Is my pc on the botnet?!?

[nerdysmurf]

I often get warnings on my comp that "windows media and networking" is using 100% of one or more of my cpu's, even if i was not running anything that would reasonably use networking. this seemed to me that my pc might have some malware/ virus on it. does this sound to you like a reasonable explanation for the warning boxes? if so, what should i do about it?

[limdis]

Hmm, well first thing I suggest you do is download Spybot S&D. Here: http://spybot-download.net/
Update it, unplug your net connection and run it under admin privileges. Been using it for years, picks up a lot of stuff some main line AVs don't.

Next make sure your dont have any file sharing/torrent clients running full time. If you are seeding a ton of things it could whore you usage.

Also, check your processes that are being ran under task manager to see if any one program is acting up.

[LoGiCaL__]

In addition to spybot S&D I'd suggest d/l malwarebytes from cnet and combofix from bleepingcomputer.com just for peace of mind . I have seen them get rid of some nasty stuff that retail AV scanners overlook. Make sure to start your windows in safemode while scanning.

A little more description of your network setup might also be helpful.

[nerdysmurf]

thanks, I'll try spybot S&D and malware bytes.

[LoGiCaL__]

thanks, I'll try spybot S&D and malware bytes.

Safe Mode..Safe Mode...Safe Mode/

If you find anything, turn off your system restore, restart, and turn it back on.

[tgoe]

This is a point that I think can't get stressed enough. Signature, heuristic-based, what-ever scans from any *one* vendor should be thought of as a net instead of a wall. If you rely solely on "AV", you could still get caught by malware.