Marti is having trouble updating virus definitions with Microsoft Security Essentials. Leo says it may be a stuck update. Once an update gets stuck, further updates wait until that stuck update is cleared before they install.
Dale's browser has been hijacked after downloading some freeware from CNET. It even hijacked his aministrator rights so he couldn't uninstall the program.
The chatroom says that CNET Download Manger may have caused all this because the user has to say no to the download manager as well. The CNET issues started about a year ago, according to the chatroom. There's even a forum post on CNET's own forums about it!
James' neighbor used a speed up utility on his computer and now it runs really slow and behaves strangely. Leo says there's a very good chance the program his friend used had viruses in it. He then got a call from "Microsoft Support Services" to clean off his computer, and he let them. Leo says that's a scam and he got bit a second time! The worst part is, he probably got charged for it! At this point, the only thing James can do is backup his data, format his hard drive, and reinstall Windows from a known good source. Then he should update it, and never let them do that again.
Tom fears his computer has a virus on it. He can't reboot it or do anything else other than the email. He turned it off and came back on, but he can't find the restore button. Leo says that doesn't mean Tom got a virus. It could've just crashed. He advises doing a thorough scan of his anti virus and maybe even scan with Microsoft's Malicious Software Removal Tool. He can even run an online scanner like Eset.
John got a pop-up for the FBI MoneyPak scam. Leo says that's exactly what it is. The FBI doesn't sell a get out of jail free card for the cost of a MoneyPak card. Hackers, however, are making billions on it. Not only are they making money, they've locked up his computer as well.
Shelley opened a strange link on her iPad and she's worried she got nailed by a phishing virus. Leo says no need to worry! An iPad can't get nailed by malware like that. It's not vulnerable. She should just make sure not to open it from a PC, and delete that email immediately! This is why an iPad is a great option for surfing and email.
Shelly is having trouble typing in her web browser. When she types, all different letters show up! Leo says that it's possible that she changed the keyboard mapping and that's what could be causing it.
The chatroom says that a malicious toolbar could be causing the issue. Leo recommends disabling all the toolbars she has, and restarting her system. Leo also suggests plugging in a different keyboard. If that doesn't change it, then it's definitely software. It's likely a virus that's embedded in the toolbar.
JR wants to know what the difference is between Windows Defender and Windows Security Essentials. Leo says that Defender is the Windows 8 version of Security Essentials, although there is an older version of Defender that's before Windows 7. For Windows 7, Leo advises staying with Security Essentials. If JR wants to pay, Eset's Nod 32 is far superior.
(Disclaimer: ESET is a sponsor).
Billy has been getting calls from his customers saying that his website is infected. Leo says that can be a serious warning. When Google crawls websites, they make a note if a site is infected and redirect visitors to a warning message. If he's running Wordpress and doesn't keep it up to date, it can easily be breached and infected. Even plugins are vulnerable. He should be sure to have his website updated completely. He should get his site cleaned up, which may take a good SysAdmin. Once Google sees it's cleaned, it could take a few days or even weeks before they take the warning down.
Patrick got bit by the FBI virus which theatens to prosecute you. Leo says that is ransomware scam which says if you send a MoneyPak card to them, they'll unlock your computer and leave you alone. It's designed to use fear and make people act without thinking and just pay them. And it's costing people millions annually. If you get any virus, the only real way to get rid of it is to backup your data (if you can) and then format the hard drive and reinstall Windows from a known, good source. DO NOT EVER PAY A HACKER TO UNLOCK YOUR COMPUTER!
