Lost all my contacts by virus....

  • Thread starter Thread starter Pete L
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Pete L

Guest
I found out this morning that my PC sent out about 50 e-mails from my

contacts list with a spam message. My virus checker hasn't found

anything (AVG). I did a system restore and went back a few days.

Problem now is that my wireless connection doesn't work now and I'm

doing this mail using a cable connection to the router. I can find

most of my contacts again but should I be worried that my PC has been

'taken over'? Could this virus? have taken all my IP address info? I

have tried all the usual things to restore my wireless connection -

like 'repair' but to no avail. Any ideas how I can get it back please?
 
Pete L wrote:

> I found out this morning that my PC sent out about 50 e-mails from my

> contacts list with a spam message. My virus checker hasn't found

> anything (AVG). I did a system restore and went back a few days.

> Problem now is that my wireless connection doesn't work now and I'm

> doing this mail using a cable connection to the router. I can find

> most of my contacts again but should I be worried that my PC has been

> 'taken over'? Could this virus? have taken all my IP address info? I

> have tried all the usual things to restore my wireless connection -

> like 'repair' but to no avail. Any ideas how I can get it back please?



Back up and reinstall XP OR spend days tracking down something unknown.



--

C
 
Always state your full Windows version (e.g., WinXP SP3; WinXP 64-bit SP2;

Vista SP1; Vista 64-bit SP2; Win7; Win7 64-bit) when posting in a forum or

newsgroup. Please do so in your next reply.



Are you referring to your Hotmail contacts, your Outlook contacts, your

Outlook Express contacts, or...?



Are you running AVG (Free) v9.x? What anti-spyware applications (other than

Defender)? What third-party firewall (if any)?



Has a(another) Norton or McAfee application ever been installed on the

computer (e.g., a free-trial version that came preinstalled when you bought

it)?

--

~Robear Dyer (PA Bear)

MS MVP-IE, Mail, Security, Windows Client - since 2002



Pete L wrote:

> I found out this morning that my PC sent out about 50 e-mails from my

> contacts list with a spam message. My virus checker hasn't found

> anything (AVG). I did a system restore and went back a few days.

> Problem now is that my wireless connection doesn't work now and I'm

> doing this mail using a cable connection to the router. I can find

> most of my contacts again but should I be worried that my PC has been

> 'taken over'? Could this virus? have taken all my IP address info? I

> have tried all the usual things to restore my wireless connection -

> like 'repair' but to no avail. Any ideas how I can get it back please?
 
On 10 Mar, 17:58, "PA Bear [MS MVP]" wrote:

> Always state your full Windows version (e.g., WinXP SP3; WinXP 64-bit SP2;

> Vista SP1; Vista 64-bit SP2; Win7; Win7 64-bit) when posting in a forum or

> newsgroup. Please do so in your next reply.

>

> Are you referring to your Hotmail contacts, your Outlook contacts, your

> Outlook Express contacts, or...?

>

> Are you running AVG (Free) v9.x?  What anti-spyware applications (otherthan

> Defender)?  What third-party firewall (if any)?

>

> Has a(another) Norton or McAfee application ever been installed on the

> computer (e.g., a free-trial version that came preinstalled when you bought

> it)?

> --

> ~Robear Dyer (PA Bear)

> MS MVP-IE, Mail, Security, Windows Client - since 2002

>

> Pete L wrote:

> > I found out this morning that my PC sent out about 50 e-mails from my

> > contacts list with a spam message. My virus checker hasn't found

> > anything (AVG). I did a system restore and went back a few days.

> > Problem now is that my wireless connection doesn't work now and I'm

> > doing this mail using a cable connection to the router. I can find

> > most of my contacts again but should I be worried that my PC has been

> > 'taken over'? Could this virus? have taken all my IP address info? I

> > have tried all the usual things to restore my wireless connection -

> > like 'repair' but to no avail. Any ideas how I can get it back please?



Ok, running WinXP SP3. It's my Hotmail contacts that have been wiped -

I can manually put them back, however. I use AVG v9 (Free). Nothing

has come up on that. I don 't have any other anti-spyware progs

running. Still running internet using a cable from router - wireless

not working on my PC but no problem on another laptop.
 
"Pete L" wrote in message

news:b5b1abea-a53f-4013-b4b6-22cbf6e12c33@g26g2000yqn.googlegroups.com...

On 10 Mar, 17:58, "PA Bear [MS MVP]" wrote:

> Always state your full Windows version (e.g., WinXP SP3; WinXP 64-bit SP2;

> Vista SP1; Vista 64-bit SP2; Win7; Win7 64-bit) when posting in a forum or

> newsgroup. Please do so in your next reply.

>

> Are you referring to your Hotmail contacts, your Outlook contacts, your

> Outlook Express contacts, or...?

>

> Are you running AVG (Free) v9.x? What anti-spyware applications (other than

> Defender)? What third-party firewall (if any)?

>

> Has a(another) Norton or McAfee application ever been installed on the

> computer (e.g., a free-trial version that came preinstalled when you bought

> it)?

> --

> ~Robear Dyer (PA Bear)

> MS MVP-IE, Mail, Security, Windows Client - since 2002

>

> Pete L wrote:

> > I found out this morning that my PC sent out about 50 e-mails from my

> > contacts list with a spam message. My virus checker hasn't found

> > anything (AVG). I did a system restore and went back a few days.

> > Problem now is that my wireless connection doesn't work now and I'm

> > doing this mail using a cable connection to the router. I can find

> > most of my contacts again but should I be worried that my PC has been

> > 'taken over'? Could this virus? have taken all my IP address info? I

> > have tried all the usual things to restore my wireless connection -

> > like 'repair' but to no avail. Any ideas how I can get it back please?



Ok, running WinXP SP3. It's my Hotmail contacts that have been wiped -

I can manually put them back, however. I use AVG v9 (Free). Nothing

has come up on that. I don 't have any other anti-spyware progs

running. Still running internet using a cable from router - wireless

not working on my PC but no problem on another laptop.



Are your hotmail contacts on the Hotmail server or on your computer?

If on the server, it was not a virus on your computer that deleted them.



Have you just updated to SP3 or have you had it working for a while? SP3 does conflict with some

wireless adapter drivers.
 
Pete L wrote:

>>> I found out this morning that my PC sent out about 50 e-mails from my

>>> contacts list with a spam message. My virus checker hasn't found

>>> anything (AVG). I did a system restore and went back a few days.

>>> Problem now is that my wireless connection doesn't work now and I'm

>>> doing this mail using a cable connection to the router. I can find

>>> most of my contacts again but should I be worried that my PC has been

>>> 'taken over'? Could this virus? have taken all my IP address info? I

>>> have tried all the usual things to restore my wireless connection -

>>> like 'repair' but to no avail. Any ideas how I can get it back please?

>

>> Always state your full Windows version (e.g., WinXP SP3; WinXP 64-bit

>> SP2;

>> Vista SP1; Vista 64-bit SP2; Win7; Win7 64-bit) when posting in a forum

>> or

>> newsgroup. Please do so in your next reply.

>>

>> Are you referring to your Hotmail contacts, your Outlook contacts, your

>> Outlook Express contacts, or...?

>>

>> Are you running AVG (Free) v9.x? What anti-spyware applications (other

>> than

>> Defender)? What third-party firewall (if any)?

>>

>> Has a(another) Norton or McAfee application ever been installed on the

>> computer (e.g., a free-trial version that came preinstalled when you

>> bought

>> it)?

>

> Ok, running WinXP SP3. It's my Hotmail contacts that have been wiped -

> I can manually put them back, however. I use AVG v9 (Free). Nothing

> has come up on that. I don 't have any other anti-spyware progs

> running. Still running internet using a cable from router - wireless

> not working on my PC but no problem on another laptop.



OK, we'll bottom-post then...



AVG does not scan your Hotmail messages or contacts nor are they located on

your HDD.



What to do if you think your account has been stolen or hijacked

http://windowslivehelp.com/solution.aspx?solutionid=6ea0c7b3-1473-4176-b03f-145b951dcb41



Windows Live Online Solutions Center

http://windowslivehelp.com/Default.aspx

FAQ:

http://windowslivehelp.com/solution.aspx?solutionid=e2b2292c-2f10-4c7e-8785-e1d898ece45d



Solutions for Common Hotmail Problems

http://windowslivehelp.com/solutions.aspx?productid=1



Hotmail Community Forums
 
Pete L wrote:



>I found out this morning that my PC sent out about 50 e-mails from my

>contacts list with a spam message. My virus checker hasn't found

>anything (AVG). I did a system restore and went back a few days.

>Problem now is that my wireless connection doesn't work now and I'm

>doing this mail using a cable connection to the router. I can find

>most of my contacts again but should I be worried that my PC has been

>'taken over'? Could this virus? have taken all my IP address info? I

>have tried all the usual things to restore my wireless connection -

>like 'repair' but to no avail. Any ideas how I can get it back please?

>

>

I have never liked AVG since version 8 was released. I am currently

using MSE and Avast and both are doing very well on my system. Did you

keep backups of your system? Perhaps you should from now onwards

bearing in mind M$ will stop support of XP soon and so your own

discipline will come to your rescue.



hth
 
On 10 Mar, 22:31, LD55ZRA wrote:

> Pete L wrote:

> >I found out this morning that my PC sent out about 50 e-mails from my

> >contacts list with a spam message. My virus checker hasn't found

> >anything (AVG). I did a system restore and went back a few days.

> >Problem now is that my wireless connection doesn't work now and I'm

> >doing this mail using a cable connection to the router. I can find

> >most of my contacts again but should I be worried that my PC has been

> >'taken over'? Could this virus? have taken all my IP address info? I

> >have tried all the usual things to restore my wireless connection -

> >like 'repair' but to no avail. Any ideas how I can get it back please?

>

> I have never liked AVG since version 8 was released.  I am currently

> using MSE and Avast and both are doing very well on my system.  Did you

> keep backups of your system?  Perhaps you should from now onwards

> bearing in mind M$ will stop support of XP soon and so your own

> discipline will come to your rescue.

>

> hth



Thanks guys for all your suggestions. However, things have not

improved and I have just spent 30 mins on the phone to my internet

provider to solve the wireless problem. My laptop works fine using a

cable from the router but it will not connect wirelessly. We tried all

kinds of settings and tweaks but without success. The lady I spoke to

has given up and says take the laptop to a computer shop! Before I do,

does anybody know any tests I can do to check that this is or is not a

hardware problem with the wireless adaptor that is built in my laptop?
 
"Pete L" wrote in message

news:6cd329d5-180a-4be7-9f19-429e99908bc4@15g2000yqi.googlegroups.com...

On 10 Mar, 22:31, LD55ZRA wrote:

> Pete L wrote:

> >I found out this morning that my PC sent out about 50 e-mails from my

> >contacts list with a spam message. My virus checker hasn't found

> >anything (AVG). I did a system restore and went back a few days.

> >Problem now is that my wireless connection doesn't work now and I'm

> >doing this mail using a cable connection to the router. I can find

> >most of my contacts again but should I be worried that my PC has been

> >'taken over'? Could this virus? have taken all my IP address info? I

> >have tried all the usual things to restore my wireless connection -

> >like 'repair' but to no avail. Any ideas how I can get it back please?

>

> I have never liked AVG since version 8 was released. I am currently

> using MSE and Avast and both are doing very well on my system. Did you

> keep backups of your system? Perhaps you should from now onwards

> bearing in mind M$ will stop support of XP soon and so your own

> discipline will come to your rescue.

>

> hth



Thanks guys for all your suggestions. However, things have not

improved and I have just spent 30 mins on the phone to my internet

provider to solve the wireless problem. My laptop works fine using a

cable from the router but it will not connect wirelessly. We tried all

kinds of settings and tweaks but without success. The lady I spoke to

has given up and says take the laptop to a computer shop! Before I do,

does anybody know any tests I can do to check that this is or is not a

hardware problem with the wireless adaptor that is built in my laptop?



==========



Start with turning all encyption off on the wireless connection, at the

router, and at the laptop. Then, increase the security levels till you

find a point where they can't connect. You'll be switching between wired

and wireless connections.



If you're concerned about security, simply unplug the router from its feed.

For your test destination, just go to the router address; if you get the

admin login dialog, the wireless is working. You don't have to log in.



If you can't connect to the router with no security, then it's likely that

there is a problem with the hardware.



That said, I *have* seen a router that wouldn't allow anything to connect

*if* all four of the keys were filled in (you'll see this kind of thing on

the wireless setup pages). I had to set it to have only one of the four

possible keys filled in for it to work at all.



HTH

-pk
 
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