I fried a work computer with anti-spyware
 

Ok I went to the site www.adaware.com and downloaded their anti-spyware.

When I clicked on it to install, I didn't get a Wizard prompt, it started eating my machine. My machine just started buzzing, and then I noticed that my entire desktop had vanished.

So I went into my program files and actually watched as it started deleting folders.

I turned the computer off, and when I logged back on windows wouldn't load. It gave me a variety of errror messages starting with various files being corrupted and culminated with unable to find WIN.COM so unable to continue loading windows.

So. What happened. Is that that like a stalking horse site or something? Just a place to simulate the right software and load into our machines as some super virus?

I was serioulsy annoyed.

Before that I had tried Spybot.com, but the download wouldn't execute.

WOW. I'm sorry that happened to you!

I have both Adaware 6 and Spybot on my computer and they worked fine...no problems downloading, installing, or using. I got them from download.com.

We always run a risk downloading stuff, though...sorry to hear you have to deal with this. Good luck in the future.

Oh great lol. So is the computer fried? Or Do I have to reinstall everything? Those evil fuckers. I hope they die tragic deaths, but only after their families and friends die before them in horrible ways. That way they can know the full depth of the consequences for their silly actions.

How totally inconvenient.

Based on your description of its effects James, YES. That is exactly what it is.

The site you linked points to a program called Spy Assassin and promises to 'FREES UP VALUABLE DISK SPACE'. It certainly did that... by deleting your Windows system files. :(

Ad-Aware 6.0 is a good program, produced by LavaSoft (www.lavasoft.us). The site you linked likely infringes on their trademark. The site you linked has nothing to do with LavaSoft. It is a very, very common ploy of the type of spyware programs that are in fact spyware/malware themselves, to try to pass themselves off as LavaSoft's Ad-Aware or SpyBot - S&D.

Chances are the program download is a bunch of programs hacked together; it's unsurprising it damaged your Windows installation. I had the same thing happen once when installing a codec to view media. Though that was on a college machine so I moved along to the next one. ;) I reported it though so they could fix it.

Sorry you had a bad experience.

N.B for other users:
Spybot - Search & Destroy 1.3 Official Link. Good product
LavaSoft Ad-Aware 6. Official Link. Another good product.

Ok now I am going insane. Decadence how could I have quoted your post BEFORE you posted it? Look at the posting order.

Oops sorry J, I deleted my earlier post to edit it and re-post; so it looked cleaner without the 'last edited' caption. A bad habit I have!

So the computer... well, it's fine or at least will be after a reinstall. You might be able to have to restore only the damaged/deleted files. Did you ever create an Emergency Disk using Windows?

No. How do we do that?

Too late now. Sorry! But worth doing for when you get Windows up and running again and can create one. Essentially it's a boot disk that allows you to boot up so you can try and fix/reinstall.

Anyway, if you boot with the Windows CD-ROM in the drive or the standard installation CD that came with the computer it will install over the old version of Windows. Obviously desktop settings etc will be lost (possibly updated soundcard drivers etc too) but it won't format the drive and delete your documents etc so shall be safe.

So exactly what was it doing? Was it a virus that gobbled all my programs? I mean program folders were vanishing in front of me sigh.

And if I reinstall windows does that mean all is well? Or will I have to reinstall everything?

Not a virus as such because it's unlikely the program you downloaded replicates itself in order to propagate.

It's simply a trojan or malware. Basically a deliberately destructive program. I experienced the same thing once as I mentioned in an earlier post.

Define reinstalling everything? Or do you want to speak to me on AIM maybe?

ETA: Ohh I see what you mean. Well if it deleted say MS Office then that'd need reinstalling too (chances are its CD can repair it rather than have to wholly re-install). You'd know once you tried to run it what was deleted and what wasn't. If it deleted all the Windows system files for example then yes it would have messed up most programs.

Sure what is your aim?

I had something similar happen on my sister's PC. We had Windows 98, and she upgraded to Windows 2000. Everything has disappeared. I don't know if it was deleted. I have no idea what to do. Does anyone have any idea what to do to get back my old files? No, I never backed it up. :(

I'll get to you in a minute P&C. :p

If it were me, I'd format the hard drive and start installing from scratch. Who knows what it left there. If it's a work computer, don't they have a quick method of re-installing everything? We use Ghost and can re-image a PC in about 15 minutes. That way all of our PCs are installed the same way, with the same programs and all the same configs and security settings.

Dee

Thanks. I'm in no rush. Any help or advice would be appreciated.