PC "losing all connections" but AIM still connected (Trillian)

Hi, there. I am a medical transcriptionist, and I was typing along with the necessary apps open: Firefox (Google), Notepad (Job issues), Excel (term list), VPN client, DictaPhone, and Trillian (Employer support).

I lost connection with the Yahoo IM part of Trillian first, which is my method of communicating with support. No biggee. That happens sometimes. It's Yahoo IM.

About 15 minutes later, in the middle of typing a report, I lost my VPN and DictaPhone connections and my Yahoo IM connection (this meant I couldn't tell them to assign the job to me so I didn't lose the work I'd put into it) and my ability to bring up pages on Firefox. The AIM part of Trillian, however, remained connected. The little yellow globes were still lit up, and I experimented with sending myself a message, and it went through just fine.

So...I'm thinking "Something's not quite right, here...."

So, I went through the "READ AND RUN ME FIRST" routine.

And, lo and behold, I got that "Webshots has detected another application trying to change your default search page. Do you want to continue with this change?" This, after I have not only uninstalled Webshots, but have also used RegSeeker to remove all entries with the word "webshots" from my system except in the "ZoneMap" part because I know those entries are my blacklist.

The Webshots message is an issue I brought up once before and was told that my computer was clean...but bizarre things still keep happening on it, so...I'm thinking not. I hope that doesn't across as being unappreciative of this free assistance. It's just my annoyance with the constant shutdown of my ability to work, especially considering the following information, which really fries my fanny.

--I will make a separate thread for this, but it's relevant to this thread--I should also mention that the Yahoo and VPN disconnect issue came up on my laptop twice last night while I was working on it, too (I specifically asked my workplace to download the work software to it because it had been declared clean and was working fine and I wanted to be able to work when my desktop was down, as that was becoming an issue), except both VPN and Yahoo IM reconnected almost immediately both times and I did not lose either report I had been working on at the time...which never happens. You lose VPN, you lose DictaPhone. It never happens any other way. So, that in itself is...just not right. But, it was a work night and anything that helps with production I take with a smile. Still, after the 2nd time this issue happened, I decided this was the same bug that was getting my desktop and shut down my work software and began the "READ AND RUN ME FIRST" routine after informing support over web GMail. While I was running SSD on the laptop, Avast! popped up 2--count them, 2--trojans for executable files that I didn't recognize at all, nor did I recognize the folder one of them was in.--end relevant laptop info

So, I don't know if this is coming from my company (I did mention the 2 trojans to them by name and said they might want to check their computers because I'd been working all night with them on my system) or Trillian or what. But, PLEASE don't tell me my computer is clean again before working on it at all...because every time you say that, I think everything's okay, and I start working, and something goes wrong, and...it's just not cool that I'm working with people's medical records with malware on my computer.

Oh, and my local guy has told me my computer was clean when you guys told me it wasn't, so...I really don't have anywhere else to go. :cry

Here are the links to my previous threads:
http://forums.majorgeeks.com/showthread.php?t=179196
http://forums.majorgeeks.com/showthread.php?t=172826

First set of logs are attached.

 

Here's the last log. Thanks again! Again, sorry if I come off as snotty. It's just the irritation talking, not animosity toward you.
:wave

 

I made that post about my laptop before you replied to the desktop thread.

As far as being told my logs are clean, I didn't imagine what happened on my laptop, and we plan to take it to the Sheriff's office today because they have a special unit to address hacker issues. My work has put me on indefinite leave and is in discussions with their HIPAA department because of this issue.

So glad you're taking it so seriously.

I can't address the reply about the desktop until later today because I am currently in bed about to go to sleep for the day and didn't see your response until just now.

I haven't been posting every other day. I have posted twice the last year about 2 different computers and once in 2007 about one of those computers. And, my mother posted about her computer this year, which also had an actual issue.

In 2007, my desktop did indeed have an infection and the first time I posted about my laptop, so did it. If a computer exhibits strange behavior and/or slows down, it is often due to malware, yes? And, malware can often be built to hide from malware detecting software, yes?

I deal with highly confidential material, and it is paramount that my computers remain malware free to protect people's privacy while working with that material. I'm sorry you consider protecting the confidentiality of people's medical records a waste of your time. BJ certainly doesn't.
:mad
I don't mean to sound ungrateful, but...you aren't exactly being charitable by telling me "it's a waste of our time," either.

 

Thank you for all your help, Tim. Seriously. I think we were both having a bad day--me, a bad week and then some--so it's all cool that there was some tension, there. I thank you very much for your apology. I know that's hard to do.

The desktop is getting "certified by an authorized computer repair person to be free of spyware, malware, viruses, etc." right now, and the laptop will go in once that comes back. This is mandated by my workplace. *sigh*

This wouldn't have been required if it hadn't been for the hacker issue...so, because it became a hacker issue, I was "wasting (your) time." I just didn't realize it. My supervisor just e-mailed me around 7a.m. this morning, and I didn't see it until just now.

Now, it's my turn to apologize. I am very sorry. :-o:-o:-o