Strange network issue - certain sites not opening


Recommended Posts

:rofl: - Cool.

OP: Ubuntu LiveCD! Go download!

No way I am doing such things on my office computer. I guess I have to format and clean install XP again.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Do what thing on your office computer? Boot a Live CD?? This will DO nothing to your currently installed OS or files -- just allows you to boot linux on the hardware without touching the machines currently installed anything. This will prove to you its something wrong with the OS, etc.

Can be a very useful troubleshooting tool for sure, and the liveCD is free -- if you want a smaller download, then grab say damn small linux, etc its like 50MB or something.

If your going to do a reinstall -- then make sure its a CLEAN install!!! Format the drive, not just repair/upgrade type install. And keep your files away (cd or usb, etc.) until you have verified its either clean or still has the problem.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

... can somebody else back me up? Sounds like conficker to me...

Yes, I'll back up that conclusion. The USB key is definitely suspect as the carrier, but maybe the virus was on the original machine, from where it got on the USB stick, thence onto the new machine. Throw away the USB stick and re-install the PC - any less than that and you risk re-infecting everything.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Do what thing on your office computer? Boot a Live CD?? This will DO nothing to your currently installed OS or files -- just allows you to boot linux on the hardware without touching the machines currently installed anything. This will prove to you its something wrong with the OS, etc.

Can be a very useful troubleshooting tool for sure, and the liveCD is free -- if you want a smaller download, then grab say damn small linux, etc its like 50MB or something.

If your going to do a reinstall -- then make sure its a CLEAN install!!! Format the drive, not just repair/upgrade type install. And keep your files away (cd or usb, etc.) until you have verified its either clean or still has the problem.

Do what thing on your office computer? Boot a Live CD?? This will DO nothing to your currently installed OS or files -- just allows you to boot linux on the hardware without touching the machines currently installed anything. This will prove to you its something wrong with the OS, etc.

Can be a very useful troubleshooting tool for sure, and the liveCD is free -- if you want a smaller download, then grab say damn small linux, etc its like 50MB or something.

So where can I download the iso image? I would mount it to my CD-RW or may be to USB (after formatting it). And would I need to install ethernet drivers ot it will detect the internet connection automatically?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I've had to clean up a mess like this once, number one, scan that USB thumb drive on a non production machine that way you can get rid of the virus thats on it. Second, depending on what kind of machines you're using, please upgrade to Windows 7 Pro, its a lot more secure, and lastly, what kind of A/V software are you using?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

you can download the iso from the page of the version you want to use, ubuntu -- here

http://www.ubuntu.com/download/desktop

I would grab the 32bit version, then just burn the ISO or use a DIFFERENT USB then the one that has touched that machine.

As to damn small linux

http://www.damnsmalllinux.org/

Have you never heard of a liveCD? or Google to help you find the info you seek? ;) When someone mentions a term or thing you do not know about?

And unless you got some really oddball nic, yeah it should just work on your network when you boot it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Okay so here is the update:

Came office early today and yesterday the problem was that Microsoft Security Essentials was not updating the definitions because my PC was blocking microsoft.com and I did not want to use any other antivirus other than MSE.

So last night at home I downloaded the latest definitions file and updated MSE today in the morning. I ran a Quick Scan. It ran almost half an hour and system was, as expected, infected and yes the infected files included the Hosts file.

After scanning, MSE took almost a little more than half an hour to clean the PC, restared, came back, found other infected files, again restarted, came back.I again ran a quick scan, some infections were found, MSE cleaned them and didn't ask to restart this time.

The PC was cleaned. The hosts file was cleaned. Some problems solved (like the drive partitions were opening in the new window before the scan and now they were opening as usual in the same window).

Now I opened the browser and opened sites that were not working. And Yes, they were working this time but still microsoft.com, avg.com, symantec.com is blocked and shows "server not found" error as before.

And remember I am not plugging in any USB, DVD or anything. I am just connected to my network and Internet to which other computers are also connected and working fine.

Then I ran a Full Scan just to confirm everything is safe. And again it found infections. And surprisingly, this time it found Win32/Conficker.C infection. Remember it was not found in the Quick scan. After scanning, MSE cleaned the infections and asked to restart. Came back and again microsoft.com is still not working.

Also note that at this point, my computer is pretty clean, the only programs installed are Office 2007, LastPass, Dropbox, Adobe Reader, Firefox and MSE. ALso, the DNS I am using is of openDNS.

While continuing my work, I again ran a full scan and flushed my DNS through CMD, but again no luck with microsoft.com

The full scan this time showed no infections. So now I am sure my PC is clean. Only problem: microsoft.com !

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Sigh. It's not clean.

Google how to remove conflicker properly, it's more than just getting your AV to scan and clean it.

Or better yet, do what others have been telling you to do for the last 3 pages.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Sigh. It's not clean.

Google how to remove conflicker properly, it's more than just getting your AV to scan and clean it.

Or better yet, do what others have been telling you to do for the last 3 pages.

Thank you so much. I googled and found Conficker Removal Tool. And indeed my PC was infected with that infection and this tool removed it completely. And now microsoft.com is okay and every other site is opening.

Hurray! Thank you again guys.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thank you so much. I googled and found Conficker Removal Tool. And indeed my PC was infected with that infection and this tool removed it completely. And now microsoft.com is okay and every other site is opening.

Hurray! Thank you again guys.

I would argue that you're not finished yet. Your next step should be finding out how both machines got infected. If you don't figure it out you stand the chance of repeating your mistake.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I would argue that you're not finished yet. Your next step should be finding out how both machines got infected. If you don't figure it out you stand the chance of repeating your mistake.

So what do I do? How do I find it out?

My PC is for me, no one else uses it and yes I often use USB drive to move data but that is also mine and I try to keep it clean.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Well the first thing I would do is update your OS - conficker should not be able to affect an up to date installation of Windows, even if it is XP.

Okay I am on XP SP2. I will soon install SP3.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Okay I am on XP SP2. I will soon install SP3.

:|

Why are you still on SP2? I mean, I still use XP but at least I have SP3 on it.

As for trying to find the source of the virus outbreak, I would bet the USB caused the problem on the computer, but where did the USB get the virus from? Check any computer that you've connected that USB key to since you started having problems.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

There is ONLY one way really for you to ensure you are 100% clean at this point. Backup your DATA ONLY to a clean medium. Wipe the machine, do a fresh install of windows from an original DVD or burn a DVD from an original ISO from Microsoft.

Getting a virus is a lot like getting in a car accident. It doesn't matter how many fingers you get working on it, that copy of windows won't be "like new" without replacing the whole copy of windows.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

This topic is now closed to further replies.
  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.