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Something weird is happening with my computer

Posted on 04/16/2010 10:14:36 AM PDT by big black dog

From somewhere, this horrible rogue "antivirus" software called XP Smart Security is managing to install itself. It completely takes over my system and won't let me do anything while constantly displaying messages that I should purchase their scam product to clean up my computer.

The only way I can get rid of it is to completely wipe out my hard drive and then reinstall the operating system. However, even after I do this, I can't access the "add or remove programs" section in the control panel.

And a few days later, this scam software shows up again and I have to go through the process all over again.

I have Norton antivirus but this crap keeps getting through anyway.

This is driving me nuts.


TOPICS: Computers/Internet
KEYWORDS: antivirus; ibtz; lowqualitycrap; malware
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To: big black dog

My daughter got the same thing yesterday. This thread may be useful when I get home.


41 posted on 04/16/2010 10:53:10 AM PDT by PapaBear3625 (Public healthcare looks like it will work as well as public housing did.)
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To: big black dog

42 posted on 04/16/2010 10:55:42 AM PDT by ßuddaßudd (7 days - 7 ways Guero >>> with a floating, shifting, ever changing persona.....)
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To: big black dog

This happened to me about 1 yr ago... Nothing worked till my husband just reset the computer back to its original settings....this is sad because you may lose stuff (but you can save it before the reset)

After that he installed WeBRoot Antivirus which has been the best one I’ve ever had ...at the time I got hit with the virus you have I had Norton and it didn’t stop it....but the Webroot Antivirus program I have now has actually stopped things from being automatically downloaded and I’ve never had the problem again. The geeksquad guy at Best Buy told us it’s the best one ....

Good Luck

I know how horrible it is


43 posted on 04/16/2010 10:58:51 AM PDT by SunnyUsa (I'm not one of those "who are we to judge?" people)
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To: big black dog

Do the following:

1. restart your computer, while restarting, press and hold down the F8 key. If you hear a clicking sound, release the key and immediately press it down again. Repeat until you get to a screen that lists a number of options.

2. Select start in Safe Mode with networking,

3. On boot select the account named administrator.

4. After startup, go online and download the following programs to your destop: RKILL http://download.bleepingcomputer.com/grinler/rkill.exe”;

COMBOFIX http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&ct=res&cd=2&ved=0CA0QFjAB&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.combofix.org%2Fdownload.php&ei=DaTIS52dNJW09gS-3qSZCw&usg=AFQjCNHZOzvWVDVokuL0QVCBJjBrFheaCQ&sig2=r8HfGs5f-SLl62p-qREPfg”;

MALWAREBYTES: http://www.malwarebytes.org/mbam.php

5. Run RKILL it will stop the processes

6. Run Combofix, it will install the recovery console and update itself.

7 After that install and run Malwarebytes in quickscan. that should remove the problem and fix the registry.

8. Later that evening run a complete scan with Malwarebytes

If you can’t get into the administrator account, download these files from another computer and copy them to the desktop. If you can, start in safe mode, log in to the computer and as soon as you can run rkill, continue to try running it as soon as you see your desktop. it will kill the process and you can proceed from there.


44 posted on 04/16/2010 11:03:18 AM PDT by johncatl (...governs least, governs best.)
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To: big black dog
The only way I can get rid of it is to completely wipe out my hard drive and then reinstall the operating system.

if you are using XP then you should use the Restore utility to roll your system back to before you noticed the symptoms. Unless you disabled that utility you should be OK.

45 posted on 04/16/2010 11:03:26 AM PDT by Tallguy ("The sh- t's chess, it ain't checkers!" -- Alonzo (Denzel Washington) in "Training Day")
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To: big black dog

I fought it for months before giving up. It disables all attempts to get help including microsoft, the antivirus update, lava soft, etc.

The only hope was wipe the hard drive and reinstall windows. :(

It is truly bad. I did away with Internet Explorer and use only Firefox now.


46 posted on 04/16/2010 11:08:18 AM PDT by bert (K.E. N.P. +12 . Ostracize Democrats. There can be no Democrat friends.)
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To: big black dog

A friend of mine got this a few days ago. A utility called ‘Combofix’ pretty much cleaned it up.

You can get it here (free) with instructions:

http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/combofix/how-to-use-combofix

Please heed the WARNINGS on the page! If you are not that computer savvy, I would highly recommend asking someone who is to download and run it for you.

You may also need to run the Malwarebytes spyware scanner to remove the reminants, after Combofix clears out most of it. There are several places you can download Malwarebytes for free.


47 posted on 04/16/2010 11:11:57 AM PDT by bamahead (Few men desire liberty; most men wish only for a just master. -- Sallust)
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To: TXDuke; call meVeronica

ping & bump fyi


48 posted on 04/16/2010 11:13:03 AM PDT by call meVeronica
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To: EdReform

bookmark


49 posted on 04/16/2010 11:14:57 AM PDT by EdReform (Oath Keepers - Guardians of the Republic - Honor your oath - Join us: www.oathkeepers.org)
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To: EdReform
yep....

Main screen turn on.

Beeber set to stune?

50 posted on 04/16/2010 11:18:37 AM PDT by DCBryan1 (FORGET the lawyers...first kill the "journalists".)
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To: JoeProBono

Your link....http://www.2-viruses.com/remove-xp-smart-security-2010.... was blocked as a fraud site by my Avira Premium Security Suite considers the site malware. I’m not going to bother to try and override it.


51 posted on 04/16/2010 11:22:05 AM PDT by Razzz42
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To: foolishboi

Yep.

Especially if you have kids ;)

There’s still some “catching up” on Windoze patches, virus definitions, etc, but the time you save is considerable.


52 posted on 04/16/2010 11:23:52 AM PDT by rockrr (Everything is different now...)
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To: big black dog
Something weird is happening with my computer

____________________________________________________

Call the help desk.

funny animated gif

53 posted on 04/16/2010 11:23:53 AM PDT by Responsibility2nd (PALIN/MCCAIN IN 2012 - barf alert? sarc tag? -- can't decide)
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To: big black dog

Bump for reference to XP Smart Security.


54 posted on 04/16/2010 11:30:09 AM PDT by MeneMeneTekelUpharsin (Freedom is the freedom to discipline yourself so others don't have to do it for you.)
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To: big black dog

create a new user which is an administrator and log in under that name, then download and run “malwarebytes”.

http://www.malwarebytes.org/

It’s free.


55 posted on 04/16/2010 11:39:49 AM PDT by stinkerpot65 (Global warming is a Marxist lie.)
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To: big black dog
Since you have wiped and reinstalled the OS, is it safe to presumed you have a backup of your user generated data?

If so, replace the hard drive with a new one, install the OS and then restore your data. No more virus.

56 posted on 04/16/2010 11:56:00 AM PDT by Bloody Sam Roberts (An armed man is a citizen. An unarmed man is a subject.)
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To: Interesting Times

Is this the one you got rid of? If so, how did you do it?


57 posted on 04/16/2010 12:04:04 PM PDT by zot
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To: big black dog

bttt


58 posted on 04/16/2010 12:08:00 PM PDT by xone
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To: bert

Good luck with Firefox. This happened to me about a year ago and it was a pain to get rid of. Several of my collegues were also infected and they used only Firefox. Beware of the hype that one browser is safer than another because they all have vulnerabilities.


59 posted on 04/16/2010 12:08:48 PM PDT by RJS1950 (The democrats are the "enemies foreign and domestic" cited in the federal oath)
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To: big black dog

Yes, there are variations of these browser hijacking viruses claiming to be “security” software.

They can take over Firefox as well as IE.

And they get “protective”. You may find increasing levels of restriction on your system:

Inability to “add/remove” programs
Inability to edit folder options
Inability to edit registry
Inability to show hidden files
Deleting your virus scanning software proactively

While you can get it operational, once your system has been compromised, you may still have to manually restore each bit of OS functionality you have been configured out of. And your system is being used against you.

A full system install (not restore) should address the issue. Depends on how much time you have to spend with it.


60 posted on 04/16/2010 12:12:34 PM PDT by a fool in paradise (We've gone from phony soldiers to phony conservative protesters. Nothing about liberalism is genuine)
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