a smart computer virus? is it possible?

[FMluvswater]

My computer has been crashing a lot again. I've noticed a pattern - anytime I try to run Spybot, Ad-aware or AVG it crashes - restarts itself. Firefox has been crashing too. All is not good. If there's a virus is it smart enough to know when I start the anti-virus anti-spyware programs that I am trying to fix it? :D No seriously have these virus-creating terrorists gotten that good at this stuff? I think I rather it's just a flaky computer problem than that ... it's getting hard enough as it is to keep up with all the damn protections and fixes needed without adding smart viruses to the mix. :squiggle:

[FMluvswater]

How in the world did you get a virus or spyware using Firefox? Where are you surfing, or do we want to know?
Well I've had to use IE for WinXP updates. :redface:

[FMluvswater]

I'm running stinger right now. So far no crash. Perhaps it will complete the scan and eradicate whatever it is, if it even is a virus. :clover:

[FMluvswater]

No you don't. Control Panel>Automatic Updates. Set it up to update in the early AM. You don't have to do crap.
So it doesn't use a browser to grab the updates in automatic mode? I can't manually grab the updates from a Firefox browser. Firefox is my default browser.

[FMluvswater]

No, it does not use a browser. The browser is merely a portal to the download, it's not used past that.
Okey dokey. Done deal then. Thank-you. There is one other instance when I have to use IE ... to access private MSN Groups that I belong to. Usually I just run my clean-up programs immediately after but as I said running those programs makes my system crash lately. :notam:

[bigq]

I have had viruses stop me from putting on and or stopping the service, i think one was Nimba..anyway try this link also for spyware it has seemed to work well.. Trend Micro spyware scan (http://www.trendmicro.com/spyware-scan/) .
Also, and i am not a big fan of the toolbar downloads, try the yahoo bar on IE if you need to use it, it has a good spyware scanner and blocks well. Some sites don't work good with Firefox if they use active x controls. I have add on called "IE view" taht lets you right click and display in IE.

[H2OT TIMES]

You bet there are some smart viruses. I had one that stopped me from accessing McAfee or Norton websites and many others. I just got
"page cannot be displayed" when I tried to go to any antivirus site. It sucked.

[FMluvswater]

Well stinger must have taken care of the blocker virus. I've run both Ad-Aware and SpyBot since stinger completed. Both programs found a whole lotta stuff! :2purples: All taken care of for now. :cool: Smart viruses are kind of a scary idea to me. :squiggle: thanks for the tips guys. I'm about to install WinXP SP2. I'm gonna need some :clover: . Had troubles with this last time around but I turned on automatic updates and it wants to install it now. So here goes nothing ...

[mike37]

this work way better than trend micro
it a download and runs al the time found tons of bad stuff on my pc
AVG free addition (http://www.grisoft.com/doc/289/lng/us/tpl/tpl01)

[FMluvswater]

this work way better than trend micro
it a download and runs al the time found tons of bad stuff on my pc
AVG free addition (http://www.grisoft.com/doc/289/lng/us/tpl/tpl01)
I couldn't agree more mike37. I have a very high opinion of AVG. :cool:

[bigq]

I use AVG on a few systems and it is good because it is free, but it is not the best. I use this nod32 (http://www.eset.com/home/home.htm) for critical systems. The cost is very reasonable also. :)