Virus!! Help me.

[emmajuno]

I have lots of problems.

For a while now, I've had a problem with my hotmail account. In the bottom left hand corner, I keep seeing js2.wxlrs.com and css.wxlrs.com. Recently, problems have extended to Firefox. The past month's worth of history has been deleted. It won't save any of my history. It has also deleted all of my bookmarks and my bookmarks toolbar. What can I do??

As far as I'm aware, I'm not running any antivirus software. I have a white macbook osx lepoard. I don't know what version my Firefox is.

Please help! I really am clueless as to how to sort this out.

 

[GGJstudios]

As far as I'm aware, I'm not running any antivirus software. I have a white macbook osx lepoard.

You don't have a virus. Macs are not immune to malware, but no true viruses exist in the wild that can run on Mac OS X, and there never have been any since it was released 10 years ago. You cannot infect your Mac simply by visiting a website, unzipping a file, opening an email attachment or joining a network. The only malware in the wild that can affect Mac OS X is a handful of trojans, which cannot infect your Mac unless you actively install them, and they can be easily avoided with some basic education, common sense and care in what software you install. Also, Mac OS X Snow Leopard and Lion have anti-malware protection built in, further reducing the need for 3rd party antivirus apps.

Mac Virus/Malware FAQ​

For a while now, I've had a problem with my hotmail account. In the bottom left hand corner, I keep seeing js2.wxlrs.com and css.wxlrs.com.

Bottom left hand corner of what?

The past month's worth of history has been deleted. It won't save any of my history.

Check your Firefox preferences to see what history saving selection you've made.

It has also deleted all of my bookmarks and my bookmarks toolbar.

Check to make sure you haven't simply hidden the toolbar.

I don't know what version my Firefox is.

On the Menu Bar, click Firefox > About Firefox to see your version.

 

[emmajuno]

You don't have a virus. Macs are not immune to malware, but no true viruses exist in the wild that can run on Mac OS X, and there never have been any since it was released 10 years ago. You cannot infect your Mac simply by visiting a website, unzipping a file, opening an email attachment or joining a network. The only malware in the wild that can affect Mac OS X is a handful of trojans, which cannot infect your Mac unless you actively install them, and they can be easily avoided with some basic education, common sense and care in what software you install. Also, Mac OS X Snow Leopard and Lion have anti-malware protection built in, further reducing the need for 3rd party antivirus apps.

Mac Virus/Malware FAQ​

Ok, thanks for the reply. If it's not a virus then what is the problem? I don't see why Firefox would randomly delete everything and refuse to safe my history, especially given that my preferences still dictate that I would like to save my browsing history.

[edit] Sorry, I didn't see the rest of your reply. It says that I've got Firefox 3.6. I haven't hidden the toolbar. It references those websites in the bottom left hand corner of firefox. It says 'Done' right now.

 

[GGJstudios]

Ok, thanks for the reply. If it's not a virus then what is the problem? I don't see why Firefox would randomly delete everything and refuse to safe my history, especially given that my preferences still dictate that I would like to save my browsing history.

[edit] Sorry, I didn't see the rest of your reply. It says that I've got Firefox 3.6. I haven't hidden the toolbar. It references those websites in the bottom left hand corner of firefox. It says 'Done' right now.

If your preferences are set properly, shut down Firefox, delete the .plist file, then restart Firefox. You'll have to re-select preferences again. The .plist should be here:

/Users/yourusername/Library/Preferences/org.mozilla.firefox.plist

 

[emmajuno]

If your preferences are set properly, shut down Firefox, delete the .plist file, then restart Firefox. You'll have to re-select preferences again. The .plist should be here:

/Users/yourusername/Library/Preferences/org.mozilla.firefox.plist

Thanks. I tried that and nothing changed. It still shows my preference to save browsing history but it won't save anything.

 

[minifridge1138]

You're also about 7 version out of date with Firefox.
Version 10 was released this morning.

 

[emmajuno]

You're also about 7 version out of date with Firefox.
Version 10 was released this morning.

I know, I just hate updating things. I'll download v10 and see if that works.

 

[emmajuno]

It worked!! Everything is back now~ Thank you!

Hotmail still seems to be messed up though. Any idea what that could be about?

 

[Schtumple]

It worked!! Everything is back now~ Thank you!

Hotmail still seems to be messed up though. Any idea what that could be about?

It's hotmail? That's enough of an issue.

 

[emmajuno]

It's hotmail? That's enough of an issue.

I know. I tried to get Gmail, though and my name is taken. I don't want to add stupid numbers to it or anything because I want to use it as a work email address. Any suggestions?

 

[Schtumple]

I know. I tried to get Gmail, though and my name is taken. I don't want to add stupid numbers to it or anything because I want to use it as a work email address. Any suggestions?

iCloud? I managed to scoop my full name.

 

[GGJstudios]

I know. I tried to get Gmail, though and my name is taken. I don't want to add stupid numbers to it or anything because I want to use it as a work email address. Any suggestions?

You can check to see if your name with your middle initial is available, or a combination of your company name and your name. I wouldn't let the lack of availability of the ideal name prevent the transition to Gmail. I would question the viability of a business that used Hotmail.

Some suggestions:

first.m.last @gmail.com
company.first.last @gmail.com
company.last.first @gmail.com
company.f.last @gmail.com
etc.​

 

[emmajuno]

You can check to see if your name with your middle initial is available, or a combination of your company name and your name. I wouldn't let the lack of availability of the ideal name prevent the transition to Gmail. I would question the viability of a business that used Hotmail.

Some suggestions:

first.m.last @gmail.com
company.first.last @gmail.com
company.last.first @gmail.com
company.f.last @gmail.com
etc.​

Oh, I don't have a business. I just meant an email to use when applying for jobs/ contacting workmates, etc. Gmail won't allow the use of full stops in email addresses! I tried. I'll try to figure something else out.

[edit] That's what gmail told me before, but seems to be fine now?! Unfortunately, my name is still taken. Damn gmail.

 

[simsaladimbamba]

Gmail won't allow the use of full stops in email addresses!

I have a GMail address with a full stop / period between my first and last name, though a little digging indicates, that a period is just treated as an alias, thus forename.surname@gmail.com is the same as forenamesurname@gmail.com (info). Though I don't know about hyphens and underscores.

 

[GGJstudios]

Oh, I don't have a business. I just meant an email to use when applying for jobs/ contacting workmates, etc. Gmail won't allow the use of full stops in email addresses!

Of course it will. Many of my Gmail addresses have periods in them.

Character usage (usernames, passwords, groups, names)

• Usernames may contain letters (a-z), numbers (0-9), dashes (-), underscores (_), and periods (.), and may not contain an equal sign (=) or brackets (<,>). They can't contain more than one period in a row.

 

[xxBURT0Nxx]

Of course it will. Many of my Gmail addresses have periods in them.

yeah it will allow a stop, but it also considers the same address without a stop to be the same.

so ...

billcower@gmail and bill.cower@gmail are considered to be the same and if one is taken, you cannot use the other.

Now, i'm not sure if an email sent to either address would go to the same person, but if billcower@gmail is taken, you cannot create a new email under bill.cower@gmail

 

[emmajuno]

I tried to use an underscore but it wouldn't let me. Perhaps every variation on my name is banned. I added my middle name which makes it a bit longer than my liking but never mind, at least I have an email address now. Thanks for the help, guys!

 

[GGJstudios]

yeah it will allow a stop, but it also considers the same address without a stop to be the same.

so ...

billcower@gmail and bill.cower@gmail are considered to be the same and if one is taken, you cannot use the other.

Now, i'm not sure if an email sent to either address would go to the same person, but if billcower@gmail is taken, you cannot create a new email under bill.cower@gmail

This is true when selecting a name. However, it doesn't mean that if you have bill.cower@gmail as your address that you can also receive mail at billcower@gmail. It's just that Gmail ignores periods when checking name availability.

 

[xxBURT0Nxx]

indeed, why i said

This is true when selecting a name. However, it doesn't mean that if you have bill.cower@gmail as your address that you can also receive mail at billcower@gmail. It's just that Gmail ignores periods when checking name availability.

Now, i'm not sure if an email sent to either address would go to the same person, but if billcower@gmail is taken, you cannot create a new email under bill.cower@gmail

Thanks!