Just want to thank Avast. It was up to date and running but my computer was still destroyed by this Windows Recovery virus. Funny my AVG machine was able to protect itself. Now it looks like reformat - restore is my only option. Avast will NOT be going back on the computer. Thanks Avast! Thanks for the data loss and waste of my time and missed deadlines. Thanks so much for not doing your job. God avast sucks.
No security program have 100% detection and one day something will slip past AVG
Something like 50 000 new malware code is found everyday so to find and detect it all is mission impossible
OBS: here is one…not detected by AVG
http://www.virustotal.com/file-scan/report.html?id=73726333a09b9ec609d0d8e34345153173a84bb1943b65f28ddf224b17da7bbb-1300981014
woa, found one more
http://www.virustotal.com/file-scan/report.html?id=fbc1837b9b36b7ae47f1836e400e3a18c84e6f9e5f872b904044c30a7faf2515-1300977349
Well one thing I know avast is great for is their customer service that is offered on these forums, although it seems that your computer is beyond fixable the people that are here all give very informative advice, patient and aim too help your system become clean without the reformat option. Beings I like to read the forums frequently there success rate is amazing and they never give up.
This one? http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/virus-removal/remove-windows-recovery
MBAM may be able to help, if not then maybe essexboy could help remove it without the need to reformat.
Also, if you still have a sample of it, or where it came from, I’m sure avast would appreciate it. These Fake Av things are generally hard to keep up with for all AVs…some change hourly/daily…
Whilst what has happened to you is regrettable, there are many things that you can do to protect yourself against when whatever security application you have doesn’t catch everything 100%.
A reformat is certainly the nuclear option and should be one of last resort and I doubt you are at that point just yet.
You say you lost data, then you really need to back-up your data on a regular basis to avoid any loss, no matter what the reason.
As far as waste of time goes, there are again options you can use to reduce any down time.
Missed deadlines, presumably means that you are using the system for work or school projects, etc. This just makes the above comments more relevant, you need a robust back-up and recovery strategy to prevent loss of data, time, deadlines, etc.
If you have a back-up and recovery plan, you can recover from anything in minutes, not hours or days.
1. back-up all the things that you don't want to lose, data files, like documents, spreadsheets, emails, email account details, registration keys, address book, favourites/bookmarks, downloaded files/programs, etc. the list goes on and on but if you don't want to lose it back it up. There are many back-up programs that can simplify this task and run it every day.
2. Recovery - re-installing your system really is a poor choice and one of last resort. There are tools (Drive Imaging software) that take exact images of your Partitions or Hard Disks and these images can be restored in minutes if you suffer a major catastrophe and that doesn't have to be a virus attack.
I do a weekly image of my partitions and save them to my 2nd hard disk, they can also be saved to off-line storage, DVD, USB external hard disk, etc. as part of my weekly system maintenance.
So if the worst comes to the worst at most I lose:
- 6 days worth of program updates or new installations, but with my daily back-up I can recover most of that.
- less than one days data files, emails, etc.
None of these is a problem and much quicker than a system reinstall and I don't have to go on-line to download the myriad of security updates needed to secure my system where there is a chance to get reinfected whilst my system has vulnerabilities because of these missing patches. Not to mention all my system tweaks and program settings are retained and I will have saved myself many hours of work and a huge amount of stress.AVG > AVAST!. 
If you need help with removal Essexboy does a great job
Follow this guide from our expert malware remover Essexboy
http://forum.avast.com/index.php?topic=53253.0
(post the logs here in this topic and not in the guide)
To avoid using multiple post with copy and paste you have to attach the log`s
Lower left corner: Additional Options > Attach ( OTS log / Malwarebytes log )
Hi mscheaf,
With a few precautions the story could have ended completely different. First know that one resident av solution cannot find them all. Less slips through if there are additional programs on the computer, like additional non-resident anti-malware like Spyware Blaster, MBAM and SAS, temp file cleaner like Click&Clean in the browser, where you could do an additional Scan for Malware with Bitdefener QuickScan or open System from there and do an additional scan with Windows Defender. Then you can run script blocking add-ons or extensions inside the browser like NotScripts for GoogleChrome, easy to toggle when you have to allow script to run and easy to combine with Better Pop UP Blocker and Personal Blocklist extensions, when you do an additional scan before downloading unknown software at virustotal.com before even considering downloading and keep your windows and 3rd party software up to date with a secunia online scan from time to time, not much can go wrong any longer and you would have been in quite a different situation, enjoyed the avast solution goodies, and additionally have closed the vulnerability gap that every solution leaves open from time to time. Do not believe in the solution I propose here, but it has worked for me and others for years and years, never anything found up other than the obvious tracking cookies to verify my SAS scanner is still functional, and furthermore zero malware, nic, nada…
polonus
Ever wonder how these people get so many viruses? There are a few common sources One) opening Email and attachments from strangers and attachments you aren’t expecting and following links Two) PORN sites Three) file sharing Four) downloading and installing freeware. Ever notice how those having a hissy fit about Avast not protecting them almost never mention how they got infected.
Joe
What shall i say? ???
Not to mention that avg failed in an epic way at zeo day malware test detecting 1/15,greate job avg ;D
It’s unfortunately true that all AV products are constantly playing the catch up game and none can detect all the new things by signatures alone. That’s why things such as heuristics, behavior shields, and now sandboxing are added in new versions of the security products. The vendors have to walk the line between increasing potential protection and decreasing ease of use of their offerings. I think Avast! does a very good job of holding that line at very acceptable levels.
From my personal experience with both products, I would have to say Avast!> AVG by a pretty wide margin. The fact that one protects against something new and the other doesn’t is not that significant when the exact opposite can happen the next day.
Worth posting?
Is this a rational thread?
Since the OP has not been back to this thread to try to fix his PC and since all his prior 3 posts were just negative,I would write this one off.
In fact… he always makes exactly one negative post and never comes back to the thread he started.
Win some… lose some… I am happy with Avast. He isnt… thats OK.
You fail. AVs are reactive by nature - you need a proactive security setup in the first place. For start, stop working under an administrator account, use LUA. Learn how to use SRP/AppLocker. Win.
it’s always the same story, average Joe has no idea how to run a computer, breaks his setup regularly, mentions one format of his HDD after the other… goes upset and picks up on the last application he installed then goes rant about it on forums ;D but yeah, average Joe is… hmm… average… and probably even less than that ;D
Yes, mscheaf receives four replies in about 30 minutes offering help and advice, but no response whatsoever. Seems a very apt nickname, as in getting up to some mscheaf.