Please help!

Hi

Wonder if anyone can help.

Received an e-mail about a Microsoft update today, so installed it, but during the installation process my virus checker found something with code from a worm in and, being in a rush, I just deleted it.

Now every time i try to open a program i am told "Windows cannot find gcttfj.exe. This program is needed for opening files of type 'Application'." You can imagine that not a lot of stuff will work!

Be grateful if anyone has any ideas!

 

First - unless you have subscribed to some specific update service I'm not familiar with, you should know that Microsoft DOES NOT do updates this way nor do any other companies I'm familiar with. That sort of email will be a virus.

Since the worm may have disabled your onboard AV software (and firewall maybe) and since you need to be sure you are clean or if infected, to know exactly what critter is doing the deed, try an online scan from Housecall or PC Pitstop or one of the others. They should detect any bad stuff and hopefully clean it. If not, they will at least give you enough info to get and use one of the specific repair tools for that particular virus.

 

Here is a page from Norton's that explains the virus I think you are talking about. There is also instructions to possibily fix the problem.

Mike

 

Newt- Thanks for your reply.

Tried the online virus scan but it has not detected any known viruses....

Realise now that of course it must have been something dodgy-wish i'd never opened it.

Is there any way to get back the program that my AV software (which is now seemingly inactive as you suggested) deleted?

Thanks again.

 

Thank you! That sounds exactly like what happened. Will follow instructions....

 

It also might be a good idea to notify those that have your e-mail address to get their AV software updated and make sure it is running FULL TIME and checking e-mail both in and out.

It night not be in this case but MANY times that type of mail comes through someone elses machine and they do not even know it.

The address that it shows from on your machine is more than likely NOT where it really came from.

Also MailWasher is great for pre-screening mail and anything that does look suspicious can be deleted right off of the server and it will not get to your machine.

Running and keeping thses PCs clean thses days is no longer all fun and games. It is a full time job to keep protection up.

BillyBob