AntiSpy Soft...

[gregrph]

Originally Posted by letswastemoney

Couldn't you have just done a "system restore" and take your computer back to the state it was in before the virus?

I did this on a friend's laptop once. It had the same exact symptom of a program trying to convince her she had viruses.

I went into her system restore program, set the laptop to go back 3 days or so....and the laptop looked exactly how it looked 3 days ago before she ever contracted the problem.

The problem with many virii(sp?), trojans, etc is that a copy will get placed where it will get picked up with a restore point. This is especially true with the very nasty, difficult to remove viruses. If yousanitize your system, then use a restore point, the virus comes right back. The best thing to do is turn off system restore first. That will prevent it from re-appearing. If you can't do a scan in regular operating mode, then reboot to safe mode and try, then do another one regularly. Better to run a few different scans and have them come up clean than to be still infected. I like Malwarebytes Antimalware and Hijack This! and then to finish off any scans with CCleaner to sniff out any leftover registry stuff. Good luck!

[Marshall Bennett]

Originally Posted by letswastemoney

The only problem with "system restore" is that you will lose anything you saved or downloaded after the date you took the state of the laptop back to.

But if anyone wants to try that method sometime...it should work.

I've done a system restore on a couple of occasions after receiving malicious crap and all I lost were updates from that past day for windows and norton . How much could one download in that short time that would be lost that you couldn't reinstall ?

[kitts]

Hijacked twice in two weeks recently with this crap. Fortunately, AVG managed to help but it is not the malware grabber that Webroot is. I bought Webroot through Amazon for about $50 and it works great for me.

[Canarsie]

I've been using this program for a real long time and it has saved me. Having said that there's been no need for a restore in quite some time. But when I needed it boy what a lifesaver it was. $50 is a pretty good deal imo.

http://www.acronis.com/homecomputing/

[Rwahi1]

I never browse the web without Geswall. It sandbox everything from the web.
Any item that you run as isolated, it's offspring are isolated too. For instances I had downloaded something online. It was an installer for a program (Opera I think). It asked me if I wanted to run it isolated. I did and it proceeded to install. Once it was done, opera.exe and a few other exe were all isolated w/ the geswall Big G. Even when I unzip or extract something geswall asks me if I want that isolated as well. Once you trust or run the program un-isolated, thats it. What I normally do is download it isolated and then run it through MBAM or Asquared. If I'm really paranoid I run it through Jotti. http://www.gentlesecurity.com/

If you want check out this review on youtube. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PBKNH...eature=related. It might help you understand it a little better.

[headhawg]

Originally Posted by Rwahi1

I never browse the web without Geswall. It sandbox everything from the web.

I agree that using a sandboxed browser really helps potential malware from being launched. I use Sandboxie myself.

[Rwahi1]

Originally Posted by Rwahi1

If you want check out this review on youtube. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PBKNH...eature=related. It might help you understand it a little better.

That youtube address is wrong! I am sorry.

This is the right one. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PBKNH...eature=related

[johnhannibalsmith]

Just now, I received a redirect while jumping forums and I have never seen this - a full screen RED block with the following all over it:

This website has been reported as unsafe
www.paceadvantage.com

We recommend that you do not continue to this website.
Go to my home page instead

This website has been reported to Microsoft for containing threats to your computer that might reveal personal or financial information.

More information

This website has been reported to contain the following threats:

Malicious software threat: This site contains links to viruses or other software programs that can reveal personal information stored or typed on your computer to malicious persons.

Learn more about phishing
Learn more about malicious software
Report that this site does not contain threats
Disregard and continue (not recommended)

I'm using a different CPU than the one that got hit the other day - this one runs Win7 and I've only been using it for a couple of months during the daytime - so I'm not familiar with all of the new Windows 7 alerts and securities. Now I'm gun shy that everything and anything could be some hoaxy malware just hoping I make the wrong move... Has anyone gotten this alert surfing here?

[JustRalph]

you are infected

http://www.2-viruses.com/remove-fake...rted-as-unsafe


sounds like you have another computer that is infected

[johnhannibalsmith]

And yet another attack this evening on the original computer... this is getting tiresome... I keep finding the alleged culprit file, but there's clearly something else harboring around waiting to strike again... I'm going to have to try some of the other recommended software I see.

[johnhannibalsmith]

Originally Posted by JustRalph

you are infected

http://www.2-viruses.com/remove-fake...rted-as-unsafe


sounds like you have another computer that is infected

Thanks for that link Ralph - I'll get to tackle that one on Wednesday or Thursday... this crap is maddening.

[JustRalph]

spybot is my fav


and it is free

[bigmack]

Originally Posted by johnhannibalsmith

I'm going to have to try some of the other recommended software I see.

You'll still have diabolical remnants of infection. You're fighting insects after a week in the wild and you're just now buying a can of Raid. Seeds have been planted & you got the bad bug & all the little eggs.

Take to the bank the fact your systems need to be shown virgin territory again.

They're soiled down to the core.

[johnhannibalsmith]

Originally Posted by bigmack

You'll still have diabolical remnants of infection. You're fighting insects after a week in the wild and you're just now buying a can of Raid. Seeds have been planted & you got the bad bug & all the little eggs.

Take to the bank the fact your systems need to be shown virgin territory again.

They're soiled down to the core.

What is your advice on a clean install?

I've got so much shit to back up and don't use an external drive of any kind... hell, I'm not even sure that I have the system discs around here... may take a day's worth of digging...

I know it's probably a great idea at this point, but I've accumulated so much data based crap that I use for work/racing that I'm terrified to jump in the deep end without a life preserver.

And then I convince myself that it would probably take a week or so tops before I'm back at square one with this shit as pervasive as it seems to be...

[tupper]

... hell, I'm not even sure that I have the system discs around here... may take a day's worth of digging...

I know it's probably a great idea at this point, but I've accumulated so much data based crap that I use for work/racing that I'm terrified to jump in the deep end without a life preserver.

A Linux live CD can:
- Access and backup your data.
- Find and remove malicious files without interference/pop-ups (it's immune to viruses).
- Access the Internet.
- Burn CDs/DVDs.

Best of all -- it's free.