Thanks to all for your advice.

Quote:

<...>
I don't like using the keyboard to shut down the browser like you did when encountering those false flag website "alerts" because some day a bad boy is going to include those keystrokes as being the click needed to install the baddie. <...>

I take the long path, hold down the Power button for 5 secs or so and just force a total Shutdown. Then reboot, of course.

--Mac



Mac, it looks like that day has arrived.

I've been computing since the 1980s, I made my first website in 1996 and have been on-line at least 350 days per year since then, and I just got my very first piece of malware

I guess it had to happen sooner or later.

I noticed my computer being sluggish when typing. The shift key was slow to react so capitalized words came out like tHis. So I booted in the safe mode, ran my AV and MalwareBytes again and MB found a trojan, but not any of the zBot signatures I found on the net. Deleted it, rebooted and noticed the same thing happening. Safe mode - scan - same thing.

So I took my notes from MBytes and my computer to my favorite computer shop. I hadn't been there in 6 years when they did warranty work on my ThinkPad (stuck pixels on the screen). They moved since then. The tech called and said there is malware on the system. It isn't zBot but something else (he rattled off a alphanumeric string). He said it is designed to turn the computer into a doorstop, fortunately I caught it in time and he doesn't think he will have to re-install the OS.

I have all my file data backed up on an external drive (I use SyncToy from MS) so nothing is lost. If any software apps need to be removed, I have the installation disks ---- somewhere.

I do not keep customer information on my computer so none of my customers are harmed (I don't even D/L the C.C. numbers anymore, I let the shop cart company just send the details with the number stripped, and then every few weeks I delete the orders from the shopping cart server).

So the Mac method is obviously the way to go. It's too bad I didn't know about it sooner or figure that one out myself.

I'm also thinking about changing my AV software. I'll go to PCWorld and others to read the comparison reviews (PC World does that about once per year).

So I'm on an old computer that hasn't been on the net in a long time. The AV and Windows took a while to update, and I'm not going to do much with this one (I basically use it as a MIDI sequencer), but I did want to get on and thank you all for your help and give you an update.

So I'll be off line (except for my phone) for another day or two.

Thanks again for the advice.

Notes

Bob "Notes" Norton smile Norton Music
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