Virus Disables Internet Access

[xoggoth]

Norton seems ok until you have to remove it. Rather like HP printers.

[Support Monkey]

hmm, it's a possibility. I've recently installed some bluetooth stuff (for my HDC device), not sure that this coincides with the start of the problems though.

A virus will not disable your internet access when it feels like it. it would be off from the minute you boot up, it sounds more like another connection killing the live one so it could be your bluetooth or if you have your phone connected via usb at the time the connection drops it could be this if its a laptop is the wireless switched off as again this could be picking up a network connection.

if it was ok before you installed the blutooth then I would run system restore and roll back to the date before you made the changes and proceed from there

[Cliphead]

Home network working fine then trying to access shares on the other machines on the network would result in errors like - 'server out of memory' or something like that. Ditched Acronis True Image and all back to normal.

Legit software can be more problematic than viruses or malware

[Platypus]

Have to giggle at the Avast story. Surely the idea of these things is to protect you and if it doesn't it failed. Avast failed you so isn't fit for purpose?? Its like saying I have a reliable car that broke down once. Just being a pedant and having a giggle so no flaming

I agree. I used to swear by AVG but the first time I needed it to save my ass, it failed. I could see my PC collapsing before my eyes. I ditched it. I now use Avast

Well, fingers crossed, eh?

[cojak]

McAfee, Norton et al do more harm than good.
Microsoft Security Essentials + plenty of backups is the best method (I use acronis for backing up)

All IMO of course

I'd use acronis for PC image copying, but Karen's Replicator for straight backups. Acronis backups are not to be trusted.

[BolshieBastard]

My laptop is infected with something that periodically disables internet access. It happens about 5 times a day & it drives me nuts as I have to close down everything I'm doing & restart the machine. Then everything is ok until the next time.

Internet connection itself is fine as my other machine doesn't get the problem. I've run AVG & SuperAntiSpyware with all the latest definitions & they find nothing. I've also done a netstat & reconciled the PIDs of established connections & nothing untoward there.

It also messes up debugging any web projects I'm currently working on - I get a socket error from Visual Studio.

OS is Vista Home Premium. Anyone got any ideas? I'm running out of patience. TIA.

Oh dear! Someone found out the hard way how tulipe AVG really is!

I've used many AV software including Norton, McAfee, NOD32, Kaspersky, Bitdefender and a few others.

Currently using Avira Premium. Haven't had an infection get passed it so far in the 2 years I've been using it.

[Fred Bloggs]

I agree. I used to swear by AVG but the first time I needed it to save my ass, it failed. I could see my PC collapsing before my eyes. I ditched it. I now use Avast

Well, fingers crossed, eh?

No need to worry about avast! I wish the operating systems were as reliable as it.

[doodab]

There are some good comparative tests here, they compare detection rates, how good different packages are at removing stuff and so on.

AV-Comparatives - Independent Tests of Anti-Virus Software - Comparatives & Reviews

Personally I'm putting my faith in MS security essentials.

[Spacecadet]

I'd use acronis for PC image copying, but Karen's Replicator for straight backups. Acronis backups are not to be trusted.

Personally I've not had a problem with them.... and I have restored from backup a number of times.
I do tend to stick to full disk backups though and have my laptop hard drive partitioned to make this as simple and as quick as possible.