Bastard worms
 

Lately my memory stick has been telling me that it's infected with a worm, but stupidly I thought nothing of it, healed the infection and carried on with whatever I was doing.
Only recently has the Anti-Virus thing told me it's a bloody Downadup worm, which is the worm that caused an epidemic in computers in 2008, I didn't know what it was properly until I researched.

So now I'm both annoyed and worried because of all the files I have on this damn computer, art, emails from old friends etc. and I really don't know what I'd do if I lost it all somehow.
Does anyone know ways to get rid of it or at least protect my files until I can get the computer seen to? Tried Google, but I'll face it...it's all gibberish to me.

Anyone who bothers to read all this gets a cookie.

Sick. Free cookie. If this thread is still at the top tomorrow, I'll look into it when I am less tired.

Woah! you got a bad Computer worm :fuzsad: ermm

My friend is good at computers, he'll help you out. I'll ask him as soon as possible ^^

Don't cut it in half. Then you would have two!

Epic :lol:

Everyone gets cookies, apart from OANST who gets two for the best advice ever. :|
Hopefully the technician can see to it tomorrow, but they aren't always in school.

Hurray for cookies :p

*Nom nom nom*

The first thing to do is back it up. Put all your files onto a disc (CD or flash). They can't be lost from there (except maybe when you plug 'em in).

I recommend getting a good anti-virus system which will at least try to get rid of the worm (AVG is a good free one). Also try using Ubuntu.

Backing it up is the most important thing.

You've gotta hit the Scolex, otherwise it just keeps growing segments.

http://free.avg.com/

If necessary, boot in to Windows Safe Mode by holding down F8 whilst the computer is booting up.

And, for the love of men, back up!

I thought this thread was about when worms crawl around on the surface after rain. Hate those things.

ffs

get this

http://www.eset.com/products/nod32.php

i had a similar problem, got on a thumbdrive and then like a million other computers. conficker worm it was called. nod32 gets rid of it and cleans any drives plugged into a computer with it on.

I already have AVG to those who suggested an anti-virus program, but it just seems to be worming it's way back. *lolshot* When I try to heal it,it just says it can't and sends it to the virus vault.

I'll try to find some way to back it up, I've read somewhere to keep the files as 'read only' to protect them, which I've done so hopefully it should be okay for a little while. I won't be putting it on my memory stick that's for sure xD That's what started it all! It'll be going in the bin!

Edit: @Leto, it is a conficker worm, the downadup is it's other name.

trust me, nod32 will fix it. i guarantee it. i'm fully 100% behind this product. even just download the demo and run it with trial licences for a bit to get things sorted. it'll piss all over your AVG security and you will never turn back,.

this applies to everyone who isn't running nod32 right now. real time virus protection.

I don't know what the hell I was doing, but yesterday I was apparently tired and thought you were talking about worms in your.. brain O_o ... untill you started talking about your computer that is.

That shit was bad news. Supposedly it could've more or less devoured a few million PC's it infected,

Well that makes me feel a whole lot better.

Ah no no, I'm coping just fine with those. for NOW.

The technician at my school says he can fix everything that's infected for me, apart from the memory stick which will still be binned because it's almost snapped anyway. I'll consider downloading this nod32.

Question. Does anyone know where these things start up? I mean, I haven't downloaded anything from the internet for a while now, so I can't see where the fuck it's come from.

Also...100 posts :D

Hope your not out of cookies I want one, I love it how they name PC viruses after real ones like worms and viruses and oh trojans screw them

Sure why not? I have no chocolate ones so you will have to do with nut. *evil smile*
They should start naming them after STIs.

"Your computer has been infected with genital warts"
Heal Ignore

I had a trojan once, bloody thing nearly melted the laptop.

I had an annoying rootkit once that made it impossible for to use my browser :-/

I was going to post a clever little jab at your typo, but I couldn't think of one.

I use Ubuntu, I don't get viruses.

well aren't you an elitist linuxfag? god i don't know whats the worser of the three

http://www.gdargaud.net/Humor/Pics/L...erceptions.jpg

Don't worry, I actually love Windows too. And I haven't used Macs much, but they seem pretty nice.

I'm disappointed :(

Now I'm curious about what clever jabs could come out of my typo.

Actually, that was what made the Conficker virus spread so fast - it didn't require you to actually do anything to get infected. There was a vulnerability in Windows that allowed the virus to just scan networks for computers to infect, so all you needed to do to get infected by it is have your computer turned on and connected to the internet and not have installed the patch from Microsoft to fix it :p (A patch which was actually released quite some time before the virus was created I might add)

Then in one of the updates for the virus it gained the ability to infect USB memory sticks that are plugged into an infected computer, which means if you plug an infected memory stick into your computer you could get it that way too (from memory I think it used the Auto-run feature to trick people into running it).

So yeah... you can keep most viruses out by just being smart about the sites you visit and the files you download, but this virus was an exception :p

@Leto - My dad is a computer technician and he also fully endorses NOD32. Good product :D

@Enchilado - I also use Ubuntu, but I think part of the reason there aren't really much viruses for it is that there's more $$$ to be had in infecting Windows computers, where the biggest market share is. I think (but I'm not 100% sure on this) that someone has made a proof-of-concept virus that was capable of infected Linux machines.

Of course, there's also the way how it's difficult for a virus to do extensive damage to a Linux (or Mac for that matter) machine due to not having root access and bla bla, but I think to most people they'd be more upset if their personal files which are vulnerable were damaged.

The thing is, I think, that the actual kernel is different with each release, so even if a virus is made it'll only work for a while.

What dick sat in his mum's basement making a virus like that?! I'll be downloading this Nod32 if you're all recommending it, I don't want any other viruses eating at all my work. This auto-run feature, is there a way to turn it off? When we first had the laptop I'm sure it never used to do that until mum messed with it one day and changed a few of the settings.

My friend said he has never heard of that worm before but he said something about save all your files onto a external Hard drive and start again with the computer.

I got it seen to today by the school technician so it's all fixed and I can stop worrying. He said to me that the worm wasn't a danger to the laptop though, that it only slows it down and doesn't eat stuff, even though most who answered this and most sites I've found on the interweb said it was harmful.