SOLO2.ORG Ultimate Autocross

The spouse was using my laptop and since she thinks that every email or message is a matter of life and death managed to get some form of virus that got past my protection. It seems to wipe out the desktop and asks you to load up a version of WINspyware or something to that effect. You cannot get to your task manager at all. I have not tried starting the computer up in safe mode but that's about the extent of my knowledge level on this stuff. Any help? Is it hosed? Recommended fixes if any? It is a Compaq running XP. The anti virus software is Trend.

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SLUF

While you can normally find removal tools for such extortion-ware, in my experience these things tend to haunt the OS long after they are gone.  If it were mine I'd just backup any important data (pull the drive if necessary), and re-install the OS.  If you have LOTS of spare time you can research and dink with it, but after doing that kind of thing for years, I don't bother anymore.  The updates take a while with a reload, but at least you don't have to sit and watch it the whole time.

Being a "news hound" and having been one of the first to recieve the "CNN" ploy; I screwed us up. It took a complete re-load, then some anti-virus work to appearently fix the problem. STILL rebuilding the system though. Bit me good and hard!!

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Mike Byington
28 Year Member, SCCA
Solo, Rallycross, RoadRally,
National Flag & Comm
2008 National Rallycross "SR" Champion
"Drivers have races, Workers have enduros."