Virus Nightmare..Lessons Learned

I got a virus the other day, Thursday I believe and since then I have been making FRANTIC efforts to save all my info.

The most important thing for me to save are my Outlook Express emails and my Roboform passwords. That way I can at least access all the places I need, to download and re-install all the software I use.

Thankfully I was able to still access my Laptop and very, very slowly(the system was painfully slow because of the damge done by the virus) start a process of trying to save my system without having to reformat the whole disk. I say thankfully because after a virus attack not everyone is able to even access the system.

I tried anti-virus software, I attempted to fix things using the various "malicious advertising" expulsion applications(Ad-aware, Spybot etc.). All to no avail. After almost three days I resigned myself to the fact that it would have to be a re-format which means restoring my Laptop to factory settings. What a nightmare!

First of all I made a backup of my Outlook express email software, emails, account settings etc. For this I downloaded a great little free trial software application called Outlook Express Back Up Wizard, a free trial can be downloaded here: http://www.outlook-express-backup.com/ This software met by needs better than others I tried.

If you don't use Outlook Express then you can download others by searching here: http://www.google.com/search?sourceid=navclient&ie=UTF-8&rls=RNWE,RNWE:2004-35,RNWE:en&q=email+backu p+free+downloads

The I did a search for some backup software to back up the files that I could and also to use for future occasions. After trying a few that either wouldn't work on my system, or didn't back up to the medium that I wanted(CD Rom Discs) I found a great tool that just did the trick and in fact I plan to buy as soon as the free trial is up. The software is called "NTI Backup Now 4 Deluxe Suite" and it is so straightforward that even a tech dummy like me found it simple.

Again you can use the full version for 30 days free: http://www.ntius.com/

I added my Roboform(www.roboform.com) passwords, my Internet Explorer favourites, my Outlook Express backup, my Microsoft Money backup files(For accounting purposes), as many software installation files as I had and most of the files and folders that I have used recently.

Of course what I also ralised is that I have not kept the Install files of loads of the software that I have on my Laptop. Bad mistake! This means that I will have to go search for these again to download to my reformatted system.

What I will do in future is save every Install file in it's own folder with passwords, serial numbers and any other useful info in a notepad file alongside them.

The hard lesson I have learned is to make sure in future I do frequent backups of my system. I have been online since 1998 and never had any major problems. This is the first and I foolishly underestimated the damage a virus could do.

My next step is to get an external drive to use as a backup and as I mentioned to use it frequently.

I hope this has given you some food for thought. As I sign off here I am going to insert my Toshiba Product Recovery CD-Rom.

If I had taken the necessary precautions I wouldn't have just lost three days of my time. Three days I could have been putting to better use.

Ah well, there is positive in every bad situation. Or at least that's what I keep telling myself:-).

Mal Keenan is editor and publisher of Home Business Tips Newsletter: http://www.home-business-tips-newsletter.com/ For more help and support from Mal Keenan visit his online training site: http://www.pluginprofitstraining.com

---

How To Prevent Spyware Attacking Your Computer

Spyware is software or hardware installed on a computer without... Read More

Spyware Protection Software

Spyware protection software is the easiest way of removing spyware... Read More

How Can Someone Get Private Information From My Computer?

From the "Ask Booster" column in the June 17, 2005... Read More

Protection for Your PC - Painless and Free!

Viruses, Bugs, Worms, Dataminers, Spybots, and Trojan horses. The Internet... Read More

Data Security; Are Your Company Assets Really Secure?

Is your data secure? Think again. Securing data is unlike... Read More

Desktop Security Software Risks - Part 1

This is the second in a series of articles highlighting... Read More

Passwords or Pass Phrase? Protecting your Intellectual Property

Much has been said on the theory of password protection... Read More

Be Alert! Others Can Catch Your Money Easily!

So called phishers try to catch the information about the... Read More

5 Simple Steps to Protect your Digital Downloads

A couple of days ago, I was searching for a... Read More

Viruses and Worms, Protection from Disaster

Virus damage estimated at $55 billion in 2003. "SINGAPORE -... Read More

Wells Fargo Report Phishing Scam

First off I should explain what phishing is. Phishing is... Read More

Web Browsing - Collected Information

You may not realize it, but as you are surfing... Read More

5 Tips For An Unbreakable Password

Despite the current wave of identity theft and corporate security... Read More

Internet Small Business and Fraud

Be careful of sites that promise to send you "instant... Read More

A Painless Plagiarism Solution

A crowded marketplace can lead to unethical webmasters using underhand... Read More

What is Hacking? Are You a Hacker?

WHAT IS HACKING?Hacking, sometimes known as "computer crime" has only... Read More

SPYWARE - Whos Watching Who?

I am in the midst of Oscar Wilde's The Picture... Read More

How to Fight Spyware

If you are wondering how to fight spyware for safe... Read More

Identity Theft Article ? A Phisher Is Trying To Steal Your Identity!

Sooner or later everyone with an email account will receive... Read More

Identity Theft - Dont Blame The Internet

Identity theft ? also known as ID theft, identity fraud... Read More

How Free Scripts Can Create Security Problems

With the Internet entering our lives in such an explosive... Read More

Lets Talk About Antivirus Software!

Nowadays more and more people are using a computer. A... Read More

Viruses, Trojans, and Spyware - Oh My!

Have you ever had to call Symantec or McAfee to... Read More

Securing Your Accounts With Well-Crafted Passwords

In the past I've never really paid much attention to... Read More

The Bad Guys Are Phishing For Your Personal Information

Do you know what "phishing" is?No, it doesn't mean you... Read More

Is Your Email Private? Part 1 of 3

In a word, no - an email message has always... Read More

Hacking the Body Via PDA Wireless Device

First I would like to stress I am condoning the... Read More

Behavior to Stay Safer Online

1. Importance of a Virus Scanner: A Antivirus program can... Read More

How to Protect Yourself Against Online Criminals

Credit card fraud is a growing problem for online businesses... Read More

The Truth About Hiding Your Tracks on the Internet

Ok, ok, I know you've seen them. All those pop... Read More

Phishing-Based Scams: A Couple of New Ones

Phishing in its "classic" variant is relatively well-known. Actually, 43.4... Read More

Protecting Your Home Both Inside and Out

If you are a parent, you have probably wondered at... Read More

Crack The Code - Thats A Direct Challenge

I Challenge You To Crack The Code ------------------------------------- I had... Read More