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Is this a virus? Has anyone ever heard of it before?

C

cpweld

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Aug 16, 2007
12
0
I just got a new MBP a few weeks ago and I installed VMWare to run Microsoft Office '03 on my computer. This just started today, but when I was in both Word and Excel fairly frequently three dots would just show up wherever I had my cursor on the screen ("...") and after about a second it would turn into a random word. This happens whether the Word or Excel is my active window or even if I just have it running while I'm doing something else. I let it run for about an hour and this is what I got (in Word this time) :

"The early and can he can can still connect and he can conclude he will have to go in the face can all relate to one can to Clinton and Gore and bill and the thing that may fifth in "

These words aren't coming from any files on my computer and they seem completely different every time althouth a pattern could emerge eventually. Anyone ever heard of this? Could this be a Windows virus (since it's running in VMWare) or a Mac virus? I have virus software running on both OS's and have done a scan since these problems started in both and havent found anything. Anyone have any advice?

Thanks!
 
cpweld said:
Could this be a Windows virus (since it's running in VMWare) or a Mac virus?
Click to expand...

SOUNDS like a Windows virus or something similar.

What AV program are you using? I only recommend Kaspersky... best in the business.

You can download a trial (uninstall or turn off the one you have) and run a scan.

I run VMware but only access the internet in OSX. I download XP programs in OSX and drag them to XP. There are so many %$!%! things that can attack XP through browsers that I don't even take the chance.

BTW, if you are accessing the web from within XP, use Firefox, not IE. IE has too many open doors.
 
I use Trend Micro PC-Cillin for Windows XP and Sophos for OSX because they were both recommended by my school. Neither are picking up on a virus when I scan though, but I'm afraid because I can get into a lot of trouble for having an infected computer on my school's network. If I don't know what it is, how should I go about trying to figure it out/getting rid of it?

Just since my original post, I have gotten this in Word :

"He can really old e-mail loor one point was going on for more than 101 205 CTS and a national Parks and was soon, was born and involved in the financial NCS and that’s one reason he can watch the warmth or or was it about 1000 one new homes and as long as it can work and he alone was going to move on in also a member of the cyclone and what was happening to us as a range was also in Dayton and will rise again after arriving in the blast was an accident and was one of 44 visit our panel I don’t have any and the Santa Ana medicine, the two have to hold all 4:00 AM 1005: Warren moon and the content to have to have women and thebottom and old won’t return to a woman’s own voice loans and com, and was eliminated from nineteen 90 one, will you this won’t win in this loan money than any light on that alone will face a long one of the woman was one of the following new law, Oregon and women.
One thing and it is orbiting Venus on the moon and one was an 15111 15 of the year on the senate armed men and one has been working on the way you always want more meaning than one wife and two young women were so little and one more way for their own one 11 1100 199118111 thousand-year when and if we’re so far more than 1101, zero and then find a way of life in 1981) for more than once in a & M. one a one point $9.00 and see the 1000 people in a family has been just an imminent financing from all fairness to the left and right now is the data that might even the relatives as its president Aristide and often as he learned of his U.S. and European force anyone to think of me and I was wondering if any, is that it is discussing this issue and make travel agency of seven industry is an effective CNN coaches’ final report on economic activity to make any of the damage estimates are expected to see this this a ninth U.S. and other machine that is running water and four times the number face telecast of the face is this is an accident and was indeed, even though one face we can this case he he "

PLEASE HELP!!
 
cpweld said:
I use Trend Micro PC-Cillin...
Click to expand...

That is a piece of crap. You can go to Virus Bulletin and prove it to yourself and your school.

A virus in XP (if that is indeed what it is) will not infect OSX so don't load the virtual machine.

Download the Kaspersky and see if it sees anything.

You don't have a friend or room mate that is screwing with you, do you?

And do you just have one personality and can account for all of your time the past few days? :rolleyes:

Try this:

http://support.f-secure.com/enu/home/ols.shtml
 
Try disconnecting the microphone from the Virtual Machine.

You might have voice recognition enabled. The three dots are when the microphone is listening to your text, and then it just guesses what you are saying. If you aren't trying to speak clearly into the microphone, it will just guess and display a random word.
 
chrisbeebops said:
Try disconnecting the microphone from the Virtual Machine.

You might have voice recognition enabled. The three dots are when the microphone is listening to your text, and then it just guesses what you are saying. If you aren't trying to speak clearly into the microphone, it will just guess and display a random word.
Click to expand...

This would be so funny if it turned out to be just that!!! Now we get a little insight into the life of cpweld and what he/she likes to talk about!!! :p
 
chrisbeebops said:
Try disconnecting the microphone from the Virtual Machine.

You might have voice recognition enabled. The three dots are when the microphone is listening to your text, and then it just guesses what you are saying. If you aren't trying to speak clearly into the microphone, it will just guess and display a random word.
Click to expand...

This would be my guess as well. Although normally if it was enabled you should be able to see the language bar, it's normally a clear indication.

I'm sure I recall a virus of some sort doing what you've described, but I think it was more in the context that it would be used so a hacker could tell your computer verbally what to do. Try running a scan with Avast! (free) , I've found it's quite reliable. Especially compared to Trend Micro. :)
 
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