Detecting and Identifying Viruses
Is Anti-virus Software loaded?
- Is the antivirus virus definitions file" up-to-date?
- Is there a message saying, "Virus has been detected?"
- Has an antivirus scan been run?
- If a virus is detected during the scan, have the customer follow their prompts in the software to quarantine and remove the virus.
Check for unrecognized programs in System Configuration Utility (MSConfig) on the Startup tab
- Check unrecognized Startup Item names - ex. "Trojan*.exe" (* is a wild-card).
Are any of the following occurring:
File-related:
- You are unable to run virus scan.
- You are unable to access antivirus application.
- You are unable to update virus definitions file.
- You are unable to browse to antivirus software websites.
- You are receiving different types of error messages.
- There are files being deleted without user intervention.
- File sizes are increasing for no apparent reason.
- You are receiving various messages in files or on programs for no apparent reason.
- File and memory size randomly changing for no apparent reason.
- You are having cross-linked files.
- The name of a directory may not be readable.
- Directory order may be modified so files such as COM files, will start at the beginning of the directory.
- You are experiencing an unusual display of pictures.
- There are icons on your desktop that you do not recognize.
- You have desktop icons that are distorted.
- You have desktop icons with paths that are not found.
- You have opened email attachments that have extensions of .exe, .vbs, .bat (these are most common).
Disk-related
- Changes volume label.
- Attempts to access the hard disk drive, which result in error messages such as: Invalid drive specification.
- Cause activity on HDD or FDD randomly.
- Marks clusters as bad in the FAT.
- Randomly overwrites sectors on the hard disk.
- Replaces the MBR with own code.
- Create more than one partition.
- Causes a "sector not found" error.
- Logical partitions created, partitions decrease in size.
- Increase disk access times.
System-related
- Extended boot times.
- Causes the system to run slow.
- Causes system to hang or freeze randomly.
- Causes hardware problems such as keyboard keys not working, printer issues, modem issues etc.
- Causes keyboard keys to be remapped.
- Causes computer to make strange noises, make music, clicking noises or beeps.
- Disables ports such as LPT or COM ports.
- Alters system time / date.
- Increases or decreases memory size.
Additional tools to detect viruses:
If following the above procedures did not resolve your problem, please contact Gateway through one of
the following methods:
