I would clear all restore points then goto Microsoft's Live One Care. Then after that I sujest replacing AVG with "Avast!". I found "Avast!" to be a better "freeware" AV. It updates more often and finds more malwares.

Jon Nailor

I'd recommend Avtivir as I prefer it to Avast. It has slightly better virus detection rates (in recent tests) but either way they're both much better at picking up viruses than AVG.

There shouldn't be a reason why simply opening a spam email such as the one you did should give you a virus, not unless you're using a fairly old and unpatched email program. What email program do you use?

I personally wouldn't bother with OneCare. It didn't do very well in the latest virus tests I mentioned. It was one of the worst performers. It's very unlikely running it before running Antivir or AVG will achieve anything.

"Should I Clear all the System Restore Points that were after the one I used ?"

I would, once you're sure you're infection free, as the trouble with System Restore is that it can backup and restore a virus.

There's a link to tp a pdf of the latest virus tests on this page if you wish to compare antivirus programs. Link
Of the ones discussed here the results were Ativir (Avira) 99.4%, Avast 98%, AVG 94%, and OneCare (Microsoft) 90%.

Hello Dash -- Thanks for the suggestion -- and Input

All was Better -- but after more use, not gone -- my guess is just starting over.

My Computer is Faster and shutting down properly when ordered to -- but still getting browser Redirects.

My Email still comes through AOL -

I had already Installed Avast and let it run its initial Boot Scan and it Found Nothing.

I didnt just open the mail -- I opened the Link in the mail. Funny but theres probably only one other sender that I would have just Clicked on the link for. I've tried to contact the senders -- she may not even have known it sent anything but I've had no reply from either her or spouse so, I'm guessing they are in shut down and repair mode.


BLACK MAX -- In my haste and need of sleep I did say Spy Doctor the secord time but I meant Spyware Doctor, a link I found on a MajorGeeks webpage as a recommended Scan. I'm always leary of those FREE SCAN's. Its the one that finds Trojan-Spy.Zbot. Nothing Else has found anything. All the other scans are clean.

-----------

I have to go to town this morning -- but will return this afternoon -- I'm following all the steps on GeekstoGo.com shown for Malware and Virus Removal -- I've completed 1-5. I'll run the Rootkit - step 6 thing. At that point I plan to Scan with Spyware Doctor again and see if it still finds the Same. Then, if so ask for Help through the Forum. I registered there yesterday just in case. I like the attitude there by description and have read several threads. Seems like me. At least thats my plan at this point.

As I said above, the only current indication of an infection is Browser Redirects from Google when searching for Virus / Malware Related information. I dont notice it on Links at Commercial Sites - Weather Sites - Sprint Car Sites etc etc.


I do appreciate everyones time to share info.

I have Aol Security 9.0 - The Email is all I use AOL For. I'm not real wild about its invasive / takeover - and when I get a New Computer -- I may finally dump them. I've had the Email address forever and its Everywhere - I need to look and see if AOL has a Forwarding Feature -- it would be major to send all my business and other contacts an email that would inform them.

I read that there is a Company that Converts AOL Stored Email / File Cabnets to a form that can be read / searched / Saved. I have almost 100000 Received and Send Emails in Storage -- and I do search the for stuff at least a couple times a month/

I Browse and Work online with IE7 -- Havent Moved to 8 yet -- My Daughter said it ran slower on her computer and something about a Search / Indexing file that takes over and runs hard drive for long periods of Time ( as much 40 Minutes ).

At the time I opened the suspect file, I was using daily updated AVG 8.5.

I have no proof that was the Culprit but Several things made me Suspicious.

A Link for a Pharmacy / Pill Co. in an email from this person would just never happen intentionally -- As Soon as I opened and Closed it - I clicked the Report to Spam Button and Looked down to see my Hard Drive Light on and not stopping. I quick Closed Everything - rebooted - and ran AVG Full scan and More but found nothing -- Thought all was OK but within a day I started Seeing Slow Down and Brower Redirects - IE cannot load this page messages etc --

Just Got Home -- A trip to town on a Saturday is alway twice as long as you think its goint to be --
I'm Going to Run Spyware Doctor Scan Again and see if it still gives same results after all the Steps I've taken.

Will Report ! Thanks

dload and run malwarebytes


malwarebytes.org

For all the time you've spent trying to fix the problem so far you probably could have backed up all your data, reformatted the hard drive and re-installed Windows. That's probably what I'd do and at least you'd have a nice clean installation.

At the risk of being presumptuous, I'd be thinking now's the time to learn.
The reason for slower performance is possibly due to not re-installing the correct drivers. Windows will run most hardware on it's generic drivers, often it'll have the correct drivers built in, and I can't think of any other likely reasons for a fresh install running slower than an older one. Plus if you reloaded Windows over the top of itself rather than wiped the drive clean and started again there's a good chance it never actually fixed any of the problems. It may have even created new ones.

Once you've done it once you won't look back. The hardest part is the preparation, finding out what all the bits inside the PC are, downloading the latest drivers and burning them to CD etc so you've got them ready to install after you've re-installed Windows. From there (assuming you're using a standard Windows installation CD) it's just a matter of booting from the Windows disc and making sure you follow the correct prompts.
If you do a Google for PC Wizard and install it, it'll tell you everything you need to know about your hardware. There's also programs which will back up your current drivers for you so you don't have to do all that searching and downloading, but I think it's better to do it manually to make sure you're re-installing the latest drivers.
Another part of the preparation would be to make sure you have the installation files for all the programs you want to re-install handy as well.

If you want to tackle it at some stage you could post the details of your hardware here, someone will be able to tell you where to find what you need if you haven't been able to and probably also what you need but haven't realised you do, and then when you've got a day free to tackle it (I'd put one aside as re-installing everything can be time consuming) you can just go ahead and do it.

I'd also image the hard drive setup as soon as I had everything re-installed and set up. I use Norton Ghost to do it but there's free programs which will do the same job. That way when your PC gets messed up again down the track you can just restore the image and you're back where you were. I've got my method down to a fine art. I install Windows, update it, image it, install all my programs and image it again. On this PC it takes me about 5 minutes to image an entire setup (Windows and all the installed programs), and about two minutes to restore one.