Virus Problem?

[StJoDennis]

This will be sketchy at best. I am trying to help my dad with his computer. He is running Win98 and I don't really know the hardware specs, right now. I think the problem is due to the w32.Klez virus (he doesn't have any anti-virus SW loaded). Emails we can trace back to his computer have been infected with the virus. His computer runs considerably slower than it did a few months ago, and locks up when he tries to send emails. We have done disk cleanup, scandisk, and defrag with no improvement. We have tried to install Norton AV 2003 but it won't install. No error message, just doesn't install. I tried running fixklez from Norton, but it won't run using any of the methods given.
I think we need to get the NAV installed, use it to clean out the virus and go from there.
I would just wipe his HD and start over but the place he got the computer did not give him the OS disks.
Any ideas??
DKC

[not important]

http://housecall.trendmicro.com/
This is an online virus scan. I've heard it works well.

[juppy]

I'd definitely try another virus program, either the online one listed above or some other brand like AVG (it's free to download and use). It's at http://www.grisoft.com/us/us_index.php Look for where it says something about "AVG free edition".
I'd also look into running a spyware checker like Spybot or AdAware.

[StJoDennis]

Thanks for the help. I just got back from working on the computer. I used the link from "not important", scanned the drive and got 99!! infected files. The program was able to fix a few of them, and I was able to delete most of the rest. I was then able to install Norton and run it. Found another 25 files with it. Norton was able to fix those files. Anyway, he now has an AV program installed, and it is working. There are a couple of other problems I will post under new threads to see if you can fix them, too. By the way, the system seems to be running a lot faster now, too. Thanks again. DKC

[Dan]

a few words of advice:
tell your Dad to be more discriminitive with what email he opens: if he doesn't recognise the sender - delete it, and never open an attachment that isn't from a friend.
being connected to the internet without using antivirus is like having unprotected sex.
there are too many viruses out there, being sent out to unsuspecting internet users, and it's all too easy to get infected.
you can see how your virus kept you from installing antivirus software, and kept you from sending email. some keep you from connecting to the internet.
I'm glad you were able to fix things...tell yourDad to "keep his socks on"!!!

[StJoDennis]

Unfortunately, I think the "source" was someone he has exchanged emails with for quite a while, with no previous problems. In view of your metaphor (simile??) that has something to say, too. You can't always be sure, even if it is someone you know.

[eldon]

He may need to either dl spybot search and destroy or ad-aware,they to can help keep a machine running at it`s best.

[Dan]

"You can't always be sure, even if it is someone you know"

if he scans his emails BEFORE he opens them he absolutely can be sure..........AV IS important