Help! Screen jumping up and down

[ammays]

I think I have a virus, but I have run McAfee and no longer have any viruses. (The first time I ran it, it found one virus; I quarantined and eliminated it). Could this virus have already infected my computer?

The problem: Everytime I open a page -- whether an internet site, email, or a word document -- after a few minutes, the screen starts moving up and down of it's own accord. It moves as if I'm moving the scroll bar with the mouse -- very quickly up and down. It's impossible to read documents or write, and I can't stop it from moving, even if I hold the scroll bar still with the mouse.

Can anyone tell me what I should do?? I have rerun McAfee a number of times (this is the only thing I know to do to eliminate a virus). Is there anything else I can do? Or will I have to erase and reformat everything on the computer?

Many thanks for any suggestions or advice!

[michaewlewis]

Sounds like a virus or some other malware. Or maybe a practical joke a friend is playing on you.
Check your task manager (Ctrl-Shift-Esc) and click on the Processes tab. If you find a process that is running and you don't know what it is or doesn't look familiar, end that process and see if the problem goes away. If you don't recognize any of the process names, do a screen shot and post it, or type out each of the process names and post them.

[ammays]

Thanks! I've checked the task manager and there are 52 processes running. I'm not sure how to tell which are unfamiliar/not useful. There are a number listed under my username (which I assume should stay -- am I right?) and there are some listed as SYSTEM and NETWORK SERVICE. Would you recommend stopping some of the system or network service processes? Also, can you explain how to do a screen shot? Many thanks!

[ale52]

Download and run in Safemode:

Crap Cleaner
http://www.filehippo.com/download_ccleaner/


Adaware
http://www.download.com/3000-2144-10045910.html

Spywareblaster
http://www.javacoolsoftware.com/spywareblaster.html


Alan <>< 

[michaewlewis]

to do a screenshot, hit alt-printscreen, then paste it into MS Paint and save it.
then you can upload it to ImageShack or Photobucket

[Fed]

Does it happen in safe mode?

[ammays]

Sorry to be so computer illiterate, but could you explain what safe mode is and how I can switch to it? Or how I should run the virus scans in safe mode? Thanks for all the help!

[Dark Blade]

Firstly, read here (and some of the links).

Secondly, you shouldn't run virus scans in safe mode, because safe mode limits what programs are running.

[patio]

Secondly, you shouldn't run virus scans in safe mode, because safe mode limits what programs are running.

This is the opposite of what many here suggest...you don't need programs running to track down a baddie...actually the reverse is true. The fewer processes and programs running the more effective the scans.

[michaewlewis]

Try using a different antivirus program also. Norton has a trial you can download. sometimes what one program misses, another picks up.

[CBMatt]

Secondly, you shouldn't run virus scans in safe mode, because safe mode limits what programs are running.

What patio says is true.  It's actually preferred that you run scans in Safe Mode because they are more effective that way.  In Normal Mode, the infections are allowed to be active, which can make them more difficult to detect (they may be in hiding mode) and remove (because they're being used by certain running processes).