Ok what are you moving on to? Are you reformatting? When I got infected it was due to the fact of a fault virus infected file from a known trusted site. I use a program called Windowblinds which changes my desktop theme. I have been using it for a very long time. I went to Skinz.org to download a new skin for Windowblinds and install it. After installing this skin I got infected. I emailed Skinz.org immediately and they took the skin file off there site and apologized for my troubles. I was able to remove the virus myself using some tools and HijackThis. After that I started experimenting with a lot of different security products.Stu I am not arguing. Just trying to get answers that are not there. Explain to me stu how Anti Spam can go crazy on its own. Explain to me how a latop can start sending out emails itself.
Dieselman743,
Let us not be inane. I never made the statement that the default email program on my laptop is Outlook. More than likely, the default email program is Outlook Express. I say this because I've never configured any email program and it is my understanding that a new installation of Windows will have Outlook Express configured as the default program. Is that correct? I'm not a computer repairman so I could be wrong.
David
silver_mica wrote:Dieselman743,
Let us not be inane. I never made the statement that the default email program on my laptop is Outlook. More than likely, the default email program is Outlook Express. I say this because I've never configured any email program and it is my understanding that a new installation of Windows will have Outlook Express configured as the default program. Is that correct? I'm not a computer repairman so I could be wrong.
David
Yes, that's correct.
So how are the spam mails coming? Are they still on? Most on Yahoo mail?
I have been using Yahoo email for years and never any spam and if there is it doesnt come into your pc cause its web based and in a web site.
Hi Stu,
"So how are the spam mails coming? Are they still on? Most on Yahoo mail?"
The point is moot since my laptop is near death (meaning that my laptop's operating system is so unstable that I am unable to run Windows and it would be cheaper and easier to reformat the entire computer rather than waste time with an arduous investigative report looking into the root cause of the problem). At this time it is fairly obvious that my laptop was infected by a virus/worm/malicious-code and that this code began attempts to send a large number of spam emails taxing system resources. I honestly cannot verify what email program was used (or if any email program was used) since I have only seen a large number dialog boxes from Norton alerting me to emails being scanned. I saw nothing from any other program. Diesel tells me that that because Norton's anti-spam had email addresses in it (the virus added email address to the "allowed" list in Norton) then it could only mean that an Outlook or Eudora product was being used (and nothing else). Please correct me if I paraphrased that incorrectly, but that is my understanding of what I was told. Aside from that, I cannot tell you or anyone what email program was used or if one was used in the first place.
Stu, you ask, "So how are the spam mails coming?" On page 1, message one, I've explained this.
"are the still on?" Are you asking if the spam emails are still being sent by my laptop? My laptop is dead so it isn't sending anything right now.
"Most on Yahoo mail?" Sorry, but I don't know what you are asking.
Stu, I think you also asked for a status or what I'm doing right now to resolve the problem? I'm going to have an IT guy reformate the computer. At this point I'd be interested in either transferring my existing NIS information to the new install since I pay a yearly cost for the subscription or buying new copy of NIS and discontinuing payment on the current subscription since I"d have to purchase a new subscription for the new install. Right now that is my only concern. I'm done with the other problems. Of course, the IT guy can probably work out those issues as well.
David
It doesn’t take an IT tech to reformat your laptop. Simply put your Windows CD in and reboot. Upon rebooting hit enter. Keep in mind that although your installing NIS 2009 it doesn’t mean your impervious to viruses. No ant virus is 100% effective. This why you need to avoid the mistakes that caused your problem in the first pace. Hope it all turns out ok.
Dieselman743,
I'm sure I can reformat my own computer, I've done this in the distant past, but I am a very busy professional with little time for myself. It would be a waste of my time to spend it fixing computers.
David
I meant a Yahoo web mail account. I thought I saw you writing that in a post. Yahoo uses a spamfilter but it looks like it is not a good filter. For all I know if it really used a Outlook of some kind than you should be able to see that in an installed Outlook. Although you say you don't use it.
Sounds like a clean install of Windows is the best thing to do right now
Hi,
I just want to point out that a mail worm can set up it's own server, it does not need to use an already installed and configured client. And from the information in the first post I would say that the computer indeed has an infection, most likely a mail worm, since the description about how norton scans outgoing mail is actually how you in most cases would notice a mass-mailing worm with the older version when it's not detected.
However, time is money. An infected system could still be unstable even after the infection has been removed (even though it works fine in most cases), and if so a reinstallation might be needed anyway. Or it could be as simple as that the time consumed by the cleaning and restoring process of the system will be longer than what a full reformat/reinstallation would take.
Either way you choose to go I hope that your problems will solved.
jAW
jAW wrote:Hi,
I just want to point out that a mail worm can set up it's own server, it does not need to use an already installed and configured client. And from the information in the first post I would say that the computer indeed has an infection, most likely a mail worm, since the description about how norton scans outgoing mail is actually how you in most cases would notice a mass-mailing worm with the older version when it's not detected.
However, time is money. An infected system could still be unstable even after the infection has been removed (even though it works fine in most cases), and if so a reinstallation might be needed anyway. Or it could be as simple as that the time consumed by the cleaning and restoring process of the system will be longer than what a full reformat/reinstallation would take.
Either way you choose to go I hope that your problems will solved.
jAW
You are right.
I had not think of that. Thanx for your contribution
Stu by using what I call web based mail that means going to Yahoo.com and logging in to check your mail which you can do from any pc. When you set up a Yahoo account it has nothing to do with Outlook. I have AT&T DSL and they give you a Yahoo account for your email. All you do is log into the site. The spam filter is buit into the site and has nothing to do with your pc. Now if you want to use Outlook with your Yahoo account you can but this is where your pc now plays a role in spma filtering Not Yahoo.
What people seem to be missing is this. Silver said in his first post that Norton was scanning over 40 messages. The only way Norton scans emails is via Outlook. Norton does not scan your email when you log into a site. That is the sites job. This is why people rely on it. Now does anyone ever know of or even heard of a virus that is so smart it knows how to open up Outlook and crate an account and start a mass email bombing. I have never heard of this. It must be some super abnti virus hats no one has ever seen or heard of. Its just odd to me.
Correct.
But what is possible is the fact that for some reason a malware mail was opend in Yahoo webmail and installed a app. This app can be used to send all these spam mail.
Thats impossible from my knowledge. This app would have to stll use Outlook in or for silver to see the Anti Spam monitoring and Norton scanning his outgoing email. Setting up a Yahoo account does not set up Outlook. Try it yourself. Its free. I just opened up Outlook for the first time ever on my laptop and guesswhat. Its says welcome to Outlook please create an account and password.
Dieselman743 wrote:
Thats impossible from my knowledge. This app would have to stll use Outlook in or for silver to see the Anti Spam monitoring and Norton scanning his outgoing email. Setting up a Yahoo account does not set up Outlook. Try it yourself. Its free. I just opened up Outlook for the first time ever on my laptop and guesswhat. Its says welcome to Outlook please create an account and password.
Hi,
I think you are confusing the email scanning with the anti-spam filtering. These two are completely different. The spam filter used to only integrate into Outlook/Outlook express, so in that you are correct. The in and outgoing mailscanning on the other hand scans a specific protocol and all applications using that protocol will be scanned, no matter if you use outlook or eudora and so on.
This is what most likely happened for silver_mica. The 40 messages scanned was the antivirus scanning the outgoing mail, it had nothing to do with the antispam which was a different problem in his system/Norton.
jAW
jAW wrote:
Dieselman743 wrote:
Thats impossible from my knowledge. This app would have to stll use Outlook in or for silver to see the Anti Spam monitoring and Norton scanning his outgoing email. Setting up a Yahoo account does not set up Outlook. Try it yourself. Its free. I just opened up Outlook for the first time ever on my laptop and guesswhat. Its says welcome to Outlook please create an account and password.
Hi,
I think you are confusing the email scanning with the anti-spam filtering. These two are completely different. The spam filter used to only integrate into Outlook/Outlook express, so in that you are correct. The in and outgoing mailscanning on the other hand scans a specific protocol and all applications using that protocol will be scanned, no matter if you use outlook or eudora and so on.
This is what most likely happened for silver_mica. The 40 messages scanned was the antivirus scanning the outgoing mail, it had nothing to do with the antispam which was a different problem in his system/Norton.
jAW
I think you are right jAW.
Let's see what happens when silver has a new installed machine
<< At this point I'd be interested in either transferring my existing NIS information to the new install since I pay a yearly cost for the subscription or buying new copy of NIS and discontinuing payment on the current subscription since I"d have to purchase a new subscription for the new install. Right now that is my only concern. >>
If this is what you end up doing, then afterwards contact the Norton Customer Support by email or phone and tell them. There is a very good chance they can check your records and sort out any "double payment" and certainly they are the people to talk to in order to stop your account being debited for renewals (current advice is to also tell your bank/credit card company not to honor).
You can of course download and use a "trial" installation of NIS2009 without paying for it and would have 15 days to sort out the overlapping.
Believe you me when I say this. I have been using Yahoo web based email for 5 years now. I log into Yahoo.com. Norton has no part of scanning this type of email nor does any other av. Try it yourself.
<< the easy solution is a simple reinstall of Windows. >>
Please note what I said earlier about laptops being a special case -- use the recovery media that came with the laptop (hopefully) since that will not simply reinstall Windows but will install all the specialized files that laptops use and the come from the laptop manufacturer.
Please believe me on this -- my other hat is support work on laptops.
If you have an HP/Compaq and have not made the recovery media using the Recovery Manager on the laptop you can get them from HP for a very modest sum -- like $12 plus shipping; I paid under $20. If you have a Toshiba you can order them from Toshiba but I understand they charge about $40 including shipping.
If you rely on an IT man who just uses a typical Windows installation disk then you will end up with laptop that is not fully operational and although in theory one can usually download individual files from the laptop manufacturers website this is not a simple operation.
So I hope you have the recovery media for the laptop and wish you smooth sailing on what I am sure is the best course -- to start from a clean sheet.
Dieselman743 wrote:
Believe you me when I say this. I have been using Yahoo web based email for 5 years now. I log into Yahoo.com. Norton has no part of scanning this type of email nor does any other av. Try it yourself.
Hi,
His webmail has nothing to do with his problem. The mails are sent locally and the spam whitelist that is being filled is the list inside Norton antispam. All this is said in his first post.
jAW