I have the "Packed.Generic.214" virus on my PC. Norton recognizes it’s there, but cannot fix, quarantine, or delete it. TrendMicro Housecall did not detect it at all. My PC will not start in safe mode to do a virus scan.
Any suggestions on a program to use or method of removing my virus short of a system restore?
Good idea, but the virus has slowed my system so badly I’m having trouble running Hijack This.
Microsoft How To Get Rid Of Malware Instructions
http://social.answers.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/vistasecurity/thread/ba80504b-61f1-4d71-960f-b561798b7b42
Microsoft Malware Encyclopedia
http://www.microsoft.com/security/portal/Threat/Encyclopedia/Browse.aspx
Malwarebytes from- http://www.malwarebytes.org/
instructions on use- http://www.udel.edu/topics/spyware/malwarebytes.html
video on use of- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XvbkBonKOQU
Superantispyware from- http://www.superantispyware.com/
instructions on use- http://superantispyware.com/support.html
video uses of- http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=instructions+on+use+of+superantispyware&search_type=&aq=f
Hi,
You can remove this virus using a combination of Avast! and HijackThis. Here’s what you should do:
1. Download HJT from http://free.antivirus.com/hijackthis/
2. Install it, do a scan and save a log file.
3. Now go to http://www.hijackthis.de/ and post the log. The auto analyzer will tell you what entries to fix using HJT.
4. Now download Avast! free from http://www.avast.com/eng/download-avast-home.html
5. If you can start your computer on safe mode (now that you have done some damage to it with HJT) install Avast! and scan on safe mode. If not, scan on regular mode.
This should do the trick! If it doesn’t come back and update Q with your findings. I will give you manual removal instructions.
To add to what I already mentioned above:
If your computer is running too slow even to run HJT, boot your computer and go to process manager (ctrl+alt+del). Look at the processes running and see which process is consuming your RAM. You should be able to identify 1 or 2 rouge processes. Now stop these processes and try the steps I mention above. All the best!
I use Malwarebytes. It’s free and so far has dealt with everything that has come along. I never got that virus though. But, like I said it is free, so it’s worth a try.
try a program called search and destroy it’s free and it works great.
You can try avast! Virus Cleaner
avast! Virus Cleaner is a free tool that will help you remove selected worm infections from your computer.
Boot to safe mode with networking, and download malwarebytes antimalware
http://www.malwarebytes.org/malwarenet.php
Install it in safe mode, update it, run a full scan, and remove it.
You can run antivirus and antispyware programs, but the sad fact is if you have found one virus on your computer, you probably have several. Cleaning the computer now requires you to follow these steps, because modern viruses and spyware entrench themselves in files that your computer needs in order to run:
1. Virus-check your data files (not application files– you have installer CDs for those).
2. Back up the data files, getting them off your hard drive.
3. Get your original operating system CDs that came with your computer.
4. Boot your computer from the operating system CD.
5. Select the option that erases your hard drive and then reinstall your system software.
6. Turn on your software firewall that came with your operating system.
7. Reconnect to the internet, and download *all* Windows updates, no matter how long it takes.
8. Reinstall your application software, and update the applications as much as you can.
9. Reinstall your data files.
10. Create a limited user account on your system that does *not* have administrator access, and web surf only from this account.
Yes, this is a pain in the butt. No, there is no other way. No, antivirus and antispyware programs cannot fix this problem on its own.
So, what do you do in the future?
1. Never click on links you find in an e-mail.
2. Never open an e-mail attachment, ever.
3. Only download files from a reputable website that you know is on the up-and-up.
4. Never use bit-torrent and other file-sharing programs.
5. Never use an unsolicited drive-checking site.
6. Turn off all java and java scripting by default, and only enable java and java scripting for sites that you know you can trust.
7. Never read an unsolicited e-mail, and delete spam immediately. It is possible to be hacked by reading an e-mail alone.
Please adhere to the ‘dont’s’ I provided above, because you will have to repeat the cleaning steps that I listed first *every time you get infected.* Anti-spyware and anti-virus programs are good to have, but they are a second line of defense. The best way to protect your system is you, and changing your behavior.
Good luck!