BackUp! Bad virus on the prowl, Lost my OS and data!

[EricKonieczny]

Well I am tryping this message from an old computer that is running Windows 98. :(

My current system was just devastated and corrupted with a bad virus.
It is only a 7 month old Dell, 3.4 Ghz, 1GB RAm, 140 GB Hard Drive, and a whole lot of software like Photshop, ACDSee, Dreamweaver, MS office, all my email, allot of personal info. I had it protected myAutomatic update, McAfee Antivirius and Personal Firewall, Adaware , and behind a Router. I feel like I am very educated and safe when it comes to computers and can usually fix most probelms, since I have a degree in MIS. but today was my first trip to a computer stoire.

I went to bed last night and everything was great, I woke up today turned on my computer and it took forever to boot up. It then showed my desk top and then my McAfee AntiVirus software error popped up tell me it could not run because my system was out of memory and hard drive space. That is impossible with my previous mentioned hardware.

Then I noticed that I had no Task Bar, and it would not show up at all.
All of my programs gave me errros when I opened them, and would not run. :evil:

I tiried to access the System Restore application, and it gave me a error that it could not run.

I tried to open my McAffee antivirus, and it would not run. Gave me errors

I then Shut down my system and re-booted to Safe Mode Command Prompt. I tried to do a system restore from here, and still no luck. It gave me a a error that it was missing the application. :(

So to end this saga. I had to take my 7 month old system, to a computer store. They took my hard drive out and put it in another system and ran antivirus and found that my entire Windows XP OS was corrupted my a virus that had erased system files, and then it corrupted 30 others.

They tried re install Windows XP over my OS , to save the data, but it would work. So they had to f disk my gard drive, wipe it clean and reinstall my entire Windows XP Os, like it was brand new from the factory, :evil:

The good news is that I have all my photos, and allot of my data backed up on an external 160 HD, but this is a big ordeal that costs me money and time.

The moral of the story. no matter how much you are protected, computers are never 100%. Back Up all your data , and even your OS. I will be spending the next few days reloading all my software, and getting my system back into shape that I need.

I feel like a part of me has been lost. :cry:

[tim]

Agreed, back up your entire hard drive. I used to ghost a system image onto a hard drive, but it's just gotten too damn big, so I back up all my data and install files, and figure I can reinstall things if I need to.

[CyberPet]

Ouch! Sorry for your ordeal. It takes forver to set up the system as you're used to it too... re-install everything, organizing things, etc. EWWWWW! :(

[Pelao]

Sorry to hear of your trouble. I totally agree - backup, backup, backup!

Don't feel too bad - it seems you took every possible precaution. The creators of these bugs are smart and dirty. It's hard to keep up to them.

[Grimnar]

And this is why all my backups are stored in a linux debian enviroment:)

[tommykjensen]

And this is why all my backups are stored in a linux debian enviroment:)

And hopefully also on external storage such as HD, CD, DVD, tapes, optical medias etc.

Even linux debian environments can fail so You loose everything.

[EricKonieczny]

I am not trying to place blame on my anti-virus because the origibal virus programmers have become really smart on writing viruses the disable anti virus.

I just talked to the Network admin, here at my work, and said that his son just got hit by a virus also that wiped out his system that was protected my MacAffee, or so they thought.

I think I am switching to Symantec.

[billspaced]

I think I am switching to Symantec.

I have never had any good luck with McAfee. Symantec is good. Trend Micro is the best. I used to operate a computer consulting business full-time and every virus-related system meltdown had one common piece of software (yeah, McAfee) on systems with anti-virus installed.

Try Trend Micro. It works great. Updates automatically, every 3 hours if you want.

Here's the short version of how to set up a system for ease of recovery:


Partition, or better yet, use separate hard drives for OS and data (one partition or hard drive for the Operating System -- includes Programs -- and one partition or hard drive for data)
Set up your system exactly how you want it
Use imaging (ie, ghosting) software to make a bootable CD or DVD of your entire System partition or hard drive (may take several discs) (I use Acronis TrueImage)
Use another partition or hard drive to backup your data partition or disk, using Microsoft's built in NT Backup (on XP Pro, can be used on other versions, just not installed by default). If you want a script to modify to suit your needs, I can help. I make full backups one day a week and incrementals the days in between the full backups. All this is scheduled via the Task Scheduler in Windows.
Yes, I have 3 hard drives -- one for OS and Programs, one for data, and an external for data backup. Oh, yeah, whenever I shoot some digital pix, I burn the RAW files onto CD or DVD. That way, I keep my "digital negatives" apart (and cannot accidentally write over) from my processed and in-process pictures.

[Grimnar]

And hopefully also on external storage such as HD, CD, DVD, tapes, optical medias etc.

Even linux debian environments can fail so You loose everything.

Of course, Every now and then it goes to a dvd. But for easy access they are all stored on hard disks in a linux enviroment. :D

[EricKonieczny]

Well the Good news is that I am back on my good computer system, but there is not much on it as of now.

I am just beginning the saga of reinstalling EVERYTHING!

The first thing I did , was to reinstall my Antivirus software and update my firewall .

Ill be back later

[supplier]

Norton Ghos9 is working best for me. COme as a part Norton System works 2005 Premium. U can get this package for free or little money un US. after two rebates.

Have 7 computers/laptops at home and cannot live w/o this backup software, as i'm experementing often, i have to restare system very often. My everage backup file is 35 GB (not including data) so i use one of my three HDD just for OS backups and most vauable data backups

[Belmondo]

Well the Good news is that I am back on my good computer system, but there is not much on it as of now.

I am just beginning the saga of reinstalling EVERYTHING!

The first thing I did , was to reinstall my Antivirus software and update my firewall .

Ill be back later

Glad to hear it. Did you ever identify the virus?

[Paul_B]

sorry to hear about your system, sounds like a nasty virus. I would be curious to know what it was if you ever find out.

This may help some out here, it's a link to a computer hardware/software forum I also frequent. It is a test performed on AntiVirus and Firewall software, best Free and Commercial.
They seem to be fairly thorough, have a look -

http://forums.anandtech.com/messageview.aspx?catid=33&threadid=1375461&enterthread=y

I'm so affraid of the happening, that I have a dual boot of WinXP and Linux now. I still prefer and use XP for my pictures (downloading and post processing), but everything Internet related, linux only.
After reading above link, I choose AntiVir and Sygate Personal Firewall, for mine, but as said, XP doesn't get to be the internet to often anymore.
I'd paste it all here, but it's rather large.

[tommykjensen]

Speaking of backup. I am looking into adding an external casing with multiple drives in order to cutdown number of powersupplys and cables. I currently have 4 external drives for various use and I hate all the cables and powersupplys required.

So I found this massive case

http://www.firewiremax.com/fire-wire-1394-ilink/eibayfi80lcd.html

That should enable massive storage and backup :lol:

[ToneB]

I need to add my two cents on virus protection... I work in IT for a large corporation and we have used Trend for years so I have used it at home as well. Very fast with updates and the home version uses. the same pattern and engines the corporate versions do. They also have firewall protection now. My company went thru exhaustive trial and error and are very paranoid (as well as they should be) about security and virus protection. Trend PC-cillin is a great home product BUY IT!!
For backup data my plan is to run a wireless network drive from my gun safe. The antenna runs out the back along with the power cord. Someone steals my PCs or my house catches on fire, the data is safe. How many people store the backup DVD's/CD's in the house? What is your plan for fire?
Tony

[billspaced]

What is your plan for fire?
Tony

Water and oxygen deprivation (maybe a blanket).

Seriously, you bring up a very good point and a novel solution. A gun safe is a great idea!

How many of you do remote storage (of photos at least) at sites like flikr, snapfish, yahoo!, etc.?

[EricKonieczny]

I asked about what virus it was, and they said it was 2 viruses with a combination of changes and such. But they don't write the names down, they just erase them :mad:


But I do have a backup plan for fire and such. I am burning all my data/photos on DVD and placing them in my safety deposit box.

So now I have:

140GB main drive
160GB External HD
unlimited DVD's in Safety deposit box,

plus I think I am going to use an older 20HD i have as a way to make OS backups weekly.