Sir or Ma'am: Please excuse my lack of in-depth knowledge regarding computers & Windows, but I was not born with one 6 foot up my wah-zoo. I have expertise in many areas, but that field is not one of them.
I have much experience operating computers and software, but it seems the more I know about Windows, the less I understand. Not only with Windows......but some of MS's positions and practices.
I was a radar repairman in the armed forces, so I possess a fair knowledge of electronics. As far as computers, I started out using IBM mainframes in the mid 70's, then MS DOS desktops in the early 80's, then on to the first series of Apple desktops in the
late 80's. My experience with Windows started in the late 90's when I purchased my first desktop for home use. I got broke in with Mellinum, then Vista, and now Windows 7.
Generally speaking, I have had a very satisfactory level of experience with Windows. I had no big issues or problems that my level of experience did not enable me to cope with ......that is, until last May: Then Windows became a living (and expensive)
HELL for me.
That is when a Trojan horse (which MS calls Win32/Popureb.E) became my nemesis, along with (as it turned out) some low-life hackers that used that malware to manipulate and monitor my computer(s) for months now......not to mention ending up physically wreaking
a couple eventually.......along with a cell phone.
This is a very long and involved story, and as you know, hindsight is everything. I will very briefly outline the start of this mess and what I know of this attack.
As you may know, that particular very nasty and destructive malware is undetectable by any normal scans. If I am not wrong, it is considered a 'persistent rootkit' variety of data collectors.
Anyway, since protection software would not detect it, let alone defeat it, I set about trying to weaken or destroy it one file at at time. mainly I would try this (with my limited knowledge, please understand) by attacking malicious executables and Dll's,
registry editing, and Process killing.......then hitting it with software.
All of that was a TREMENDOUS waste of time and took quite a toll on me (being that my health is not the best anyway). Three tours in Iraq has also very much weakened my body, mind, & finances.........but I would had PAID to have been over there, and
would be only too happy to get back to the sandbox. If ANYBODY out there can help me get over there as a civilian contractor, I would be eternally grateful. Now, back to the business at hand. Thank you for your indulgence.
-------------It's just that I took this thing personal, and became somewhat obsessed in that there had to be SOME way I could defeat this malware/hacker attack. N O P E.
I am not used to being defeated by any external force, device, or person. I am the only one that can do that to myself. So......I was flat-out determined to stomp on this cockroach myself.
Little did I know at the time the real barrier to my making significant headway was the the hackers had set up a 'GPRS' modem (via Bluetooth) connecting to my computer (via wireless card) without my knowledge. Of course, I had previously disconnected my
DSL wired input at the beginning of this battle, but I stood not a chance with those SOB's doing their dirty work without my knowledge.........unknown to me coming in a wide-open back door.
Things just went downhill and downhill from May until now (almost October). There is MUCH MUCH more to this sordid tale, but I must leave it be for now and get to my questions.
#1. Can you tell me HOW EXACTLY to delete/erase a corrupted and P R O T E C T E D X (Boot) partition from my hardrives?? That partition, which is less that 1000MB, is thoroughly corrupted by the malware and continuously reinfects my fresh installs
of Windows......and even corrupts Linux (sorry, I know that is a cuss word in your parts). Of course, I have tried all the conventional methods, commands, workarounds, tricks, and hardware I have available for my use. I suspect the best single piece of hardware
I have on hand is a device that enables me to take a hard drive out and hook it to a USB port using an adapter or hardware interface......making it an external harddrive. I have also tried the UBCD and UBCD4Win installs/disc......still no worky.
As you may know, that malware is VERY strong and unconventional in that it infects the MBR, the boot tables, and the malware embeds itself in something called the hardrive controller port interface, changing the I/O of that devices drivers code, right? Or
something to that effect?? And it also buries itself up in some base voltage circuit to the USB hardware physical devices too, right?
#2. May I ask WHY on God's green earth does Microsoft PUBLISH for all the world (particularly hackers and virus producers) to see ........HOW to employ and produce that VERY insidious and effective malware spawning device!!!??? WHY, WHY would you good
people DETAIL how such potentially very destructive malware can be employed!!?? That is, the physical description as to HOW (practically speaking) to insert such malicious and overiding, consuming controlling self-replicating code into that driver!!?? Is this
not almost a quantum leap in malware effectiveness and employment technique???
I am referring to a webpage on one of MS's more technical websites. It practically outlines to a low-life hacker how to construct such a utterly useless and evil device (IMO).
Of course, I know MS is not in the malware production business......but must you HELP them low-life’s so much (apparently anyway)?? I also know MS probably did not dream up how to perform this technical trick in the first place......but it did produce
the product that enabled it......and THEN apparently publishes on the web how to devise this dastardly corrupted device!! For WHAT purposes......to WHAT end!!??
MAYBE I am completely off-base here in my accusations & assertions......owing and due to my limited knowledge. So, if you would please explain this situation to me and how I may be misunderstanding what is going on here.
And, please let me know how to eviserate the X partition
In my humble opinion, being that I paid for the computer, paid the asking price for the Windows OS, and paid for the electricity to run the dang things.......it is almost CRIMINAL that MS makes such a partition easily so easily accessible and controllable
by the bottom-feeding malware producers......while the consumer cannot touch it.......and in factthat partition is used as a weapon AGAINST the consumer; the person footing the bill here.
And that brings up another point.........I wish to thank Bill Gates & MS for not having the Group Policy Editor even VIEWABLE--------let-alone able to be controlled by the consumer in Windows 7 Home Premium.......what a deal! I am SURE you good people
full well know the GP Editor is being very widely used as a SLEDGEHAMMER against us by the evil-doers in their hacker attacks. You gave them the freakin' keys to the house with that little maneuver!!
YES.......I know a person can get GP editor with buying an upgraded version of Windows........but that is like having to pay Chevrolet money to NOT give some copies of your car keys and your address to the car thieves!!!
In all sincerity, thank you for your time and consideration regarding my issues. Do excuse me if my assertions are off-base due to my misunderstanding or lack of knowledge. But, please do explain to me how I may be looking at things wrong........and how
to slay a forted-up X partition.
Regards and Thanks,
SLINGLADE'S DAD
