A adware is attacking my computer (W32: Adware-gen)

Viruses and worms
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Hello! I am a new member on the avast! forum. I have a problem: a adware is attacking my computer (W32: Adware-gen). Avast! antivirus detects it and is moving it to virus chest, but for some reason it keeps attacking. I suspect that my anti-spyware progam is infected. Did Alwil software launched a avast! anti-spyware?

Topic moved by Tech (moderator)

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Cheetor I think you would have better luck if you post this subject in “viruses and worms” or "avast! 4.x

Home/Pro" in the mean time try a google search on (W32: Adware-gen) there are a number of

results that may help

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  • What OS are you using? is it up to date?
  • What avast! version and VPS file (virus database) number, e.g. 0436-4 (see about avast!)
  • What was the filename, where was it found
    example (C:\windows\system32\infected-filename.xxx)?
  • What actions have you taken to try and resolve the problem?
  • What browser are you using?
  • What anti-spyware are you using?

Can you explain further, “but for some reason it keeps attacking. ?”

avast! is primarily an anti-virus program but it does detect some adware and spyware.
If you haven’t already got this software (freeware), download, install, update and run it.

  1. Ad-Aware
  2. Spybot Search and Destroy
  3. Spywareblaster Don’t install this until you are clean.
  4. Download HijackThis.zip - HiJackThis Tutorial

I also suggest you read this thread Security Tips & Tricks - DropMyRights

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they would be a other program thats creating the program but do what daivdr said and you just be ok

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My OS is up to date. And when I said that the virus keeps attacking I wanted to say that I moved the virus into the Virus Chest. Into the virus chest I have about 35 copies of the infected file. and alarms from avast! antivirus keep appearing about the same virus that I moved into virus chest exactly when my Ad-aware anti-spyware scans. This could be a false alarm or a conflict between avast! antivirus and Ad-aware?

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Most probably it’s not a false alarm.
It’s not a conflict either.
When Ad-aware tryed to get rid from the infection, avast! resident detected the file is being read.

Sometimes, if you find a virus keeps coming back after you delete it, disabling System Restore and rebooting could solve.
Other good things will be booting in Safe Mode (press F8 while booting) and running avast! from there.
Other, it’s the boot time scanning.
Finally, use other antispywares (SpyBot, ewido, etc.) to scan your system.

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As DavidR and Tech have said, also use Spybot Search & Destroy. This is not just an alternative, but a quite different program that may be capable to remove the generator file itself and the associated registry keys.
Hijackthis is a program that shows what is running and may run on your computer. It is also capable to kill a malicious process effectively.

I do not know of any conflict between Avast AV and Ad-aware. In this case it seems that Ad-Aware activates the hidden generator file, making it possible for Avast to detect the “payload”.
The more sophisticated viruses cannot be detected anymore by a so-called signature string, as long as they are highly compressed and encrypted. Some viruses have no fixed appearance at all, sothat they must be activated somehow to become detectable.

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You would be advised to temporarily Pause the Standard Shield when you want to do a scan with your other anti-adware/spyware. This will not only stop any possible conflict but speed the AdAware scan because as adaware scans files avast! will first scan the file before adaware can access the file.

The fact that it is the same virus name indicates reinfection due to the same vulnerability/browsing habits/visiting the same sites, etc.

I asked a number of questions, not for my benefit but yours, all you have answered is your OS is up to date not even what it is.

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Thanks for the advices boys but i just reinstaled Windows. Installing SpyBot is a good idea. Nicolas, is that your cat in your picture?