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My iMac [might have] a virus.

mloffa

mloffa

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Jul 13, 2009
966
40
I am typing this from my iPod Touch right now because I am trying to re-install leopard on my computer in the hopes it will help. So far it's not working. When it asks me where to install, it keep loading and never comes up with a place to install. I know what a virus looks like on a computer and mine has it. Programs don't open, overall sluggish performance, etc.

Any advice?
 
You don't have a virus. Try repairing permissions in Disk Utility or create a new user account and see whether the problems occur there.
 
I somehow doubt it's a virus from what you've described. If it can't come up with a HD to install on, open disk utility and take a look-see as to whats happening in your harddrive. If your HD shows up in disk utility, format it into Mac OS Journaled and try again.

Hope that helps.
 
Are you guys sure? I'm almost positive it's a virus.

What exactly should I do in Disk Utility?
 
Not a virus. Repair permissions, zap PRAM, etc... if all else fails, reinstall (though it sounds like you're there already)...
 
Cave Man said:
It must be the Gnu.B virus. ;)
Click to expand...

Honestly, that would be funny if I weren't so angry at my computer right now.


You guys are telling me all this stuff but I don't know how to do this. I am in disk utility and it's not allowing me to do any of this.

I can't install my OS again because it won't let me chose were to install it.

Some problems:

2qd687c.png

dlkz1k.png
 
mloffa said:
Honestly, that would be funny if I weren't so angry at my computer right now.


You guys are telling me all this stuff but I don't know how to do this. I am in disk utility and it's not allowing me to do any of this.

I can't install my OS again because it won't let me chose were to install it.
Click to expand...

Follow the instructions showing on your screen in that dialog box. Starting up your computer with your OS X installation disc will allow you to run Disk Utility and repair the disk. It's definitely not a virus, your HDD is simply corrupt and it needs to be repaired.
 
Lancetx said:
Follow the instructions showing on your screen in that dialog box. Starting up your computer with your OS X installation disc will allow you to run Disk Utility and repair the disk. It's definitely not a virus, your HDD is simply corrupt and it needs to be repaired.
Click to expand...

To provide further explanation, shut your computer down and hold the alt key, choose the disk, rather then the hard drive to boot from and then run Disk Utility.
 
Putting you have a virus especially in the thread title is really misleading to people... Imagine everybody who read it and thought What! Everyone says macs dont get viruses, but look!

There for real are no mac viruses... yet at least!
 
mloffa said:
I am typing this from my iPod Touch right now because I am trying to re-install leopard on my computer in the hopes it will help. So far it's not working. When it asks me where to install, it keep loading and never comes up with a place to install. I know what a virus looks like on a computer and mine has it. Programs don't open, overall sluggish performance, etc.

Any advice?
Click to expand...

Um thats definitely not a virus.

As others says, try repairing disk permissions and looking at system monitor to see what processes are running.

Now for viruses, if you have a viruses chances are you will never know. All the stuff you see in movies is completely fake. If it is a well written malware it doesn't want to be found and you will see no evidence of it being on the system (unless its a phishing type malware or browser redirect).
 
Nothing is working. I can't repair my disk or whatever because it's not being found. I will post a pic once my computer is turned back on (which is taking over 10 minutes). Once again I am on my iPod touch. I don't know what to do. I need specific intructions.



-edit-
0mac.jpg

0mac3.jpg

0mac2.jpg


See, there is no Macintosh HD.
 
Boot in single user mode, and run fsck...

Likely you will find that there is something seriously wrong with the file system/catalog ... which means, it'll likely require a 3rd party repair utility if you want to save the data.

Note: You have to run disk utility off the DVD, since disk utility will not "repair" a drive with open files on it, and has to be able to unmount the drive (and since the OS is running off the drive, it has open files and is hard for disk utility to unmount). Hence, fsck and single user mode.
 
Sun Baked said:
Boot in single user mode, and run fsck...

Likely you will find that there is something seriously wrong with the file system/catalog ... which means, it'll likely require a 3rd party repair utility if you want to save the data.
Click to expand...

How do I do this? And I really don't care about my data. There isn't much of it and it can be lost... I just want to be able to USE my computer.

And how does something like this even happen?! I am generally pretty smart about my computer and don't delete random things and whatnot.
 
mloffa said:
How do I do this? And I really don't care about my data. There isn't much of it and it can be lost... I just want to be able to USE my computer.

And how does something like this even happen?! I am generally pretty smart about my computer and don't delete random things and whatnot.
Click to expand...

People who shut the computer down with the power button, who have a lot of kernel panics, or need to force quit apps a lot.

All these can lead to small errors that build up over time until the file system get fragged.

---

Or the drive is failing, and will build up write errors leading to an unresponsive drive.

---

If you have ever noticed the HELP Menu ...

just follow the directions on the screen when you start up in Single user mode. Just keep running fsck until it tells you it cannot fix the errors, or tells you nothing was modified.

Starting up in single-user mode
If you want to troubleshoot the startup sequence of your computer using only UNIX commands, you can start up your computer in single-user mode. You should do this only if you are comfortable with UNIX.

To start up in single-user mode:

Choose Apple menu > Restart, or press the power button if the computer is turned off.

Press Command-S as the computer starts up.

The computer screen is black with standard white text. You can now run the UNIX commands that you want.

In single-user mode, not all functions of Mac OS X are available. To use the Mac OS X interface or other high-level aspects of Mac OS X, you need to start up in the standard mode.

To switch back to the Mac OS X interface, type reboot and press the Return key. The computer restarts and you see the login dialog or the Mac desktop, depending on your login preferences.
Click to expand...
 
dejo said:
Erase your Hitachi and give the volume a name of Macintosh HD and then you will.
Click to expand...

Well I have a MacintoshHD. I can see it along with Hitachi when I use disk utility without the installation disk.

I currently trying to use fsck
 
mloffa said:
Well I have a MacintoshHD. I can see it along with Hitachi when I use disk utility without the installation disk.
Click to expand...
So, you're saying when booted from the install disk, you can't see your Macintosh HD volume, but when you boot normally Disk Utility can see it? If so, whoa, freaky.
 
dejo said:
So, you're saying when booted from the install disk, you can't see your Macintosh HD volume, but when you boot normally Disk Utility can see it? If so, whoa, freaky.
Click to expand...

That's exactly what I'm saying! I have no idea what's going on.
 
Just tried fsck. It got to "Cannot repair MacintoshHD after 3 attempts" or something like that.

I am still having problems.
 
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