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Original poster

I've just lost all of the £100 I had saved for dp's b'day - did you do it on purpose???????????

175 replies

Zephyrcat · 05/01/2005 16:26

Someone from Mumsnet who had added me to their msn sent me a file through msn this morning. As I have recieved photos from them before I trusted it and opened it. It has completely wiped my hard drive and wrecked my computer. DP relies on the net at home to help with his work so I had to try to fix it. It's just cost me every penny I had saved for his 40th birthday on Saturday, and it's still not fixed.
If you sent this to me on purpose I hope you are happy. Thanks a lot.

OP posts:
sparklymieow · 05/01/2005 16:28

OMG can't believe someone would do that on purpose?

misdee · 05/01/2005 16:28

oh thats awful!!!

wasnt me!

Titania · 05/01/2005 16:28

oh dear.....have you not got the original disks that came with the computer? you can reinstall them all yourself? I did it with mine when it wiped itself......saved a lot of money....

pixiefish · 05/01/2005 16:28

poor you zephyrcat. why did it cost so much money though?

AuntyQuated · 05/01/2005 16:29

surely no one would do this on purpose -- some viruses do exactly this - get into someone's address book and pass the virus on by emailing everyone. we have had somethign similar some months ago - luckily i found out before much damage was done a nd managed to email everyone telling them not to open anyhting from us until i gave the all-clear

CountessDracula · 05/01/2005 16:30

What was the file? It may have been a virus that sends itself out without user intervention, I doubt anyone would send you one on purpose surely so sorry about your pc

Original poster
Zephyrcat · 05/01/2005 16:30

I know who it was. It must have come directly from them because it came up on the chat box as * is sending you a file - so i trusted it.
The guy has been trying to reinstall our os but it's buggered. He's had to take it away and let me use his for tonight as he knows dp needs it. I'm most angry about the fact that his birthday is now down the drain I've been planning it for months.

OP posts:
Original poster
Zephyrcat · 05/01/2005 16:32

It cost that much because it happened at about 11.30 this morning and the guy has only just gone

OP posts:
AuntyQuated · 05/01/2005 16:32

Zeph - it really sounds like a virus.

Gwenick · 05/01/2005 16:35

zeph - viruses are very clever they put people's names in that you know so that you think you're safe. My antivirus has picked up emails sent from my Dh's computer to mine before now! And seen as though he uses my computer for business it's pretty obvious he wouldn't do that - but the virus would

pixiefish · 05/01/2005 16:36

zeph- i only asked cos dh does that sort of thing and charges about £40... i know he's no use to you cos we're too far away but i just thought that £100 was steep.

GeorginaA · 05/01/2005 16:36

Sounds like a virus to me too Did you have any sort of virus protection on your pc? There are some really good free virus programmes out there. It's worth letting the person know that they sent you it, too, as chances are they may not know and they need to clean their pc of the virus too.

Original poster
Zephyrcat · 05/01/2005 16:36

even on msn messenger though? it wasnt an email, it was in a conversation window.....

OP posts:
littlemissbossy · 05/01/2005 16:36

I can sympathise Zephrycat, I too had a similar problem with my laptop and it has never been the same

AuntyQuated · 05/01/2005 16:37

i would say all the more reason to think it was a virus

GeorginaA · 05/01/2005 16:38

MSN is a microsoft product so wouldn't surprise me at all if there were viruses now that targetted them.

Can I also recommend Trillian ?

Original poster
Zephyrcat · 05/01/2005 16:38

I've got avg and spybot. I closed the window and sent the person messages to see if it was them that sent it but they didnt answer me. The guy that came out was really cheap for around here - last time I had a problem with the pc, most places were asking for £50 an hour

OP posts:
jampots · 05/01/2005 16:39

i have had emails from known addresses which have contained viruses but not from the actual person IYKWIM. One email i received into my one account actually said it was from my other email account. So please dont necessarily feel pissed with the person who you think its from, it could be a virus has copied their details from your own address book.

aloha · 05/01/2005 16:39

Agree. It's a virus. That's what they do, they replicate by copying all the addresses from someone's in box. I've had viruses before including a very embarassing one that sent emails I had sent to one person to everyone in my address book!! Thank God it was a totally neutral email and not a gossipy one. Made me reevaluate what I put on email, that's for sure. You need to install some good virus protection if you haven't already, such as Firewall.

sparklymieow · 05/01/2005 16:39

were they chatting to you at the time? Or was it just the download there?

Original poster
Zephyrcat · 05/01/2005 16:41

it came up with a normal hello message then the file was sent. It was called 'Funny' so i assumed it was. It wasnt
I really didnt think that someone else could manipulate your messenger window though

OP posts:
Gwenick · 05/01/2005 16:42

Georgina - we obviously have the same 'taste' in computer products - I'd be lost without trillian, and SO much safer.

ladymuck · 05/01/2005 16:42

Many commiserations - if you Google MSN Messenger virus you'll see that you're not alone....

Gwenick · 05/01/2005 16:44

zeph - virus makers target all microsoft software, it's so commononly used, and so easy to do that unfortunately people who use their products are very much at risk. MSN, Outlook AND Internet Explorer can all get viruses.

ladymuck · 05/01/2005 16:45

Was it this one?