Viruses and Malware

Malware (a portmanteau for malicious software) is any software intentionally designed to cause damage to a computer, server, client, or computer network. Malware does the damage after it is implanted or introduced in some way into a target's computer and can take the form of executable code, scripts, active content, and other software. The code is described as computer viruses, worms, trojan horses, ransomware, spyware, adware, and scareware, among other terms. Malware has a malicious intent, acting against the interest of the computer user—and so does not include software that causes unintentional harm due to some deficiency, which is typically described as a software bug.

Safe Mode with Networking

Safe mode is a diagnostic mode of a operating system (OS). It can also refer to a mode of operation by application software. In Windows, safe mode only allows essential system programs and services to start up at boot. Safe mode is intended to help fix most, if not all problems within an operating system. It is also widely used for removing rogue security software. 

As a first step, try to boot your device into Safe Mode with Networking to improve the speed of the device and bypass malware issues, while retaining the ability for the device to access local networks and the Internet. For some guides on how to access Safe Mode in both Windows and Mac OS X, please click on the buttons below. 

The HTML HELP Tool, AKA "The hh h Method"

In some cases of virus or malware infection, the Internet may be working on a device, however the browser may not allow you to connect to certain or any webpages. This may be due to browser redirects, malware or adware popups, or other reasons. In these cases, if you're utilizing a Windows operating system, you can often connect using the HTML HELP Tool. This tool acts like a browser in that it allows you to connect to webpages, but it does not use any installed browsers that are normally targeted by adware. This tool also does not contain add-ons or search providers, thereby allowing it to bypass most common browser hijacks.

1. Go to the Windows Search bar in the Start Menu, or open the Run window with Windows Key + R.

2. Type hh h before pressing the Enter key on your keyboard. This should pull up the HTML HELP window.

3. In the HTML HELP window, click on the yellow question mark in the top left corner to pull up the menu.

4. Go to the bottom of the menu and click "Jump to URL..."  in order to pull up the relevant dialogue box.

5. Type in a URL (e.g. www,google.ca) and press the Enter key on your keyboard.

Alternative Methods:

As an alternative, you can try Internet Explorer after disabling Add-ons

• Open the Run window with Windows Key + R.

• Type in the command "iexplore -extoff" and press Enter

As a last resort, you may want to perform a System Restore and then reinstall the Operating System.

Safe Mode works but Network Issues in Normal Mode

Symptoms:

You were able to work in safe mode, but can't connect to a network in normal mode afterwards.

Resolution:

• Change DNS settings to the DNS settings for Google.

For Windows Operating Systems: Access your Network and Sharing Center - this can be done multiple ways, depending on your version of Windows, however the most common method is through the Control Panel. Once in the Network and Sharing Center, select Change Adapter Options, right-click on the applicable connection and select Properties. From the Connection Properties, select Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4) from the list so that it is selected and click on Properties at the bottom of the list. In the next window, ensure that "Obtain DNS server address automatically" is not selected. In the same window, enter 8.8.8.8 as the primary DNS server and 8.8.4.4 as the secondary DNS server.

For Macintosh Operating Systems: Click the Apple Logo to the left on the top task bar and then select System Preferences. In the System Preferences field, click on Network and then use the drop-down menu beside Show to select either Built-in Ethernet or Airport. Then, click on the DNS tab. You may then use the + and - keys at the bottom of the DNS list to add or remove DNS servers, respectively. Add both 8.8.8.8 and 8.8.4.4 as DNS servers.

• Flush the DNS cache being used within the device. 

For Windows, this can be done via opening the Command Prompt and typing in ipconfig/flushdns

For Macintosh, open the Terminal and type in dscacheutil -flushcache, then sudo killall -HUP mDNSResponder

• Reboot the device to normal mode, and it should be able to connect now.

Other Resources

Here are some helpful sites for troubleshooting viruses and malware.

Bleeping Computer Removal Guides

PCThreat.com

Uncle AI for Reg Codes

Malware Tips

Malware Wiki

They will provide you with:

• Process names/locations

• File names/locations

• Affected Registry Keys

• Registration codes to unlock rogue antivirus program (then easier to remove)

• Screenshots

• Removal tips

Pop Ups

Pop ups while browsing can be stopped by installing the adblockplus add-on:

• Using every browser the device has installed, visit www.adblockplus.org and install it. 

  • Visit the page with every browser prevent reopens in case the customer uses a different browser.

  • This add-on stops almost everything, even the ads that come in for YouTube videos.