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Put something between computer and printer | wireless-networking;printer;wireless-networking;printer | Put something between computer and printer
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You want the MiTM (Man in the Middle) Attack on your Network, that's cool. Well i'm not expert in this area but i would suggest you to create something like a Server, connect your printer to this server via USB, and open Wifi Printer Sharing through your Server. With some more software (i guess) you will be able to monitor Printer's Queue and save all the files are being pushed to your printer.ShareImprove this answer
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answered Oct 2, 2014 at 23:32DevianDevian57644 silver badges1212 bronze badgesAdd a comment | |
Does a greater number of hard drive platter increase the risk of failure? | hard-drive;hard-drive | Does a greater number of hard drive platter increase the risk of failure?
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Backblaze published one of the biggest real-life studies to life expactancies of hdd´s. I looked up the number of platters and the platter capacity for each of the hdd´s they tested (data in Excel format here). I tested the number of platters vs. age and the capacity per platter vs age. Here are the graphs:My conclusion, (without further statistical testing or conditional probability analysis) is that the number of platters isn't really much of an issue (in this test pupulation), but the platter capacity is. You are better off (in terms of expected age) with more platters and less capacity per platter.ShareImprove this answer
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answered Oct 3, 2014 at 11:15agtoeveragtoever6,20411 gold badge2323 silver badges3737 bronze badges4Just noticed Backblaze updated their data which is not incorporated in these numbers.
– agtoeverOct 3, 2014 at 11:22I don't know how they got these results, but two WD Caviar Green EARS 2TB bought at diffent places and time went down. They were the one with 5 platters, in comparison and in the same conditions, the EZRX with only two platters are still here. I mean, if they are comparing Caviar Blacks and Caviar Green, it's normal to have such results. Blacks have a far more better quality than Greens. While the Greens usually have more platters and density than Blacks, they are the first one to reach the biggest capacity.
– X.LINKOct 3, 2014 at 13:47I agree that the black and green series are a very different league. But even if you take the green's out, the pattern remains the same. I honestly don't know why Backblaze uses green drives (good question, though). But with all due respect, I think your n=2 experience can't beat Backblaze's n=26.556 experience. So I don't understand your downvote of my answer...
– agtoeverOct 3, 2014 at 14:23Excellent answer. Thanks for the awesome graphs!
– superuserOct 11, 2014 at 18:53Add a comment | ;
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Having less platter means less mechanized parts, so less chance of failure. Consequently it also means less heat and also failure. But the problem is that if you got a failure on a whole platter, you will lose everything.On the other side, a single platter means much more density, so do speed and access times.I do personally prefer one platter since it's faster, lighter, but also less failure due to less mechanized parts. I mean, the more you have, the more it will be harder for the heads to spin correctly on the right cylinder, so the more it will easily be aged.ShareImprove this answer
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answered Oct 2, 2014 at 23:53X.LINKX.LINK2,24455 gold badges2121 silver badges3131 bronze badges3Practically speaking, if a single platter in a multi-platter HD fails, you won't be able to access the rest anyway.
– ChrisInEdmontonOct 2, 2014 at 23:59Well, it depends on a lot of factors, if the datas were contiguous or not, on the same platter, etc. Physical data recovery where replacing failing platters is possible, for a price...
– X.LINKOct 3, 2014 at 0:02Yeah my wrong i deleted my answer. I Misunderstood the question sorry.
– DevianOct 3, 2014 at 0:05Add a comment | ;
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Technically, the parameter of interest should be the number of read/write heads rather than the number of platters.Typically there would be one R/W head per platter surface. A platter has two surfaces, so if both surfaces are used for data storage, then the number of R/W heads is double the number of platters (for the typical case).I haven't opened up a HDD in a long time, but in the past I have seen HDDs built with unused surfaces and/or platters. Presumably these were platters that had only one "good" side and installed in a low-capacity model that was otherwise identical to a high-capacity model.Increasing the number of R/W heads in a HDD is considered a performance benefit, since more data would be in each cylinder and thus can reduce seeks.The typical tradeoffs for more R/W heads is added cost and reduced reliability (added electronics, more mass to the head actuator) and increased susceptibility to a head crash.if you have a 4TB hard drive with one solid 4TB disk and you have another 4TB hard drive with 4 discs, does the one with 4 discs have a greater chance of failure?I would consider a 2-head (single platter) drive to have less chance of failure than a 8-head (4 platter) drive. But (assuming similar areal densities) the 8-head drive should have better random access times. How about 2 platters vs 3 platters? Until someone quantifies the increased risk of failure due to the number of R/W heads, you shouldn't base reliability and/or a purchase decision solely on the number of platters and/or R/W heads. ShareImprove this answer
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edited Oct 3, 2014 at 1:22
answered Oct 3, 2014 at 0:45sawdustsawdust16.9k11 gold badge3333 silver badges4646 bronze badges7Having more platters should theorically improve performance, it is not since the heads cannot move independently. Furthermore, if the data is placed on the same platter, it doesn't even means something. On the other side, one platters shortens access times since the density of bit per square make bits much more closer to access between each others. This just look like the problem between PATA and SATA.
– X.LINKOct 3, 2014 at 1:16"the 8-head drive should have better random access times" It won't since it is not possible, for the same capacity to have the same density for different platter number. "you shouldn't base reliability and/or a purchase decision solely on the number of platters and/or R/W heads.": I do prefer WD since not even one of them failed me, instead of Seagate, Hitachi and Fujitsu. You know that quality cannot be quantified exactly, but I can assure that WDs are the only one who park their heads when powered off, meaning much less head failures. And guess what, they are even really good on density. ;)
– X.LINKOct 3, 2014 at 1:29@user3755746 -- FYI I have first-hand experience developing firmware for disk controller and disk device drivers for various OSes. More heads is not a "theoretical" performance benefit; it's real. But increasing the areal density can provide a similar performance benefit, since that can increase the amount of data per cylinder. You are ignoring my stipulation of "similar areal densities".
– sawdustOct 3, 2014 at 1:381Someone like you should even not have any doubts about the "8-head drive should have better random access times". To be even worse, if datas are scattered into multiple platters, meaning not the same cylinder on every level, how even on earth can this be more faster than datas stored on a single and continuous segment of the same platter ? Heads just have to wiggle so much more since they all move at the same time !!!
– X.LINKOct 3, 2014 at 1:46@user3755746 - "a single and continuous segment of the same platter" -- That sounds a bit like the misconception mentioned in superuser.com/questions/432318/what-are-disk-sectors-for
– sawdustOct 3, 2014 at 1:59 | Show 2 more comments |
Compare two excel files | microsoft-excel;comparison;microsoft-excel;comparison | Compare two excel files
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IMPORTANT This guide applies for Microsoft Office Professional Plus 2013 or Office 365 ProPlus. Spreadsheet Compare Feature is not included in any other Microsoft Office Distribution.Spreadsheet CompareIn Windows 7 On the Windows Start menu, under Office 2013 Tools, click Spreadsheet Compare.In Windows 8 On the Start screen, click Spreadsheet Compare. If you do not see a Spreadsheet Compare tile, begin typing the words Spreadsheet Compare, and then select its tile.In addition to Spreadsheet Compare, you'll also find the companion program for Access – Microsoft Database Compare. It also requires Office Professional Plus 2013. (In Windows 8, type Database Compare to find it.)Compare two Excel workbooksClick Home > Compare Files.The Compare Files dialog box appears.Click the blue folder icon next to the Compare box to browse to the location of the earlier version of your workbook. In addition to files saved on your computer or on a network, you can enter a web address to a site where your workbooks are saved..Click the green folder icon next to the To box to browse to the location of the workbook that you want to compare to the earlier version, and then click OK.TIP You can compare two files with the same name if they're saved in different folders.In the left pane, choose the options you want to see in the results of the workbook comparison by checking or unchecking the options, such as Formulas, Macros, or Cell Format. Or, just Select All.Click OK to run the comparison.If you get an "Unable to open workbook" message, this might mean one of the workbooks is password protected. Click OK and then enter the workbook's password. Learn more about how passwords and Spreadsheet Compare work together.The results of the comparison appear in a two-pane grid. The workbook on the left corresponds to the "Compare" (typically older) file you chose and the workbook on the right corresponds to the "To" (typically newer) file. Details appear in a pane below the two grids. Changes are highlighted by color, depending on the kind of change.Understanding the resultsIn the side-by-side grid, a worksheet for each file is compared to the worksheet in the other file. If there are multiple worksheets, they're available by clicking the forward and back buttons on the horizontal scroll bar.NOTE Even if a worksheet is hidden, it's still compared and shown in the results.Differences are highlighted with a cell fill color or text font color, depending on the type of difference. For example, cells with "entered values" (non-formula cells) are formatted with a green fill color in the side-by-side grid, and with a green font in the pane results list. The lower-left pane is a legend that shows what the colors mean.In the example shown here, results for Q4 in the earlier version weren't final. The latest version of the workbook contains the final numbers in the E column for Q4.In the comparison results, cells E2:E5 in both versions have a green fill that means an entered value has changed. Because those values changed, the calculated results in the YTD column also changed – cells F2:F4 and E6:F6 have a blue-green fill that means the calculated value changed.The calculated result in cell F5 also changed, but the more important reason is that in the earlier version its formula was incorrect (it summed only B5:D5, omitting the value for Q4). When the workbook was updated, the formula in F5 was corrected so that it's now =SUM(B5:E5).If the cells are too narrow to show the cell contents, click Resize Cells to Fit.Source: Microsoft SupportShareImprove this answer
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edited Oct 3, 2014 at 0:18
answered Oct 2, 2014 at 23:36DevianDevian57644 silver badges1212 bronze badges41Link only answers can quickly become invalid. It would be useful to summarize what the page says in your answer.
– RaystafarianOct 2, 2014 at 23:55Summarize, not reproduce...
– RaystafarianOct 3, 2014 at 0:262Well reproducing is not a bad thing either, since i attached the source. I'm at Work atm, have no time to summarize, and since i posted it, i edited it very quickly. Your comment will be useful on my next answers...!
– DevianOct 3, 2014 at 0:27you can download this as a standalone for other office versions
– PiecevcakeJan 31, 2022 at 18:11Add a comment | |
Accessing a particular directory via HTTPS | ubuntu;ssl;https;lamp;ubuntu;ssl;https;lamp | Accessing a particular directory via HTTPS
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The file "sites-available/default-ssl.conf" can be used to set up a default HTTPS install, provided you put in your SSL certs etc - and assuming this directory is read by Apache - which it is by default on most installs which have this layout.ie sites-available/default-ssl.conf negates the need to include conf/extra-httpd-ssl.conf (but there is nothing stopping you creating conf/xtra/httpd-ssl.conf and linking the file into your httpd.conf file if you so desire)ShareImprove this answer
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answered Oct 2, 2014 at 22:49davidgodavidgo66.4k1212 gold badges9999 silver badges155155 bronze badgesAdd a comment | |
Virtualbox host key not working, can't get out of scale mode | windows;virtualbox;keyboard;windows-8.1;virtual-machine;windows;virtualbox;keyboard;windows-8.1;virtual-machine | Virtualbox host key not working, can't get out of scale mode
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Solved my issue. The issue is with a slew of Windows 8.1 updates that are affecting a number of other keyboard commands as well, including breaking the Shift key functionality of Synergy (issue tracker 1, issue tracker 2) and breaking alt code characters (the character only appears after the next keypress and instead of it, if at all. Possibly other programs are affected.The list of broken Windows updates is long. For me specifically it was KB2993651. Others have reported different patch numbers. Sometimes multiple patches have to be uninstalled. See the Synergy issue trackers above for more details.ShareImprove this answer
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answered Oct 13, 2014 at 18:10SkyNTSkyNT90722 gold badges99 silver badges1212 bronze badgesAdd a comment | ;
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I wasted an hour on a very similar problem because I forgot I had the on screen keyboard open. Apparently VirtualBox and the on screen keyboard don't like each other. This might cause a similar issue.ShareImprove this answer
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edited Feb 19, 2017 at 21:41bertieb7,2243636 gold badges4040 silver badges5252 bronze badges
answered Feb 19, 2017 at 20:24Virtual_KB_AbuserVirtual_KB_Abuser1Add a comment | |
Removing Windows Technical Preview from Windows Update | windows-update;windows-10-preview;windows-update;windows-10-preview | Removing Windows Technical Preview from Windows Update
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All you need to do is uninstall KB2990214Just navigate to Control Panel\All Control Panel Items\Programs and Featuresthen click on View Installed UpdatesSourceI don't have it installed so its not listedShareImprove this answer
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answered Oct 2, 2014 at 22:40RamhoundRamhound40.2k3434 gold badges100100 silver badges127127 bronze badges6I'm basically waiting for Windows Update to confirm, but yeah this looks like the right answer.
– EriksterOct 3, 2014 at 0:32Why don't you just try it, you can view the details of the update, and confirm yourself
– RamhoundOct 3, 2014 at 0:56I did, I'm just waiting for Windows Update to return to normal. It's been "checking for updates" for the last few hours.
– EriksterOct 3, 2014 at 16:06I'll leave one last note: You'll need to restart once or twice after removing the update to get Windows Update back to normal.
– EriksterOct 7, 2014 at 3:56The serial downvoting of my highly accepted answers is getting a ridiculous. If you have a problem with something I have said, come talk to me in chat, don't serial downvote me on Stackoverflow and Superuser its just going to get reversed anyways.
– RamhoundMar 4, 2015 at 16:41 | Show 1 more comment;
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wusa.exe /uninstall /kb:2990214I did not have it listed under 'view installed updates'. Running command above will uninstall it from your machine if present.ShareImprove this answer
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edited Oct 6, 2014 at 6:03Kunal1,86955 gold badges2222 silver badges3030 bronze badges
answered Oct 5, 2014 at 17:49pakjebakmeelpakjebakmeel6111 bronze badgeAdd a comment | |
VirtualBox kernal error in Windows 10 trying to run Vagrant | virtualbox;vagrant;windows-10-preview;virtualbox;vagrant;windows-10-preview | VirtualBox kernal error in Windows 10 trying to run Vagrant
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I've had the same errors. Try to install VirtualBox 4.3.12 (older version). That works just fine for me.ShareImprove this answer
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edited Oct 13, 2014 at 8:32Jan Doggen4,01088 gold badges3434 silver badges4848 bronze badges
answered Oct 12, 2014 at 17:21RinieRinie1111 bronze badge0Add a comment | |
How Does a Router Map Inbound Traffic to LAN Nodes? [duplicate] | ip;routing;mac-address;ip;routing;mac-address | How Does a Router Map Inbound Traffic to LAN Nodes? [duplicate]
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It works precisely the same way end systems do it. When your browser makes two connections to a web server, the destination IP address and destination port are the same. The system, whether router doing NAT or end node, assigns each connection a distinct local source port address. Replies are distinguished by the destination port address in the reply which corresponds to the source port address in the outbound packets.ShareImprove this answer
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answered Oct 2, 2014 at 22:49David SchwartzDavid Schwartz61.4k77 gold badges9999 silver badges148148 bronze badgesAdd a comment | |
How can I remove malicious spyware, malware, adware, viruses, trojans or rootkits from my PC? | windows;anti-virus;virus;malware;community-faq;windows;anti-virus;virus;malware;community-faq | How can I remove malicious spyware, malware, adware, viruses, trojans or rootkits from my PC?
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Here's the thing: Malware in recent years has become both sneakier and nastier:Sneakier, not only because it's better at hiding with rootkits or EEPROM hacks, but also because it travels in packs. Subtle malware can hide behind more obvious infections. There are lots of good tools listed in answers here that can find 99% of malware, but there's always that 1% they can't find yet. Mostly, that 1% is stuff that is new: the malware tools can't find it because it just came out and is using some new exploit or technique to hide itself that the tools don't know about yet.Malware also has a short shelf-life. If you're infected, something from that new 1% is very likely to be one part of your infection. It won't be the whole infection: just a part of it. Security tools will help you find and remove the more obvious and well-known malware, and most likely remove all of the visible symptoms (because you can keep digging until you get that far), but they can leave little pieces behind, like a keylogger or rootkit hiding behind some new exploit that the security tool doesn't yet know how to check. The anti-malware tools still have their place, but I'll get to that later.Nastier, in that it won't just show ads, install a toolbar, or use your computer as a zombie anymore. Modern malware is likely to go right for the banking or credit card information. The people building this stuff are no longer just script kiddies looking for fame; they are now organized professionals motivated by profit, and if they can't steal from you directly, they'll look for something they can turn around and sell. This might be processing or network resources in your computer, but it might also be your social security number or encrypting your files and holding them for ransom.Put these two factors together, and it's no longer worthwhile to even attempt to remove malware from an installed operating system. I used to be very good at removing this stuff, to the point where I made a significant part of my living that way, and I no longer even make the attempt. I'm not saying it can't be done, but I am saying that the cost/benefit and risk analysis results have changed: it's just not worth it anymore. There's too much at stake, and it's too easy to get results that only seem to be effective.Lots of people will disagree with me on this, but I challenge they are not weighing consequences of failure strongly enough. Are you willing to wager your life savings, your good credit, even your identity, that you're better at this than crooks who make millions doing it every day? If you try to remove malware and then keep running the old system, that's exactly what you're doing.I know there are people out there reading this thinking, "Hey, I've removed several infections from various machines and nothing bad ever happened." Me too, friend. Me too. In days past I have cleaned my share of infected systems. Nevertheless, I suggest we now need to add "yet" to the end of that statement. You might be 99% effective, but you only have to be wrong one time, and the consequences of failure are much higher than they once were; the cost of just one failure can easily outweigh all of the other successes. You might even have a machine already out there that still has a ticking time bomb inside, just waiting to be activated or to collect the right information before reporting it back. Even if you have a 100% effective process now, this stuff changes all the time. Remember: you have to be perfect every time; the bad guys only have to get lucky once.In summary, it's unfortunate, but if you have a confirmed malware infection, a complete re-pave of the computer should be the first place you turn instead of the last.Here's how to accomplish that:Before you're infected, make sure you have a way to re-install any purchased software, including the operating system, that does not depend on anything stored on your internal hard disk. For this purpose, that normally just means hanging onto cd/dvds or product keys, but the operating system may require you to create recovery disks yourself.1 Don't rely on a recovery partition for this. If you wait until after an infection to ensure you have what you need to re-install, you may find yourself paying for the same software again. With the rise of ransomware, it's also extremely important to take regular backups of your data (plus, you know, regular non-malicious things like hard drive failure).When you suspect you have malware, look to other answers here. There are a lot of good tools suggested. My only issue is the best way to use them: I only rely on them for the detection. Install and run the tool, but as soon as it finds evidence of a real infection (more than just "tracking cookies") just stop the scan: the tool has done its job and confirmed your infection.2At the time of a confirmed infection, take the following steps:Check your credit and bank accounts. By the time you find out about the infection, real damage may have already been done. Take any steps necessary to secure your cards, bank account, and identity.Change passwords at any web site you accessed from the compromised computer. Do not use the compromised computer to do any of this.Take a backup of your data (even better if you already have one).Re-install the operating system using original media obtained directly from the OS publisher. Make sure the re-install includes a complete re-format of your disk; a system restore or system recovery operation is not enough.Re-install your applications.Make sure your operating system and software is fully patched and up to date.Run a complete anti-virus scan to clean the backup from step three.Restore the backup.If done properly, this is likely to take between two and six real hours of your time, spread out over two to three days (or even longer) while you wait for things like apps to install, windows updates to download, or large backup files to transfer... but it's better than finding out later that crooks drained your bank account. Unfortunately, this is something you should do yourself, or a have a techy friend do for you. At a typical consulting rate of around $100/hr, it can be cheaper to buy a new machine than pay a shop to do this. If you have a friend do it for you, do something nice to show your appreciation. Even geeks who love helping you set up new things or fix broken hardware often hate the tedium of clean-up work. It's also best if you take your own backup... your friends aren't going to know where you put what files, or which ones are really important to you. You're in a better position to take a good backup than they are.Soon even all of this may not be enough, as there is now malware capable of infecting firmware. Even replacing the hard drive may not remove the infection, and buying a new computer will be the only option. Thankfully, at the time I'm writing this we're not to that point yet, but the day is definitely approaching fast.If you absolutely insist, beyond all reason, that you really want to clean your existing install rather than start over, then for the love of God make sure whatever method you use involves one of the following two procedures:Remove the hard drive and connect it as a guest disk in a different (clean!) computer to run the scan.ORBoot from a CD/USB key with its own set of tools running its own kernel. Make sure the image for this is obtained and burned on a clean computer. If necessary, have a friend make the disk for you.Under no circumstances should you try to clean an infected operating system using software running as a guest process of the compromised operating system. That's just plain dumb.Of course, the best way to fix an infection is to avoid it in the first place, and there are some things you can do to help with that:Keep your system patched. Make sure you promptly install Windows Updates, Adobe Updates, Java Updates, Apple Updates, etc. This is far more important even than anti-virus software, and for the most part it's not that hard, as long as you keep current. Most of those companies have informally settled on all releasing new patches on the same day each month, so if you keep current it doesn't interrupt you that often. Forced Windows Update reboots typically only happen when you ignore the notices for too long. If this happens to you often, it's on you to change your behavior. These are important, and it's not okay to continually just choose the "install later" option, even if it's easier in the moment.Do not run as administrator by default. In recent versions of Windows, it's as simple as leaving the UAC feature turned on.Use a good firewall tool. These days the default firewall in Windows is actually good enough. You may want to supplement this layer with something like WinPatrol that helps stop malicious activity on the front end. Windows Defender works in this capacity to some extent as well. Basic Ad-Blocker browser plugins are also becoming increasingly useful at this level as a security tool.Set most browser plug-ins (especially Flash and Java) to "Ask to Activate".Run current anti-virus software. This is a distant fifth to the other options, as traditional A/V software often just isn't that effective anymore. It's also important to emphasize the "current". You could have the best antivirus software in the world, but if it's not up to date, you may just as well uninstall it.For this reason, I currently recommend Microsoft Defender. There are likely far better scanning engines out there, but Microsoft Defender is built into Windows and will keep itself up to date via the normal Windows Update mechanism, without ever risking an expired registration. AVG and Avast also work well in this way. I just can't recommend any anti-virus software you have to actually pay for, because it's just far too common a paid subscription lapses and you end up with out-of-date definitions.It's also worth noting here that Mac users now need to run antivirus software, too. The days when they could get away without it are long gone. As an aside, I think it's hilarious I now must recommend Mac users buy anti-virus software, but advise Windows users against it.Avoid torrent sites, warez, pirated software, and pirated movies/videos. This stuff is often injected with malware by the person who cracked or posted it — not always, but often enough to avoid the whole mess. It's part of why a cracker would do this: often they will get a cut of any profits.Use your head when browsing the web. You are the weakest link in the security chain. If something sounds too good to be true, it probably is. The most obvious download button is rarely the one you want to use any more when downloading new software, so make sure to read and understand everything on the web page before you click that link. If you see a pop up or hear an audible message asking you to call Microsoft or install some security tool, it's a fake.Also, prefer to download the software and updates/upgrades directly from vendor or developer rather than third party file hosting websites.1 Microsoft now publishes the Windows 10 install media so you can legally download and write to an 8GB or larger flash drive for free. You still need a valid license, but you don't need a separate recovery disk for the basic operating system any more.2 This is a good time to point out that I have softened my approach somewhat. Today, most "infections" fall under the category of PUPs (Potentially Unwanted Programs) and browser extensions included with other downloads. Often these PUPs/extensions can safely be removed through traditional means, and they are now a large enough percentage of malware that I may stop at this point and simply try the Add/Remove Programs feature or normal browser option to remove an extension. However, at the first sign of something deeper — any hint the software won't just uninstall normally — and it's back to repaving the machine.ShareImprove this answer
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edited Jul 28, 2022 at 20:34
answered Nov 30, 2012 at 15:16Joel CoehoornJoel Coehoorn28k1313 gold badges8686 silver badges132132 bronze badges115This seems to be the wisest, nowadays, indeed. I would add that there is another reason for some malware to be sneaky: they will remain dormant, and use your computer for other activities. Could be proxying, storing things more or less illegal, or be a part of a DDOS attack.
– GnoupiNov 30, 2012 at 15:232@ConradFrix Too soon to say... I haven't needed to do this to a Windows 8 PC yet... but I'm pessimistic because it doesn't result in reformatting the drive. Windows 8 includes several security improvements, including running antivirus software from time 0 as part of the OS, such that I'm hopeful to never need to do this for Windows 8 at all.
– Joel CoehoornNov 30, 2012 at 20:115@DanielRHicks read the full sentence. It's two to six hours of your time, spread over a day or three where you are efficient about kicking something off and checking back later. If you're baby-sitting everything, then yeah: it's gonna take a while.
– Joel CoehoornDec 5, 2012 at 22:212@JoelCoehoorn Is it just me, or malware this advanced would also infect firmware on all kinds of components making any removal effort futile?
– Enis P. AginićOct 6, 2014 at 11:335Please remember that if you take a backup AFTER you discover the infection, it is highly probable that the backup itself is infected. Please scan the backup before attempting a restore.
– Tejas KaleAug 14, 2016 at 8:43 | Show 6 more comments;
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How can I tell if my PC is infected?General symptoms for malware can be anything. The usual are:The machine is slower than normal.Random failures and things happening when they shouldn't (e.g. some new viruses put group policy restrictions on your machine to prevent task manager or other diagnostic programs from running).Task manager shows a high CPU when you think your machine should be idle (e.g. <5%).Adverts popping up at random.Virus warnings popping up from an antivirus you don't remember installing (the antivirus program is a fake and tries to claim you have scary sounding viruses with names like 'bankpasswordstealer.vir'. You're encouraged to pay for this program to clean these).Popups/ fake blue screen of death (BSOD) asking you to call a number to fix the infection.Internet pages redirected or blocked, for example, home pages of AV products or support sites (www.symantec.com, www.avg.com, www.microsoft.com) are redirected to sites filled with adverts, or fake sites promoting bogus anti virus / "helpful" removal tools, or are blocked altogether. Increased startup time, when you have not been installing any applications (or patches)... This one is awkward.Your personal files are encrypted and you see a ransom note.Anything out the blue, if you "know" your system, you typically know when something is very wrong.How do I get rid of this?Using a Live CDSince the infected PC's virus scanner might be compromised, it's probably safer to scan the drive from a Live CD. The CD will boot a specialized operating system on your computer, which will then scan the hard drive.There are, for example, Avira Antivir Rescue System or ubcd4win. More suggestions can be found at FREE Bootable AntiVirus Rescue CDs Download List such as: Kaspersky Rescue CDBitDefender Rescue CDF-Secure Rescue CDAvira Antivir Rescue DiskTrinity Rescue Kit CDAVG Rescue CDConnecting the hard drive to another PCIf you are connecting the infected hard drive to a clean system in order to scan it, make sure that you update the virus definitions for all the products that you will be using to scan the infected drive. Waiting a week to let the antivirus providers release new virus definitions can improve your chances of detecting all the viruses. Make sure your infected system remains disconnected from the internet as soon as you find it is infected. This will prevent it from being able to download new editions of viruses (among other things).Start with a good tool such as Spybot Search and Destroy or Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware and perform a full scan. Also try ComboFix, and SuperAntiSpyware. No single antivirus product will have every virus definition. Using multiple products is key (not for real time protection). If even just one virus remains on the system, it may be able to download and install all the latest editions of new viruses and all the effort so far would have been for nothing.Remove suspicious programs from bootStart up in safe mode.Use msconfig to determine what programs and services start at boot (or startup under task manager in Windows 8).If there are programs/services that are suspicious, remove them from the boot. Else skip to using a live CD.Restart.If the symptoms do not go away and/or the program replaces itself at startup, try using a program called Autoruns to find the program, and remove it from there. If your computer cannot start up, Autoruns has a feature where it can be run from a second PC called "Analyse offline PC". Pay especially close attention to the Logon and Scheduled tasks tabs.If there is still no success in removing the program, and you are sure that it is the cause of your problems, boot into regular mode, and install a tool called UnlockerNavigate to the location of the file that is that virus, and attempt to use unlocker to kill it. A few things may happen:The file is deleted, and does not reappear on restart. This is the best case.The file is deleted, but immediately reappears. In this case, use a program called Process Monitor to find out the program that re-created the file. You will need to delete that program as well.The file cannot be deleted, unlocker will prompt you to delete it on reboot. Do that, and see if it reappears. If it does, you must have a program in boot that causes that to happen, and re-examine the list of programs that run in boot.What to do after restoringNow it should be safe (hopefully) to boot into your (previously) infected system. Still, keep your eyes open for signs of infection. A virus can leave changes on a computer that would make it easier to re-infect even after the virus has been removed. For example, if a virus changed DNS or proxy settings, your computer would redirect you to fake versions of legitimate websites, so that downloading what appears to be a well-known and trusted program could actually be downloading a virus. They could also get your passwords by redirecting you to fake bank account sites or fake email sites. Be sure to check your DNS and proxy settings. In most cases, your DNS should be provided by your ISP or automatically acquired by DHCP. Your proxy settings should be disabled. Check your hosts file (\%systemroot%\system32\drivers\etc\hosts) for any suspicious entries and remove them immediately. Also make sure your firewall is enabled and that you have all the latest Windows updates.Next, protect your system with a good antivirus and supplement it with an Anti malware product. Microsoft Security Essentials is often recommended along with other products.What to do if everything failsIt should be noted that some malware is very good at avoiding scanners. It's possible that once you are infected, it can install rootkits or similar to stay invisible. If things are really bad, the only option is to wipe the disk and reinstall the operating system from scratch. Sometimes a scan using GMER or Kaspersky's TDSS Killer can show you if you have a rootkit.You may want to do a few runs of Spybot Search and Destroy. If after three runs it is unable to remove an infestation (and you fail to do it manually) consider a re-install.Another suggestion: Combofix is a very powerful removal tool when rootkits prevent other things from running or installing. Using multiple scan engines can certainly help to find malwares best hidden, but it's a fastidious task and a good backup/restore strategy will be more efficient and secure.Bonus: There is an interesting video series beginning with, "Understanding and Fighting Malware: Viruses, Spyware" with Mark Russinovich, the creator of Sysinternals ProcessExplorer & Autoruns, about malware cleaning.ShareImprove this answer
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edited Jul 31, 2018 at 9:18
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25 revs, 21 users 27%William Hilsum1175Wiping the drive is often the quickest and safest route as is being suggested all over this site as the "best answer"
– Ivo FlipseJan 25, 2010 at 18:052From my experience I would not trust spybot as my first choice. Avira, Kaspersky Virus Removal Tool & AVG are good free choice according AV-comparative av-comparatives.org & AV-Test.org: blogs.pcmag.com/securitywatch/2009/12/…
– fluxtenduFeb 20, 2010 at 20:2818One suggestion is that many of these malware programs do steal passwords and bank data, so it's not a bad idea to disconnect from the internet once you do become suspicious of an infection. It very well may be too late, but there's a chance you'll limit data leaks, or prevent the malware from updating itself, until such time as you are successful in your cleaning.
– emgeeApr 15, 2011 at 21:265@emgee Good rule of thumb on data exfiltration: when in doubt, pull it out (the ethernet plug)
– Nate KoppenhaverAug 4, 2011 at 17:176Combofix.org is not the official download location of Combofix, and is not authorized or recommended by Combofix's author. The official download is here.
– Andrew LambertDec 14, 2011 at 19:13 | Show 6 more comments;
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There are some great malware-fighting tips in Jeff Atwood's "How to Clean Up a Windows Spyware Infestation". Here's the basic process (be sure to read through the blog post for screenshots and other details that this summary glosses over):Stop any spyware currently running. Windows' builtin Task Manager won't cut it; get Sysinternals Process Explorer.Run Process Explorer.Sort the process list by Company Name.Kill any processes that don't have a Company Name (excluding DPCs, Interrupts, System, and System Idle Process), or that have Company Names that you don't recognize.Stop the spyware from restarting the next time the system is booted. Again, Windows' builtin tool, MSconfig, is a partial solution, but Sysinternals AutoRuns is the tool to use.Run AutoRuns.Go through the entire list. Uncheck suspicious entries -- those with blank Publisher names or any Publisher name you don't recognize.Now reboot.After rebooting, recheck with Process Explorer and AutoRuns. If something "comes back", you'll have to dig deeper.In Jeff's example, one something that came back was a suspicious driver entry in AutoRuns. He talks through tracking down the process that loaded it in Process Explorer, closing the handle, and physically deleting the rogue driver.He also found an oddly-named DLL file hooking into the Winlogon process, and demonstrates finding and killing the process threads loading that DLL so that AutoRuns can finally remove the entries.ShareImprove this answer
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edited Jul 31, 2018 at 9:20
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5 revs, 4 users 84%quack quixote23Also, Trend Micro HijackThis is a free utility that generates an in depth report of registry and file settings from your computer. I will warn this finds good and bad stuff, and makes no distinction, but Google is our friend if we're suspicious.
– Umber FerruleJun 24, 2011 at 20:331Autoruns is fantastic, but the suggestion to rely on the Publisher may not be useful. This stackoverflow question shows how the version information can be easily modified (and therefore spoofed) [stackoverflow.com/questions/284258/…. I tried this on a Java DLL and Autoruns showed the publisher incorrectly.
– AlainDFeb 2, 2016 at 15:50Add a comment | ;
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My way of removing malware is effective and I have never seen it fail:Download Autoruns and if you still run 32-bit download a rootkit scanner.Boot into Safe Mode and start Autoruns if you are able to, then go to step 5.If you can't get into Safe Mode, connect the disk to another computer.Start Autoruns on that computer, go to File -> Analyze Offline System and fill it in.Wait for the scan to be done.In the Options menu, select everything.Let it scan again by pressing F5. This will go quick as things are cached.Go through the list and uncheck anything that is conspicious or does not have a verified company.Optional: Run the rootkit scanner.Let a top virus scanner remove any files that were left.Optional: Run anti-malware and anti-spyware scanners to get rid of junk.Optional: Run tools like HijackThis/OTL/ComboFix to get rid of junk.Reboot and enjoy your clean system.Optional: Run the rootkit scanner again.Make sure your computer is sufficiently protected!Some remarks:Autoruns is written by Microsoft and thus shows any locations of things that automatically start...Once software is unchecked from Autoruns, it will not start and can't prevent you from removing it...There do not exist rootkits for 64-bit operating systems because they would need to be signed...It is effective because it will disable malware/spyware/viruses from starting,you are free to run optional tools to clean out any junk that was left on your system.ShareImprove this answer
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edited Jul 31, 2018 at 9:20
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3 revs, 2 users 98%Tom Wijsman1I have infected 64-bit Windows 7, with a virus, not letting to run antiviruses and system utils, and Autoruns still didn't help. I did a question about this. superuser.com/questions/1444463/… . I believe a to tool should be run at system boot to control OS behavior.
– WebComerJul 4, 2019 at 9:20Add a comment | ;
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Follow the order given below to disinfect your PCOn a PC that is not infected, make a boot AV disc then boot from the disc on the Infected PC and scan the hard drive, remove any infections it finds. I prefer the Windows Defender Offline boot CD/USB because it can remove boot sector viruses, see "Note" below.Or, you can try out some other AV Boot discs.After you have scanned and removed malware using the boot disc, Install free MBAM, run the program and go to the Update tab and update it, then go to the Scanner Tab and do a quick scan, select and remove anything it finds.When MBAM is done install SAS free version, run a quick scan, remove what it automatically selects.If windows system files were infected you may need to run SFC to replace the files, you may have to do this offline if it will not boot due to the removal of the infected system files. I recommend you run SFC after any infection removal is done.In some instances you may have to run a startup repair (Windows Vista and Windows7 only) to get it booting properly again. In extreme cases 3 startup repairs in a row may be needed.MBAM and SAS are not AV softwares like Norton, they are on demand scanners that only scan for nasties when you run the program and will not interfere with your installed AV, these can be run once a day or week to ensure you are not infected. Be sure you update them before each daily-weekly scan.Note: that the Windows Defender Offline product is very good at removing persistent MBR infections which are common these days..For Advanced Users:If you have a single infection that represents itself as software, ie "System Fix" "AV Security 2012" etc, see this page for specific removal guides.ShareImprove this answer
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edited Nov 9, 2012 at 4:29
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14 revs, 2 users 83%Moab53Having a second pc dedicated to virus scanning is probably the best solution, as you don't rely on the infected drive for your system. However, besides computer support firms, I doubt many people have such ready solution.
– GnoupiJun 28, 2010 at 8:422If no dedicated PC is available, a similar procedure can be carried out by booting the system with a live CD
– Ophir YoktanMar 18, 2011 at 19:28@Ophir: Live CD?
– user46959Jun 20, 2011 at 21:021for example: http://distro.ibiblio.org/tinycorelinux/welcome.html
– Ophir YoktanJun 20, 2011 at 21:21Just as a note the Microsoft Standalone System Sweeper is just the old name of Windows Defender Offline, in case someone found that too.
– Scott ChamberlainMar 16, 2012 at 18:04Add a comment | ;
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If you notice any of the symptoms then one thing to check is the DNS settings on your network connection.If these have been changed either from "Obtain DNS server address automatically" or to a different server from the one it should be, then that's a good sign that you have an infection. This will be the cause of the redirects away from anti-malware sites, or a complete failure to reach the site at all.It's probably a good idea to take a note of your DNS settings before an infection occurs so you know what they should be. Also the details will be available on the help pages of your ISP's web site.If you don't have a note of the DNS servers and can't find the information on your ISP site then using the Google DNS servers is a good alternative. They can be found at 8.8.8.8 and 8.8.4.4 for the primary and secondary servers respectively.While resetting the DNS won't fix the problem it will allow you to a) reach the anti-malware sites to get the software you need to clean the PC and b) spot if the infection recurs as the DNS settings will change again.ShareImprove this answer
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edited Mar 15, 2017 at 10:35
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2 revsChrisF0Add a comment | ;
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RansomwareA newer, particularly horrible form of malware is ransomware. This kind of program, usually delivered with a Trojan (e.g. an e-mail attachment) or a browser exploit, goes through your computer's files, encrypts them (rendering them completely unrecognizable and unusable), and demands a ransom to return them to a usable state.Ransomware generally uses asymmetric-key cryptography, which involves two keys: the public key and the private key. When you get hit by ransomware, the malicious program running on your computer connects to the bad guys' server (the command-and-control, or C&C), which generates both keys. It only sends the public key to the malware on your computer, since that's all it needs to encrypt the files. Unfortunately, the files can only be decrypted with the private key, which never even comes into your computer's memory if the ransomware is well-written. The bad guys usually state that they will give you the private key (thereby letting you decrypt your files) if you pay up, but of course you have to trust them to do so.What you can doThe best option is to reinstall the OS (to remove every trace of malware) and restore your personal files from backups you made earlier. If you don't have backups now, this will be more challenging. Make a habit of backing up important files.Paying up will probably let you recover your files, but please don't. Doing so supports their business model. Also, I say "probably let you recover" because I know of at least two strains that are so poorly written that they irreparably mangle your files; even the corresponding decryption program doesn't actually work.AlternativesFortunately, there's a third option. Many ransomware developers have made mistakes that let the good security professionals develop processes that undo the damage. The process for doing that depends entirely on the strain of ransomware, and that list is constantly changing. Some wonderful people have put together a big list of ransomware variants, including the extensions applied to the locked files and the ransom note name, which can help you identify which version you have. For quite a few strains, that list also has a link to a free decryptor! Follow the appropriate instructions (links are in the Decryptor column) to recover your files. Before you begin, use the other answers to this question to make sure the ransomware program is removed from your computer.If you can't identify what you got hit with from only the extensions and ransom note name, try searching the Internet for a few distinctive phrases from the ransom note. Spelling or grammar mistakes are usually fairly unique, and you'll likely come upon a forum thread that identifies the ransomware.If your version isn't yet known, or doesn't have a free way to decrypt the files, don't give up hope! Security researchers are working on undoing ransomware and law enforcement is pursuing the developers. It's possible that a decryptor will eventually appear. If the ransom is time-limited, it's conceivable that your files will still be recoverable when the fix is developed. Even if not, please don't pay unless you absolutely have to. While you're waiting, make sure your computer is free of malware, again using the other answers to this question. Consider backing up the encrypted versions of your files to keep them safe until the fix comes out.Once you recover as much as possible (and make backups of it to external media!), strongly consider installing the OS from scratch. Again, that will blow away any malware that lodged itself deep inside the system.Additional variant-specific tipsSome ransomware-variant-specific tips that aren't yet in the big spreadsheet:If the decryption tool for LeChiffre doesn't work, you can recover all but the first and last 8KB of each file's data using a hex editor. Jump to address 0x2000 and copy out all but the last 0x2000 bytes. Small files will be completely wrecked, but with some fiddling you might be able to get something helpful out of larger ones.If you've been hit with WannaCrypt and you're running Windows XP, haven't rebooted since the infection, and are lucky, you might be able to extract the private key with Wannakey.Bitdefender has a number of free tools to help identify the variant and to decrypt some specific variants.(others will be added as they are discovered)ConclusionRansomware is nasty, and the sad reality is that it's not always possible to recover from it. To keep yourself safe in the future: Keep your operating system, web browser, and antivirus up to dateDo not open e-mail attachments you weren't expecting, especially if you don't know the senderAvoid sketchy web sites (i.e. those featuring illegal or ethically dubious content)Make sure your account only has access to documents you personally need to work withAlways have working backups on external media (not connected to your computer)!ShareImprove this answer
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edited Oct 26, 2018 at 23:55
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5 revs, 3 users 97%Ben N4There are a few programs now available that supposedly protect you against ransomware, for example: winpatrol.com/WinAntiRansom (a commercial program). I've never used this because I'm no longer on Windows, but that company's WinPatrol product is one I used for years and have frequently recommended. A few of the antivirus developers have anti-ransomware tools available, sometimes as a higher-cost option.
– fixer1234Sep 13, 2016 at 22:37For information specifically about removing Petya ransomware, also see this question and answer: superuser.com/questions/1063695/…
– fixer1234Sep 14, 2016 at 1:322I'd add another thing to the list of advice in the conclusion: Avoid visiting sites that promote illegal or amoral behavior, such as media and software piracy; content that is outlawed in most parts of the world; etc. These sites often contract with the least reputable advertising vendors, who make no real effort to filter the content of their "ads" at all, making it easy for criminals to inject your webpage with content that delivers malware or attempts to exploit your browser to gain access to your system. Sometimes even a good adblocker will miss this stuff.
– allquixoticSep 14, 2016 at 17:50@allquicatic I added a bullet point in that vein. Let me know if anything else can be expanded. Thanks!
– Ben NSep 14, 2016 at 18:18Add a comment | ;
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There is a wide variety of malware. Some of it is trivial to find and remove. Some of it is trickier. Some of it is really difficult to find, and very hard to remove.But even if you have a mild malware you should strongly consider reformating and reinstalling the OS. This is because your security has already failed, and if it failed for a simple malware maybe you're already infected with a vicious malware.People working with sensitive data or inside networks where sensitive data is held should strongly consider wipe and re-install. People whose time is valuable should strongly consider wipe and re-install (it's quickest and easiest and surest method). People who are not comfortable with advanced tools should strongly consider wipe and re-install.But people who have the time, and enjoy noodling around, can try methods listed in other posts.ShareImprove this answer
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answered Oct 4, 2011 at 19:08
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DanBeale
13Correct. This stuff is designed to go around security and cleaning and mundane OS use. Don't take part in an arms race. Zero tolerance is the only policy.
– XTLMar 7, 2012 at 12:59Add a comment | ;
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The possible solutions for a virus infection are in order: (1) antivirus scans, (2) system repair, (3) total reinstall.Make first sure that all your data is backed up.Load and install some antiviruses, make sure they are up to date, and scan deeply your hard disk. I recommend using at least Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware. I also like Avast.If that doesn't work for any reason, you may use a rescue live-CD virus scanner : I like best Avira AntiVir Rescue System because it gets updated several times a day and so the download CD is up-to-date. As a boot CD it's autonomous and doesn't work using your Windows system.If no virus is found, use "sfc /scannow" to repair important Windows files.See this article.If that also doesn't work, you should Perform a Repair Installation.If nothing works, you should format the hard disk and reinstall Windows.ShareImprove this answer
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answered Feb 8, 2010 at 18:10
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harrymc
12When infected with a recent virus/trojan I used Knoppix on a USB stick, ran apt-get wine, installed Dr Web Cure-It in my wine session, and ran that to clean my infection. I had to do it this way because my laptop wouldn't boot some of the other live-CD alternatives.
– PP.Feb 24, 2010 at 17:15Add a comment | ;
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Another tool I would like to add to the discussion is the Microsoft Safety Scanner. It was just released a few months ago. It is a bit like the Malicious Software Removal Tool, but designed for offline use. It will have the latest definitions as of the moment you download it and will only be useable for 10 days as it will consider its definitions file "too old to use". Download it with another computer and run this in safe mode. It works pretty well.ShareImprove this answer
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edited Aug 22, 2011 at 12:40
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2 revs, 2 users 73%Scott ChamberlainAdd a comment | ;
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A bit of theory first: please realize that there is no substitute for understanding. The ultimate antivirus is to understand what you are doing and generally what is going on with your system, with your own mind and in the so-called reality. No amount of software or hardware will fully protect you from yourself and from your own actions which in most cases is how the malware gets into a system in the first place.Most modern "production level" malware, adware and spyware rely on various "social engineering" tricks to fool you into installing "useful" apps, add-ons, browser toolbars, 'virus scanners' or clicking big green Download buttons which will install malware on your machine.Even an installer for a supposedly trusted app, such as e.g. uTorrent, would install by default adware and possibly spyware if you simply click the Next button, and don't take the time to read what all the checkboxes mean.The best way to fight the social engineering tricks that hackers use is reverse social engineering - if you master this technique you will manage to avoid most types of threats and keep your system clean and healthy even without an antivirus or firewall.If you have noticed signs of malicious/unsolicited life forms inhabiting your system the only clean solution would be to fully reformat and reinstall your system. Make a backup as described in other answers here, quick format the discs and reinstall your system, or, even better, move the useful data to some external storage, and re-image the system partition from a clean partition dump you have made earlier.Some computers have a BIOS option to revert the system to the original factory settings. Even if this might seem a bit of an overkill, it will never hurt and, more importantly, this will solve all the other eventual issues, whether you are aware of them or not, without having to handle each issue one by one.The best way to 'fix' a compromised system is to not fix it at all, but instead revert to a known 'good' snapshot using some kind of partition imaging software, such as Paragon Disk Manager, Paragon HDD Manager, Acronys Disk Manager, or e.g. dd if you made the backup from Linux.ShareImprove this answer
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edited Jul 25, 2015 at 4:30
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5 revs, 2 users 98%ccpizzaAdd a comment | ;
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With Reference to William Hilsum "How Do I Get Rid Of This: Using A Live CD" above:A virus won't be able to run in a live CD environment, so you can make temporary use of your computer without fear of further infection. Best of all you can access all your files. On June 20th 2011 Justin Pot wrote a booklet entitled "50 Cool Uses for Live CDs". The beginning of the booklet explains how to boot from CD, Flash Drive or SD Card, and pages 19-20 explain about scanning with different "antimalwares" some that were already mentioned. The advice given is invaluable for this scenario, and is explained in easy to understand English. Of course the rest of the booklet is invaluable for your other computing needs. (the link to the download (in PDF format) is provided from the link below. Always remember to be sensible when using the internet, don't be tempted to stray to "places" where malware is very likely to be lurking, and you should be fine. Any Antivirus, Internet Security Suites etc that you maybe using should have the latest updates, and whichever OS you maybe using should also be kept up to date.http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/download-50-cool-live-cds/ Once you have clicked on or copied and pasted the above link, please then click onDOWNLOAD 50 Cool Uses for Live CDs (written in blue)Please Note I tried to write this in the comments section, but couldn't fit it in. So I have given it in an official answer, as it is invaluable.ShareImprove this answer
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edited Jun 20, 2017 at 13:56
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4 revs, 2 users 83%Simon1I should disagree: IMHO if a virus is present in one file on the HDD even if the system starts Clean from the livecd it's always possible to execute the malicious code when you execute the infected file. If not detected or stopped it can even spread on other files or devices.
– HasturFeb 13, 2015 at 12:27Add a comment | ;
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Two important points:Don't get infected in the first place. Use a good firewall and antivirus, and practice "safe computing" -- stay away from questionable sites and avoid downloading stuff when you don't know where it's coming from.Be aware that many sites on the web will tell you you're "infected" when you aren't -- they want to trick you into buying their junky anti-spyware, or, worse, they want you do download stuff that is, in fact, spyware disguised as a "free antispyware application". Similarly, be aware that many on this site, mostly out of stupidity, will diagnose any "odd" error, particularly the sort of registry corruption that Windows is famous for, as signs of spyware.ShareImprove this answer
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answered Dec 5, 2012 at 21:39
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Daniel R Hicks
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As suggested before in this topic, if you ARE SURE you are infected, use a linux live CD to boot your computer and immediately backup all your sensitive data.It is also a good practice to have your sensitive files stored in a hard drive different from your OS boot drive. this way you can safely format the infected system and run a comprehensive scan on your sensitive data just to be on the safe side.As a matter of fact, there is no best solution than to format the system partition to make sure you run a virus and malware free environment. Even if you run a good tool (and no doubt there are many out there), there are always leftovers left behind and your system may seem clean at the moment, but it surely becomes a time-bomb awaiting to explode later.ShareImprove this answer
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answered Jan 13, 2013 at 21:07
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Lorenzo Von Matterhorn
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On December 8th 2012. Remove-Malware released a video tutorial entitled "Remove Malware Free 2013 Edition" together with a complementary Guide outlining how to get rid of malware from your infected PC for free.They outlineBackup – How to backup up your important personal documents just in-case your PC become inaccessible.Gathering the needed software for this guide.Bootable Antivirus – Why bootable antivirus is the best way to remove malware.Bootable Antivirus Disc – How to create a bootable antivirus disc.Bootable Antivirus Disc – How to scan your PC with a bootable antivirus disc.Cleanup – Round up the remnants and remove them.Prevent it from happening againThe Video Tutorial is over 1 hour long in duration and together with the written guide is an excellent resource.The video tutorial:linkWritten Guide:linkUpdate:A very informative article written today 1st February 2013 by J. Brodkin entitled "Viruses, Trojans, and worms, oh my: The basics on malwareMobile malware may be trendy, but PC malware is still the big problem." from arstechnica.com highlights the continual problem of malware & different types of malware with explanations of each, highlighting:BackdoorsRemote Access TrojansInformation stealersRansomwareThe article also highlights the spreading of malware, botnet operation and businesses under attack.ShareImprove this answer
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edited Oct 22, 2013 at 18:08
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4 revs, 2 users 83%SimonAdd a comment | ;
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SHORT ANSWER:Backup all your files.Format your system partition.Reinstall Windows.Install antivirus.Update your windows.Scan your backup with antivirus before starting to use it.Today you can never be sure that you've completely removed an infestation, except if you wipe your drive and start over.ShareImprove this answer
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edited Jul 18, 2018 at 14:00
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2 revs, 2 users 94%svin83Add a comment | ;
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I do not think that AV programs such as MSE, MCAfee, Norton, Kaspersky, etc. can protect you 100% because their definition files always come after the fact - after the malware is already out there on the web and can have done a lot of damage. And many of those do not protect you against PUPs and Adware.I also do not think that the scanners like Malwarbytes, Superantispyware, Bitdefender scanner and others can help a lot when the malware has already damaged your system. If you have enough scanners, you will be able to remove the malware but you will not be able to repair the damage that this malware has done.I therefore have developed a two layer strategy:I make weekly images (I use free Macrium) of my system partition and my data partition to two external disks that are only connected during the imaging. Thus no malware can get to them. Should something not work in my system, I can always restore the latest image. I usually keep half a dozen full images in case I have to go back further than last week. In addition I have system restore enabled in my OS so that I can quickly set back in case of a faulty update. But system images (shadows) are not very reliable because they can disappear for various reasons. Relying on system images alone does not suffice.Most of my internet work I do from a virtual Linux partition. Linux itself is not the target of malware and Windows malware cannot effect Linux. With that system I doall my downloads and checking them with Virus Total before I move them to the Windows system. Virus Total runs the file thru 60 of the best known AV programs and if it comes out clean, chances are very high that it is clean.all internet access to websites where I am not 100% certain that they are clean - like e.g. this website here.all my mail. That is the advantage of Gmail and AOL. I can check my mail with my browser. Here I can open any piece of mail without being afraid to get a virus. And attachments I run thru Virus Total.all my on-line banking. Linux provides me with an extra layer of securityWith this approach I have not seen any malware in years. If you like to try a virtual Linux partition, here is how.ShareImprove this answer
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edited Mar 23, 2015 at 22:09
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3 revs, 2 users 92%whs3In what way is this an answer to "What should I do if my Windows computer seems to be infected with a virus or malware?"
– Andrew MortonMar 23, 2015 at 21:59@whs: Andrew Morton is right about this not being an answer to this question, but it is a great answer to a different question, and it would be a real shame if it gets downvoted for being in the wrong place. Ask a new question, like, "How can I avoid getting malware infections beyond just running an A/V program and avoiding shady web sites", and post this answer there.
– fixer1234Mar 23, 2015 at 22:17I know this is an old answer, but I have to add my 2 cents. Linux is not immune to all malware. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Linux_malware Also, constantly making backups of a personal computer in not within the purview of 99% of the average users.
– computercarguyJan 11, 2018 at 22:06Add a comment | ;
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The problem with scanning malware externally or with a live CD is that many of these nasty pieces of software hook into memory processes, drivers and much more. If the PC's operating system is not loaded neither are they which makes for a frustrating removal process. ALWAYS scan for malware while the infected OS is booted.With that said, load up Windows with a copy of RKILL on a USB drive. Running this utility kills any malware process chugging away in the background, allowing you to do move forward with the removal. It is VERY effective. I have yet to run into a situation where the program has failed its job and I'm surprised at how many techs have never heard of it.Next I choose to scan with either Malware bytes or ComboFix. The nice perk about these scanners is rather than utilizing virus definitions, they locate malware relentlessly based on behavior - a very effective technique. A word of warning though - they are also much more dangerous and can REALLY wreck some serious shop on your OS. Make sure you have a backup.90 percent of the time the above process works for me and I remove a TON of these things on the daily. If your extra paranoid, running a scan with something like AVG, SuperAntiSpyware or Microsoft Security Essentials may not be a bad idea. Although I haven't seen these programs detect much more than the harmless tracker cookie, some people swear by them. Give yourself the peace of mind and do it if you must.ShareImprove this answer
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answered Oct 14, 2012 at 4:13
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211ALWAYS scan for malware while the infected OS is booted...that's kinda like saying Always fight the enemy while they're paying attention. If your malware scanner can't find the malicious code while it's at rest in a file, it doesn't stand a chance against the code while it's in memory able to perform it's voodoo cloaking stunts.
– I say Reinstate MonicaNov 1, 2014 at 1:361So you want to load the OS, so that the malicious processes are running, and THEN you want to kill the processes so you can remove them? That's just backwards in my opinion.
– svin83Dec 3, 2015 at 11:12Add a comment | |
How to install TP-Link TL-WN722N USB Wireless Adapter on Debian Wheezy armhf? | wireless-networking;debian-wheezy;wireless-networking;debian-wheezy | How to install TP-Link TL-WN722N USB Wireless Adapter on Debian Wheezy armhf?
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This is a long shot, to a quite old question that I hope you've found the answer for...I did the following to get it working on my system, also Wheezy.Added the non-free packages to /etc/apt/sources.listapt-get updateapt-get install firmware-atherosrebootAnd it showed up in iw list :)HTHs someone!ShareImprove this answer
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answered Oct 8, 2015 at 9:00geekscrapgeekscrap16611 silver badge22 bronze badges2I already resolved my problem. For my case installing the firmware simply wasn't enough, so I also have to install ath9k_htc driver. I put some thorough explanation in udoo.org/forum/threads/… that link is for embedded board but the same principle apply for any Wheezy system. Thanks for answering, I'll mark your answer as accepted.
– Raymond LagondaNov 29, 2016 at 10:07Hi, will this work on TL-WN823N?
– Bertram GilfoyleFeb 25, 2019 at 20:19Add a comment | |
Ubuntu: secure a folder & contents ? | ubuntu;permissions;root;ubuntu;permissions;root | Ubuntu: secure a folder & contents ?
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you can use sudo to let users use apt-get, but if the folder is owned by root and set to 700, and the users are not in the wheel group, they should not be able to access it in any way.visudo you can explicit grant the command /usr/bin/apt-get to the user(s) or group(s)userA ALL=(ALL) /usr/bin/apt-getor%groupA ALL=(ALL) /usr/bin/apt-getthen, this is all you need:chmod 700 secret_folder; chown root:root secret_folerShareImprove this answer
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answered Nov 6, 2014 at 14:29johnshen64johnshen644,5731616 silver badges1111 bronze badges1Wow, quick response & absolutely what I was looking for!
– Ross The BossNov 6, 2014 at 14:37Add a comment | ;
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You can stop access to a folder by clearing execute permission, but this won't hide it. To hide it you would need to enclose in another inaccessible folder, called something innocuous like /.system.Logged in as root do the following:-mkdir /.systemmkdir /.system/SecretFolderchmod 700 /.systemIf you make sure apt-get is owned by root and do:-chmod a+s `which apt-get`This gives users root access while running apt-get without needing to give them access to sudo.ShareImprove this answer
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answered Nov 6, 2014 at 14:46AFHAFH17k33 gold badges3030 silver badges4848 bronze badges4If you give everyone root access while running apt-get, what stops them from apt-get 'ing a program that changes permissions on that folder... ?
– Ross The BossNov 6, 2014 at 14:55Any such program would work only if it broke the security system, and I would not expect apt-get to have such a program available, and I am not sure it's even possible without cracking the root password.
– AFHNov 6, 2014 at 18:03This solution will give E: Unable to write to /var/cache/apt/ E: The package lists or status file could not be parsed or opened. though ... not sure why.
– Ross The BossNov 7, 2014 at 16:02Sorry about that. I checked that set user ID works with an editor, and I could edit files in root directories, and perform commands requiring root privileges. I could run sh and get root privileges, but running bash got me original owner privileges. I can only surmise that apt-get calls bash scripts to do some of its work.
– AFHNov 7, 2014 at 17:46Add a comment | ;
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Okay, neither solution is completely correct. But... for future reference where is what works & why: sudo visudo# ... then put this at the end of the fileusername ALL = NOPASSWD: /usr/bin/apt-getmy experience was if you do this with the other combos of (ALL), other files seem to be lockedSecret Foldersumkdir .some_other_foldercd .some_other_foldermkdir secret_foldercd ../chmod -R 700 .some_other_folderchown -R root:root .some_other_folderFinal result : .some_other_folder/secret_folderthis works because ls will not even show .some_other_folder, but even if they do use something like ls -las , cd .some_other_folder is denied. Hope that helps somebody. ShareImprove this answer
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answered Nov 7, 2014 at 16:34Ross The BossRoss The Boss10133 bronze badgesAdd a comment | |
Can My ISP's Assigning me a New IP Explain Poor Performance on my Home Network? | router;performance;home-networking;dhcp;isp;router;performance;home-networking;dhcp;isp | Can My ISP's Assigning me a New IP Explain Poor Performance on my Home Network?
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No, but there can be numerous causes for low transfer rates on your local network. In many cases, the router is at fault and if so, rebooting it may (temporarily) solve the problem. The assignment of a new IP address is an unrelated side-effect of rebooting.ShareImprove this answer
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answered Nov 6, 2014 at 14:01Marcks ThomasMarcks Thomas6,23222 gold badges2121 silver badges3737 bronze badgesAdd a comment | |
How to protect my files on external harddisk from being deleted [duplicate] | hard-drive;external-hard-drive;file-permissions;hard-drive;external-hard-drive;file-permissions | How to protect my files on external harddisk from being deleted [duplicate]
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This can't be done if you give the HDD away. Physical access to the device implies write access. ShareImprove this answer
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answered Nov 6, 2014 at 13:52Marcks ThomasMarcks Thomas6,23222 gold badges2121 silver badges3737 bronze badgesAdd a comment | ;
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Sorry, but encryption is the only way. Dropbox sharing is a good idea for this sort of thing if you don't end up filling your drive though. On the other hand, password-locked zip documents are a possibility... But deleting it is still possible.ShareImprove this answer
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answered Nov 6, 2014 at 14:49Vector LightningVector Lightning13111 gold badge22 silver badges55 bronze badgesAdd a comment | ;
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If you give him physical access then only solution against deletion is always having a backup at all times.ShareImprove this answer
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answered Nov 16, 2014 at 22:10LukeLuke79022 gold badges66 silver badges1818 bronze badgesAdd a comment | |
chrome extension to control brightness on any website [closed] | google-chrome-extensions;brightness;google-chrome-extensions;brightness | chrome extension to control brightness on any website [closed]
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Have a look to this extension, Sunglasses:https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/sunglasses/elcjekocfhomlfniihikpmbbgjdbgcooShareImprove this answer
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answered Nov 6, 2014 at 13:39neoDevneoDev1,13455 gold badges1414 silver badges2121 bronze badgesAdd a comment | |
How can we add imported Developer certificates in Mac can be added to key chain | macos;code-signing;macos;code-signing | How can we add imported Developer certificates in Mac can be added to key chain
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Today i had the same issue, I solved as reported here: link to macrumorsThe issue is:The certificate has a key length of 8192 bits, signature algorithm of SHA256RSA.Mac OS won't import CA certs with this lenght, so:sudo defaults write /Library/Preferences/com.apple.security RSAMaxKeySize -int 8192and after a reboot I was able to import it.ShareImprove this answer
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answered Jul 23, 2015 at 9:07MiPnamicMiPnamic15877 bronze badgesAdd a comment | |
After Installation of Visual studio 2013 on Windows 8 [closed] | windows-7;windows;networking;windows-8;partitioning;windows-7;windows;networking;windows-8;partitioning | After Installation of Visual studio 2013 on Windows 8 [closed]
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Please try disabling the "Hardware Graphics Acceleration" in Visual Studio. Please follow the below steps and check the outcome. Tools > Options > Environment > General > deselect the "Automatically adjust visual experience based on client performance", "Use hardware graphics acceleration if available" and "Enable rich client visual experience" options. Hope this helps.ShareImprove this answer
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answered Nov 6, 2014 at 13:15vembutechvembutech6,18211 gold badge1919 silver badges2121 bronze badges1How would this option cause his computer to boot slower than normal?
– RamhoundNov 6, 2014 at 14:53Add a comment | |
How can I remove malicious spyware, malware, adware, viruses, trojans or rootkits from my PC? | windows;anti-virus;virus;malware;community-faq;windows;anti-virus;virus;malware;community-faq | How can I remove malicious spyware, malware, adware, viruses, trojans or rootkits from my PC?
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Here's the thing: Malware in recent years has become both sneakier and nastier:Sneakier, not only because it's better at hiding with rootkits or EEPROM hacks, but also because it travels in packs. Subtle malware can hide behind more obvious infections. There are lots of good tools listed in answers here that can find 99% of malware, but there's always that 1% they can't find yet. Mostly, that 1% is stuff that is new: the malware tools can't find it because it just came out and is using some new exploit or technique to hide itself that the tools don't know about yet.Malware also has a short shelf-life. If you're infected, something from that new 1% is very likely to be one part of your infection. It won't be the whole infection: just a part of it. Security tools will help you find and remove the more obvious and well-known malware, and most likely remove all of the visible symptoms (because you can keep digging until you get that far), but they can leave little pieces behind, like a keylogger or rootkit hiding behind some new exploit that the security tool doesn't yet know how to check. The anti-malware tools still have their place, but I'll get to that later.Nastier, in that it won't just show ads, install a toolbar, or use your computer as a zombie anymore. Modern malware is likely to go right for the banking or credit card information. The people building this stuff are no longer just script kiddies looking for fame; they are now organized professionals motivated by profit, and if they can't steal from you directly, they'll look for something they can turn around and sell. This might be processing or network resources in your computer, but it might also be your social security number or encrypting your files and holding them for ransom.Put these two factors together, and it's no longer worthwhile to even attempt to remove malware from an installed operating system. I used to be very good at removing this stuff, to the point where I made a significant part of my living that way, and I no longer even make the attempt. I'm not saying it can't be done, but I am saying that the cost/benefit and risk analysis results have changed: it's just not worth it anymore. There's too much at stake, and it's too easy to get results that only seem to be effective.Lots of people will disagree with me on this, but I challenge they are not weighing consequences of failure strongly enough. Are you willing to wager your life savings, your good credit, even your identity, that you're better at this than crooks who make millions doing it every day? If you try to remove malware and then keep running the old system, that's exactly what you're doing.I know there are people out there reading this thinking, "Hey, I've removed several infections from various machines and nothing bad ever happened." Me too, friend. Me too. In days past I have cleaned my share of infected systems. Nevertheless, I suggest we now need to add "yet" to the end of that statement. You might be 99% effective, but you only have to be wrong one time, and the consequences of failure are much higher than they once were; the cost of just one failure can easily outweigh all of the other successes. You might even have a machine already out there that still has a ticking time bomb inside, just waiting to be activated or to collect the right information before reporting it back. Even if you have a 100% effective process now, this stuff changes all the time. Remember: you have to be perfect every time; the bad guys only have to get lucky once.In summary, it's unfortunate, but if you have a confirmed malware infection, a complete re-pave of the computer should be the first place you turn instead of the last.Here's how to accomplish that:Before you're infected, make sure you have a way to re-install any purchased software, including the operating system, that does not depend on anything stored on your internal hard disk. For this purpose, that normally just means hanging onto cd/dvds or product keys, but the operating system may require you to create recovery disks yourself.1 Don't rely on a recovery partition for this. If you wait until after an infection to ensure you have what you need to re-install, you may find yourself paying for the same software again. With the rise of ransomware, it's also extremely important to take regular backups of your data (plus, you know, regular non-malicious things like hard drive failure).When you suspect you have malware, look to other answers here. There are a lot of good tools suggested. My only issue is the best way to use them: I only rely on them for the detection. Install and run the tool, but as soon as it finds evidence of a real infection (more than just "tracking cookies") just stop the scan: the tool has done its job and confirmed your infection.2At the time of a confirmed infection, take the following steps:Check your credit and bank accounts. By the time you find out about the infection, real damage may have already been done. Take any steps necessary to secure your cards, bank account, and identity.Change passwords at any web site you accessed from the compromised computer. Do not use the compromised computer to do any of this.Take a backup of your data (even better if you already have one).Re-install the operating system using original media obtained directly from the OS publisher. Make sure the re-install includes a complete re-format of your disk; a system restore or system recovery operation is not enough.Re-install your applications.Make sure your operating system and software is fully patched and up to date.Run a complete anti-virus scan to clean the backup from step three.Restore the backup.If done properly, this is likely to take between two and six real hours of your time, spread out over two to three days (or even longer) while you wait for things like apps to install, windows updates to download, or large backup files to transfer... but it's better than finding out later that crooks drained your bank account. Unfortunately, this is something you should do yourself, or a have a techy friend do for you. At a typical consulting rate of around $100/hr, it can be cheaper to buy a new machine than pay a shop to do this. If you have a friend do it for you, do something nice to show your appreciation. Even geeks who love helping you set up new things or fix broken hardware often hate the tedium of clean-up work. It's also best if you take your own backup... your friends aren't going to know where you put what files, or which ones are really important to you. You're in a better position to take a good backup than they are.Soon even all of this may not be enough, as there is now malware capable of infecting firmware. Even replacing the hard drive may not remove the infection, and buying a new computer will be the only option. Thankfully, at the time I'm writing this we're not to that point yet, but the day is definitely approaching fast.If you absolutely insist, beyond all reason, that you really want to clean your existing install rather than start over, then for the love of God make sure whatever method you use involves one of the following two procedures:Remove the hard drive and connect it as a guest disk in a different (clean!) computer to run the scan.ORBoot from a CD/USB key with its own set of tools running its own kernel. Make sure the image for this is obtained and burned on a clean computer. If necessary, have a friend make the disk for you.Under no circumstances should you try to clean an infected operating system using software running as a guest process of the compromised operating system. That's just plain dumb.Of course, the best way to fix an infection is to avoid it in the first place, and there are some things you can do to help with that:Keep your system patched. Make sure you promptly install Windows Updates, Adobe Updates, Java Updates, Apple Updates, etc. This is far more important even than anti-virus software, and for the most part it's not that hard, as long as you keep current. Most of those companies have informally settled on all releasing new patches on the same day each month, so if you keep current it doesn't interrupt you that often. Forced Windows Update reboots typically only happen when you ignore the notices for too long. If this happens to you often, it's on you to change your behavior. These are important, and it's not okay to continually just choose the "install later" option, even if it's easier in the moment.Do not run as administrator by default. In recent versions of Windows, it's as simple as leaving the UAC feature turned on.Use a good firewall tool. These days the default firewall in Windows is actually good enough. You may want to supplement this layer with something like WinPatrol that helps stop malicious activity on the front end. Windows Defender works in this capacity to some extent as well. Basic Ad-Blocker browser plugins are also becoming increasingly useful at this level as a security tool.Set most browser plug-ins (especially Flash and Java) to "Ask to Activate".Run current anti-virus software. This is a distant fifth to the other options, as traditional A/V software often just isn't that effective anymore. It's also important to emphasize the "current". You could have the best antivirus software in the world, but if it's not up to date, you may just as well uninstall it.For this reason, I currently recommend Microsoft Defender. There are likely far better scanning engines out there, but Microsoft Defender is built into Windows and will keep itself up to date via the normal Windows Update mechanism, without ever risking an expired registration. AVG and Avast also work well in this way. I just can't recommend any anti-virus software you have to actually pay for, because it's just far too common a paid subscription lapses and you end up with out-of-date definitions.It's also worth noting here that Mac users now need to run antivirus software, too. The days when they could get away without it are long gone. As an aside, I think it's hilarious I now must recommend Mac users buy anti-virus software, but advise Windows users against it.Avoid torrent sites, warez, pirated software, and pirated movies/videos. This stuff is often injected with malware by the person who cracked or posted it — not always, but often enough to avoid the whole mess. It's part of why a cracker would do this: often they will get a cut of any profits.Use your head when browsing the web. You are the weakest link in the security chain. If something sounds too good to be true, it probably is. The most obvious download button is rarely the one you want to use any more when downloading new software, so make sure to read and understand everything on the web page before you click that link. If you see a pop up or hear an audible message asking you to call Microsoft or install some security tool, it's a fake.Also, prefer to download the software and updates/upgrades directly from vendor or developer rather than third party file hosting websites.1 Microsoft now publishes the Windows 10 install media so you can legally download and write to an 8GB or larger flash drive for free. You still need a valid license, but you don't need a separate recovery disk for the basic operating system any more.2 This is a good time to point out that I have softened my approach somewhat. Today, most "infections" fall under the category of PUPs (Potentially Unwanted Programs) and browser extensions included with other downloads. Often these PUPs/extensions can safely be removed through traditional means, and they are now a large enough percentage of malware that I may stop at this point and simply try the Add/Remove Programs feature or normal browser option to remove an extension. However, at the first sign of something deeper — any hint the software won't just uninstall normally — and it's back to repaving the machine.ShareImprove this answer
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edited Jul 28, 2022 at 20:34
answered Nov 30, 2012 at 15:16Joel CoehoornJoel Coehoorn28k1313 gold badges8686 silver badges132132 bronze badges115This seems to be the wisest, nowadays, indeed. I would add that there is another reason for some malware to be sneaky: they will remain dormant, and use your computer for other activities. Could be proxying, storing things more or less illegal, or be a part of a DDOS attack.
– GnoupiNov 30, 2012 at 15:232@ConradFrix Too soon to say... I haven't needed to do this to a Windows 8 PC yet... but I'm pessimistic because it doesn't result in reformatting the drive. Windows 8 includes several security improvements, including running antivirus software from time 0 as part of the OS, such that I'm hopeful to never need to do this for Windows 8 at all.
– Joel CoehoornNov 30, 2012 at 20:115@DanielRHicks read the full sentence. It's two to six hours of your time, spread over a day or three where you are efficient about kicking something off and checking back later. If you're baby-sitting everything, then yeah: it's gonna take a while.
– Joel CoehoornDec 5, 2012 at 22:212@JoelCoehoorn Is it just me, or malware this advanced would also infect firmware on all kinds of components making any removal effort futile?
– Enis P. AginićOct 6, 2014 at 11:335Please remember that if you take a backup AFTER you discover the infection, it is highly probable that the backup itself is infected. Please scan the backup before attempting a restore.
– Tejas KaleAug 14, 2016 at 8:43 | Show 6 more comments;
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How can I tell if my PC is infected?General symptoms for malware can be anything. The usual are:The machine is slower than normal.Random failures and things happening when they shouldn't (e.g. some new viruses put group policy restrictions on your machine to prevent task manager or other diagnostic programs from running).Task manager shows a high CPU when you think your machine should be idle (e.g. <5%).Adverts popping up at random.Virus warnings popping up from an antivirus you don't remember installing (the antivirus program is a fake and tries to claim you have scary sounding viruses with names like 'bankpasswordstealer.vir'. You're encouraged to pay for this program to clean these).Popups/ fake blue screen of death (BSOD) asking you to call a number to fix the infection.Internet pages redirected or blocked, for example, home pages of AV products or support sites (www.symantec.com, www.avg.com, www.microsoft.com) are redirected to sites filled with adverts, or fake sites promoting bogus anti virus / "helpful" removal tools, or are blocked altogether. Increased startup time, when you have not been installing any applications (or patches)... This one is awkward.Your personal files are encrypted and you see a ransom note.Anything out the blue, if you "know" your system, you typically know when something is very wrong.How do I get rid of this?Using a Live CDSince the infected PC's virus scanner might be compromised, it's probably safer to scan the drive from a Live CD. The CD will boot a specialized operating system on your computer, which will then scan the hard drive.There are, for example, Avira Antivir Rescue System or ubcd4win. More suggestions can be found at FREE Bootable AntiVirus Rescue CDs Download List such as: Kaspersky Rescue CDBitDefender Rescue CDF-Secure Rescue CDAvira Antivir Rescue DiskTrinity Rescue Kit CDAVG Rescue CDConnecting the hard drive to another PCIf you are connecting the infected hard drive to a clean system in order to scan it, make sure that you update the virus definitions for all the products that you will be using to scan the infected drive. Waiting a week to let the antivirus providers release new virus definitions can improve your chances of detecting all the viruses. Make sure your infected system remains disconnected from the internet as soon as you find it is infected. This will prevent it from being able to download new editions of viruses (among other things).Start with a good tool such as Spybot Search and Destroy or Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware and perform a full scan. Also try ComboFix, and SuperAntiSpyware. No single antivirus product will have every virus definition. Using multiple products is key (not for real time protection). If even just one virus remains on the system, it may be able to download and install all the latest editions of new viruses and all the effort so far would have been for nothing.Remove suspicious programs from bootStart up in safe mode.Use msconfig to determine what programs and services start at boot (or startup under task manager in Windows 8).If there are programs/services that are suspicious, remove them from the boot. Else skip to using a live CD.Restart.If the symptoms do not go away and/or the program replaces itself at startup, try using a program called Autoruns to find the program, and remove it from there. If your computer cannot start up, Autoruns has a feature where it can be run from a second PC called "Analyse offline PC". Pay especially close attention to the Logon and Scheduled tasks tabs.If there is still no success in removing the program, and you are sure that it is the cause of your problems, boot into regular mode, and install a tool called UnlockerNavigate to the location of the file that is that virus, and attempt to use unlocker to kill it. A few things may happen:The file is deleted, and does not reappear on restart. This is the best case.The file is deleted, but immediately reappears. In this case, use a program called Process Monitor to find out the program that re-created the file. You will need to delete that program as well.The file cannot be deleted, unlocker will prompt you to delete it on reboot. Do that, and see if it reappears. If it does, you must have a program in boot that causes that to happen, and re-examine the list of programs that run in boot.What to do after restoringNow it should be safe (hopefully) to boot into your (previously) infected system. Still, keep your eyes open for signs of infection. A virus can leave changes on a computer that would make it easier to re-infect even after the virus has been removed. For example, if a virus changed DNS or proxy settings, your computer would redirect you to fake versions of legitimate websites, so that downloading what appears to be a well-known and trusted program could actually be downloading a virus. They could also get your passwords by redirecting you to fake bank account sites or fake email sites. Be sure to check your DNS and proxy settings. In most cases, your DNS should be provided by your ISP or automatically acquired by DHCP. Your proxy settings should be disabled. Check your hosts file (\%systemroot%\system32\drivers\etc\hosts) for any suspicious entries and remove them immediately. Also make sure your firewall is enabled and that you have all the latest Windows updates.Next, protect your system with a good antivirus and supplement it with an Anti malware product. Microsoft Security Essentials is often recommended along with other products.What to do if everything failsIt should be noted that some malware is very good at avoiding scanners. It's possible that once you are infected, it can install rootkits or similar to stay invisible. If things are really bad, the only option is to wipe the disk and reinstall the operating system from scratch. Sometimes a scan using GMER or Kaspersky's TDSS Killer can show you if you have a rootkit.You may want to do a few runs of Spybot Search and Destroy. If after three runs it is unable to remove an infestation (and you fail to do it manually) consider a re-install.Another suggestion: Combofix is a very powerful removal tool when rootkits prevent other things from running or installing. Using multiple scan engines can certainly help to find malwares best hidden, but it's a fastidious task and a good backup/restore strategy will be more efficient and secure.Bonus: There is an interesting video series beginning with, "Understanding and Fighting Malware: Viruses, Spyware" with Mark Russinovich, the creator of Sysinternals ProcessExplorer & Autoruns, about malware cleaning.ShareImprove this answer
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edited Jul 31, 2018 at 9:18
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25 revs, 21 users 27%William Hilsum1175Wiping the drive is often the quickest and safest route as is being suggested all over this site as the "best answer"
– Ivo FlipseJan 25, 2010 at 18:052From my experience I would not trust spybot as my first choice. Avira, Kaspersky Virus Removal Tool & AVG are good free choice according AV-comparative av-comparatives.org & AV-Test.org: blogs.pcmag.com/securitywatch/2009/12/…
– fluxtenduFeb 20, 2010 at 20:2818One suggestion is that many of these malware programs do steal passwords and bank data, so it's not a bad idea to disconnect from the internet once you do become suspicious of an infection. It very well may be too late, but there's a chance you'll limit data leaks, or prevent the malware from updating itself, until such time as you are successful in your cleaning.
– emgeeApr 15, 2011 at 21:265@emgee Good rule of thumb on data exfiltration: when in doubt, pull it out (the ethernet plug)
– Nate KoppenhaverAug 4, 2011 at 17:176Combofix.org is not the official download location of Combofix, and is not authorized or recommended by Combofix's author. The official download is here.
– Andrew LambertDec 14, 2011 at 19:13 | Show 6 more comments;
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There are some great malware-fighting tips in Jeff Atwood's "How to Clean Up a Windows Spyware Infestation". Here's the basic process (be sure to read through the blog post for screenshots and other details that this summary glosses over):Stop any spyware currently running. Windows' builtin Task Manager won't cut it; get Sysinternals Process Explorer.Run Process Explorer.Sort the process list by Company Name.Kill any processes that don't have a Company Name (excluding DPCs, Interrupts, System, and System Idle Process), or that have Company Names that you don't recognize.Stop the spyware from restarting the next time the system is booted. Again, Windows' builtin tool, MSconfig, is a partial solution, but Sysinternals AutoRuns is the tool to use.Run AutoRuns.Go through the entire list. Uncheck suspicious entries -- those with blank Publisher names or any Publisher name you don't recognize.Now reboot.After rebooting, recheck with Process Explorer and AutoRuns. If something "comes back", you'll have to dig deeper.In Jeff's example, one something that came back was a suspicious driver entry in AutoRuns. He talks through tracking down the process that loaded it in Process Explorer, closing the handle, and physically deleting the rogue driver.He also found an oddly-named DLL file hooking into the Winlogon process, and demonstrates finding and killing the process threads loading that DLL so that AutoRuns can finally remove the entries.ShareImprove this answer
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edited Jul 31, 2018 at 9:20
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5 revs, 4 users 84%quack quixote23Also, Trend Micro HijackThis is a free utility that generates an in depth report of registry and file settings from your computer. I will warn this finds good and bad stuff, and makes no distinction, but Google is our friend if we're suspicious.
– Umber FerruleJun 24, 2011 at 20:331Autoruns is fantastic, but the suggestion to rely on the Publisher may not be useful. This stackoverflow question shows how the version information can be easily modified (and therefore spoofed) [stackoverflow.com/questions/284258/…. I tried this on a Java DLL and Autoruns showed the publisher incorrectly.
– AlainDFeb 2, 2016 at 15:50Add a comment | ;
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My way of removing malware is effective and I have never seen it fail:Download Autoruns and if you still run 32-bit download a rootkit scanner.Boot into Safe Mode and start Autoruns if you are able to, then go to step 5.If you can't get into Safe Mode, connect the disk to another computer.Start Autoruns on that computer, go to File -> Analyze Offline System and fill it in.Wait for the scan to be done.In the Options menu, select everything.Let it scan again by pressing F5. This will go quick as things are cached.Go through the list and uncheck anything that is conspicious or does not have a verified company.Optional: Run the rootkit scanner.Let a top virus scanner remove any files that were left.Optional: Run anti-malware and anti-spyware scanners to get rid of junk.Optional: Run tools like HijackThis/OTL/ComboFix to get rid of junk.Reboot and enjoy your clean system.Optional: Run the rootkit scanner again.Make sure your computer is sufficiently protected!Some remarks:Autoruns is written by Microsoft and thus shows any locations of things that automatically start...Once software is unchecked from Autoruns, it will not start and can't prevent you from removing it...There do not exist rootkits for 64-bit operating systems because they would need to be signed...It is effective because it will disable malware/spyware/viruses from starting,you are free to run optional tools to clean out any junk that was left on your system.ShareImprove this answer
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edited Jul 31, 2018 at 9:20
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3 revs, 2 users 98%Tom Wijsman1I have infected 64-bit Windows 7, with a virus, not letting to run antiviruses and system utils, and Autoruns still didn't help. I did a question about this. superuser.com/questions/1444463/… . I believe a to tool should be run at system boot to control OS behavior.
– WebComerJul 4, 2019 at 9:20Add a comment | ;
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Follow the order given below to disinfect your PCOn a PC that is not infected, make a boot AV disc then boot from the disc on the Infected PC and scan the hard drive, remove any infections it finds. I prefer the Windows Defender Offline boot CD/USB because it can remove boot sector viruses, see "Note" below.Or, you can try out some other AV Boot discs.After you have scanned and removed malware using the boot disc, Install free MBAM, run the program and go to the Update tab and update it, then go to the Scanner Tab and do a quick scan, select and remove anything it finds.When MBAM is done install SAS free version, run a quick scan, remove what it automatically selects.If windows system files were infected you may need to run SFC to replace the files, you may have to do this offline if it will not boot due to the removal of the infected system files. I recommend you run SFC after any infection removal is done.In some instances you may have to run a startup repair (Windows Vista and Windows7 only) to get it booting properly again. In extreme cases 3 startup repairs in a row may be needed.MBAM and SAS are not AV softwares like Norton, they are on demand scanners that only scan for nasties when you run the program and will not interfere with your installed AV, these can be run once a day or week to ensure you are not infected. Be sure you update them before each daily-weekly scan.Note: that the Windows Defender Offline product is very good at removing persistent MBR infections which are common these days..For Advanced Users:If you have a single infection that represents itself as software, ie "System Fix" "AV Security 2012" etc, see this page for specific removal guides.ShareImprove this answer
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edited Nov 9, 2012 at 4:29
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14 revs, 2 users 83%Moab53Having a second pc dedicated to virus scanning is probably the best solution, as you don't rely on the infected drive for your system. However, besides computer support firms, I doubt many people have such ready solution.
– GnoupiJun 28, 2010 at 8:422If no dedicated PC is available, a similar procedure can be carried out by booting the system with a live CD
– Ophir YoktanMar 18, 2011 at 19:28@Ophir: Live CD?
– user46959Jun 20, 2011 at 21:021for example: http://distro.ibiblio.org/tinycorelinux/welcome.html
– Ophir YoktanJun 20, 2011 at 21:21Just as a note the Microsoft Standalone System Sweeper is just the old name of Windows Defender Offline, in case someone found that too.
– Scott ChamberlainMar 16, 2012 at 18:04Add a comment | ;
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If you notice any of the symptoms then one thing to check is the DNS settings on your network connection.If these have been changed either from "Obtain DNS server address automatically" or to a different server from the one it should be, then that's a good sign that you have an infection. This will be the cause of the redirects away from anti-malware sites, or a complete failure to reach the site at all.It's probably a good idea to take a note of your DNS settings before an infection occurs so you know what they should be. Also the details will be available on the help pages of your ISP's web site.If you don't have a note of the DNS servers and can't find the information on your ISP site then using the Google DNS servers is a good alternative. They can be found at 8.8.8.8 and 8.8.4.4 for the primary and secondary servers respectively.While resetting the DNS won't fix the problem it will allow you to a) reach the anti-malware sites to get the software you need to clean the PC and b) spot if the infection recurs as the DNS settings will change again.ShareImprove this answer
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edited Mar 15, 2017 at 10:35
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2 revsChrisF0Add a comment | ;
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RansomwareA newer, particularly horrible form of malware is ransomware. This kind of program, usually delivered with a Trojan (e.g. an e-mail attachment) or a browser exploit, goes through your computer's files, encrypts them (rendering them completely unrecognizable and unusable), and demands a ransom to return them to a usable state.Ransomware generally uses asymmetric-key cryptography, which involves two keys: the public key and the private key. When you get hit by ransomware, the malicious program running on your computer connects to the bad guys' server (the command-and-control, or C&C), which generates both keys. It only sends the public key to the malware on your computer, since that's all it needs to encrypt the files. Unfortunately, the files can only be decrypted with the private key, which never even comes into your computer's memory if the ransomware is well-written. The bad guys usually state that they will give you the private key (thereby letting you decrypt your files) if you pay up, but of course you have to trust them to do so.What you can doThe best option is to reinstall the OS (to remove every trace of malware) and restore your personal files from backups you made earlier. If you don't have backups now, this will be more challenging. Make a habit of backing up important files.Paying up will probably let you recover your files, but please don't. Doing so supports their business model. Also, I say "probably let you recover" because I know of at least two strains that are so poorly written that they irreparably mangle your files; even the corresponding decryption program doesn't actually work.AlternativesFortunately, there's a third option. Many ransomware developers have made mistakes that let the good security professionals develop processes that undo the damage. The process for doing that depends entirely on the strain of ransomware, and that list is constantly changing. Some wonderful people have put together a big list of ransomware variants, including the extensions applied to the locked files and the ransom note name, which can help you identify which version you have. For quite a few strains, that list also has a link to a free decryptor! Follow the appropriate instructions (links are in the Decryptor column) to recover your files. Before you begin, use the other answers to this question to make sure the ransomware program is removed from your computer.If you can't identify what you got hit with from only the extensions and ransom note name, try searching the Internet for a few distinctive phrases from the ransom note. Spelling or grammar mistakes are usually fairly unique, and you'll likely come upon a forum thread that identifies the ransomware.If your version isn't yet known, or doesn't have a free way to decrypt the files, don't give up hope! Security researchers are working on undoing ransomware and law enforcement is pursuing the developers. It's possible that a decryptor will eventually appear. If the ransom is time-limited, it's conceivable that your files will still be recoverable when the fix is developed. Even if not, please don't pay unless you absolutely have to. While you're waiting, make sure your computer is free of malware, again using the other answers to this question. Consider backing up the encrypted versions of your files to keep them safe until the fix comes out.Once you recover as much as possible (and make backups of it to external media!), strongly consider installing the OS from scratch. Again, that will blow away any malware that lodged itself deep inside the system.Additional variant-specific tipsSome ransomware-variant-specific tips that aren't yet in the big spreadsheet:If the decryption tool for LeChiffre doesn't work, you can recover all but the first and last 8KB of each file's data using a hex editor. Jump to address 0x2000 and copy out all but the last 0x2000 bytes. Small files will be completely wrecked, but with some fiddling you might be able to get something helpful out of larger ones.If you've been hit with WannaCrypt and you're running Windows XP, haven't rebooted since the infection, and are lucky, you might be able to extract the private key with Wannakey.Bitdefender has a number of free tools to help identify the variant and to decrypt some specific variants.(others will be added as they are discovered)ConclusionRansomware is nasty, and the sad reality is that it's not always possible to recover from it. To keep yourself safe in the future: Keep your operating system, web browser, and antivirus up to dateDo not open e-mail attachments you weren't expecting, especially if you don't know the senderAvoid sketchy web sites (i.e. those featuring illegal or ethically dubious content)Make sure your account only has access to documents you personally need to work withAlways have working backups on external media (not connected to your computer)!ShareImprove this answer
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edited Oct 26, 2018 at 23:55
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5 revs, 3 users 97%Ben N4There are a few programs now available that supposedly protect you against ransomware, for example: winpatrol.com/WinAntiRansom (a commercial program). I've never used this because I'm no longer on Windows, but that company's WinPatrol product is one I used for years and have frequently recommended. A few of the antivirus developers have anti-ransomware tools available, sometimes as a higher-cost option.
– fixer1234Sep 13, 2016 at 22:37For information specifically about removing Petya ransomware, also see this question and answer: superuser.com/questions/1063695/…
– fixer1234Sep 14, 2016 at 1:322I'd add another thing to the list of advice in the conclusion: Avoid visiting sites that promote illegal or amoral behavior, such as media and software piracy; content that is outlawed in most parts of the world; etc. These sites often contract with the least reputable advertising vendors, who make no real effort to filter the content of their "ads" at all, making it easy for criminals to inject your webpage with content that delivers malware or attempts to exploit your browser to gain access to your system. Sometimes even a good adblocker will miss this stuff.
– allquixoticSep 14, 2016 at 17:50@allquicatic I added a bullet point in that vein. Let me know if anything else can be expanded. Thanks!
– Ben NSep 14, 2016 at 18:18Add a comment | ;
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There is a wide variety of malware. Some of it is trivial to find and remove. Some of it is trickier. Some of it is really difficult to find, and very hard to remove.But even if you have a mild malware you should strongly consider reformating and reinstalling the OS. This is because your security has already failed, and if it failed for a simple malware maybe you're already infected with a vicious malware.People working with sensitive data or inside networks where sensitive data is held should strongly consider wipe and re-install. People whose time is valuable should strongly consider wipe and re-install (it's quickest and easiest and surest method). People who are not comfortable with advanced tools should strongly consider wipe and re-install.But people who have the time, and enjoy noodling around, can try methods listed in other posts.ShareImprove this answer
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answered Oct 4, 2011 at 19:08
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DanBeale
13Correct. This stuff is designed to go around security and cleaning and mundane OS use. Don't take part in an arms race. Zero tolerance is the only policy.
– XTLMar 7, 2012 at 12:59Add a comment | ;
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The possible solutions for a virus infection are in order: (1) antivirus scans, (2) system repair, (3) total reinstall.Make first sure that all your data is backed up.Load and install some antiviruses, make sure they are up to date, and scan deeply your hard disk. I recommend using at least Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware. I also like Avast.If that doesn't work for any reason, you may use a rescue live-CD virus scanner : I like best Avira AntiVir Rescue System because it gets updated several times a day and so the download CD is up-to-date. As a boot CD it's autonomous and doesn't work using your Windows system.If no virus is found, use "sfc /scannow" to repair important Windows files.See this article.If that also doesn't work, you should Perform a Repair Installation.If nothing works, you should format the hard disk and reinstall Windows.ShareImprove this answer
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answered Feb 8, 2010 at 18:10
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harrymc
12When infected with a recent virus/trojan I used Knoppix on a USB stick, ran apt-get wine, installed Dr Web Cure-It in my wine session, and ran that to clean my infection. I had to do it this way because my laptop wouldn't boot some of the other live-CD alternatives.
– PP.Feb 24, 2010 at 17:15Add a comment | ;
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Another tool I would like to add to the discussion is the Microsoft Safety Scanner. It was just released a few months ago. It is a bit like the Malicious Software Removal Tool, but designed for offline use. It will have the latest definitions as of the moment you download it and will only be useable for 10 days as it will consider its definitions file "too old to use". Download it with another computer and run this in safe mode. It works pretty well.ShareImprove this answer
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edited Aug 22, 2011 at 12:40
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2 revs, 2 users 73%Scott ChamberlainAdd a comment | ;
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A bit of theory first: please realize that there is no substitute for understanding. The ultimate antivirus is to understand what you are doing and generally what is going on with your system, with your own mind and in the so-called reality. No amount of software or hardware will fully protect you from yourself and from your own actions which in most cases is how the malware gets into a system in the first place.Most modern "production level" malware, adware and spyware rely on various "social engineering" tricks to fool you into installing "useful" apps, add-ons, browser toolbars, 'virus scanners' or clicking big green Download buttons which will install malware on your machine.Even an installer for a supposedly trusted app, such as e.g. uTorrent, would install by default adware and possibly spyware if you simply click the Next button, and don't take the time to read what all the checkboxes mean.The best way to fight the social engineering tricks that hackers use is reverse social engineering - if you master this technique you will manage to avoid most types of threats and keep your system clean and healthy even without an antivirus or firewall.If you have noticed signs of malicious/unsolicited life forms inhabiting your system the only clean solution would be to fully reformat and reinstall your system. Make a backup as described in other answers here, quick format the discs and reinstall your system, or, even better, move the useful data to some external storage, and re-image the system partition from a clean partition dump you have made earlier.Some computers have a BIOS option to revert the system to the original factory settings. Even if this might seem a bit of an overkill, it will never hurt and, more importantly, this will solve all the other eventual issues, whether you are aware of them or not, without having to handle each issue one by one.The best way to 'fix' a compromised system is to not fix it at all, but instead revert to a known 'good' snapshot using some kind of partition imaging software, such as Paragon Disk Manager, Paragon HDD Manager, Acronys Disk Manager, or e.g. dd if you made the backup from Linux.ShareImprove this answer
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edited Jul 25, 2015 at 4:30
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5 revs, 2 users 98%ccpizzaAdd a comment | ;
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With Reference to William Hilsum "How Do I Get Rid Of This: Using A Live CD" above:A virus won't be able to run in a live CD environment, so you can make temporary use of your computer without fear of further infection. Best of all you can access all your files. On June 20th 2011 Justin Pot wrote a booklet entitled "50 Cool Uses for Live CDs". The beginning of the booklet explains how to boot from CD, Flash Drive or SD Card, and pages 19-20 explain about scanning with different "antimalwares" some that were already mentioned. The advice given is invaluable for this scenario, and is explained in easy to understand English. Of course the rest of the booklet is invaluable for your other computing needs. (the link to the download (in PDF format) is provided from the link below. Always remember to be sensible when using the internet, don't be tempted to stray to "places" where malware is very likely to be lurking, and you should be fine. Any Antivirus, Internet Security Suites etc that you maybe using should have the latest updates, and whichever OS you maybe using should also be kept up to date.http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/download-50-cool-live-cds/ Once you have clicked on or copied and pasted the above link, please then click onDOWNLOAD 50 Cool Uses for Live CDs (written in blue)Please Note I tried to write this in the comments section, but couldn't fit it in. So I have given it in an official answer, as it is invaluable.ShareImprove this answer
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edited Jun 20, 2017 at 13:56
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4 revs, 2 users 83%Simon1I should disagree: IMHO if a virus is present in one file on the HDD even if the system starts Clean from the livecd it's always possible to execute the malicious code when you execute the infected file. If not detected or stopped it can even spread on other files or devices.
– HasturFeb 13, 2015 at 12:27Add a comment | ;
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Two important points:Don't get infected in the first place. Use a good firewall and antivirus, and practice "safe computing" -- stay away from questionable sites and avoid downloading stuff when you don't know where it's coming from.Be aware that many sites on the web will tell you you're "infected" when you aren't -- they want to trick you into buying their junky anti-spyware, or, worse, they want you do download stuff that is, in fact, spyware disguised as a "free antispyware application". Similarly, be aware that many on this site, mostly out of stupidity, will diagnose any "odd" error, particularly the sort of registry corruption that Windows is famous for, as signs of spyware.ShareImprove this answer
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answered Dec 5, 2012 at 21:39
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Daniel R Hicks
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As suggested before in this topic, if you ARE SURE you are infected, use a linux live CD to boot your computer and immediately backup all your sensitive data.It is also a good practice to have your sensitive files stored in a hard drive different from your OS boot drive. this way you can safely format the infected system and run a comprehensive scan on your sensitive data just to be on the safe side.As a matter of fact, there is no best solution than to format the system partition to make sure you run a virus and malware free environment. Even if you run a good tool (and no doubt there are many out there), there are always leftovers left behind and your system may seem clean at the moment, but it surely becomes a time-bomb awaiting to explode later.ShareImprove this answer
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answered Jan 13, 2013 at 21:07
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Lorenzo Von Matterhorn
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On December 8th 2012. Remove-Malware released a video tutorial entitled "Remove Malware Free 2013 Edition" together with a complementary Guide outlining how to get rid of malware from your infected PC for free.They outlineBackup – How to backup up your important personal documents just in-case your PC become inaccessible.Gathering the needed software for this guide.Bootable Antivirus – Why bootable antivirus is the best way to remove malware.Bootable Antivirus Disc – How to create a bootable antivirus disc.Bootable Antivirus Disc – How to scan your PC with a bootable antivirus disc.Cleanup – Round up the remnants and remove them.Prevent it from happening againThe Video Tutorial is over 1 hour long in duration and together with the written guide is an excellent resource.The video tutorial:linkWritten Guide:linkUpdate:A very informative article written today 1st February 2013 by J. Brodkin entitled "Viruses, Trojans, and worms, oh my: The basics on malwareMobile malware may be trendy, but PC malware is still the big problem." from arstechnica.com highlights the continual problem of malware & different types of malware with explanations of each, highlighting:BackdoorsRemote Access TrojansInformation stealersRansomwareThe article also highlights the spreading of malware, botnet operation and businesses under attack.ShareImprove this answer
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edited Oct 22, 2013 at 18:08
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4 revs, 2 users 83%SimonAdd a comment | ;
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SHORT ANSWER:Backup all your files.Format your system partition.Reinstall Windows.Install antivirus.Update your windows.Scan your backup with antivirus before starting to use it.Today you can never be sure that you've completely removed an infestation, except if you wipe your drive and start over.ShareImprove this answer
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edited Jul 18, 2018 at 14:00
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2 revs, 2 users 94%svin83Add a comment | ;
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I do not think that AV programs such as MSE, MCAfee, Norton, Kaspersky, etc. can protect you 100% because their definition files always come after the fact - after the malware is already out there on the web and can have done a lot of damage. And many of those do not protect you against PUPs and Adware.I also do not think that the scanners like Malwarbytes, Superantispyware, Bitdefender scanner and others can help a lot when the malware has already damaged your system. If you have enough scanners, you will be able to remove the malware but you will not be able to repair the damage that this malware has done.I therefore have developed a two layer strategy:I make weekly images (I use free Macrium) of my system partition and my data partition to two external disks that are only connected during the imaging. Thus no malware can get to them. Should something not work in my system, I can always restore the latest image. I usually keep half a dozen full images in case I have to go back further than last week. In addition I have system restore enabled in my OS so that I can quickly set back in case of a faulty update. But system images (shadows) are not very reliable because they can disappear for various reasons. Relying on system images alone does not suffice.Most of my internet work I do from a virtual Linux partition. Linux itself is not the target of malware and Windows malware cannot effect Linux. With that system I doall my downloads and checking them with Virus Total before I move them to the Windows system. Virus Total runs the file thru 60 of the best known AV programs and if it comes out clean, chances are very high that it is clean.all internet access to websites where I am not 100% certain that they are clean - like e.g. this website here.all my mail. That is the advantage of Gmail and AOL. I can check my mail with my browser. Here I can open any piece of mail without being afraid to get a virus. And attachments I run thru Virus Total.all my on-line banking. Linux provides me with an extra layer of securityWith this approach I have not seen any malware in years. If you like to try a virtual Linux partition, here is how.ShareImprove this answer
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edited Mar 23, 2015 at 22:09
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3 revs, 2 users 92%whs3In what way is this an answer to "What should I do if my Windows computer seems to be infected with a virus or malware?"
– Andrew MortonMar 23, 2015 at 21:59@whs: Andrew Morton is right about this not being an answer to this question, but it is a great answer to a different question, and it would be a real shame if it gets downvoted for being in the wrong place. Ask a new question, like, "How can I avoid getting malware infections beyond just running an A/V program and avoiding shady web sites", and post this answer there.
– fixer1234Mar 23, 2015 at 22:17I know this is an old answer, but I have to add my 2 cents. Linux is not immune to all malware. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Linux_malware Also, constantly making backups of a personal computer in not within the purview of 99% of the average users.
– computercarguyJan 11, 2018 at 22:06Add a comment | ;
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The problem with scanning malware externally or with a live CD is that many of these nasty pieces of software hook into memory processes, drivers and much more. If the PC's operating system is not loaded neither are they which makes for a frustrating removal process. ALWAYS scan for malware while the infected OS is booted.With that said, load up Windows with a copy of RKILL on a USB drive. Running this utility kills any malware process chugging away in the background, allowing you to do move forward with the removal. It is VERY effective. I have yet to run into a situation where the program has failed its job and I'm surprised at how many techs have never heard of it.Next I choose to scan with either Malware bytes or ComboFix. The nice perk about these scanners is rather than utilizing virus definitions, they locate malware relentlessly based on behavior - a very effective technique. A word of warning though - they are also much more dangerous and can REALLY wreck some serious shop on your OS. Make sure you have a backup.90 percent of the time the above process works for me and I remove a TON of these things on the daily. If your extra paranoid, running a scan with something like AVG, SuperAntiSpyware or Microsoft Security Essentials may not be a bad idea. Although I haven't seen these programs detect much more than the harmless tracker cookie, some people swear by them. Give yourself the peace of mind and do it if you must.ShareImprove this answer
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answered Oct 14, 2012 at 4:13
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Scandalist
211ALWAYS scan for malware while the infected OS is booted...that's kinda like saying Always fight the enemy while they're paying attention. If your malware scanner can't find the malicious code while it's at rest in a file, it doesn't stand a chance against the code while it's in memory able to perform it's voodoo cloaking stunts.
– I say Reinstate MonicaNov 1, 2014 at 1:361So you want to load the OS, so that the malicious processes are running, and THEN you want to kill the processes so you can remove them? That's just backwards in my opinion.
– svin83Dec 3, 2015 at 11:12Add a comment | |
Is there a filepath for the highest level, Computer, directory on the mac? (dir above Macintosh HD) | macos;finder;macos;finder | Is there a filepath for the highest level, Computer, directory on the mac? (dir above Macintosh HD)
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You'd be looking for /Volumes. Here all network volumes are mounted, as well as CDs/DVDs, DMGs, USB drives, etc.$ ls -l /Volumestotal 8lrwxr-xr-x 1 root admin 1 Nov 6 08:39 Macintosh HD -> /drwxrwxrwx 0 root wheel 0 Nov 6 14:06 MobileBackupsShareImprove this answer
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answered Nov 6, 2014 at 13:11slhckslhck218k6767 gold badges591591 silver badges578578 bronze badgesAdd a comment | |
Typescript syntax highlighting in netbeans? | netbeans;netbeans | Typescript syntax highlighting in netbeans?
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As a stopgap solution, you can use this Netbeans plugin for Typescript https://github.com/Everlaw/nbts/releasesYou will need NodeJS for it to work. After installing both the plugin and NodeJS, navigate to Tools | Options | HTML/JS and select the NodeJS tab to make the plugin aware of NodeJS.Import your Typescript files into a new HTML5/JS project.However, indenting does not work for me using this plugin. ShareImprove this answer
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answered Jun 28, 2016 at 9:41eingekrauteingekraut1111 bronze badgeAdd a comment | |
Showing filenames when grepping from mysqlbinlog | mysql;grep;mysql;grep | Showing filenames when grepping from mysqlbinlog
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There are comments and timestamps that appear above each SQL command.When you run the grep, use the -A, -B, or -C option.What that does is the following-A shows you a number of lines after the pattern is found-B shows you a number of lines before the pattern is found-C shows you a number of lines before and after the pattern is foundFor example, run the grep like this to include 2 lines above the matching patternfind -name "binlog.000056*" -exec mysqlbinlog {} \; | grep -i -B 2 "update .* my_special_column=value"If you want the iterate through the names and see the filename, do thisfor X in `ls binlog.000056*` ; do echo ${X} ; mysqlbinlog ${X} | grep -i -B 2 "update .* my_special_column=value" ; doneGive it a Try !!!ShareImprove this answer
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edited Nov 14, 2014 at 22:52
answered Nov 14, 2014 at 22:46RolandoMySQLDBARolandoMySQLDBA3,02511 gold badge1919 silver badges2525 bronze badges1Although I was thinking there is a solution with pipes only your solution works for me. Thank you!
– V GNov 17, 2014 at 15:14Add a comment | ;
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You need to run multiple commands in exec. Have a look to this question and the different answers.ShareImprove this answer
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edited Mar 20, 2017 at 10:17CommunityBot1
answered Nov 12, 2014 at 9:37ZimmiZimmi35111 silver badge55 bronze badgesAdd a comment | |
Replace a character in middle of characters using regular expression in notepad ++ | notepad++;notepad++ | Replace a character in middle of characters using regular expression in notepad ++
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You could also do a Find and Replace for Cell to cell and a second from Voltage to voltage if these variables are sprinkled about your code. If there are other instances of Cell or Voltage in your code that you don't wish to convert to lowercase you could CTRL+H for Find and replace, select Regex at the bottom and use (Cell_.._Voltage) for the "FindWhat" and \L\1 for the "Replace With"Share
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answered Sep 16, 2014 at 16:01JNevillJNevill1,21666 silver badges1212 bronze badgesAdd a comment | ;
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Is that simply uppercase to lowercase... If so just select all text > right click > lowercase...Share
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answered Sep 9, 2014 at 13:26CharlesHCharlesH2,14333 gold badges1414 silver badges1818 bronze badgesAdd a comment | ;
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Select the text you want to update and press Ctrl+U. This will convert capital letters to lower case.Share
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answered Sep 9, 2014 at 13:26ExcellllExcellll12.5k1111 gold badges5050 silver badges7878 bronze badgesAdd a comment | |
How to change admin panel port on Asus RT-N66U Black Knight Wireless Router | networking;router;networking;router | How to change admin panel port on Asus RT-N66U Black Knight Wireless Router
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You don't need to do anything special, as long as you don't want to access the admin interface from the external Internet.Turn on port forwarding for port 80 and route to your webserverTry accessing 192.168.1.1:80 (note that the router's admin interface still works)Try accessing your router through its external IP (your webserver should come up)Share
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answered Mar 4, 2016 at 2:21mrgrievesmrgrieves15111 silver badge33 bronze badges1This is the correct method for what the OP is doing. There is nothing special that needs to be done but port forwarding of port 80/TCP to whatever the internal IP address of the webserver is. From the outside port 80 is not open for router administration, no external access is allowed at all by default (but can be enabled on port 8080 by default, configurable).
– acejavelinMar 4, 2016 at 4:02Add a comment | ;
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This can be done using Tomato, an alternative firmware. There are several Tomato mods out there, depending on your needs you could use Shibby or Toastman.Describing how to flash a new firmware is our of scope here, but here's a link to get you going.Share
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answered Sep 24, 2014 at 8:41JanJan1,8881313 silver badges1818 bronze badgesAdd a comment | ;
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Although I would strongly recommend against doing this:Login to the router from your LAN. In the left column click on "Administration"Find the option "Enable Web Access from WAN" select Yes and click the Apply button.You can also change the default portnumber from 8080 (perhaps in your case it says 8443 here) to something else. But I'd stick to 8080 if I were you.The helptext of this option says:This feature allows you to configure the wireless router via the Internet. The default port is 8080 and you can use http://[[WAN IP]]:8080 or http://[[DDNS name]]:8080 to launch the wireless router's web user interface.Note that this way port 80 remains available to be forwarded to a webserver on your LAN.Also: make sure you have a very strong password for the login account as this exposes the router's setup UI to the big bad world. Share
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answered Jul 25, 2015 at 8:25Mausy5043Mausy504315611 silver badge99 bronze badgesAdd a comment | ;
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Let's assume your public ip is 1.2.3.4First, you have your router at 192.168.1.1Its admin panel is running at port 80, so you can access it with "192.168.1.1:80" using your browser, or just "192.168.1.1" (because the browser will visit port 80 by default).From outside, you can access this by just doing "1.2.3.4(:80)".Now you have your web service running at 192.168.1.2Its service also uses port 80, so you can access it with "192.168.1.2:80"From LAN, you can access both different services by doing "192.168.1.1" and "192.168.1.2".Your router probably automatically forwarded its own port 80 to the outside, so you can access it from outside by going to 1.2.3.4 by default. But your router is also just a device in your network.So when you entered a rule that says local ip = 192.168.1.2, local port = 80, port range = 80This basically means 1.2.3.4:80 -> 192.168.1.2:80Now you can enter a different rule local ip = 192.168.1.1, local port = 80, port range = 8080This will make possible 1.2.3.4:8080 -> 192.168.1.1:80Share
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answered Aug 3, 2019 at 16:27Jinqiu LiuJinqiu Liu1Add a comment | |
How can I change the resolution seen by a bootloader in VirtualBox? | virtualbox;resolution;virtualbox;resolution | How can I change the resolution seen by a bootloader in VirtualBox?
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You need to configure the vga kernel startup parameter:For example at boot you might use: vga=795. This would set your system to boot using the Live label with a screen resolution to 24bit 1280X1024. Here are some more examples of common vga boot values:Depth | 800×600 | 1024×768 | 1152×864 | 1280×1024 | 1600×1200 8 bit | vga=771 | vga=773 | vga=353 | vga=775 | vga=79616 bit | vga=788 | vga=791 | vga=355 | vga=794 | vga=79824 bit | vga=789 | vga=792 | NA | vga=795 | vga=799See this post from the Ubuntu forums for more details:http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=258484Edit:If using GRUB2 and its graphical interface, you will need to edit /etc/default/grubfind the line #GRUB_GFXMODE=640x480remove the # and change 640x480 for the preferred mode you wrote down. e.g. GRUB_GFXMODE=1200x800save, then type sudo update-grubNOTE: the preferred mode has to be among those listed by vbeinfo.See post https://askubuntu.com/questions/54067/how-do-i-safely-change-grub2-screen-resolution for additional detailsShare
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edited Apr 13, 2017 at 12:22CommunityBot1
answered Sep 9, 2014 at 13:58MarceloMarcelo89866 silver badges99 bronze badges1I don't think that's going to change how GRUB2 itself renders.
– detlySep 9, 2014 at 23:42Add a comment | ;
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For rEFInd:# Set the EFI text mode to be used for textual displays. This option# takes a single digit that refers to a mode number. Mode 0 is normally # 80x25, 1 is sometimes 80x50, and higher numbers are system-specific # modes. Mode 1024 is a special code that tells rEFInd to not set the # text mode; it uses whatever was in use when the program was launched. # If you specify an invalid mode, rEFInd pauses during boot to inform # you of valid modes. # CAUTION: On VirtualBox, and perhaps on some real computers, specifying # a text mode and uncommenting the "textonly" option while NOT specifying# a resolution can result in an unusable display in the booted OS. # Default is 1024 (no change) # #textmode 2 # Set the screen's video resolution. Pass this option either: # * two values, corresponding to the X and Y resolutions # * one value, corresponding to a GOP (UEFI) video mode # Note that not all resolutions are supported. On UEFI systems, passing # an incorrect value results in a message being shown on the screen to # that effect, along with a list of supported modes. On EFI 1.x systems # (e.g., Macintoshes), setting an incorrect mode silently fails. On both # types of systems, setting an incorrect resolution results in the default # resolution being used. A resolution of 1024x768 usually works, but higher # values often don't. # Default is "0 0" (use the system default resolution, usually 800x600). # #resolution 1024 768 #resolution 1440 900 #resolution 3resolution 1920 1080Share
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answered Aug 3, 2019 at 22:50norajnoraj35611 gold badge44 silver badges1414 bronze badgesAdd a comment | |
Listing files in directory: weird output | windows;command-line | Listing files in directory: weird output
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I suspect it's because of the behavior mentioned in Raymond Chen's blog (warning - not actual documentation).For example, if your pattern ends in .*, the .* is ignored. Without this rule, the pattern *.* would match only files that contained a dot, which would break probably 90% of all the batch files on the planet, as well as everybody's muscle memory, since everybody running Windows NT 3.1 grew up in a world where *.* meant all files.Your pattern is *t.*, which gets changed to, I'm assuming, *t, which then matches 5bbb.exeTxt. I'm not sure how DirectoryInfo.GetFiles works, why not just test it?Looks like perhaps short names are also matched, or the first three characters of the extension.G:\junk\filetest>dir Volume in drive G is Extended2 Volume Serial Number is 3E2F-7A67 Directory of G:\junk\filetest09/09/2014 10:01 AM <DIR>.09/09/2014 10:01 AM <DIR>..09/09/2014 09:59 AM 6 test.txtR09/09/2014 10:01 AM 2 test.txtrrr2 File(s) 8 bytes2 Dir(s) 162,957,000,704 bytes freeG:\junk\filetest>dir *.txt Volume in drive G is Extended2 Volume Serial Number is 3E2F-7A67 Directory of G:\junk\filetest09/09/2014 09:59 AM 6 test.txtR09/09/2014 10:01 AM 2 test.txtrrr2 File(s) 8 bytes0 Dir(s) 162,957,000,704 bytes freeG:\junk\filetest>dir /x *.txt Volume in drive G is Extended2 Volume Serial Number is 3E2F-7A67 Directory of G:\junk\filetest09/09/2014 09:59 AM 6 TEST~1.TXT test.txtR09/09/2014 10:01 AM 2 TEST~2.TXT test.txtrrr2 File(s) 8 bytes0 Dir(s) 162,957,000,704 bytes freeShare
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edited Sep 9, 2014 at 14:03
answered Sep 9, 2014 at 13:26dsolimanodsolimano2,88822 gold badges2222 silver badges3737 bronze badges15@dsolimano: how do you explain the 4th output then?
– user366518Sep 9, 2014 at 13:421@dsolimano: here's another weird output: postimg.org/image/dtb1r1ck7, maybe you can explain this?
– user366518Sep 9, 2014 at 13:45I cannot! Perhaps it's matching a short name? Or perhaps it just matches the first three characters of the extension. I'll post a test I just ran.
– dsolimanoSep 9, 2014 at 14:01@dsolimano: first three characters of extension maybe - that would explain Output Nr 4 in my latest screenshot? I am not sure what you tried to show in your sample... Maybe this way of pattern matching is not very reliable?
– user366518Sep 9, 2014 at 14:071@georgem Type dir *t /x and it will explain your latest output issue.
– IsziSep 9, 2014 at 14:31 | Show 10 more comments;
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I think @dsolimano (and his source, Raymond Chen) got pretty close to your problem but perhaps don't quite have the right explanation. After some thinking and searching and testing, although I've yet to come up with actual documentation to back this up, I believe I've come to a reasonably accurate conclusion.My hypothesis is based on somewhat related behavior in domain names and some other named computer resources. With domain names, there's actually an implied trailing dot at the end. Therefore www.superuser.com is actually www.superuser.com.. My conclusion, after some testing, is that the Windows API (if not the filesystem itself) uses the same convention for filenames.Think about all the file names you gave which matched your result. If you consider that 8.3 filenames are included in searches, as described here, and assume that long filenames with a trailing dot and 8.3 filenames with a trailing dot are also included, you'll see that every one of those files matches by at least one version of its filename. (Remember that the * wildcard is a placeholder which represents "any number of characters, or no characters".)c:\test\1.1.1990.txt matches as 1.1.1990.txt. or 111990~1.TXT.c:\test\1.31.1990.txt matches as 1.31.1990.txt. or 131199~1.TXT.c:\test\1.txttxt matches as 1.txttxt. or 1956B~1.TXT.c:\test\11.11.2007.txtGif matches as 111120~1.TXT.c:\test\12.1.1990.txt matches as 12.1.1990.txt. or 12199~1.TXT.c:\test\12.31.1990.txt matches as 12.31.1990.txt or 123119~1.TXT.c:\test\2.tGift matches as 2.tGift.c:\test\2.txtGif matches as 2BEFD~1.TXT.c:\test\5bbb.exeTxt matches as 5bbb.exeTxt.c:\test\test.txt matches as test.txt or test.txt.You can test this by creating a series of test files in C:\test as described below, and running dir *t.* against it again.A file with an extension ending in "t".A file with name ending in "t".A file with an extension longer than three letters with the third letter in the extension being "t".Some files which match more than one of the above criteria.A file with name ending in "t", and no extension at all.Some files which do not meet any of the above criteria.You should see, as I have, that dir *t.* will only return files which fall into categories 1-5 above. Files in category 6 will be excluded. You can also thest the GetFiles method more directly against the same files with PowerShell, using the below command, and you should see the same results.[IO.Directory]::GetFiles('C:\test','*t.*')Share
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edited Sep 9, 2014 at 16:48
answered Sep 9, 2014 at 16:21IsziIszi13.4k4343 gold badges113113 silver badges177177 bronze badges2I will study your theory. But in my case users will type the matching pattern. Hence, I need to be exactly sure what the output be, I can't rely on "Suprises". Considering that, do you still recommend using Directory.GetFiles method?
– user366518Sep 9, 2014 at 17:36@georgem Honestly, I'm neither a programmer nor do I know exactly what your requirements are. So, I really can't give you a good answer for that. I will say that PowerShell's Get-ChildItems command appears to have more "normal" behavior, and it does support RegEx. So, you might want to look into how it does its job and try to work from there.
– IsziSep 9, 2014 at 20:52Add a comment | |
Files with denied Read permissions are not visible in UNC Share | permissions;unc;permissions;unc | Files with denied Read permissions are not visible in UNC Share
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I would guess what you are talking about is a feature from Windows Server 2003 SP1 upwards called ABE. It's an advanced sharing feature designed to hide files and folders from view of users who do not have access to at least read them. You can review the ABE settings on your Server by going to Share and Storage Management, open properties on the share then go to SMB settings and advanced. I believe there is a ticket box to enable/disable the Access Based Enumeration... I'm going from memory as not in front of a Server at the moment so hopefully the above steps are correct.Thanks,CharlesShare
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answered Sep 9, 2014 at 12:49CharlesHCharlesH2,14333 gold badges1414 silver badges1818 bronze badges2Thanks Charles , disabling ABE did the trick.I still wonder why show these files to the user if he accesses them through a local path. I guess hiding them when the "hidden" flag is not set is illogical. :)
– Dhiwakar RavikumarSep 10, 2014 at 4:10Well I think Microsoft assume that the user would not be able to access that path any other way rather than a UNC. Would you be kind enough to mark this as an answer on the left hand side? :) thanks
– CharlesHSep 10, 2014 at 8:12Add a comment | |
Lost Sound after power shortage | windows-7;laptop;audio;64-bit;windows-7;laptop;audio;64-bit | Lost Sound after power shortage
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I would say it's because your PC was out of charge, and the power shortage made the CMOS nearly ran out of battery but can still be used to hold for a day or shorter. So that the BIOS settings resets everytime you boot. Maybe try replacing the battery, it can be bought in any local tech shop. Here is how: http://www.computerhope.com/issues/ch000239.htmShare
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answered Sep 10, 2014 at 10:57user1046193user10461932655 bronze badges3Thank you for your answer, but as you can see my battery is already FULLY dead, as in empty and won't charge anymore.
– OmarrrioSep 10, 2014 at 10:58@Omarrrio I believe he is talking about your CMOS battery; not the main laptop battery. The CMOS battery is a small non rechargeable battery on the main board. It's only job is to keep the CMOS alive between boots.
– kroweSep 10, 2014 at 12:45Aaaaah i see well i will try ti buy a new one soon
– OmarrrioSep 10, 2014 at 13:08Add a comment | |
Converted existing win7 instalation from mbr to gpt using gdisk, can't lauch OS | gpt;gpt | Converted existing win7 instalation from mbr to gpt using gdisk, can't lauch OS
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Okay, thanks to @Marcelo comment I was able to figure this out, 10 hours later...1.) First, the ASRock P67 Pro3 has undocument feature (or bug, if you wish to call it so), it is amusingly hard to boot a CD as UEFI. The UEFI option will keep disapearing from boot menu even if you set your SATA mode to AHPI (tested on BIOS 40 version)2.) Sooo, prepare a UEFI pen-drive (at least 4 gb) with Windows Installer. Instructions here: http://www.eightforums.com/tutorials/15458-uefi-bootable-usb-flash-drive-create-windows.html3.) Make a backup of system partition. As in my case I was upgreading from old drive, I've already had a backup on it, but in your case do a Clonezilla or similiar backup of everything to another drive of the same or higher capacity4.) Format drive and set it up as GPT (I used Gparted for this)5.) Install Windows 7 from pen-drive boot in UEFI mode (F11 after POST checks)(If it says that it cannot be installed in GPT drive, then you didn't boot it in UEFI mode)6.) Use Clonezilla again to overwrite windows instalation with your backupAnd now here comes the tricky part: if you try to boot your Windows now, you will encounter 0x0000007B BSoD1.) First of all, boot your Win7 installation pen-drive once more, select repair and wait until it tell you that there were some problems and were repaired (when scanning for system list)2.) In my case I had to boot pen-drive installer again and select repair again, so the Windows would fix drive file system. Don't know if this is manditory step or just sanity check of NTFS filesystem3.) Boot pen-drive installer for the third time and select console, then enter:bcdboot C:\windows(replace C: with your windows drive letter, you can see it in the OS picker tool just before you picked console). Then enter4.) It still won't boot up, until you turn SATA mode back to IDE. I don't know why the hell it works, but it works.5.) After booting you will be prompted to install disk driver, which will require reboot6.) FINALLY! You should have Windows 7 working on 2tb+ hard disc :-)Share
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answered Sep 10, 2014 at 0:21PiotrKPiotrK42166 silver badges1616 bronze badges1You also could have used gdisk in Windows to change the type ID of the 100MB partition from (gdisk)0700 to ef00. Then extended it, reformatted it with FAT32. Then bcdboot would have worked directly.
– Milind RSep 10, 2014 at 6:28Add a comment | |
Kali Linux OllyDBG update to latest version | kali-linux | Kali Linux OllyDBG update to latest version
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OllyDbg is a program running on Wine. You'll have to download the binary from the authors website.Share
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answered Sep 9, 2014 at 13:29StolasStolas10122 bronze badgesAdd a comment | |
Adding calculated columns to Excel Pivot without details | microsoft-excel;pivot-table;microsoft-excel;pivot-table | Adding calculated columns to Excel Pivot without details
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Out of the box standard Pivot Tables don't allow this.First I'll describe how you could work around this using regular Pivot Tables, secondly I'll show you how you can achieve this using the PowerPivot add-in.Option 1: Two Standard Pivot TablesI'd tackle it by simply sitting two pivot tables next to each other, one with years as a column label, and one without (this second table sitting one row lower so they line up).You would need to make sure the row labels columns are sorted and filtered identically. Then you can just hide the labels column on the second table.(In this screenshot I've manually added "Total" labels in row 3)Option 2: Using PowerPivotUsing PowerPivot and DAX you could create all these columns as individual measures so you can control the filters applied quite precisely. First make sure you have PowerPivot installed - Excel doesn't ship with it apart from in certain editions of Excel 2013. I won't walk through the install process but a quick search should help if you're stuck.Select your data range and click Create Linked Table on the PowerPivot toolbar.The green PowerPivot window should appear. By default your table will get simply named Table1 - let's rename it ProductSales to make it more meaningful.Click the PivotTable button in the middle of green ribbon and place it wherever you like. Now we need to create some measures. PowerPivot uses a type of code called DAX (Data Analysis eXpressions) which is a lot like normal Excel formulae.Back in Excel, start by adding Product to the Row Labels of your PivotTable. Now click the New Measure button on the PowerPivot ribbon tab. In the resulting window, set Measure name (all PivotTables) to Units Total and in the Description free text box enter:=sum(ProductSales[Units])Create another measure, called Units 2013. Enter this code: =CALCULATE([Units Total],ProductSales[Year]=2013)The CALCULATE() function in DAX allows you to apply (multiple) filters to an aggregated expression - so here we're filtering the Units Total measure we've just created, by the relevant year. Repeat for Units 2014, and then do the same again for Revenue Total,Revenue 2013 & Revenue 2014.You can now order and format your columns as you like - to mimic your screenshots above I've manually set the 2013 & 2014 columns to grey.Share
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edited Sep 10, 2014 at 10:24
answered Sep 9, 2014 at 12:37Andi MohrAndi Mohr4,15044 gold badges3131 silver badges4646 bronze badges5Unfortunately hiding will not solve the issue, since it's basically the same workaround I'm currently using (and without a risk that some rows/columns will mismatch. On the other hand, PowerPivot might not be an overkill after all. If it can solve the issue, it is OK. I guess the problem with PowerPivot, is that it should be installed on other people's computers if they will want to manipulate the table.
– turezkySep 9, 2014 at 12:58So, how do you do it with PowerPivot? I've just added a measure, but it yields same result.
– turezkySep 9, 2014 at 17:52I've expanded my answer to show a PowerPivot solution.
– Andi MohrSep 10, 2014 at 10:25So it basically means manually creating an entry for each year. It is the shortcut solution for the given case, but it might become a pickle when columns are months or when they are a longer list (names, regions, etc) that should be generated automatically.
– turezkySep 10, 2014 at 17:03Yep, both have weaknesses. If you've got many columns you need to do this for, I'd suggest the first option is the best one. With a bit of VBA you could enforce common sorting on both tables.
– Andi MohrSep 11, 2014 at 8:30Add a comment | |
Having trouble in Ubuntu with dual monitors | linux;ubuntu;multiple-monitors;linux;ubuntu;multiple-monitors | Having trouble in Ubuntu with dual monitors
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Based on the comments above, it sounds like junking this install and starting fresh is the right approach. In Ubuntu all of your personal files should reside in your home directory: /home/yoususername. Backing that directory up will save 90% of what you need. Make sure you get the whole directly as their may be some hidden configuration files in there you may want to keep. Those will start with a period "." and you can see them on the command line with by `ls -a /home/yourusername/If you've installed software that you want to take with you to the new installation, simply make a note of it so you can do a sudo apt-get <software1> <software2> when you get the machine back up and running. If you've made any config changes to that software in /etc/softwarename/someconfigfile.conf, you may want to make quick back up of that as well (like a php.ini file or /etc/apache2/sites-enabled/* if you were running an apache web server, for instance). That being said, it's probably not a great idea to just start blindly copying everything out of /etc/* and then blindly back all that up... just make copies of things you know you changed and then selectively restore them when the machine is back. If you changed nothing, then no reason to copy here.That should cover like 99% of everything. In some cases, folks install software like Deluge or XBMC that, when installing, may have set up a specific user for the software and may have files hanging out in /home/xbmc/* or /var/deluge and whatnot... you would probably remember if you set up software like this, so if nothing is ringing a bell, then don't worry about it. Plus, you can always set this stuff up again fresh.Share
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answered Sep 9, 2014 at 13:18JNevillJNevill1,21666 silver badges1212 bronze badges3I didn't want to have to do that, but sounds like I will have to :/ how would I backup the /home folder to a flash drive for example?
– mgil90Sep 9, 2014 at 13:32Well.. you don't necessarily HAVE to do that, but without knowing what commands you fired off, it's impossible to suggest a way to fix it so you are back to one monitor. As for backing up, if you are on the desktop ui, then just stick in your flash drive, navigate to your computer's base directory and then go to /home. There you'll see your user's folder. Just copy and paste that on to your flash drive.
– JNevillSep 9, 2014 at 13:53wiping the computer sounds a bit extreme to me. You could try to rename your xorg.conf file and just restart the computer. I will post an answer below explaining the basic steps.
– chriskellySep 11, 2014 at 12:48Add a comment | ;
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Normally your window configuration is stored in a file called xorg.conf.You should be able to get your default display settings back by simply moving it out of the way. I presume you cannot see your screen at all now so this is what you should do:Clearing xorg settings:IMPORTANT: You will need to know your username and password.open a consoleOpen a console by pressing CTRL + ALT + F1.login with your username (press ENTER) then passwordcheck if xorg.conf existsat the prompt ($) type the following to list files in your X11 folder (you will be asked for the same password you used already):ls /etc/X11/Check if there is a file called xorg.conf.if yes, rename itIf you see that filename, do the following mv /etc/X11/xorg.conf /etc/X11/xorg.conf.20140911reboot and check if everything worked.rebootDetach the second monitor cable if it is still attached You should have only one monitor now Don't worry, even if it does not work, it will not cause any harm to your PC Share
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answered Sep 11, 2014 at 12:48chriskellychriskelly10111 bronze badgeAdd a comment | |
Firewalling VirtualBox: restrict host inbound connections to guests only | virtualbox;firewall;cygwin;windows-firewall;spoofing;virtualbox;firewall;cygwin;windows-firewall;spoofing | Firewalling VirtualBox: restrict host inbound connections to guests only
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This may take some more resources, but not much.You can try getting a software firewall, like pfsense, and create an internal "vm network" that will be firewalled by a powerful software-based firewall.ShareImprove this answer
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answered Sep 24, 2014 at 11:22adgelbfishadgelbfish62466 silver badges1212 bronze badges2But pfsense does not run on Windows
– antonioSep 24, 2014 at 14:20run it in a virtual machine. then tunnel all vm traffic through it using virtualbox's built in networking features.
– adgelbfishSep 28, 2014 at 0:47Add a comment | ;
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You could set up a host-only network within Virtualbox. This is a virtual LAN which includes the host and any guests which are attached to it. You would then add a network adapter to each of your guests and attach the adapter to the host-only network. The guests and the host would be able to communicate through the private network.Once you've done this, processes running on the host could bind specifically to the IP address for the host-only network interface. Only processes running on the host or one of the VMs would be able to contact the host's host-only network address.The basic process is as follows:Start Virtualbox manager and go to File->Preferences->Network->Host-only networks.Click the "+" icon at right to create a new one.Click the screwdriver icon to access properties for the new network.Enable a DHCP server if desired (if you don't do this, you'll have to assign static IPs to each guest).ShareImprove this answer
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edited Sep 24, 2014 at 23:13
answered Sep 24, 2014 at 18:57KensterKenster7,19122 gold badges3131 silver badges4444 bronze badges3Kenster, the host-only network prevents the guest to talk with the outside world, but not the host, and my question is: "open a listening port on the host accepting only inbound connections from the VMs".
– antonioSep 24, 2014 at 20:26I've spelled out a little more clearly what I was getting at.
– KensterSep 24, 2014 at 20:58Sorry, how can we do this by interface and not by IP? otherwise the last part of the question might apply?
– antonioSep 24, 2014 at 21:38Add a comment | |
Why is storage and transfer given in bytes? | storage;storage | Why is storage and transfer given in bytes?
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The majority of todays computer systems is internally working with multiples of 8 bits. On the lowest level, smaller quantities happen to be transferred (e.g. nybbles (4 bits) to the PHY of a 100 MBit/s ethernet connection), but everything exposed to higher levels is in multiples of 8 bits. This leads to memories working with 8 bit (or more) chunks. The lowest common demoninator of everything sensible to measure for the end-user is what we today call Byte, so that’s the unit of choice. Data in files is often aligned to the byte boundary, because accessing single bits is a more expensive operation. The smallest quantity supported by most of todays computers instructions is 8 bits of data, and that is what a memory address points to. Thus, some parts of files may be 32 bit chunks or 64 bit chunks, but one will only rarely find a 7 bit chunk which is not filled up to 8 bits (like 7-bit ASCII).ShareImprove this answer
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answered Sep 24, 2014 at 11:31Jonas SchäferJonas Schäfer1,4121111 silver badges2323 bronze badges5Actually, accessing anything smaller than a sector on disk is at best as expensive as accessing a full sector. For modern hard drives, this is 512 or 4096 bytes.
– userSep 24, 2014 at 11:331And of courcse it's only PC related. There is a lot of industrial applications where more specialised devices are used.
– AntonSep 24, 2014 at 11:36@MichaelKjörling True – although modern operating systems will avoid that cost by loading the whole sector into the cache, and users generally need to worry even less about it than application developers.
– Jonas SchäferSep 24, 2014 at 11:401Actually, that only reinforces my point. But the data as stored on the platter today uses complex encodings which normally can't be read in part: you either read an entire sector, or nothing. LBA also addresses storage in terms of sectors, so there isn't even a LBA command to tell the hard disk "read byte nnnnnnnnnn", only "read sector nnnnnnn". What the software (including the operating system) does with the data later is a completely separate issue.
– userSep 24, 2014 at 11:52@MichaelKjörling - "But the data as stored on the platter today uses..." -- Recording digital data on magnetic media has always required transfers of sectors or records with gaps in between. See superuser.com/questions/427554/… The last paragraph mentions why a read has to start in the gap rather than in the middle of a sector.
– sawdustSep 24, 2014 at 19:55Add a comment | ;
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Yes, your understanding is correct.Sizes are typically specified in bytes for a variety of reasons. One is that specifying numbers in bits would result in larger, less convenient numbers. Another is that units smaller than a single byte are almost never transferred, so there is no reason to use a smaller unit.ShareImprove this answer
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answered Sep 24, 2014 at 11:25David SchwartzDavid Schwartz61.4k77 gold badges9999 silver badges148148 bronze badges1Thanks, for the additional perspective. (I'd up vote if I had the rep.)
– UserSep 24, 2014 at 11:58Add a comment | ;
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Historically, computers have worked with widely varying word sizes. For example, 36 or 40 bit words wasn't entirely uncommon in early electronic computers (these led to convenient 18- or 20-bit "half words" which were sufficient for many purposes, while the full-length words allowed larger quantities or more precision where that was needed).These days, almost all general-purpose computers work with data in terms of power-of-two multiples of eight bits. Eight bits is a convenient quantity to use as a baseline, and it fits nicely into the "power of two" scheme that because of their binary nature computers have an easy time working with.Consequently, hardware is designed to work with such multiples of eight-bit quantities, in a sort of self-reinforcing loop.In all honesty, today's computers are often designed to work efficiently with significantly larger quantities than eight bits at a time: not uncommonly 32, 64 or even 128 bits at a time. Note that all of these are power-of-two multiples of eight bits, and as such can easily be deconstructed or combined if necessary.On the lower level, storage capacities are often specified in terms of bits, because some systems don't work in terms of bytes. It's also a fixed quantity: eight-bit words fit a lot of uses, but not all, so whereas bytes might not apply in every situation, available-bit counts always remain the same.As David Schwartz pointed out, showing bit quantities to the user would simply inflate the numbers without providing much (if indeed any) actual additional information. While an electronics engineer or firmware programmer can be expected to know how to work in bits, the average computer user cannot be expected to have such knowledge. Early personal computers also used encoding schemes that always encoded a single character as a single byte (or in a few cases, some small multiple of bytes), so the concept of "character = byte" was easy to convey. This isn't quite the case today with variable-length encodings such as UTF-8, but on the other hand storage capacities are so great these days that we don't normally need to worry about those details.ShareImprove this answer
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edited Mar 20, 2017 at 10:17CommunityBot1
answered Sep 24, 2014 at 11:48useruser29.1k1111 gold badges9999 silver badges144144 bronze badges0Add a comment | |
Hide a column when auto filter is active | microsoft-excel;microsoft-excel-2010;microsoft-excel;microsoft-excel-2010 | Hide a column when auto filter is active
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I found a solution https://stackoverflow.com/a/12808974/3789751 .I have the following subSub HideUnHide()Set AWS = ActiveSheetfstate = ""If AWS.FilterMode Then c = AWS.AutoFilter.Filters.Count For i = 1 To c Step 1 If AWS.AutoFilter.Filters(i).On Then ActiveSheet.Columns(1).Hidden = True End If Next iElse ActiveSheet.Columns(1).Hidden = FalseEnd IfEnd SubAnd this is called from a Worksheet_CalculateSub Worksheet_Calculate() Call Modul1.HideUnHideEnd SubShareImprove this answer
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edited May 23, 2017 at 12:41CommunityBot1
answered Sep 24, 2014 at 14:29mowsesmowses1111 bronze badge0Add a comment | ;
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In VBA functions are very unreliable when it come to modifying the worksheet (they are great at returning values). You are better off using a sub instead. The sub would have two parameters; The input range and the output string.ShareImprove this answer
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answered Sep 24, 2014 at 13:01Gary's StudentGary's Student19.1k66 gold badges2525 silver badges3838 bronze badges1It tried it with a SUB but didn't know how to call that SUB when a filter was changed.
– mowsesSep 24, 2014 at 14:25Add a comment | |
How to reload vundle plugin after configuration change | vim;vim | How to reload vundle plugin after configuration change
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Most plugins directly use the configuration variables, so it suffices to apply the variable setting to the current Vim session, and then re-trigger the plugin.For the first, you can either re-source your entire ~/.vimrc (if it's clean, and you avoid re-defining autocmds twice)::source ~/.vimrc(You can abbreviate that as :so % if you're currently editing it.) Or you just selectively execute the changed line, e.g. via:yy:@"For NERD_tree and this particular config, retriggering can be done via:closing and reopening NERD_treezooming the NERD_tree window in and outShareImprove this answer
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answered Sep 24, 2014 at 11:50Ingo KarkatIngo Karkat22.2k22 gold badges4242 silver badges5858 bronze badges3How does one "zoom" in and out of a window (this is not the same as ctrl+w+w)?
– Adrian ForsiusSep 24, 2014 at 12:451See :h NERDTree-A; this expands the sidebar window (for long filenames / deep trees).
– Ingo KarkatSep 24, 2014 at 12:53Short form of :source ~/.vimrc is :so ~/.vimrc. If you are currently editing ~/.vimrc you can just run :so %.
– patryk.bezaSep 11, 2019 at 18:36Add a comment | ;
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I figured out that a restarting the plugin (in this case :NERDTree) with the basic start command was enough hence this was my solution:Edit .vimrclet g:NERDTreeWinSize = 60Save .vimrc:wReload .vimrc as source:source %Run :NERDTree:NERDTreeShareImprove this answer
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answered Sep 24, 2014 at 11:38Adrian ForsiusAdrian Forsius14311 silver badge66 bronze badgesAdd a comment | |
Remove beginnings of email addresses from text using grep or sed | shell-script;regex;grep;sed;shell-script;regex;grep;sed | Remove beginnings of email addresses from text using grep or sed
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How about this?echo -e John Stevenson Johnnyboy34 [email protected] 0320423\\n Mike Anderson AndersMike [email protected] 0234234 | sed -r -e 's/((\w|[.])+)@/@/g'Which yields:John Stevenson Johnnyboy34 @company.com 0320423 Mike Anderson AndersMike @mikeltd.foo 0234234ShareImprove this answer
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answered Sep 24, 2014 at 21:03EricMEricM14122 bronze badgesAdd a comment | |
How to open the actual folder a library subfolder refers to? | windows-libraries;windows-libraries | How to open the actual folder a library subfolder refers to?
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The only workaround I found so far is copy-pasting the path from the address bar (which is expanded correctly on clicking) and pasting it into a different explorer window or the start menu's text field. But that is tedious if repeated often, and spams my ClipX clipboard history.ShareImprove this answer
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answered Sep 24, 2014 at 10:11Tobias KienzlerTobias Kienzler4,31177 gold badges4343 silver badges7474 bronze badgesAdd a comment | ;
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put the following line in a .bat file and run it from the folder you want to open:%SystemRoot%\explorer.exe %~dp0this opens explorer in batch file location.ShareImprove this answer
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answered Sep 24, 2014 at 10:40adgelbfishadgelbfish62466 silver badges1212 bronze badges3hm, not exactly effortless I am afraid to say. But that brings me to the idea of simply adding a new "Open" option to the folder type...
– Tobias KienzlerSep 24, 2014 at 11:391keep the batch file in clipx :)
– adgelbfishSep 24, 2014 at 11:53Indeed interesting suggestion, especially with its sticky plugin :D
– Tobias KienzlerSep 24, 2014 at 11:59Add a comment | |
"swapfiles" taking 45 GB space on Mac... What's the fix? | mac;memory;ssd;mac;memory;ssd | "swapfiles" taking 45 GB space on Mac... What's the fix?
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You should not blindly delete them. /var is just a link to /private/var. A typical thing that takes a lot of space there is temporary files in /private/var/tmp and /private/tmp. You can safely delete those after closing all programs and rebooting.ShareImprove this answer
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answered Sep 24, 2014 at 10:57orkodenorkoden82988 silver badges1010 bronze badgesAdd a comment | |
How to mount external Windows NTFS volume on Mac? | macos;hard-drive;mount;macos;hard-drive;mount | How to mount external Windows NTFS volume on Mac?
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In the recent macOS, this command should work:diskutil mount disk1s1Where disk1s1 is the disk and partition number from diskutil list.The volume will mount in read-only.For the write access support, read: recommendations for reading and writing NTFS from macOS.ShareImprove this answer
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answered Jul 30, 2017 at 22:53kenorbkenorb23.5k2626 gold badges122122 silver badges186186 bronze badges1I thought NTFS mounts automatically nowadays, but I can't test it now.
– SPRBRNOct 30, 2017 at 11:58Add a comment | ;
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You don't need external program to mount NTFS volume, follow these steps to mount NTFS external disk on macOS. This is tested and working on macOS Mojave-sudo mkdir /Volumes/MyNTFSsudo mount -t ntfs -o rw <Disk Identifier> /Volumes/MyNTFSTo get disk identifier, you can run diskutil list. For example, if below is the output-/dev/disk2 (external, physical): #: TYPE NAMESIZE IDENTIFIER 0: GUID_partition_scheme *2.0 TBdisk2 1: Microsoft Basic Data MyNTFS 2.0 TBdisk2s1Then you can run following command to mount-sudo mount -t ntfs -o rw /dev/disk2 /Volumes/MyNTFSShareImprove this answer
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answered May 26, 2019 at 5:55riteshritesh12133 bronze badges1Thank you!! This is the only method that worked for me. Disk utility and diskutil mount didn't work.
– Pietro CoelhoDec 27, 2022 at 21:08Add a comment | ;
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If you need access to your drive, there is commercial alternatives such as Paragon NTFS for Mac, or Tuxera NTFS for Mac.I don't have much experience with either, but I believe them to be acceptable solutions.If however, you feel in the experimental mood, there is unofficial NTFS support in macOS. However, no guarantee is provided.ShareImprove this answer
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answered Apr 22, 2017 at 10:01MindToothMindTooth13633 bronze badgesAdd a comment | ;
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It is NTFS, you cannot mount it. It must be Mac OS Journaled or FAT32.ShareImprove this answer
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answered Sep 24, 2014 at 17:41EdGEdG61611 gold badge55 silver badges1616 bronze badges41Strange. I mount another NTFS hard drive with command sudo mount -t ntfs /dev/disk2s1 /Volumes/VERBATIM/ and it work perfectly.
– Davide BrognoliSep 24, 2014 at 18:36That is surprising, as Apple say that Snow Leopard and up cannot mount an NTFS drive. Now I am on my Macbook, I can use links. NTFS3G (macntfs-3g.blogspot.co.uk) allows you to mount NTFS drives, format as NTFS etc.
– EdGSep 24, 2014 at 18:40I have Paragon NTFS installed on my machine and I can mount every NTFS disk.
– Davide BrognoliSep 24, 2014 at 18:59Should've mentioned that! Maybe the disk is corrupted then
– EdGSep 24, 2014 at 19:06Add a comment | ;
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You can mount any NTFS disk, natively. You simply can't write to it without additional 3rd party software. If you can't see the drive at all, or it won't mount, the drive is most likely beginning to fail/failing/failed.ShareImprove this answer
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answered Mar 15, 2015 at 20:28user428322user4283221Add a comment | ;
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For those who are already using ntfs for mac by Paragon, and have faced the famous "Unable to mount" error,try executing -sudo kextunload /Library/Extensions/ufsd_NTFS.kext // unloads driversudo kextload /Library/Extensions/ufsd_NTFS.kext // reloads itThis is what worked for me. However, if the issue persits, here's an article that might help - https://kb.paragon-software.com/article/406ShareImprove this answer
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answered Jul 27, 2019 at 19:34Niket PathakNiket Pathak26922 silver badges55 bronze badgesAdd a comment | |
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