I've just switched my laptop on for the first time in about 10 days to find it's riddled with Trojan problems, that I'm seemingly unable to kill

Last thing I needed.

I've tried to use combo fix, anti malwarebytes.

When this happened a few years back I used Hijack this to create a log file, and some helpful individual was able to identify the files to delete.

Anyone got any tips this time round?

Many many many thanks if so

Best bet is back everything up and rebuild mate, seriously, you will never know youhave fully removed them. Also be very careful, you could have key loggers and all sorts. . .

Save your docs and pics etc and then wipe the disk and re-install the OS.

It is far simpler and quicker, and the laptop will porbably run better.

In the past I have spent ages trying to remove viruses etc and it takes ages and you are never fully sure the pc is clean. In the end i alwasy ended up do a re-install anyway. Now I would just cut straight to that.

Gotta say, in the past 10 years I think i've had perhaps 1 virus (from a dodgy game torrent).

The best protection against viruses and trojans is not to visit those dodgy websites you like so much Dan.

Joy. Like I haven't got better things to do with my very limited time right now. Hey ho

I just checked with a mate who runs his own IT company. he said it's difficult to tell without looking at it, but it could also be a system fault??? He would need to look at it, maybe via remote access. but he would probably charge something.. do you want me to find out?

Hi Dan

With Torjans and virus's nowadays they can manifest themselves to be undetected when being scanned via antivirus/malware programs.

Prior to doing a full OS install, I would recommend you starting the laptop in safemode - you achieve this by pressing an F key (number dependant on make/model) this is done when you 1st start the laptop before it beeps. It will then give you a prompt as to which mode of safemode you wish to enter, select startmode without networking i.e. internet etc.

Because it disables a number of the processes this then makes it more difficult for the Trojan to manifest, You have the ability to still run your antivirus program however to hopefully remove it.

If this fails then I would carry out Bockers advice.

Indeed you should be running Malawarebytes in safemode with no networking...

Good luck

I think you are on a loosing battle, if you spend an hour trying to fix it then you might as well have re-installed the OS. I ate this piece of advice at the beggining of the year when I got a root kit virus on my XP machine (downloading fonts!!). I took the opptunity to move to win 7. I think it was a good move.

Trojans! I used to use Durex, a lot better and bigger

It may sound a stupid question but how do you know you have a Trojan or virus?
My laptop is so much slower to start up than it used to be but the virus scanner shows nothing?

If you run msconfig (you can do this from the search command line) you will be able to see the ever increasing list of unwanted things that run every time you boot.

Things like the update checker for Adobe Acrobat, the iTunes update checker, about 25 different programs that accompany an HP printer install etc. the Google updater etc.

Skype is also good at slowing everything up.

In MSConfig you can untick unwanted items and stop them from running at startup.

Because AVG keeps popping up telling me

And i get pop ups on t'interweb. Random ones.

I think I'll just download all the porn my backup drive can handle before restore the OS