Some unknown- I believe virus has destroyed my Laptop.

Some unknown- I believe virus has destroyed my...

Didn't find your answer?

I believe some unknown virus has destroyed my laptop.

While I was working on my laptop (lots of files open, and sites have been running), a message popped up on my screen. I did not pay attention to the message and clicked OK. All a sudden my PC was switched-off itself. When it switched back on, all I see is “Recycle Bin” Only. All my files on my hard drive, Desk top, my documents and all MS Office programs have disappeared. There is nothing on my favourite. When I clicked my programs, I cannot see anything, it is empty.

Naturally I started to panic. I do not know where to turn to.

I restored my Internet explorer browser from the recycled bin and try to search for a solution, but there are too many information on the Net. I found some sites which they claim can recover files, but not free and not sure if they even work.

When I click the “Recent Items used” button and click one of my files from the list, which were saved on my hard drive despite my hard drive is empty, I managed to open it. This is really weird. How can I open an Excel file without MS excel? And I did some search to see if my files are some where hidden. Yes there, but I do not where and how to restore them.

Could some please shade some light on my nightmare?

I have Window XP, and was running ant-virus software while this happened.

Thanks for help!

Replies (23)

Please login or register to join the discussion.

avatar
By Robert Hurn
20th Jun 2011 13:33

Try Green Gnome

One of my clients, who also takes care of our network, specialises in virus removal and data recovery, if you still have an internet connection he may well be able to do remotely (he is based in Reading berkshire).  his email is

 

keith @ Green gnome . co . uk  (email space to prevent email harvesting)

What ever you do don't scrap the laptop as it is very rare that data cannot be recovered.

 

Bob

Thanks (0)
avatar
By Cantona1
20th Jun 2011 14:26

Some unknown- I believe virus has destroyed my Laptop
Bobhurn! Thanks for help! He may be very expensive

Thanks (0)
avatar
By neiltonks
20th Jun 2011 14:26

Possibility ...

Have a look at this article from a Microsoft forum:

http://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/en/w7itprogeneral/thread/4266...

In particular, the entry by someone called "Colin Davies 1981" seems to provide a possible solution to your problem.

Note - I'm not an expert in fixing computer problems, I just found this possible solution by searching the internet so I can't vouch for its effectiveness!!!

Neil.

 

Thanks (0)
avatar
By zarathustra
20th Jun 2011 14:32

What about your IT support provider?

You mean you're running a business and don't pay someone for IT support?

Thanks (0)
avatar
By 3569787
03rd May 2016 18:08

Some links

Thanks (0)
avatar
By stevie
20th Jun 2011 14:57

Recycle Bin

 Is everything now in your recycle bin? You say you restored Internet Explorer. Why not restore everything else?

Open recycle bin do Edit > Select all. Right click and restore.

Thanks (0)
PAH Accounting Devizes Wiltshire
By Phil Hendy
20th Jun 2011 15:10

If its a virus you need to sort it

If it is a virus you must get it dis-infected otherwise you will only incur more problems. This sounds like quite a nasty one; however, sometimes they just hide the files rather than delete them.There are couple of options

Run your antivirus software and do a complete system scan, as well as Malware Bytes. These usually get rid of a lot of problems. You may need to go into Safe mode to do this.Do a system restore back to a point before you were infected.

Really, you should have some kind of IT contingency in place at the very least some decent anti virus software. My worry here would in fact be loss of data. I presume you have backed everything up accordingly.

 

Thanks (0)
avatar
By Cantona1
20th Jun 2011 15:46

Some unknown- I believe virus has destroyed my Laptop
Stevie,
The only icon I could see was recyled bin one. I was not meant to say that all my files are now in recyled bins. When ever I delete a file, or icon, I do not then go to clear it from the recyled bin, the deleted files stay in the bin.

So when all my files and programes are empty and blank, I was unable to browse the internet with out Internet explorer, but I have a deleted explorer in the recyled bin. I retrive it from the recyled bin.

Phil, Yes I normally do a weekly back on external disk. I am unable to do anything as all my progames are empty now. How can I restore my files? Could you please guide me?
Thanks

Thanks (0)
PAH Accounting Devizes Wiltshire
By Phil Hendy
20th Jun 2011 16:58

System restore

 I am assuming it is a windows machine so go to Control Panel and find it in the system section.

Weekly backups to external disk are probably not enough. You really ought to have some IT support. I notice from your posts you are worried about the cost. I know you can do it yourself but isn't it better to get a professional to do the job? Think about it in the same way you would approach a client about why they should use an accountant!

Thanks (0)
avatar
By honesty
20th Jun 2011 18:23

Bite the bullet

30 years ago I went to a solicitor for some advice. i was in his office for 5 minutes. Two days later I received a bill for £25. I coughed up the money and complained. When I called him a few days later, he said that there wasn't much he could do for me because I didn't want to receive a bill. Reality is that we don't supply our time for nothing so neither will our back up.

 

There are many reputable IT contractors that don't charge the earth like my ex-solicitor. My contractor would restore your machine and leave it better than new for as little as £45 plus parts. Well worth it. They will fix it far better than you can do your self and you will be reliably "back on the road".

 

 

 

Thanks (0)
avatar
By Cantona1
21st Jun 2011 09:13

Some unknown- I believe virus has destroyed my Laptop
Neil,
Thank vey mcuh! I found the solution on the blog.
Withhindsight, it was easy to do it, but only with hindsight.
I did the following to recover all my files:
Window Explorer
Tools
Folder Options
View
Tick Show hidden Files and folders.
I have not lost a single file, the virus has not destroyed them, but hidden them.
Given all the advancment in Teki, we are still at the merecy of few people who can control it.
However, I still do not know how to unhide my MS applications. The above steps only worked for files.
I am still confused as to why I can open a MS file with out the MS application. I am sure it is hidden so where, but I do not know where. My programes still empty?
Th

Thanks (0)
avatar
By User deleted
22nd Jun 2011 10:22

'Windows Update'

Did your mysterious message appear to be a Windows Update by any chance? I don't know the details, but I've been told that there is such a virus doing the rounds, looking very authentic, and when 'loaded' it hides all your data files. It doesn't delete them, just hides them. How it does it, I've no idea, and how easy/expensive it is to find them again - again, I've no idea. But this might give you a starting point.

Thanks (0)
x
By rockallj
22nd Jun 2011 10:24

Can you not "system restore" from your windows utilities?

Can you not "system restore" from your windows utilities?

You should then be able to attempt to restore your PC to a stage before the viral pest came down.

Thanks (0)
avatar
By Cantona1
22nd Jun 2011 10:25

Some unknown - I believe virus has destroyed my Laptop

BKD. You may be right.
My labtop has got nothing on it, how can restore it?

Thanks (0)
avatar
By DBlood
22nd Jun 2011 10:27

Malaware bytes

Many possible causes - all of them likely to be the result of some sicko writing malware.

You say you have your browser, so first stop should be http://www.malwarebytes.org/ - its a free download - download it and run it on comprehensive scan setting - this may take a couple of hours.  If you have any malware this will find it.

Then, as suggested, do a system restore to a restore point at least a day ago.

Thanks (0)
avatar
By supremetwo
23rd Jun 2011 12:22

This can be complicated to get back.

Similar issue recently:-

http://boards.fool.co.uk/lost-os-12270570.aspx?sort=whole

Perhaps post there?

 

Thanks (0)
pic
By jndavs
23rd Jun 2011 12:30

Hidden files

If your files are simply hidden you can open a command prompt and run

attrib -h c:\ /s

this resets the hidden attribute on all files in the root directory and its subdirectories.

/d can be added to the end if entire folders have been hidden.

 

Please note that this will unhide all your files, even the ones hidden by MS to stop them from being accidently deleted

 

 

Thanks (0)
avatar
By richardterhorst
23rd Jun 2011 13:31

Windows system files default is hidden

Windows as a default has system files hidden. That is to stop accidental deletions. You just unhide them and all OK. But why unhide. You are working so system files are OK, leave them.

Suggest you invest in a good paid for anti virus program. Free ones leave a bit to be desired.

Suggest daily backup. You can automate. Put it on the cloud - dropbox is free and good. Works in background and can be hourly but that does slow all down.

You may have to set up icons again but that is quick.

 

Thanks (0)
avatar
By Ian_mcdonald
24th Jun 2011 09:14

Try Safe Mode System Restore

Sometimes you can get around a virus by starting in "safe mode" (repeatedly tap F8 key after power-on but before you see Windows startup screen), login as administrator if available otherwise your normal user name, then run system restore (explore the start menu - all programes - etc to find it), restore to a date before you noticed the virus.   After that, and before you do anything else, run a virus scan.

If the virus will not let you run system restore in safe mode, you need to use another computer to download to a USB memeory stick a program called Rkill from bleepingcomputer web site.  As above start in safe mode, run Rkill from the USB memory stick, if a window pops up claiming rkill is a virus leave it open and run rkill again, run rkill 2 more times then run system restore and the remaining instructons above.

Good luck.

Thanks (0)
avatar
By Healthpay
24th Jun 2011 09:55

"Paid" is not a synonym for "better"

 You say  "Suggest you invest in a good paid for anti virus program. Free ones leave a bit to be desired."

In my experience that is over simplistic. Two of the most irritating in my experience are paid ones - McAfee and Norton/Symantec.

And some of the better ones are free - eg MS Security Essentals, AVG, Avira

One of the best I have seen in a corporate environment is Trend which is paid-for - so it really isn't that simple!

For me a good regime is:

MS Security EssentialsImmunet 3.0 (which is a rare beast that works well with others)

And for occasional use, Malwarebytes

And my total cost for these is nil.

 

Thanks (0)
By [email protected]
24th Jun 2011 14:52

VIRUSES

 If you have backed up to a server or a USB drive like me there should be no problem, all you will have to do is reload your software. However early in 2010 my computer crashed twice, the first time I recovered everything and the second time I took the computer in to the local computer repair shop and for a cost of £20 he recovered just about all my data, items lost were unimportant old stuff so did not go back to shop for recovery. The only important thing that I did lose was my SAGE Line 50 accounts package and it did not reload from disk, Sage would not let me load it because, even though I had paid for it, they told me it belonged to someone else and they then made me pay for software again; Sage then reported me to the Police for fraudulently using their software (the software that the virus wiped out), so be careful because doesn't mind whose lifes and livelihoods it destroys.

Thanks (0)
By [email protected]
24th Jun 2011 14:52

VIRUSES

 If you have backed up to a server or a USB drive like me there should be no problem, all you will have to do is reload your software. However early in 2010 my computer crashed twice, the first time I recovered everything and the second time I took the computer in to the local computer repair shop and for a cost of £20 he recovered just about all my data, items lost were unimportant old stuff so did not go back to shop for recovery. The only important thing that I did lose was my SAGE Line 50 accounts package and it did not reload from disk, Sage would not let me load it because, even though I had paid for it, they told me it belonged to someone else and they then made me pay for software again; Sage then reported me to the Police for fraudulently using their software (the software that the virus wiped out), so be careful because doesn't mind whose lifes and livelihoods it destroys.

Thanks (0)
pic
By jndavs
24th Jun 2011 15:25

Hidden files
Richard,

The attrib command will automatically reset the hidden attribute on all files if used in this way, I was not proposing that you should set out to unhide system files.

You can of course use a desired path instead of "c:\" if you only want to unhide a particular directory.

I was proposing this method as a fix as it is probably how the script kiddie hid them in the first place!

As attrib is a built in Dos command it is highly unlikely that an AV programme would actually spot it.

On the subject of AV software, there are many free perfectly good products out there, AVG, Avast, Housecall (Trend Micro online product) and Clam all spring to mind.

I may be a bit of a luddite but I prefer to keep my data on my own machines, backed up nightly of course.

If you need to access your computer from a remote location you can use the mstsc command.

Thanks (0)