Keep getting viruses before I can update xp

[Robteam70]

I recently reformated the hard drive on our gateway and reinstalled windows xp on it and I'm having a problem updating xp because each time I start the windows updater I start to get viruses and adware. Pretty much as soon as I connect to the internet the comp gets infected. I'm figuring that once I get the security patches from microsoft that I won't have this problem, but what do I do when the viruses come in before my computer can even update itself online? Any help would be appreciated.

[BrianTaylor]

Start it up disconnected, turn on crappy windows firewall, then connect.

Brian Taylor

[Mister Natural]

Don't connect the network cable until windows firewall is on.

[-(Xyphox)-]

Download AVG Free, Spybot, Ad-Aware, and Run them to find the bugs
But on a fresh reload you should not have problems with spyware and such

[-(Xyphox)-]

Don't connect the network cable until windows firewall is on.
windows firewall wont do much, get an A/V on the machine :p
Also did you format the drive?

[BrianTaylor]

And he is going to have to connect it to get the AV, or possibly update the AV. I presume his problem is that he is getting viruses that automatically infect without user interaction, like RPC exploits. The windows firewall will safely protect him from anything that would be able to install itself automatically. Thus giving him plenty of time to update AV.

Brian Taylor

[pigster]

And he is going to have to connect it to get the AV, or possibly update the AV. I presume his problem is that he is getting viruses that automatically infect without user interaction, like RPC exploits. The windows firewall will safely protect him from anything that would be able to install itself automatically. Thus giving him plenty of time to update AV.

Brian Taylor

But isn't Windows firewall part of SP2? You can't turn it on until you download it.

(Not to mention the fact that the MS windows firewall always starts before the network connection does, it's the only xp firewall that does that)

[boscogne]

use a computer that is clean or borrow a friend's comp to download all the patches and burn it onto a cd. reformat your hdd, reinstall windows and run all the patches from the cd. turn on the windows firewall before you connect to the net. but as others here have suggested, would be better to get something better than the windows firewall..

[RavenD]

Use nLite (http://www.nliteos.com) to integrate SP2 and all post SP2 hotfixes (http://ryanvm.msfn.org/) into your install cd.

[Gatticus]

Turn off the meseenger service before you connect to the internet. Go run and type services.msc and scroll down to messenger and disable the service and press stop.
For futrue installs download service pack 2 and use slipstreamer to create an XP install disk with SP2 already incorporated into the install.

[Robteam70]

Yes I did reformat the hard drive prior to installation. These vriuses do indeed infect themselves automatically, within a minute or two after opening internet explorer. Suddenly I have a dozen explorer windows pop up and a bunch of shortcuts on the desktop, which of course cause the computer to crash shortly after. I've never had a problem like this before, but I guess I've never had a computer this vulnerable before either.

So I need SP2 in order to have a windows firewall? And there is a way to download the patches and service pack 2 as a stand-alone file? I looked on microsoft's website and didn't see where you could just download the hotfixes and such by themselves, it always wanted to connect to my computer and install them, and that's where I'd always run into trouble. Thanks for the quick replies.

[Ezekial]

Yes I did reformat the hard drive prior to installation. These vriuses do indeed infect themselves automatically, within a minute or two after opening internet explorer. Suddenly I have a dozen explorer windows pop up and a bunch of shortcuts on the desktop, which of course cause the computer to crash shortly after. I've never had a problem like this before, but I guess I've never had a computer this vulnerable before either.

So I need SP2 in order to have a windows firewall? And there is a way to download the patches and service pack 2 as a stand-alone file? I looked on microsoft's website and didn't see where you could just download the hotfixes and such by themselves, it always wanted to connect to my computer and install them, and that's where I'd always run into trouble. Thanks for the quick replies.
download this and burn it to a CD or put on a flash drive, etc.
266mb full installation
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyId=049C9DBE-3B8E-4F30-8245-9E368D3CDB5A&displaylang=en

1. Unplug Network
2. Format & Reinstall Windows
3. Install SP2 from above. Select NOT to backup uninstallation files (saves time & HD space)
4. Reboot & make sure it applied
5. Make sure the firewall is on (should be by default)
6. Plug in network
7. Go to windows update and finish updates :)

[osalcido]

just to be clear.. you did actually go to dos and type "format c:" right? You're not just using the gateway reinstall thing?

[Robteam70]

Yep, I formatted the disk the first time by going into dos and typing "map" and did that whole deal. Then windows wanted to reformat the partition again so i guess it got remormated twice, but no I'm not using any gateway discs except for the ethernet driver and audio driver.

Ezekial I'm gonna try your way first, it sounds the easiest. Thanks again for the help guys.

[luke51087]

Have you run any virus/spyware programs in safe mode? i had some major crap in IE and i downloaded a program called Smitfraud it removed so much bs. Try googling it

[nobody_here]

I just have the installer files for my AV and Spyware programs on a separate drive (or partition works) on the HDD, install without net connected, install programs, turn on firewall, connect net, immediately update programs and XP, never a problem

[OldMX]

To OP, download SP2 full (http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?displaylang=en&FamilyID=049c9dbe-3b8e-4f30-8245-9e368d3cdb5a) , Autostreamer (http://www.majorgeeks.com/download4444.html) and make yourself a brand new install disk of WindowsXP with Sp2, from clean install it has a firewall which protects your computer in case of your lan is infected or you dont have an antivirus handy.

Ask a friend with a non infected computer to let you download what you need and make your new install disk :D

OldMX

[zone_86]

Here's the guide i used with Autostreamer - works very well.

http://www.webtree.ca/windowsxp/slipstream.htm

[-(Xyphox)-]

To OP, download SP2 full (http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?displaylang=en&FamilyID=049c9dbe-3b8e-4f30-8245-9e368d3cdb5a) , Autostreamer (http://www.majorgeeks.com/download4444.html) and make yourself a brand new install disk of WindowsXP with Sp2, from clean install it has a firewall which protects your computer in case of your lan is infected or you dont have an antivirus handy.

Ask a friend with a non infected computer to let you download what you need and make your new install disk :D

OldMX

also have your friend get you a good a/v so when you get window's up you are protected

[protias]

it almost sounds like a mbr virus. but i could be wrong. you'll never get rid of those things... :mad:

[osalcido]

what about fixmbr from the windows disc?

[nessus]

But isn't Windows firewall part of SP2? You can't turn it on until you download it.

(Not to mention the fact that the MS windows firewall always starts before the network connection does, it's the only xp firewall that does that)

Windows XP shipped with a firewall, just a really poor one. It's hard to configure it to get anything through it. Not an issue when you're at a stage where you don't want anything to get through it.

Its good enough to keep you safe while you patch up. Unlike SP2's firewall, it is not turned on by default.

[protias]

what about fixmbr from the windows disc?

would fixmbr just fix broken things in windows and not kill the viruses? in my experience, an mbr virus is impossible to get off.

[Roscco]

Tghe original XP does indeed download a couple of masty files upon connecting to the internet with a fresh install.

you MUST do this first if you want to rermain safe. This cause my endless hours of headaches setting up friends machines until i found this out.

Open your network connections, select you internet connection.

Click on properties, then advanced. Check the box that says protect my connection (or something like that). This seems to be WinXP very basic firewall.

THEN and only then connect to the intermaweb.

Take it easy

[Roscco]

The original XP does indeed download a couple of masty files upon connecting to the internet with a fresh install.

you MUST do this first if you want to rermain safe. This cause my endless hours of headaches setting up friends machines until i found this out.

Open your network connections, select you internet connection.

Click on properties, then advanced. Check the box that says protect my connection (or something like that). This seems to be WinXP very basic firewall.

THEN and only then connect to the intermaweb.

Take it easy

[Roscco]

The original XP does indeed download a couple of nasty files upon connecting to the internet with a fresh install.

you MUST do this first if you want to rermain safe. This cause my endless hours of headaches setting up friends machines until i found this out.

Open your network connections, select you internet connection.

Click on properties, then advanced. Check the box that says protect my connection (or something like that). This seems to be WinXP very basic firewall.

THEN and only then connect to the intermaweb.

Take it easy

[luke51087]

that triple post lol

[Gatticus]

would fixmbr just fix broken things in windows and not kill the viruses? in my experience, an mbr virus is impossible to get off.

You can put in a Win98SE emergency disk and type "fdisk /mbr". That will kill any virus in the mbr. But if you get infected with a virus I recommend you use Dban to do a quick secure wipe of the HDD and then install XP again.

[-(Xyphox)-]

You can put in a Win98SE emergency disk and type "fdisk /mbr". That will kill any virus in the mbr. But if you get infected with a virus I recommend you use Dban to do a quick secure wipe of the HDD and then install XP again.
yeah what i suggest, low level format and write 0's to the hole drive