Virus Warning

[anon...@discussions.microsoft.com]

Every hour or so a warning comes up on my computer saying

"If you can see this page your hosts file has been
hacked. Please use the instuction below to clean your
machine."

The address given is http://windowsupdate.microsoft.com

Can anybody tell me if this is a genuine Microsoft
message or not?

Regards

[Mike Burgess]

Hi,
NO! ....... it is not a MS message .......
How To: Deal with Unwanted Pop-ups
http://www.mvps.org/winhelp2002/nopopups.htm
____________________________________________________________
Mike Burgess [MVP Windows Shell\User] http://www.mvps.org/winhelp2002/
Blocking Spyware, Adware, Parasites, Hijackers, Trojans, with a HOSTS file
http://www.mvps.org/winhelp2002/hosts.htm [updated 12-15-03]
Please post replies to this Newsgroup, email address is invalid
--

<anon...@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:00ca01c3c5f1$fd425980$a001...@phx.gbl...

[Alun Jones [MS MVP]]

In article <00ca01c3c5f1$fd425980$a001...@phx.gbl>,

It's not a message from Microsoft. However, it's very possible that you
have the QHosts virus, and that's what you're dealing with.

Best _not_ to trust a link at a web page that you're taken to at random,
because although it appears to say "http://windowsupdate.microsoft.com", it
may actually take you to "http://really.bad.guys.example.com" instead.

[For the obvious example of how this might be done, note that many of the
hyperlinks you see contain text such as "click here" - obviously, the
content of the text, and the target of the hyperlink are _completely_
unconnected]

http://windowsupdate.microsoft.com is a safe site to visit, though, as long
as you type in the address yourself.

I'd also recommend visiting one of the anti-virus vendors listed through
http://www.microsoft.com/protect - many of them have an online virus scan
and removal process that you can follow.

Alun.
~~~~

[Please don't email posters, if a Usenet response is appropriate.]
--
Texas Imperial Software | Find us at http://www.wftpd.com or email
1602 Harvest Moon Place | al...@texis.com.
Cedar Park TX 78613-1419 | WFTPD, WFTPD Pro are Windows FTP servers.
Fax/Voice +1(512)258-9858 | Try our NEW client software, WFTPD Explorer.