How do I get rid of this new VBS/Netlog.worm (virus)?

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This question was answered on April 24, 2000. Much of the information contained herein may have changed since posting.

This is yet another variant of the VBS (Visual Basic Script) family of “Worms”. Like viruses, worms replicate themselves; however, instead of spreading from file to file they spread from computer to computer, infecting an entire system or network. The VBS/Netlog.worm comes in various versions, but they all have a common denominator; a file called “network.vbs” keys them. This worm becomes “memory resident” and will automatically spread across most Windows based networks very quickly. The reason you are unable to remove it is because it is lurking in memory (RAM) at the time that you are attempting to remove it from the hard drive, which is not possible. It usually puts itself in the startup area of your computer to ensure that it is launched when you start your computer.

To get rid of this pest, use the Find utility to locate the “network.vbs” file. Click on Start/Find/Files or Folders to open the “Find” dialog box. In the “Named:” section type “network.vbs” (without the “ “), then set the “Look in:” option to “Local Hard drives” (if you only have a C: drive, this option may not appear; just use C:). Make sure the box in front of the “Include subfolders” option is checked and click on the “Find Now” button. When it finds the file, right-click on it and select Delete. After you have removed the file, shutdown your system immediately. This process should remove it from your startup and allow you to restart your system without it loading, which will allow you to disinfect your computer. If this machine is connected to a network, you will need to perform this “delete/shutdown” process on all systems, to prevent the spread of the worm during your attempts to clean it up. Do not restart any of the systems until you have deleted the network.vbs file from all connected systems.

The Network.vbs series of worms was discovered in February of this year, with new variants as recently as the beginning of this month (April), so be sure to update your virus definition file before cleaning your system (usually at the software company’s website). This will ensure that all of the currently known variants are detected and disinfected as well.

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