Come to think of it, I haven't used email today (I've been working). I haven't downloaded any files from any email recently either. I don't know if Earthlink performs a scan or not. I have a spam filter (earthlink) set to a very high setting (you have to be on my list to send an email to me - all else will bounce). I might have gotten the virus from a network or straight from a webpage. It is hard to say.
David
Well ok we are getting somewhere. Please download and install AnVir Task Manager which will give you a well detailed explaination of very running proceses and service on your pc. You can upload files that seem suspicoius right from the program to Virustotal.com. Try and remember how or what you were doing when this occured. If Earthlink does not scan emails then do not use it. Yahoo scans all email attachments with there version of Norton. You have no choice in this. It is done automaticlly.Remebering what you did last is the best way to avoid this problem in the future. Also do you use IE? If you do then I suggest using Firefox.
http://www.anvir.com/taskmanager/
You can also run a HijackThis log and see what doesnt add up.
http://www.trendsecure.com/portal/en-US/tools/security_tools/hijackthis
Dieselman743,
It is not very productive to go back and forth on this. You jumped to a conclusion that I was using Outlook and then I said I was not using Outlook a number of times, yet you still seemed convinced that I was using Outlook. You know, I believe Outlook Express is installed on nearly every Windows computer so I might imagine that some type of malicious virus/worm/code would have access to Outlook Express, but that doesn't necessarily mean that I use Outlook or Outlook Express.
Whatever has occurred with my laptop, unfortunately went undetected as a significant threat before it could be stopped and now my laptop is very unstable. Norton's Anti-Spam list was being modified and when I looked at Norton's History (to see who was attacking my laptop and at what time) I got all these C++ script errors. So, now, it would seem that Norton itself has been damaged.
I'm not a computer techie and I certainly cannot afford the time to play with computers for hours when I need to focus on my work so, in this case, the easy solution is a simple reinstall of Windows. I'll probably have an IT guy do that for me tomorrow as I have wasted far too much time today looking into this on the hope that I could excise the virus/worm/code from the computer. Thank goodness for regular backups! I use Retrospect for that by the way.
David
Norton Anti Spam is a plugin for Outlook and Outlook Express. It has nothing to do with web based email. In order for Norton Anti Spam to have errors then Anti Spam would have tio be in use and catching emails.
Norton AntiSpam (NAS), which is available only as part of NIS, starting with this version, filters POP3 e-mail accounts and prefixes [Norton AntiSpam] to the subject line of suspected spam. You can use any e-mail client, but NAS specifically integrates with Microsoft Outlook, Outlook Express, and Eudora. To improve accuracy, a Bayesian filter improves analyzes your outgoing e-mails and any messages whose categorization you correct by clicking the This is spam and This is not spam button
Dieselman743,
I think something is confusing you, but I'm not sure what exactly. What was the point of your last two posts?
David
Hi silver_mica,
I have been out for a while and I see that based upon your time constraints, you have decided to have your computer reformatted. I can understand your frustration.
Once you have reformatted, I would highly advise updating to the NIS 2009 version as it will provide a better level of protection for you.
So you don't have to search back through this thread, here is the link to the Norton Update Center again. Just be sure you have your current activation key from NIS 2006.
**** Very Important: What ever method you use to save your documents and files before the reformat, be sure to scan them with NIS 2009 before you bring them back onto your computer. You don't want to introduce any problems onto a fresh copy of Windows.
Best Wishes.
You claim you have anti spam errors and logs. The only way this is occuring is via Outlook. You said your logs said that Anti Spam was being modifed. How is this happening unless anti spam is being used. How is Norton scanning over 50 little email boxes as stated unless Outlook is being used. Did you ever use Outlook at one time? Does Outlook still have an active account? I am only going off from what you say.
Did you get some sort of virus that took over Outlook and reopened it?
Dieselman743,
You've misconstrued what I've written a bit. For the sake of entertainment we'll go over the questions together.
"You claim you have anti spam errors and logs."
No, I said that my Anti-Span filter in Norton (which I've never used by the way) had been modified; a huge number of unknown email address, many from foreign countries, had been added to the "allowed" list (see first post at the top of this thread).
With regards to logs: I said that when I viewed them to see what sort of events had occurred recently I got a C++ debugger window (I think you jumped to the conclusion that I had said the logs themselves contained errors and that the logs told me that the Anti Spam filter had been modified).
"How is this happening unless anti spam is being used. "
Well, obviously the anti spam was being used. My first post informed us that it was being modified.
"How is Norton scanning over 50 little email boxes as stated unless Outlook is being used."
Well, that would be a question that a Windows computer expert might be able to answer. One might imagine that a virus as gained control of my laptop. I think you've locked up on the fact that I've never used Outlook or Outlook Express on my laptop, yet a virus either has/is using this email program or some similar form of it. I might even extend this by saying that Norton is unaware of this as well being that whatever got into my laptop slipped right on through by some means. It is my understanding that the whole virus/antivirus thing is a bit of a cat and mouse game; there is always something new out there. But, this is only conjecture on my part.
"Did you ever use Outlook at one time? Does Outlook still have an active account? I am only going off from what you say."
You're funny! I think I have given you enough information so that you can answer that question for yourself now.
David
Dieselman743,
"Did you get some sort of virus that took over Outlook and reopened it? "
If you're asking if I saw Outlook or Outlook Express open while the events were occurring then the answer is no. If that had been the case, that is to say, if I had seen an email program that I never used before mysteriously open on its own then I am quite certain I would have remarked upon an anomaly such as that in my original post.
David
Did you get some sort of virus that took over Outlook and reopened it?
Bravo, Diesel, I was going out of my gourd reading this posts and wondering if anyone was going to ask the right question.
To catch the original poster up to speed:
1. Your web-based email is not going to be sending out multiple emails because of any virus on your computer (yet -- that may be a future virus). The two entities are separate. And I have never, ever seen Norton pickup something it said was Outlook email if there wasn't any.
2. But if you use a toolbar on your computer for email access and you write your email under the aegis of that toolbar (perhaps, it provides you a frame in which to write it), then essentially that toolbar setup is working similar to Outlook or any other onboard email program, and is vulnerable. That, however, depends on the nature of the toolbar. You will need to pursue that possibility with others here if it is appropriate.
3. Diesel's insinuation is the most likely: Outlook has been hijacked. Outlook Express is available as a default on most computers. If you EVER used it or anyone else using your machine EVER used it, then it might have been hijacked. The original email hijackings began with an Outlook specific worm. It is real easy to check this. Look at the header of any of this email you told us you see being sent from your machine. (And, also, please answer the question -- if you already haven't -- how are you looking at this email. Unless ...
4. There is another possibility. Were you notified about all this email. One of my client's just called me last night. He had gotten email from Comcast telling him that his computer was sending out email spam and that his account was going to be filtered. It gave him a link to free Security software from McAfee (which is really available from Comcast). I walked the client through a check of his own account and then of his unused but available Outlook Express account. Neither one was sending out email. I told him he had gotten a phishing letter and to ignore; but also to confirm it with Comcast. Comcast this morning verified that I was right. The email was a scam.
There are some really new phishing scams out there. The latest that I found was email notifying a client that his online bank account was being closed because the bank's internet security had been breeched. The client was given an 800 number to call to get a new account set-up to protect him. I called the bank immediately and found the email was a fraud, that the FBI was already involved. Sheesh, the scams are getting more and more credible. I am glad I am getting my client's so sensitive to these things.
5. And there is a last possibility that occurs to me. When you click on an email link on-line, what program responds? It wouldn't be your web-based email because that program hasn't a clue what you are doing -- unless you have something active offline that responds to that click.
Why don't you begin by exploring that possibility. Find your default email client and track how it is launched by clicking on an email link.
Now I am beginning to think that -- based on your responses to other people trying to be helpful -- that I am about to be attacked for not reading your original post carefully enough or for not properly understanding or interpreting what you are saying.
I request that you give me -- and the rest of us -- the benefit of a doubt. You came here and told us that you just added one plus one on your computer and got three. You want us to tell you why. Well, when we add one plus one, we get two; so we are trying to make sense out of this. We will challenge what you are taking for granted. We will suggest things that you know are wrong. The thing is, you are there and we are here; and we are trying to parse something that makes no sense: Norton reporting that it is intercepting email from a machine not set up to send any. So our first, second, and third assumptions are going to be that you are missing something. Actually, for sure, you are missing something -- the only question is what you are missing. Is it a hijacked Outlook or is it a hidden virus?
Enough.
Good luck.
Thank you mijcar. This is why I suggested a HijackThis log. Also sliver what is your default email program in Windows? What can happen and this was happening to my Aunt is this. All new computers are defaulted to Outlook or Outlook Express for your default email client. If you never use Outlook then you should change your default email program to the appropriate email client. Do this by going to Start\Set Program Access and Defaults. My Aunt uses Yahoo email and logs into there site. Her default email was Outlook. if she opened an attachment or clicked on reply sometimes it would open Outlook. This was normal cause Windows was set to Outlook. Once I changed it for her via the phone it never happened again. Now silver did this happen to you? Did you click on something or open up something that needed Outlook to run? Even if you reformat your drive you need to know what caused the issue so you can avoid it again. Norton is also not to blame for your problems. I went months with no anti virus and no firewall just to see if I could get infected and I never did. As in matter of fact I went 92 days. Common sense plays a big part in keeping out viruses and malware. BTW way Firefox now has a cool feature that allows you to change what your deafult email program is. So if its Yahoo and you click on a link to send an email it will automaticcly open up a new tab in your Yahoo email ogin area.
mijcar,
In this thread I was the one that first suggested to Diesel that Outlook Express might have been hijacked (go to page 3, message 24 and read the first paragraph). In that post I've, quite clearly, proposed the very notion that a virus could take over Outlook or Outlook Express and I also imply that most Windows systems use Outlook Express as the default. In that same message I point out to Diesel that it is very possible and reasonable to conclude that I'm not using Outlook or Outlook express, but the virus/worm/malicious-code is controlling this email program. Diesel, on the other hand, seemed a bit confused to that very idea. It seemed to me from Diesel's writings, that the only way Norton could scan email is if I used Outlook as my email client. Of course I do not and said that quite a lot in this thread.
Mijcar, your first bullet implies I lack the understanding that a virus on my laptop would not cause my web based email to send spam email. Please! Give me the benefit of the doubt. I may not be a computer techie, but I am educated and can think independently. I never said that my web email sent spam; I did say that my laptop is sending (or attempting to send) spam email. Just for the record I am not confused with regards to what entity is sending (or trying to send spam). As a side note, a number of times I did state that my laptop was sending email spam when, in fact, I am unsure if the laptop has been successful in sending said spam. Being that the default email client (most likely Outlook Express) was never configured It may be the case that the infection is unable to send any spam unless that virus configured Outlook Express on its own.
I do not use any sort of toolbar for email; I keep it simple and use a web browser.
Mijcar, I fail to see where my logic has gone awry. As you put it, I fail to see where my "one plus one" has added to three. I'd like you to point that out for me if you will. I am the one that solved my own question, not Diesel. Please correct me if I am wrong, but Diesel seemed to write that the only possible way for Outlook to be used is if I used it for my email. Of course, this assumes that Outlook is being used at all. I do believe what Diesel says with regards to Norton only scanning Outlook and Eudora products, so, yeah, I tend to believe that Outlook was being used (but it was never used by me).
If I came off as condescending then I am sorry for that. I have a deadline at work to meet and I am not in the best of moods. My customer really does not care if I had a virus that slowed me down or not. In the business world the bottom line is all that counts.
David
Before this goes any further. To the best of your knowledge did you click on a link or anything that required Outlook to open? Did you ever see Outlook open? I am just curious to how you got the virus. I have never known or heard of a virus taking over a program that is not being used. The virus would have to open up Outlook and create a login and account. This is beyond me how this could ever happen. What were you doing when this all happened? Have you run a HijackThis log? It baffles me how people get inftected.
Wow, I have been out for a while and than I see this.......
First a small message to all people using this thread.
Besides the people who have a name in red, we all are volunteers. We are all here to help out. And we are not here to smash eachother.
Especially when someone has a virus on his/ her machine. So if you want to help out please do and be so clear as possible. And explain in easy words. We are not all techies. If you have a virus problem. Please be so clear as possible. The clearer you tell us the better we can help you. And if you don't want to be helped and just want to tease the helpers, DON'T ASK...
Sounds to me that from the first post on there have been some things very unclear. Therefore a lot of questions are needed to help out.
So for my idea. What is the latest status?
Please be so clear as possible.
Thank you stu glad its not just me that sees and reads how unclear things are.Sliver claims he knows nothing about computers but he seems to know that Outlook is the default email program for Windows.
Diesel,
I did go five years since I was last infected so I wouldn't think it to be precarious that I got a virus today. I don't remember, but didn't you say the last time you were infected was about five years ago as well? I do assume you're a computer techie type and thus you'd be far more careful and knowledgeable than I.
I cannot believe that you're actually asking me if I ever saw Outlook open. Please, please, read my messages! Perhaps you're just pulling my chain for a reaction, but do go to page 4, message 32 of this thread. There you will see that I have written, unambiguously that I did not see Outlook or Outlook Express open.
Given my profession and my current needs it is, at this point, irrelevant how I got the virus. Yes, I do understand that it would be unwise to repeat the mistake and re-infect my laptop. However, I am confident that NIS2009 will be effective in staving off this very virus. As you have pointed out, my laptop has an old version of NIS and may not be up to par in detection abilities.
I am not in the computer repair business so my conclusions do not encompass a large knowledge base, but I do have a hunch that I got this virus in one of two ways either through one of the networks I use (or recently used while travelling) or through a website (recently, a few days ago, Norton halted something malicious while I was surfing the web).
About the whole Outlook thing: I never said or concluded that any sort of virus/work/code configured Outlook or Outlook Express. The only thing I can reliably report to you is that Norton was scanning a huge number of emails early today, Norton has become damaged and that my laptop has become extremely unstable.
Although I do admire a tenacious quest for understanding the exact cause of this problem, I must cut my losses and move on for I have far more important matters to deal with in my life.
It is time to move on.
David
Come on guys, stop it.
Stop nagging eachother on the forum.
Silver, please answer my question if you still want to be helped out