Try Malwarebytes, and if that does not work, Microsoft Safety Scan. I have been able to get rid of most of these with one or the other.
Combofix will clean some of the most stubborn instances of malware.
Download the free edition.
Be VERY careful when searching the Internet for virus removal programs.. Some of them contain malicious software that can really wreck your software. Go with referred programs, not 'one offs' you find from a search.
First, never download a program that isn’t from a major supplier. I downloaded the top choice on a google search to convert youtube videos to MP3’s. It loaded Trojan.gen.2 into the operating system. That program hit several times a second. Norton would find a registry problem and “fix” it. I bought WinZip spyware removal and it would find a security disabler that Norton didn’t find. But it was all caused by this one file. It turns out Norton has a support group that cost me nothing. It took them two hours of remote access to clear out my machine. I highly recommend Norton. Then you’ll have to look for the support online. (My ISP provides Norton as part of their service. Yours probably does too, or something like it. Try there first.)
Doh! you should have used PC-Matic, now with “SuperShield”
I had one of those a while back. It locked me up and popped up a window telling me the FBI had locked my files, but I could unlock it by either taking my computer to Walmart and paying $100 or entering my credit card number and paying online. It also “warned” me that attempting to unlock my computer any other way is a FELONY, and I would be subject to Federal prosecution if I did so. I have Mrs. Hugin set up as a separate user, (both of us admins) so I rebooted, logged in as her and everything worked on her account. So I deleted myself as a user, and set myself up with a slightly different name. No problems since, though I did lose all my saved files that weren’t backed up.
BTW, I have up to date Norton and it didn’t stop the attack.
Tech Bookmark.
I use Webroot and recommend it. Haven’t had a problem since I’ve been using it for a few years now and it is good about warning me when I try to go to websites that may contain malware.
Help out your fellow FReepers. Where did the “new program” that caused you problems come from?
Malwarebytes
Malwarebytes is the best.
I’ve used spybot on all my computers for over a decade, if that means anything
Malwarebytes.
Last week I had a fight with malware that my antivirus didn’t touch. The steps to remove it included digging in the registry and a lot of people said that this STILL didn’t work.
I backed up my important files on a thumbdrive and did a system restore. That corrupted OpenOffice and I had to do an uninstall/reinstall for that, then everything was alright again.
Computer technician here. Another vote for Malwarebytes to get rid of sudden, acute malware/virus attacks.
http://download.cnet.com/Malwarebytes-Anti-Malware/3000-8022_4-10804572.html
I use Ccleaner at work and at home to keep garbage files down to a minimum and to clean the registry. It is also a quick way to get to the programs list to uninstall stuff.
http://download.cnet.com/CCleaner/
Both programs above are on-demand programs. You need one more anti-virus program that runs at all times to act as a gatekeeper and turn away nasties before they infect you.
I use AVG at home, it’s minimally invasive and catches a LOT of stuff.
http://download.cnet.com/AVG-AntiVirus-Free-2014/3000-2239_4-10320142.html
These are pretty much all you need to keep your computer running clean and fast.
Never, NEVER go to PC-Matic or one of those other TV-advertised websites for virus protection.
Microsoft anti-virus products are generally too weak, ineffective, and are resource hogs anyway.
You will VERY occasionally need something stronger. Viruses called “rootkits” are extremely tough to get rid of. There’s a special tool for this kind of virus called TDSSKiller. It’s another on-demand program.
http://download.cnet.com/Kaspersky-TDSSKiller/3000-2239_4-75722087.html
Combofix is the equivalent of a nuke. You only want to use it as a last resort, when ALL of the above can’t kill the infection. It can seriously affect your computer’s operation if you’re not careful.
http://download.cnet.com/Combofix/3000-8022_4-75221073.html
All of the downloads above are absolutely free. MAKE SURE TO UNCHECK ANY BOXES DOWNLOADING OTHER PRODUCTS WHILE INSTALLING THE PROGRAMS! That’s how the pay for the programs, by allowing other companies to bundle their goofy toolbars and search engines in with the regular program installation.
There you go.