- My browser close
- My background was changed to say something like, "you've been infected" (I only saw this for 1 second or less, so I couldn't read it. Basically, it looked like some cheap MSPaint job.)
- Blue screen of death
Then I couldn't even boot my computer, unless in safe mode, and even then, I had to hit escape to not run STDP.SYS. I still don't know what that file is, but I know when I went into REGEDIT and made it not run at startup, I could finally boot my computer normally.
That was really no help though. Even after removing this virus that seemed to be Internet Security 2010 at the heart, (which took much effort with existing antivirus, S&D, & other malware remover tools), I got some other, similar annoying spam virus remover software popping up asking me to buy it, telling me I'm infected.
This second part wasn't so bad. I could use my web browsers at this point. But when I tried to update AVG, I couldn't. I don't know what the deal was. I ended up uninstalling it, trying to reinstall it, but couldn't. The only thing wrong at this point was the annoying spamming thing, I forget what the name was, but the symbol was the blue striped shield that matches Search & Destroy's immunize symbol. The IS2010 symbol looked like the Windows defender shield.
So I got Avast! antivirus (which I have never heard of - so maybe that was a mistake), and now when I boot, I can't do jack f'ing $#!7. No, not really. I just can't get online in a web browser, IE, Chrome, or Safari (haven't tried Firefox). I'm only online now because I noticed I could ping any site and get immediate responses from the command line. So I tried remote desktop, and boom. I can get online that way. The virus is doing some very specific things to keep me offline.
At first my internet was simply disabled in the network settings. Well, simply being that it actually said it was. I changed that and no effect. No surprise, but, I don't know what to do.
I'm going to try safe mode, but I think at this point, because I've been messing in the registry haphazardly and such, and my system is all kinds of f'ed up, that I just need to backup and reinstall. I'm lucky to have access to my computer I guess. It's not fried or anything. I can even get online in this round about way. I can access my files.
Well, this is my problem. I think it could be a scam set up by some investors or people with interest in products with the words, "Internet Security 2010," in their product name. (*cough* Norton & Trend Micro. *cough*) While searching I saw on Yahoo! I think, "Internet Security 2010 Trending."
Whoever it was who was behind this, I think they can pat themselves on the back and call it a success. And I'm sure the antivirus vendors are happy about it. A few websites claimed the only way to get rid of it is to purchace certain antivirus removers at a cost of around $30. Heck, that's all the virus wanted to purchase the Internet Security 2010 package that it came with. Maybe that would have solved the problem too.
Anyways, that's all for now. I'll attempt a few more fixes, but likely, it will be goodbye to this 4 year old installation of Windows XP.