this "new" AIM worm..

[anno]

this is probably the wrong forum but I did a search on worm to find the right forum and by far the most often referenced one was this one.

my nephew (the one who's dad died 2 weeks ago) has got this worm.. and he's more or less computer stupid and he lives 2 states away.

So.. he asked me to help him fix it. so I googled it up and read all the stuff and sent him the link to his work email so he could print out the instructions and go home and fix it.. and he says "it doesn't work, I don't have those things", referring to the running processes and registry entries referred to in the solution.

now.. I'm sure that's what he has.. because he's on my AIM buddy list and yesterday I got at least 4 messages from him saying "this picture never gets old http://www.ebaumsworld.com/newstuff/funnysign.jpg" which is not where the link actually went (and please don't go there, I didn't check to see if it was a real url and am not willing to be responsible if it is and it's bad!) but that's what all the stuff about this worm-opanki.y thing says happens. but.. something he did yesterday at least fixed that because the messages did stop coming.

he says "nothing works" except obviously, AIM does, because that's how he keeps telling me this stuff.. but his email doesn't work and his IE doesn't work (go anywhere, at least..) and I sent him firefox last night (via AIM) and that didn't work (he couldn't open the file) and I don't know how much of this is all because he's just ignorant and how much of it is a real problem.. I haven't read anything about this worm that would explain these issues.. so.. perhaps he has other issues as well but.. it's proving impossible for me to figure out what they are, from here.. because I guess I'm not all that smart either .

so.. I figured maybe some of you guys are smarter than me. well.. I know some of you guys are smarter than me and many of you are more knowledgeable in these sorts of matters, also. and perhaps a few of you are.. more clairvoyant than I am.. because I'm thinkin' that's what it's gonna take to figure this out for him.

I'm 'bout ready to tell him to just reformat the thing.. which is a fairly extreme step for me to take, I've never.. ever.. in the.. 16 years I've had computers.. found the need to reformat one, unless I was giving it away.. but I think he could figure out how to DO that and I'm 'bout out of ideas to fix him from here, short of that.

suggestions?

anno

 

[MAME]

format

or if you want to waste time: kill the process / run software in safe mode

 

[astralusion]

had an aim virus real quick once...i just went to a checkpoint from the day before...i knew i had it like 6 hours after i got it, so just did the little registry checkpoint or something, haven't had a problem since

 

[feelingshorter]

Originally posted by: MAME
format

or if you want to waste time: kill the process / run software in safe mode

there has got to be a way to kill the process without restarting.

Do you have antivirus? and try going to run and typing in msconfig. Use that to disable any programs on startup.

 

[astralusion]

however...sorry, i don't know if it was the same thing, in fact i doubt that it was...so you could still try that...might help

 

[anno]

Originally posted by: astralusion
however...sorry, i don't know if it was the same thing, in fact i doubt that it was...so you could still try that...might help

he said he tried that and it wouldn't let him do that. at least.. is that the same thing as system restore?

he claims those files aren't in his processes or registry.. there were 4 links to remove various grayware things included in the solution page and (I never even heard of grayware before, what is that? would that explain his email and browser not working?) I'm pretty sure he didn't also print those instructions but, to be fair, those solutions seem to involve downloading and running stuff and he can't very well do that if he can't get to them to do it.

maybe the reformat is the best idea.

anno