A "locking" virus?
Got a big, unpleasant surprise last night. While I was working on some charts, my screen went blank, then filled with a notice that my computer had been locked. Scary for a moment, as the top of the screen had three "seals" that appeared governmental, including Homeland Security Administration.
But the text of the message seemed to have been written by either a third-grader who'd played way too much hooky or by someone for who English is not the first language. Hmmm. It asserted that my machine had been locked for downloading "child porn". (I do download a lot of graphics, but porn? Involving children, no less? Not!) Another tipoff, it gave several options for unblocking the computer, all involving assorted mechanisms for sending them money. Scam it is, but locked I was.
Got ahold of a computer-savvy friend, he advised that I keep trying to turn the computer on. Finally got the usual blue "welcome" screen, but by the login box there was a note that it was locked. Just for the heck of it, I clicked on "switch user"; welcome screen came up but with a message that a peripheral wasn't working (I'd disconnected my external hard drive, not wanting to suck the bad stuff into it), so I popped a thumb drive into its spot and that seemed to do the trick. I was able to open in safe mode, then did a full system restore. After about an hour I was able to log on, but still have to "switch user" to do so. Lost the charts I was working on, but I'd taken a picture of them so will be able to recreate them. Computer guy is coming by tomorrow to de-gunk as much as possible, but he says that everything he's read about this blackmailing scheme indicates that once you're infected you stay that way.
Anyway, thought I should share this, given how much help I've received from this group in the past. Anyone else been hit with this thing?
NYC_SKP
(68,644 posts)But haven't had any PC issues like this ever.
Good luck.
hobbit709
(41,694 posts)Go into Safe Mode and run a Malwarebytes full scan. Disable Java-it uses a Java exploit to activate. Then run full scans in normal mode with all your security software again
Boot from a Linux Live disk and clean out ALL Temp and Temporary Internet Files folders..
ohheckyeah
(9,314 posts)on her computer that wouldn't let me do anything. It blocked the Internet, all downloads, files I tried to upload from a flash drive, etc.
What worked was downloading Windows Defender Offline to a flash drive (from another computer). Put the flash drive in, reboot, hit whatever key will take you into the menu for boot order (it's different for different computers - on her's it was F7) and boot from the flash drive. Windows Defender will automatically go into a scan and you can remove the virus or malware from there. Then download Malwarebytes and SuperAntiSpyware and run those scans.
Good luck!
http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/what-is-windows-defender-offline