Very strange Vista behaviour after 9th Jan '08 Vista update

I'm running Vista home basic on a Toshiba L40 laptop, brand new laptop with
new Vista install, I've just run the automatic update tonight (9th Jan) which
installed the following updates;
KB905866
KB941644
KB890830
KB943302
KB943899
KB943411
MS Office '07 Service Pack (SP1)
As well as some Intel updates for the integral wireless cards.

As soon as the updates were installed my display started flashing rather
sporadically, it then changed resolution and between all that I got flashes
of what can only be described as black "smiley skulls", it happened twice and
it seemed Vista was having difficulty automatically restarted after the
updates installed.

If anyone else knows anything about this problem or has also encountered it
please let me know, if this isn't the right place to ask, please redirect me.

Many thanks,

Mr.JP

What's the system's status today, Mr. JP ?
' black "smiley skulls" ' has the aura of malware about it.

MowGreen [MVP 2003-2008]
===============
*-343-* FDNY
Never Forgotten
===============


Mr.JP wrote:

> I'm running Vista home basic on a Toshiba L40 laptop, brand new laptop with
> new Vista install, I've just run the automatic update tonight (9th Jan) which
> installed the following updates;
> KB905866
> KB941644
> KB890830
> KB943302
> KB943899
> KB943411
> MS Office '07 Service Pack (SP1)
> As well as some Intel updates for the integral wireless cards.
>
> As soon as the updates were installed my display started flashing rather
> sporadically, it then changed resolution and between all that I got flashes
> of what can only be described as black "smiley skulls", it happened twice and
> it seemed Vista was having difficulty automatically restarted after the
> updates installed.
>
> If anyone else knows anything about this problem or has also encountered it
> please let me know, if this isn't the right place to ask, please redirect me.
>
> Many thanks,
>
> Mr.JP

Mow, Apparently there is a "Laughing Skull Virus" now referred to as "LSV" I
believe.
Can't find anything else on it. Perhaps it's changed it's name again.
It freezes the computer, creates a black screen with a white skull flashing
and it comes complete with a .wav file.

K


"MowGreen [MVP]" wrote:

> What's the system's status today, Mr. JP ?
> ' black "smiley skulls" ' has the aura of malware about it.
>
> MowGreen [MVP 2003-2008]
> ===============
> *-343-* FDNY
> Never Forgotten
> ===============
>
>
> Mr.JP wrote:
>
> > I'm running Vista home basic on a Toshiba L40 laptop, brand new laptop with
> > new Vista install, I've just run the automatic update tonight (9th Jan) which
> > installed the following updates;
> > KB905866
> > KB941644
> > KB890830
> > KB943302
> > KB943899
> > KB943411
> > MS Office '07 Service Pack (SP1)
> > As well as some Intel updates for the integral wireless cards.
> >
> > As soon as the updates were installed my display started flashing rather
> > sporadically, it then changed resolution and between all that I got flashes
> > of what can only be described as black "smiley skulls", it happened twice and
> > it seemed Vista was having difficulty automatically restarted after the
> > updates installed.
> >
> > If anyone else knows anything about this problem or has also encountered it
> > please let me know, if this isn't the right place to ask, please redirect me.
> >
> > Many thanks,
> >
> > Mr.JP
>

Hi there, thanks for the replies, I initially suspected malware or virus as
well. After posting last night I checked the running processes against
http://www.tasklist.org and found a couple of suspect trojans installed, an
AVG scan didn't pick them up nor did another program I used. Other than that
the system seemed to run fine which is the current status, I don't use the
laptop during the day so will give it a check over tonight as well.

"TaurArian" wrote:

> Mow, Apparently there is a "Laughing Skull Virus" now referred to as "LSV" I
> believe.
> Can't find anything else on it. Perhaps it's changed it's name again.
> It freezes the computer, creates a black screen with a white skull flashing
> and it comes complete with a .wav file.
>
> K
>
>
> "MowGreen [MVP]" wrote:
>
> > What's the system's status today, Mr. JP ?
> > ' black "smiley skulls" ' has the aura of malware about it.
> >
> > MowGreen [MVP 2003-2008]
> > ===============
> > *-343-* FDNY
> > Never Forgotten
> > ===============
> >
> >
> > Mr.JP wrote:
> >
> > > I'm running Vista home basic on a Toshiba L40 laptop, brand new laptop with
> > > new Vista install, I've just run the automatic update tonight (9th Jan) which
> > > installed the following updates;
> > > KB905866
> > > KB941644
> > > KB890830
> > > KB943302
> > > KB943899
> > > KB943411
> > > MS Office '07 Service Pack (SP1)
> > > As well as some Intel updates for the integral wireless cards.
> > >
> > > As soon as the updates were installed my display started flashing rather
> > > sporadically, it then changed resolution and between all that I got flashes
> > > of what can only be described as black "smiley skulls", it happened twice and
> > > it seemed Vista was having difficulty automatically restarted after the
> > > updates installed.
> > >
> > > If anyone else knows anything about this problem or has also encountered it
> > > please let me know, if this isn't the right place to ask, please redirect me.
> > >
> > > Many thanks,
> > >
> > > Mr.JP
> >

lol I think you are mistaking malware for this :
Laughing Skull Virus(from the movie Independence Day):
Wikipedia's evil twin
The articles in this parody of an encyclopedia explain things in a funny
and not necessarily correct way.
http://www.encyclopediadramatica.com...ng_Skull_Virus

"TaurArian" <TaurArian@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:A2F703BF-011C-4D54-BD8E-8E124DCEBA7E@microsoft.com...
> Mow, Apparently there is a "Laughing Skull Virus" now referred to as
> "LSV" I
> believe.
> Can't find anything else on it. Perhaps it's changed it's name again.
> It freezes the computer, creates a black screen with a white skull
> flashing
> and it comes complete with a .wav file.
>
> K
>
>
> "MowGreen [MVP]" wrote:
>
>> What's the system's status today, Mr. JP ?
>> ' black "smiley skulls" ' has the aura of malware about it.
>>
>> MowGreen [MVP 2003-2008]
>> ===============
>> *-343-* FDNY
>> Never Forgotten
>> ===============
>>
>>
>> Mr.JP wrote:
>>
>> > I'm running Vista home basic on a Toshiba L40 laptop, brand new
>> > laptop with
>> > new Vista install, I've just run the automatic update tonight (9th
>> > Jan) which
>> > installed the following updates;
>> > KB905866
>> > KB941644
>> > KB890830
>> > KB943302
>> > KB943899
>> > KB943411
>> > MS Office '07 Service Pack (SP1)
>> > As well as some Intel updates for the integral wireless cards.
>> >
>> > As soon as the updates were installed my display started flashing
>> > rather
>> > sporadically, it then changed resolution and between all that I got
>> > flashes
>> > of what can only be described as black "smiley skulls", it happened
>> > twice and
>> > it seemed Vista was having difficulty automatically restarted after
>> > the
>> > updates installed.
>> >
>> > If anyone else knows anything about this problem or has also
>> > encountered it
>> > please let me know, if this isn't the right place to ask, please
>> > redirect me.
>> >
>> > Many thanks,
>> >
>> > Mr.JP
>>

Please do NOT depend on AVG to detect and remove any malware. Suggest
you post to a reputable anti-malware forum for further assistance,
Mr. JP. Here's a short list of such forums. Please read the guidelines
for the forum of choice prior to posting there:

http://aumha.net/viewforum.php?f=30
http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/foru...lysis-f22.html
http://castlecops.com/f67-Hijackthis...s_Oh_My.htm l
http://forums.spywareinfo.com/index.php?showforum=18
http://spywarewarrior.com/viewforum.php?f=2

Also, you can contact MS for no-charge assistance:

> No charge support
> • Call 1-866-PCSafety or 1-866-727-2338
>
> This phone number is for virus and other security-related support. It is available 24 hours a
> day for the U.S. and Canada. For phone numbers outside of the U.S. and Canada, select your
> region. http://support.microsoft.com/common/....aspx?rdpath=4


MowGreen [MVP 2003-2008]
===============
*-343-* FDNY
Never Forgotten
===============



Mr.JP wrote:

> Hi there, thanks for the replies, I initially suspected malware or virus as
> well. After posting last night I checked the running processes against
> http://www.tasklist.org and found a couple of suspect trojans installed, an
> AVG scan didn't pick them up nor did another program I used. Other than that
> the system seemed to run fine which is the current status, I don't use the
> laptop during the day so will give it a check over tonight as well.
>
> "TaurArian" wrote:
>
>
>>Mow, Apparently there is a "Laughing Skull Virus" now referred to as "LSV" I
>>believe.
>>Can't find anything else on it. Perhaps it's changed it's name again.
>>It freezes the computer, creates a black screen with a white skull flashing
>>and it comes complete with a .wav file.
>>
>>K
>>
>>
>>"MowGreen [MVP]" wrote:
>>
>>
>>>What's the system's status today, Mr. JP ?
>>>' black "smiley skulls" ' has the aura of malware about it.
>>>
>>>MowGreen [MVP 2003-2008]
>>>===============
>>> *-343-* FDNY
>>>Never Forgotten
>>>===============
>>>
>>>
>>>Mr.JP wrote:
>>>
>>>
>>>>I'm running Vista home basic on a Toshiba L40 laptop, brand new laptop with
>>>>new Vista install, I've just run the automatic update tonight (9th Jan) which
>>>>installed the following updates;
>>>>KB905866
>>>>KB941644
>>>>KB890830
>>>>KB943302
>>>>KB943899
>>>>KB943411
>>>>MS Office '07 Service Pack (SP1)
>>>>As well as some Intel updates for the integral wireless cards.
>>>>
>>>>As soon as the updates were installed my display started flashing rather
>>>>sporadically, it then changed resolution and between all that I got flashes
>>>>of what can only be described as black "smiley skulls", it happened twice and
>>>>it seemed Vista was having difficulty automatically restarted after the
>>>>updates installed.
>>>>
>>>>If anyone else knows anything about this problem or has also encountered it
>>>>please let me know, if this isn't the right place to ask, please redirect me.
>>>>
>>>>Many thanks,
>>>>
>>>>Mr.JP
>>>