personal stuff (pics/music/libraries) and cant figure out how to get them back. I downloaded Firefox so i can get on the web with ease.

How do i get all my stuff back??? Or am i screwed? Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

http://download.bleepingcomputer.com/grinler/unhide.exe

Download Malwarebytes and run it as well.

 

so your desktop is empty and all icon are gone from the start menu?

If this is the case, the malware set them all to hidden. You can download an application called "unhide.exe" Run this. It will take a long time, as it has to touch every file.

Also, you might want to download e-set antivurus, as it does a preboot scan, and will dig out alot of the malware.

Good luck

 

Very cool, thanks for the info, gonna start the "unhide" now.

 

jrd and jamm are right. Your stuff isnt gone, it's just hidden. seen that on some laptops in our district. pretty easy to fix really.

 

When you click on start do you see anything. If nothing shows up the malware is still present or could be hidden. boot into safe mode

To start the computer in safe mode


1.
You should print these instructions before continuing. They will not be available after you shut your computer down in step 2.
2.
Click Start and then click Shut Down.
3.
In the drop-down list of the Shut Down Windows dialog box, click Restart, and then click OK.
4.
As your computer restarts but before Windows launches, press F8.
On a computer that is configured for booting to multiple operating systems, you can press F8 when the boot menu appears.
5.
Use the arrow keys to highlight the appropriate safe mode option, and then press ENTER.
6.
If you have a dual-boot or multiple-boot system, choose the installation that you need to access using the arrow keys, and then press ENTER.
First thing is backup all documents and pics to a flash drive

Download a program called malwarebytes at malwarebytes.org run it.

 

If you would like, I can jump on your desktop and see if I can uncover some stuff, not making promises but I could at least take a look.

 

It has been a pain so far, for me at least, i fix cars not computers. Luckily i was set on getting to avg and kept pushing it, finally let me download it and cleared out all the virus crap, now running unhide to find all my stuff.

Question, should i shut down my internet while it does this and just leave the laptop alone until it is done?

 

Couldn't hurt, may not be a bad idea.

 

I wish I would have read this thread sooner. I got the virus and it toatlly did exactly what you are describing. I wiped the system clean and reuploaded the OS and all my programs I use. Im an idiot...

 

Well, so far everything has come back, thanks for all the help, gonna do that safe mode thing next just to make sure all the crap is out of the laptop.

I posted this thread cause i know TW has such a wide variety of people that i was bound to find the help i needed. You guys are great and i really appreciate everything.

Lucky for me my norton popped up about the trojan before all this crap started, so i realized i had the virus without even thinking about buying anything the virus recommended.

 

Reloading is sometimes the easiest way to do it if you don't have a lot of data to backup first. It also guarantees that you don't have anything on the computer (unless it is a root kit)

 

if you ever get a popup that says you are infected and it isn't your AV, close the window as fast as possible and any other window that pops up. even clicking on the X will open another window trying to download this crap. If it is a desktop, the best option would be to pull the power. It is a lot easier than trying to clean up this crap.

 

Did this, i thought everything was gone, but ssure enough it found 4 more things and cleared them out.

Thanks again for all the quick help everyone. This is one reason i love being a member of TW!!!

 

Well I'm late...

I guess you've got everything up and running now?

 

I do, thanks anyway though!

 

My suggestion is to ditch Norton even if you have a subscription and buy http://www.amazon.com/Dsolution-NAV-MB-BOX-LE-Malwarebytes-Anti-Malware-Lifetime/dp/B003JZNCFS

$20 for a lifetime license and it is 1000% better than Norton in every way possible.

 

This ^^

And I'm a big fan of Avira for antivirus

 

Yea Norton is terrible. It would be the equivalent of banging a nasty chick raw dog and trying to blow the germs off your dick afterwards to avoid getting syphillis.

Much better ways of avoiding a Virus. Not to mention unless they have vastly changed it it used to be very resource hogging.

 

Panda Cloud antivirus beats most "pay" solutions, the AV market changes everyday though, Norton has lost a lot of ground, it just isn't the same product it used to be.