Over in the CIS forum, Eric told me I may have a significant virus and I should downl;oad Comoido Backup and do a back up, before doiung anything else.
I am reading the Help pages of CB and although it looks confusing I think I can figure it out. My big question is " what do I need to backup"? Do I need to backup everything? What files do I type in for the backup. Please consider me to be an absolute beginner.
Thanks
There is no good answer to what to backup. The best answer is to backup data files. Programas have to be re-installed subsequently.
Search for the data and backup make your backup.
Just data files? I thought I needed to go deeper than that.
Here is the advise I am following:
Back-up all your files and folders using a back-up program, for example Comodo Back-up
Download following programs and install them
Superantispyware
Malwarebytes Antimalware
Bitdefender Free (32 bit only
So I only have to back up data?
That depends on what your next cuorse oo action is going to be. If you are going to reinstall windows and your applications, then you only need to backup the data that you have generated.
1) Back-up all [b]your [/b] files and folders using a back-up program, for example Comodo Back-up
See what a difference it makes if we shift the emphasis from “all” to “your”? 
If you save all your documents in “My Documents” and you use Outlook or Thunderbird for your email, I would back up those two items as a minimum.
Cheers,
Ewen 
I guess I’m not being clear .(1)I do not know what I’m doing and I may not have asked the right question. (2)I do not have a copy of Windows so I sure hope I don’t need to reinstall it. (3) If data is the only thing I need to be concerned with , then yes I merely backup document, photos and my e mail accounts.
I thought that in the course of weeding out the virus I might be making changes in the registry and other system type changes. I was concerned that I might need to back up Windows itself If it’s merely data , and not deeper stuff, then it’s no problem and I’ll stop worrying about it.
For example - I’ll need to back up photos - I don’t need to worry about the application ( GIMP ) - it may get lost but in that case I merely have to download it again. I don’t need to actually backup GIMP? Right?
thanks
Welcome to my world. LOL My reply was a bit rushed and I should have read between the lines of your post and been more expansive in my reply. Mea culpa.
(2)I do not have a copy of Windows so I sure hope I don't need to reinstall it.
If you don’t have a means of reinstalling Windows, we need to tread carefully when removing viruses and fiddling with the operating system stuff.
Did Windows come pre-installed on your PC? If so, most manufacturers that do this also provide a program to allow you to create a Windows installation CD. Check through the documentation that came with your PC.
Before dealing with the virus I would sort out whether or not you can re-install Windows. Sometimes, you can end up with a broken operating system when remving viruses. It doesn’t happen a lot, but it can happen.
(3) If data is the only thing I need to be concerned with , then yes I merely backup document, photos and my e mail accounts.
I would take a backup of your documents and email accounts immediately. If you always save all your data (documents, photos, videos, music etc.) to “My Documents”. To backup your documents with Comodo Backup 2;
This will backup your documents to the drive you selected in step 8/8a.
I thought that in the course of weeding out the virus I might be making changes in the registry and other system type changes.
This is why we need to sort out whether you can make a Windows installation CD before we start taking steps to remove any malware.
I was concerned that I might need to back up Windows itself ;-) If it's merely data , and not deeper stuff, then it's no problem and I'll stop worrying about it.
Once your system is clean of malware, you really should take a complete system backup. This system backup can be used to restore your system to the clean state it was in when the backup was taken.
For example - I'll need to back up photos - I don't need to worry about the application ( GIMP ) - it may get lost but in that case I merely have to download it again. I don't need to actually backup GIMP? Right?
Exactly correct. Applications can always be re-installed, but you can’t always replace your documents, photos, music, videos etc… Backing up your user generated data on a regular basis is critical.
Comodo are currently working on a form of system backup which would seem to fit your needs exactly - Comodo Time Machine. It is designed to take regular snapshots of your system. If anything goes pear shaped, you can simply roll back to a previous snapshot, without losing your documents.
Comodo Time Machine is still under development and there is no beta software available yet. Please check these forums for an announcement when it is released to public beta testing.
Hope this helps,
Ewen
thanks
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thanks for a very clear answer.
This is a used computer I bought from someone at work. I do not have a Windows disc. It’s a Compaq so I wonder if I could get a copy through their site?
This may be a stretch but you could also try creating an image of your computer (even though its infected) and try to store it off site via burn dvd’s or an external hard drive to restore if things go completely south. It is a second option that may work for you.
A free imaging tool I find useful is DriveImage XML. Sorry to hear about the situation. Good luck.