The Virus that isn't trashed my PC

[Ozpaladin]

I was installing Nortons Corporate virus detection software when my laptop threw a fit - Compaq Armada 7000 using Windows 2000 and came to a grinding halt. When I say halt, I mean no reaction from the keyboard or mouse, but the hdd was humming away and the system light was full-on.

The machine took no notice when I tried to switch it off - it actually ignored the on-off button. I had to pull out the power cord and remove the battery.

When I switched the machine on again - it carried on where it left off. I couldn't boot properly, even in safe mode.

In the end I called in a techo and $160.00 later he gave up. He managed to get it going in safe mode but the system couldn't see the hdd.

Fortunately most of my important files were backed up on my host's server but some weren't - I had to get a disk doctor to rescue those files and burn them to CDs. Then the disk had to be re-formatted and the operating system loaded - this time with Windows 98.

Including the Disk Doctor, Windows 98 and labour, it only cost $800.00. Naturally I was interested to find out what caused the problem - I was given a report from the disk doctor - yep, you guessed it - Js.Trojan.WindowBomb.

Thanks guys - think your product is great, but gee ......

[Zero Angel]

JS windowbomb is harmless. HARMLESS!

JS means javascript. Javascript cannot *at all* write you your hard drive *in any way*. When the (browser) session is terminated, so is the "virus"

To even activate the "virus", you have to open up a page in IE. It will say, "these buttons will cause you serious pain". Each button has a different effect. One causes an infinite loop of messages, another eats your memory, one more causes infinite popups....

If you fail to heed the warning, the solution is: CTRL+ALT+DEL --> Internet explorer.

Next time you enter a forum, you should read topics such as Important Notes (READ THIS!). *before* posting.

Bor|s, lock it.

[Ozpaladin]

Hi - thanks for the feedback.

The reason I made the post in the first place was because I just loaded 1st Page and Nortons popped up with "the" message. As I had spent a little time and a lot of money dealing with this just a couple of weeks ago, I thought I would post a warning to others.

However I saw that this was a well known problem and many people had posted on this topic. I was a little perplexed to see that the "virus" was harmless, yet the people who fixed my PC told me that the problems I had were due to the trojan - I'm no techo.

As for ctl-alt-del (LOL) the damned machine ignored every attempt, every key, including the on-off switch.

[polliwogfrog]

Mine sometimes ignores the crtl-alt-delete too,
and I deleted the "annoying buttons" program
before even opening my download of evrsoft
1stpage. In other words, It never had a chance to do anything
on my new pc, and still have this, even if it was
dangerous. So something else must be causing
the shut-down problem for you and me both.

Polliwog
:joy:

[Ozpaladin]

G'day Pollywogfrog,

It's a comfort to know I'm not the only one to have experienced these problems.

Thanks for sharing.

Cheers mate.

[DCElliott]

It is very easy to blame a failure on what we call in medicine an "incidental finding". It is very important that when you are trying to diagnose a problem you don't get misled by a "red herring".

If you find something incidental, but what you are dealing with is outside the known range of behaviours arising from that incidental finding, then you have to make note of it but press on looking for the REAL reason. It actually takes a lot of discipline to stay focussed on what we call the "differential diagnosis" - the range of possible causes and probabilities arising out of a certain constellation of symptoms (what the user experiences) and signs ( the results from running diagnostics, error messages, etc. )

[polliwogfrog]

Well DC,
with an intelligent response like that, I insist
that you diagnose our pc problems and give
us a clue as to what is doing the thingy to
"ctrl-alt-delete" ??? ;)
Also, it did the same thing to the pc I just
replaced. Is something stealing memory?
What do YOU think is doing this? Its' like
the brain is "stalling"...how can we get
it to think again? (Hey, no wisecracks either! LOL)

Nichole
:joy:

[Thalia]

I was running a routine virus check on my computer, when Norton found that exact file Js.Trojan.WindowBomb. It quarentined it and I haven't had any problems, but I did wonder why it was in the 1st page folder. Since I haven't had any problems with it I haven't really let it plague my mind, however it is an interesting problem...

[Coelhinho]

It maybe a javascript with function to open without
end copies of browser window
A windows bomber
You could see source code using notepad
Thanks

[Coelhinho]

Try to download from Zdnet
they usually scan for virii
Thanks

[Coelhinho]

Some javascript virii has vbs content and could
write in winchester
I usually use Opera because it have not yet vbs compatibility
Thanks