Virus/Spyware

Viruses and worms
1

I’m not sure if this belong here, or if you guys can help but I seem to have a virus, but I’m not sure if it is one. Recently, when I got home from school, and my brothers have been using my computer, I came home to a strange red circle, with a white X through the middle. It keeps spamming the message “You computer is infected, it is recommended to do a spy ware scan.” So, I run a Spyware S&D, and bam 7 hits. So I purge them from the system, yet nothing changes. Then, I run another scan, and half-way through with the 2nd scan, my desktop background changes right before my eye’s, saying “WARNING: DANGEROUS SPY WARE DETECTED. Many viruses have been spotted on your computer. Please scan with special software, thank you.” Then once the scan is complete, the same 7 spy ware programs are still there. So, I then run avast!, which says “Viruses detected, can we restart and scan at start-up?” I clicked yes, and it came up with 9 or so hits. I moved them all to the chest, and ran a spy ware scan again. The same 7 spyware are still being found. Anyone have a suggestion of how I could fully rid my computer of these annoyances?

2

It was probably a scam- a fake security warning designed to trick you into buying a fake anti-virus program.

First make sure you try a boot time scan with avast! Right click the scanner screen, select ‘schedule a boot time scan’ and reboot when requested. (Or open the tab at the top left of the scanner screen and select the boot time option from there.)

Then scan with these free adware/spyware scanners. Download, install and update before the scan.

SUPERAntiSpyware Free
Malwarebytes’ Anti-Malware

When you have finished, check for out-of-date and insecure software and update- this will reduce the risk of similar infections.

Secunia Online Software Inspector (OSI)
Secunia Personal Software Inspector (PSI)

3

Ah yes, well the avast! scan I was referring to was a boot time scan, I just couldn’t put a name to it. I’ll download those other programs you’ve suggested, and tell you the results.

4

If it helps, this is a general cleaning procedure:

  1. Clean your temporary files.
  2. Schedule a boot time scanning with avast with archive scanning turned on. If avast does not detect it, you can try DrWeb CureIT! instead.
  3. Use SUPERantispyware, MBAM or Spyware Terminator to scan for spywares and trojans. If any infection is detected, better and safer is send the file to Quarantine than to simple delete them.
  4. Test your machine with anti-rootkit applications. I suggest avast! antirootkit or Trend Micro RootkitBuster.
  5. Make a HijackThis log to post here or this analysis site. Or even submit the RunScanner log to to on-line analysis.
  6. Disable System Restore and then reenable it again.
  7. Immunize your system with SpywareBlaster.
  8. Check if you have insecure applications with Secunia Software Inspector.