Help! - Computer virus. :(

[~Xandria]

Alright, so a few days ago I was doing a bit of computer maintenance. I was looking at my programs to see if there was anything I didn't need that I could uninstall.

 

I found something called "NVIDIA Graphics Driver 306.97" and also "NVIDIA Update 1.10.8"

I know for a fact that I never installed this. Upon further investigation I found that it's a gaming graphic software of some sort? I think? I tried looking up some possible solutions to this. It seems like other people have had this problem - but most everyone tries to tell that person that it is absolutley not a virus. What's weird is my computer did not have a virus until I went to uninstall the program. As soon as I did all of my icons and my computer screen appeared larger. I didn't think much of it until I went to get on the internet and then all these popup screens showed up. Mostly advertisments or jewlery sale websites.

 

It made my computer really slow. So at this point I was kinda frustrated that my MSE didn't detect the virus, but whatever. I scan malwarebytes and it finds a virus so I click to remove it and hit restart. Now it's still showing up under my programs! My computer has been a bit slower but no popup's now. My mouse is also glitching like never before. It goes slower and freezes up on me. I thought it was the batteries but I changed them and I'm still having the same issue.

 

When I run my MSE and Malwarebytes it's not showing up anything anymore! I want it uninstalled but I don't want to download any other virus.

 

Any help would be so appreciated! I'm at my wits end... :thumbsdown: :stitchface: :grrr:

[The_Warblers]

Oh dear, it's not the virus.

 

That driver is installed by default by your laptop's producer / seller. I recommend you to re-install those softwares.

 

Those drivers are used to make your laptop's screen (graphic) to work / display properly. So because you uninstall it, it confuses your computer.

[Viridian]

A driver is a piece of software your computer needs to understand what's inside the computer. Each computer has different components (hardware) that need to be installed by so-called drivers.

 

Compare it to installing a webcam or a printer, usually they add a CD which installs drivers + other software. The drivers are only necessary for your computer to recognise these devices and make them work. NVIDIA is a Graphic card producer (and a good one, at that). If you are coping with a virus, which I'm not sure of (seeing that your virusscanner doesn't show one) it's definitely not this program.

 

I recommend you boot up your start menu, type in 'msconfig' and press enter. Go to the 4th tab (booting up or something like that) and make a printscreen or a list of items that are on there. I can tell you which ones to untick to make your computer faster.

[Nimphal]

What The-Warbles said. The ads and things might have been from malware that your malware software removed, however the NVIDIA stuff is by no means a virus. It is a driver, the way your video card communicates with your OS. By removing it you are now essentially working on no or really bad communication between those components. The reason why you don't remember installing it is because you probably didn't. Whoever installed your operating system (windows, I presume) put it there. Your sound card and other devices (webcam, microphone) need similar software :)

[The_Warblers]

A driver is a piece of software your computer needs to understand what's inside the computer. Each computer has different components (hardware) that need to be installed by so-called drivers.

 

Compare it to installing a webcam or a printer, usually they add a CD which installs drivers + other software. The drivers are only necessary for your computer to recognise these devices and make them work. NVIDIA is a Graphic card producer (and a good one, at that). If you are coping with a virus, which I'm not sure of (seeing that your virusscanner doesn't show one) it's definitely not this program.

 

I recommend you boot up your start menu, type in 'msconfig' and press enter. Go to the 4th tab (booting up or something like that) and make a printscreen or a list of items that are on there. I can tell you which ones to untick to make your computer faster.

 

Hey, clear & nice explanation. But I think the slowness of the mouse is just due to the graphic not installed properly, not quite because of start-up programs. And the pop-ups belong to the website you visited, not because of your computer :)

 

Oh, in case you can not re-install your drivers. They are in the CD which comes along your laptop. If there is no CD, just post your laptop Brand + Model. We ll try to find it for you

[The Bandit]

Yup, just to confirm what others have said - unfortunately, what you deleted was a crucial piece of software that makes your computer work properly.

 

If you put it back on, your computer will be fine. If you can't find the CD which came with your computer, you should be able to download the drivers from NVIDIA's website - in fact this might actually be easier than using the CD. Just type the name of the driver into Google and it should come up.

 

Hope you manage to get it sorted!

[hrtbrk]

This is why you don't blindly uninstall things lol Education is key.

 

As others have already cautioned, stop trying to uninstall it. You NEED it.

 

Try updating the driver if you can. Hopefully that will clear up the lag.

[~Xandria]

But - this program showed up on my computer all of a sudden you see. It was never there before and I haven't added anything new to my computer. I do always check before I uninstall something on my computer. I checked it out and saw reports of others experiencing the same thing. Saying there computer had been infected so I figured it wasn't good. I'm not as computer savvy as most, so I was unsure of exactly what it was and the website was hard for me to understand. When I ran my malwarebytes it showed the NVIDIA program.

 

The pop up's did not belong to the website I visited. I know that for sure. I never ever get pop up's and I wasn't even on a website. All I did was click firefox and then it brought me to lots of pop ups. >.< That's never happened to me before.

 

Idk, I'm just confused... but I won't touch it again. lol. It's still installed. It re-installed itself? I think. Thanks guys!

[Viridian]

But - this program showed up on my computer all of a sudden you see. It was never there before and I haven't added anything new to my computer. I do always check before I uninstall something on my computer. I checked it out and saw reports of others experiencing the same thing. Saying there computer had been infected so I figured it wasn't good. I'm not as computer savvy as most, so I was unsure of exactly what it was and the website was hard for me to understand. When I ran my malwarebytes it showed the NVIDIA program.

 

The pop up's did not belong to the website I visited. I know that for sure. I never ever get pop up's and I wasn't even on a website. All I did was click firefox and then it brought me to lots of pop ups. >.< That's never happened to me before.

 

Idk, I'm just confused... but I won't touch it again. lol. It's still installed. It re-installed itself? I think. Thanks guys!

 

It's very likely the program was automatically updated. As usual when you install a program they show up in your start menu as newly installed programs ;)

 

Are you still bothered by the pop-ups? Or did they stop after the malware was removed?

[~Xandria]

It's very likely the program was automatically updated. As usual when you install a program they show up in your start menu as newly installed programs ;)

 

Are you still bothered by the pop-ups? Or did they stop after the malware was removed?

No, thankfully the pop up's have quit. I'm probably about to run both MSE and malwarebytes again today, just to be sure everything is clear. I think the slowness of my computer probably has to do with my memory. I'm running Windows Vista and I think I only have 1 gig of memory. Maybe 2 if I'm lucky. Do you know how I can check? I've been thinking about buying some RAM.

[The_Warblers]

Right click on "My computer", click "Properties", it will tell you exactly how much your RAM got. Just so you know, you should open up or bring your computer to the store to buy RAM. They will check to see if your RAM slot (inside) is full & they will see if you have the computer that is powerful enough to run bigger RAM

 

For the virus, NVIDA is not likely to be installed by "automatic update" because drivers are usually installed manually. So it could be a "disguised virus" - a virus that is named that way only.

 

If you don't see NVIDA before & you see it just very recently, it could possibly a malware.

 

For your computer to run as smoothly as it used to be, the easiest way would be to back up all data on your computer to an external hard drive insert the CD that comes with your computer & choose "restore to default setting". If you don't have such CD, ask around your friend to re-install Windows for you.

 

Vista is terrible anyway. It's huge, slow & idiot design. Window 7 is much nicer & faster. Trust me :)

[~Xandria]

Right click on "My computer", click "Properties", it will tell you exactly how much your RAM got. Just so you know, you should open up or bring your computer to the store to buy RAM. They will check to see if your RAM slot (inside) is full & they will see if you have the computer that is powerful enough to run bigger RAM

 

For the virus, NVIDA is not likely to be installed by "automatic update" because drivers are usually installed manually. So it could be a "disguised virus" - a virus that is named that way only.

 

If you don't see NVIDA before & you see it just very recently, it could possibly a malware.

 

For your computer to run as smoothly as it used to be, the easiest way would be to back up all data on your computer to an external hard drive insert the CD that comes with your computer & choose "restore to default setting". If you don't have such CD, ask around your friend to re-install Windows for you.

 

Vista is terrible anyway. It's huge, slow & idiot design. Window 7 is much nicer & faster. Trust me :)

Thanks, this was very helpful! This is probably going to sound stupid... but if I wanted to, then I could buy windows 7 for my computer, right? I need a serious upgrade. I know where the ram slots are inside my computer, so would there be anyway for me to check them to see if they are full without taking it to a computer repair place? I'm not entirely sure how you find out if your computer can handle the extra memory though. & I know, vista is crap. :(

[The_Warblers]

Just go to "My computer" icon on your desktop. Click properties, then tell me what it says. Also gives me your computer brand + model, I ll take a guess of what is inside your RAM slots since I have opened up quite a handful computers

 

Just tell me everything it says on "properties", I'm maybe able to guess what kind of upgrade your computer is able to handle

 

I don't recommend you to go & buy Windows 7 CD, it's $300 something, not worth it. Save some more money (if you have $300), then buy your self a new laptop with "rescue CD" included. Or get yourself a Mac & never to worry about virus. That's much much better place to spend instead of buying Windows 7. Just ask around your friends, I'm sure some of them can re-install Windows. Otherwise, ask around some local forums / community, I'm sure someone around your neighborhood will come & install Windows for you ......

 

Just for the info, you will know how computer can handle upgrades by looking at its stats, especially what kind of "computer chip" it is using. I bet you are more likely to use Duo Core

[~Xandria]

Alright. I have a Dell.

Model is: Dimension DIMC521

Memory (RAM) - 446MB

System is 32 bit.

 

What would a friend have to do to re-install windows for me?

[hrtbrk]

Windows 7 is not 300 dollars. You can get Home Premium for maybe $100. They're often on sale as well, especially now that Windows 8 is out. If you wish to upgrade, your best bet is to take it to a Best Buy, where ever you purchased your laptop, or any other electronics help center to get their opinion. They will tell you what your best option is instead of asking on TDN.

 

Personally, I had Vista on my laptop and had nothing but problems until I put Win7 on it. I went to the place where I bought it from and they suggested to do that to clear up slowness and the other problems I was having.

 

I'm not sure why reinstalling Windows is being suggested, to be honest. It sounds like it would be a waste of time right now.

[The_Warblers]

Personally, I had Vista on my laptop and had nothing but problems until I put Win7 on it. I went to the place where I bought it from and they suggested to do that to clear up slowness and the other problems I was having.

 

I'm not sure why reinstalling Windows is being suggested, to be honest. It sounds like it would be a waste of time right now.

 

:D She wants to upgrade her computer as well, and not only to fix the problem. So I recommended Window 7 because Vista is the worst OS ever sold. Well, 2000 & Me are terrible too but in another sense

[hrtbrk]

What? lol :P

 

I know she wants to hopefully upgrade her computer but you told her to NOT get Windows 7 as it was too expensive, but instead to buy a new laptop or change operating systems all together. Then you suggested reinstalling her current version Windows... for a reason I'm not sure of.

 

While I'm sure you have great intentions, that doesn't appear to be the most helpful advice for her situation.

 

Quallso, if you really want to upgrade to Windows 7, ypu should go to a professional, get their advice and go from there. :)

[The_Warblers]

What? lol :P

 

I know she wants to hopefully upgrade her computer but you told her to NOT get Windows 7 as it was too expensive, but instead to buy a new laptop or change operating systems all together. Then you suggested reinstalling her current version Windows... for a reason I'm not sure of.

 

While I'm sure you have great intentions, that doesn't appear to be the most helpful advice for her situation.

 

Quallso, if you really want to upgrade to Windows 7, ypu should go to a professional, get their advice and go from there. :)

 

:) I told her to ask her friends to install Window 7 for free. And not buying the CD

 

Yet, if she already owns a rescue CD, I think it would still be better to re-install Vista (for now until she can upgrade Windows), that will solve the problem of slowness a little bit

 

Well, I do admit I have confusing English since it's not my first language

[Viridian]

Reinstalling (and formatting) your computer can speed up everything a lot. Think about starting with a clean sheet all over again. You will however need to back up your important files.

 

However, I'd personally recommend getting a new computer. I used to have a computer with that amount of RAM and I'll be honest with you... I loved getting an upgrade! It was wonderful to see how fast pages loaded, how much better customizing my pets went (without lag!) and that I could play some newer computer games.

 

Anyway, it's all up to you :)

 

Or get yourself a Mac & never to worry about virus.

 

This is incorrect. People saying macs never get viruses are really outdated. People who owned macs did not use to get many viruses, since it was only 2% of the people online. There was not a big enough a market for virus creators to make them for macs. They rather focused on those PC users. That has changed now, with everyone owning an ipad and wanting macbooks. People are creating viruses for macs now, and thus the apple products are no longer 'invunerable'.

[The_Warblers]

Reinstalling (and formatting) your computer can speed up everything a lot. Think about starting with a clean sheet all over again. You will however need to back up your important files.

 

However, I'd personally recommend getting a new computer. I used to have a computer with that amount of RAM and I'll be honest with you... I loved getting an upgrade! It was wonderful to see how fast pages loaded, how much better customizing my pets went (without lag!) and that I could play some newer computer games.

 

Anyway, it's all up to you :)

 

 

 

This is incorrect. People saying macs never get viruses are really outdated. People who owned macs did not use to get many viruses, since it was only 2% of the people online. There was not a big enough a market for virus creators to make them for macs. They rather focused on those PC users. That has changed now, with everyone owning an ipad and wanting macbooks. People are creating viruses for macs now, and thus the apple products are no longer 'invunerable'.

 

Yep, of course it's not. But comparing to PC, Mac is still stronger :)

[~Xandria]

Thank you guys so much for all of your help and suggestions on this matter. I really do appreciate it. I know I'll be looking into getting a new computer soon. I hate to spend money on this one knowing it's not going to make all that much of a difference. It'll probably be awhile before I can afford a new PC though, unfortunatley. :( So in the meantime, I may look into getting windows 7 and taking it to a repair shop to see what they reccommend.

 

I'm a bit wary of going to a computer repair place such as bestbuy, geeksquad, etc. (All of the major chains) I've heard so many complaints about there staff not being computer literate and that they really don't have your best interest in mind, that they are just trying to get you to buy all this expensive crap you may or may not need. I know it's unfair to judge all of them like this, I'm sure there are some good employees out there. It just makes me a bit hesitant. Maybe my best route would be to find a small business computer repair place. I'm not sure how much of a difference that'd actually make though.

 

I'm rambling now, but thanks so much everyone! :)

[Mouseykins]

I would try a small store such as Staples or something similar. I have no idea if you have a Staples store near you, or if they're even in the US.

If you check with a repair place and they suggest installing windows 7, you can easily do that at home yourself. Just follow the on screen instructions and you're all set. I had to do that for our desktop computer and I'm not that tech smart and managed just fine with it. Before installing it though, make sure you back up everything important. Oh and one thing to check too. With windows 7 you can get the 'upgrade' version that's for upgrading your vista and I think it saves and integrates all your stored information. I"m not too sure on that though since our desktop was running XP before I put windows 7 on it. I think the 'upgrade' version was a little cheaper too. Just something else for you to consider.

[~Xandria]

I would try a small store such as Staples or something similar. I have no idea if you have a Staples store near you, or if they're even in the US.

If you check with a repair place and they suggest installing windows 7, you can easily do that at home yourself. Just follow the on screen instructions and you're all set. I had to do that for our desktop computer and I'm not that tech smart and managed just fine with it. Before installing it though, make sure you back up everything important. Oh and one thing to check too. With windows 7 you can get the 'upgrade' version that's for upgrading your vista and I think it saves and integrates all your stored information. I"m not too sure on that though since our desktop was running XP before I put windows 7 on it. I think the 'upgrade' version was a little cheaper too. Just something else for you to consider.

You're awesome, thank you! I will definitley be checking the prices here on the upgrade version. I actually do have a Staples only about 10 minutes away from me, so I will look into that for sure. Glad to hear it's not all that difficult to install as well, I was a bit worried about that. :)

[Thomas_T]

A driver is a piece of software your computer needs to understand what's inside the computer. Each computer has different components (hardware) that need to be installed by so-called drivers.

 

Compare it to installing a webcam or a printer, usually they add a CD which installs drivers + other software. The drivers are only necessary for your computer to recognise these devices and make them work. NVIDIA is a Graphic card producer (and a good one, at that). If you are coping with a virus, which I'm not sure of (seeing that your virusscanner doesn't show one) it's definitely not this program.

 

I recommend you boot up your start menu, type in 'msconfig' and press enter. Go to the 4th tab (booting up or something like that) and make a printscreen or a list of items that are on there. I can tell you which ones to untick to make your computer faster.

I agreed!!!

 

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