FAQ
The first and most important information is the EXACT NAME of a VIRUS (as reported by AVG) and the path to the infected file(s). Information about the most dangerous viruses you can find in the Virus Encyclopaedia.
Some files cannot be opened for checking because they are being permanently used by the Windows operating system or some running aplication. It´s not possible to infect them by a virus as well as to check them.
The solution is to install the latest version of Novell client and download the latest available patches from www.windowsupdate.com. (For example on WXP SP2 must be installed these versions of drivers: nwfs.sys 4.91.1.1, fltmgr.sys 5.1.2600.2978)
Windows Safe Mode is a way to boot up the Windows operating system in order to let you troubleshoot or run administrative and diagnostic tasks. When it is booted into Safe Mode the operating system only loads the minimum software that is required for the operating system to work. Only basic video drivers are loaded so your programs may look different than normal.
Operation:
- Restart your computer.
- Immediately after "Starting Windows..." information is displayed, press the F8 key on your keyboard.
- Select the Safe Mode option from the menu using the arrow keys.
- Then press Enter on your keyboard to boot into Safe Mode.
Please try to update your AVG Anti-Virus system and run the AVG Complete Test again. If the file is not detected and you are still in doubt, please put the file into password protected archive (using WinZip, WinRar, PowerArchiver etc.), and send this archive to our e-mail address virus@avg.com. In the body of the message, please describe why are you sending the file and include the password for the archive.
During last years, there have been many computer viruses, especially "worm" type of viruses, which are distributed mainly via e-mail. This has caused a panic for users, which is parasiting a special group of messages called HOAX, which are NOT based on truth.
These false-alarm messages are usually composed using the same scheme: Warning of some extremely dangerous, dramatically spreading virus and following a demand on some user action. In best case, they are asking the user to send this message to everyone in user's contact list (action is known from "chain" games), which causes the e-mail to collapse because of overload. In worse case, these messages ask to delete the suspicious virus, altough the file is actually a CORRECT system file. Deleting such files may lead to serious problems (some programs will not work, or the whole system may crash).
The the most known HOAX messages is:
Please check and verify if you have this virus. It was sent to me
(accidentally) and it is said that it is passed on to everyone on
my address list. It is very probable that you have it.
If you do have it, contact all the people in YOUR ADDRESS BOOK
because the
program AUTOMATICALLY sends everyone in your address book a message
with the virus.
The virus' name is jdbgmgr.exe and it is not detected with
McAfee nor Norton. It remains in your computer's system for 14 days
before it erases all you files.
To delete and eliminate it completely, please do the
following immediately:
1. Go to START -- FIND --FILES OR FOLDERS
2. Under NAMED, type jdbgmgr.exe and click FIND NOW.
Make sure you are looking under Drive (C)
******DO NOT CLICK ON IT IF IT APPEARS********
3. If the virus appears *(the icon next to it will be a
small teddy bear), the name will be jdbgmgr.exe
4. *****DO NOT OPEN IT************ Just right click on it
and DELETE it. it will be sent to the Recycle Bin.
5. After you see it disappear, go to the RECYCLE BIN and
DELETE it from there as well. If at all possible, EMPTY the Recycle
Bin under FILE.
If you find this virus in your system, please send this
message to everyone in your address list asap.
The best protection from the user's side is the users choice. If the message has such content, the user should check the anti-virus pages on the internet, such as: www.icsa.net, www.avg.com or http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hoax. Or any pages that are dedicated to a Virus problems. The user can also send a query to the technical support of the anti-virus companies, where the user can consult with tech support personnel about the users problem.
If the user unknowingly distribute such as messages, it is exactly the effect the author of the HOAX wanted to have. Note that Alerts from the Anti- virus companies are more professionally composed , and are not usually sent from unknown addesses and without any demand for it!
Please let us inform you that even the best security software cannot protect your computer from the infection in case the harmful code is abusing some bug of installed operating system.
The updating of operating system is enabled and set as automatic by default very often. It means that operating system is looking for new updates periodically. In case a new update is available, it is downloaded and installed by operating system automatically. You may change this settings according to your individual needs. There are following options on computer in Windows XP SP2:
- Automatic.
- Download updates for me, but let me choose when to install them.
- Notify me but don't automatically download or install them.
- Turn off Automatic Updates.
It is not recommended to deactivate the updates completely.
Please follow these steps to check for new updates of MS Windows operating system:
- please click on the Start menu -> Windows Update