Computer is running slow

[Hablin]

I recieved a call from Windon Monday saying that my computer sent a report to Microsoft and that it is infected... and I hung up the phone cause I know they are phishing. However, since then my computer is running a little slower and now I get messages where some drivers aren't downloaded, some programs aren't updated and I just did an update last night and a virus scan. Virus scan was clear(Mcafee) and the updates are in. Its just wierd, not sure if anyone can screw with your computer over the phone????
If you need any info let me know

thanks

 

[gary1]

Uh. The only way your computer can get infected is when YOU download it and give it permission to run. If it's running slow, I would suggest CCleaner, a defrag, removal of useless programs, and if those don't help, a fresh install of windows.

 

[Raiddinn]

People can mess with your computer over the internet, especially if you don't have a firewall and an anti-virus.

I would suggest you go on Microsoft's website and download something called Microsoft Security Essentials and install it. It is a different anti-virus program so if there is something that McAfee is not finding then maybe MSE will find it.

You can also try using HouseCall from Trend Micro. You can Google this and get a link to it. Trend Micro is a major anti-virus company, so it is safe.

You can also download something called Ad-Aware from a company that I think is called Lavasoft which combats adware, spyware, and some other stuff like that.

If you do all that stuff and nothing comes up with any hits, then you are probably safe.

Let me know how that stuff turns out and we can go from there.

Uh. The only way your computer can get infected is when YOU download it and give it permission to run. If it's running slow, I would suggest CCleaner, a defrag, removal of useless programs, and if those don't help, a fresh install of windows.

It isn't true at all. Maybe that is how it happens 99.9% of the time, but the other 0.1% of the time still exists.

 

[gary1]

I doubt, that unless you pissed off some random hacker, that someone deliberately hacked your computer.. Unless there's other ways I don't know about..

 

[Raiddinn]

It is unlikely, but it is possible.

There are "Script Kiddies" that just load up hacking programs and set their computers to try to go through and hack every IP available on the internet. Not just 1, thousands at any given time.

There has been tests done where researchers put unprotected computers on the internet to see how long it would take for them to get hacked. Sometimes these computers get hacked in under 5 minutes.

With a good firewall, there is usually nothing to worry about other than human error, but it isn't at all clear that there was a firewall installed at this point.

 

[gary1]

Good thing AVG was the first thing I downloaded after Firefox.

 

[Raiddinn]

All Windows 7 installs should come with a basic firewall as default. However, in prior OSs this wasn't always true.

Vista may have come with one. I don't really know, I just tried to pretend Vista didn't exist because of how bad it was. Kinda like Windows ME.

However, I am quite sure that XP and prior OSs didn't come with firewalls installed and turned on as the default setting.

I don't know what the OPs OS is, but if it was XP or earlier and he didn't install a firewall manually then he could have problems quite easily.

 

[Hablin]

OS Name Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium
Version 6.1.7601 Service Pack 1 Build 7601
Other OS Description Not Available
OS Manufacturer Microsoft Corporation
System Name MTROMBLEY-PC
System Manufacturer Alienware
System Model Aurora
System Type x64-based PC
Processor Intel(R) Core(TM) i7 CPU 930 @ 2.80GHz, 2800 Mhz, 4 Core(s), 8 Logical Processor(s)
BIOS Version/Date Alienware A11, 7/30/2010
SMBIOS Version 2.5
Windows Directory C:\Windows
System Directory C:\Windows\system32
Boot Device \Device\HarddiskVolume4
Locale United States
Hardware Abstraction Layer Version = "6.1.7601.17514"
User Name Mtrombley-PC\Mtrombley
Time Zone Eastern Daylight Time
Installed Physical Memory (RAM) 6.00 GB
Total Physical Memory 5.99 GB
Available Physical Memory 4.58 GB
Total Virtual Memory 12.0 GB
Available Virtual Memory 9.34 GB
Page File Space 5.99 GB
Page File C:\pagefile.sys


sorry I couldn't put this in. Had to get to work. The only thing I have downloaded since Monday was Mists of Pandara Beta, PCMarks for computer performance tests, and Microsoft office trial.

 

[Hablin]

Best answer selected by Hablin.

 

[Hablin]

I ran those tests and used CCleaner and restarted and its back to normal. Thanks. Not sure why McAfee didn't fix my problem Should send them an email, I have had 5 computers using McAfee for the last 10 years

 

[Raiddinn]

Glad it seems to be working again.