anti-virus, is it possible...?

[Yv]

Just a quick one for the techies - going round to a friends this morning who has no internet connection on his laptop. Done all the usual checks, the router seems to be working ok, etc, all the settings are as they should be, disc is cleaned and so on. So assuming that my laptop connects to the internet happily via the same modem router thus eliminating any issues that end, there is obviously a problem on his computer. It was running an expired version of norton AV [now removed] and no apparent anti-spyware program, other then anything that might have been built into the norton program.

So, my question, if I temporarily set his C drive as shared, and there is no admin password on his OS [windows XP], can I scan his HD from my machine for both viruses and spyware, obviously after pointing the programs at his sharded drive? And if so, and it finds stuff, what to do with the files it finds - delete or quarantine, for the safety of my own machine?

I should have said, its a netgear wifi router and the computer connects to it via wifi, and the routers control panel shows as having internet connectivity, but the computer is not picking up that connectivity.

 

[Freester]

If it's Norton AV there's a possibility removing the A/V software locked the internet connection. Happened to me while sorting out a mate's PC. Had to download a removal tool from the Norton website that sorted out - here. Put it on a memory stick then run it on the fubar'd machine.

Once I'd run the removal tool I could get back online and download some less bloaty and free A/V (Antivir is my preferred AV of choice).

 

[mmcp42]

Just a quick one for the techies - going round to a friends this morning who has no internet connection on his laptop. Done all the usual checks, the router seems to be working ok, etc, all the settings are as they should be, disc is cleaned and so on. So assuming that my laptop connects to the internet happily via the same modem router thus eliminating any issues that end, there is obviously a problem on his computer. It was running an expired version of norton AV [now removed] and no apparent anti-spyware program, other then anything that might have been built into the norton program.

So, my question, if I temporarily set his C drive as shared, and there is no admin password on his OS [windows XP], can I scan his HD from my machine for both viruses and spyware, obviously after pointing the programs at his sharded drive? And if so, and it finds stuff, what to do with the files it finds - delete or quarantine, for the safety of my own machine?

I should have said, its a netgear wifi router and the computer connects to it via wifi, and the routers control panel shows as having internet connectivity, but the computer is not picking up that connectivity.

I've done something similar on my home network
run norton a/v pointing at a shared drive
so you're in with a chance!

 

[Yv]

Freester, it wasn't working before it was removed either, and checking the norton settings was impossible, it just kept giving me a message about it being out of date, bloody PITA piece of rubbish that it is. I have already got that clever bit of removal thing from their site and onto a dongle though, from past experience of that last little bit of hidden norton screwing up the new AV program you install :bonk:

Thanks Mike, glad someone else has done it. I am hoping he hs recovery discs because if worse comes to worse, will start again with the machine, its s clogged up with stuff I am amazed it works at all.

 

[jgs001]

It may well be he's running the windows firewall as well, with access to the PC blocked. As it's all sat behind the router, and assuming no custom rules have been programmed onto the router for port forwarding. If this is true, then turning off the firewall on the PC will not be a real problem as no traffic will get in from the net anyway and for a short period of time, to run the scan, you'll be fine. Just make sure your PC firewall, AV and Antispyware etc is fully up to date in case he's running something squiffy.

 

[Yv]

Yep, done all that jgs, turned off XP firewall, checked firewall protocols on router are allowing traffic through, checked the connection settings are all as they should be. The only question I find myself is asking apart from viruses and stuff is the isp itself - I have NEVER heard of them, hence I gave up late last night and going back over there now with my own machine to make sure that connects ok as that seems to be an obvious next check too.

Anyway, wish me luck, update on my return and thanks guys, as always

 

[Chappers]

Sometimes Widows can be a real pain when it comes to networking. I've tried on a couple of machines and found it almost impossible to make them talk to each other, but then used the network set up wizard and hey presto .

Don't ask me why but it works ( most of the time). You could try this and see if it works. You usually only get to the shared folders but at least that's something.

One other thing you could try is see if you can turn off "Simple File Sharing". It's not available as an option on XP home, but is on XP Pro. Not sure about Vista ( Gone OSX!!).
Look under MY Computer, and then under the TOOLS tab select Folder options and View. If it's there it'll be the last option ( or near enough) on the list. Turning that off solves so many network problems

John C

 

[Yv]

sorted. The isp was the problem, they have changed user name formats twice in last few months and he has not received any letters to that effect. Conecting my machine quickly established a connectivty issue rather than the computer, so got it sorted with a phone call. Thanks again, guys, help appreciated.