Malware warning!

[Steeveeo]

Heh, yup, 99% of the time its the dumbass behind the computer thats the issue.

Ah, the old 1D10t bug.

Keep in mind that 90% of the "free" scanners on Google are phonies or put spyware ON your comp to FIND it, then charge you for the full version to get rid of THEIR crap.

In fact, I can only really name 3 free scanners that are reputable, and everyone here should know them.

[AHadley]

MBAM
HijackThis
AVG

Not so sure on the last one since its a free version

EDIT: Ah! CCleaner? Or does that not count?

[TheJamsh]

I DID check out Pc-Optimizer before i downloaded it. That and CCleaner. They are the only two programs i have ever DL'd for things like this. Kaspersky is great for keeping crap out of my system as well though, and picks up on most things before i even DL it.

I've managed to rid myself of this, but it took an hour or so of hunting around for dodgy looking EXE's and whatnot. That was all done manually.

[Wraith]

Yeah, my Vista machine is currently doing the same to one of my partitions. I'd say I've put in ~ 3-4 days worth of defragging. Actually leaving my computer on for the first two and of and on with defragmenter running for what ever else amount of time has been given to the program

This guy, My boss posts about every two weeks in our local courier something interesting about what we do at work.
scanned document of this weeks article.
http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p107/squirrelof09/random/CouriorJournal-July2209.jpg

Can you tell me where that guy is so i can throw a brick at his computer that will be a virus for him:P.

Pc- Optimizer has done much damage to many computers that it was on and i restored what i could and took it off. I dont recommend anything registry or system related except ccleaner and thats as far as i go.

MBAM
HijackThis
AVG

Not so sure on the last one since its a free version

EDIT: Ah! CCleaner? Or does that not count?

The best free ones ive used and that I will continue to use are ran and updated weekly in this order.

Spywareguard (only for xp and lower)
Spywareblaster
Spybot Search and destroy
I used to use Ad-Aware 2008 and newer alot but it hasnt found anything in two years so i took it off.
MBAM
SuperAntispyware
Dr web cureit
RootRepeal.
Hijackthis
AVG

[Raven]

AVG is safe, I use it. As is spybot search and destroy.

[squirrelof09]

Wraith... What kind of system are you running?

[Wraith]

Wraith... What kind of system are you running?

Windows XP Professional.

[squirrelof09]

Sorry, I meant, what are the specs of your computer... processor, ram, etc.

[Raven]

I thought you shouldn't have more than one virus scanner as they conflict, ditto with the spyware scanners.
Slightly over the top I feel o_O

[Wraith]

Sorry, I meant, what are the specs of your computer... processor, ram, etc.

Specs of pc are 2 gb of ram
Intel Pentium 4 processor with HT dual core
Geforce FX 5200 Nvida
320 gb WD HD 7200 rpm 16 mb cache

Runs great and might get another gig of ram or a gig.5

[Wraith]

I thought you shouldn't have more than one virus scanner as they conflict, ditto with the spyware scanners.
Slightly over the top I feel o_O

AVG is only a virus scanner and resident. Yeah i know its alot but many of the programs dont find everything and also forgot to add in RootRepeal.

[Vid]

Spywareguard (only for xp and lower)
Spywareblaster
Spybot Search and destroy
I used to use Ad-Aware 2008 and newer alot but it hasnt found anything in two years so i took it off.
MBAM
SuperAntispyware
Hijackthis
AVG

Fully agree with those
Haven't used :

Dr web cureit
RootRepeal.

Generally two "real time scanners" or "resident shields" shouldn't be used together if they aren't meant to coexist.  Some companies may design their product to coexist with other AV companies, but very few if any do.

Antivirus
Antispyware
Antirootkit
Firewall
and then mostly browser enhancements that block advertisements/scripts/other vulnerabilities.

I've seen malware(generally not a virus) get past pretty much every antivirus on the market today.  However there is an old wise saying that goes something like...  an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

It's much easier to fight these attacks by fixing the holes in Firefox/IE, closing/disabling what we can't fix, blocking/filtering what we can't disable/close, and then hopefully nothing will be left for the real time scanner to pick up.  I'd much rather have twin firewalls, a blacklist of malwaresites blocked, killbits for installation sites for malware, advertising blocks for ads that come with malware, java/javascript filters for blocking those vulnerabilities, and then not have an AV at all... than to have none of that and just have the #1 antivirus.

Update windows, office, and every program you can without hurting your functionality.  Then put a router between you and the internet.  Next, get spywareblaster for some preventative killing, noscript for firefox, adblock for firefox, iespyad or something similar for website blocking, and you'll be in decent shape.  This will at least work for a personal/home computer...  Business may need to seek other options.

You can have 2 antivirus or 2 antispyware programs installed on a computer, you just need to make sure only one is "actively scanning" at a time.. be it scheduled scans, or the real time scanner/resident shield.

Course this is all just my opinion and I'm probably wrong, but I haven't had a virus/spyware/worm/trojan in eight years.

[Zero Angel]

Whenever I get rid of malware I also do the following to a machine

- Install Windows Updates
- Install an Antivirus (preferably ESET NOD32, if the customer is willing to pay for it -- else AVG)
- Install a set of antispyware apps (MBAM and Ad-Aware)
- Install Spybot S&D (turn off resident protection) and run Immunize
- Install Firefox
- Install Firefox Extension: Adblock Plus
- Install Firefox Extension: Mcafee Siteadvisor
- Install WinPatrol (which monitors and alerts of important system changes)

This provides a high level of protection without impeding the machine too much. I typically like to forgo the installation of a software firewall if a router is already doing some of the firewalling duty, since adding a 3rd party software firewall complicates things when it comes to getting certain apps/games to run and I like to make everything as simple as possible for my clients.

[Vid]

I haven't used Spybot S&D or winpatrol in many years, but they were very good programs back in the day.

I didn't list antivirus/antispyware, because that's just something almost assumed    Although I don't care for most of their resident shields/etc, and prefer noscript/adblock/spywareblaster/spywareguard, and other tools to avoid installation of malicious programs, rather than wait til its installed and try(and usually fail) to fight it.  That could be my inexperience though, but I've never seen an antivirus alone handle a newly installed malware before it got rooted and took extra time cleaning...  IE... knocked it out of the sky before it did any damage.  Cleanup may have been quick and not much of a problem, but I'd rather intercept and blow the things out of the sky than be ready to repair very quickly and get rid of the fire/toxic/etc(comparing to a nuke for instance).  An Antivirus,  an Antivirus + Antispyware, or even in most cases... a full internet security package... usually aren't enough for security.

I'll usually clean a computer then:
Followup with MBAM and Superantispyware scans
Turn off/Turn on system restore to delete infected restore points
Delete the cache for Internet Explorer
Remove outdated Java
Install new java
Update windows(actually do this earlier)
Install spywareblaster, iespyads or mvpshosts, spywareguard.
Install AVG or paid antivirus
Install firefox with adblock(noscript helps alot, but is usually too annoying for most to use)
Plug firefox and pitch it to them
Tell them to run MBAM/Super every now and then and keep everything updated.  I typically disable the autoloading/resident parts of the two.

[Raven]

S'kinda sad that those are the extents users have to go through. Sorta makes you wonder about the human race when there are people out there who just make this junk up and spread it around for the sole purpose of raping peoples machines.
What kind of *Ammo*ed up individual do you have to be? No friends, fat, a virgin, no social skills or contact, lives with their parents but stays in their room/basement at all times and because their life is so god damn hard with their running water, over-availability of food as shown by their appearance, parents and a roof over their head, they resort to that.

Death isn't something I wish upon people, but when I really think about people like that I come close.