Somehow that confounded "winfxer" bug/spyware/virus/thing got onto my computer.

AARRGGHHH I HATE THESE THINGS !!!
My current antivirus software nor antispyware software can't find/remove it.

I did a Google and found info but it all seems to involve buying something to get rid of this "thing".

Apparently it puts a lot of crap in the Windows registry and scatters its dung elsewhere too.

Anybody have any experience or suggestions?
I'm tempted..........

format c:

 

I feel your pain, and anger, been there done that many times. Network Admin, 100 users with a license to surf.

go to the following link at Microsoft. They have a good Anti Spyware program I use. Make sure you update the file after installing, and if this can not clean it, then a re-format is in order. They also have a Malicious Software removal tool, but I have nto tried this one yet.

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/s...displaylang=en

They are free to use, so have at it. If anyone can repair Windows, it is the make of Windows.

 

Good luck removing it. Winfixer can be a real pain. Its possible, but you need to search a little further on google. I'd give you the link, but I never saved it from fixing a buddy's computer.

 

I think this may help you
http://www.spywareguide.com/product_show.php?id=2263

 

Thanks Jake - that's the kind of stuff I had found using Google.

I went to Microsoft site and downloaded their malicious software detection thing. - No luck there.

I looked around and found they have a nice forum for posting questions, answers, etc. for all WIndows products (XP in my case).

Sure enough, plenty of posts about winfixer. Most all of it I had found elsewhere at various other tech-type websites.

The long and the short of it? There ain't no short of it.

There are some procedures for getting rid of it, but they are not simple "click here" type things.

So..... I am now typing this using my just now installed and configured OPERA web browser.

So far, winfixer has not popped up once.
I think it only fires off when IE is open.

I believe IE will be gone from my computer in short order.

FWIW - OPERA is nice.
I like tabbed browsing.

 

Did you try running System Restore and go back before the bug hit?

 

Yep. No joy.
It said nothing to restore- nothing had changed.
Go figure......

 

I searched and found extensive info on Symantecs website. It says if you have Norton Antivirus it should be bale to remove it. They also gave a list of files and registry values to delete.

I would try starting in safe mode and remove all the files and registry values listed on Symantecs website.

Here is the link.

http://securityresponse.symantec.com.../winfixer.html

 

i run norton internet security/ anti virus bundle on all my computers. it has detected and removed who nows how much crap from all the computers ive put it on. or you can go to the extreme and ditch windows for linux, i run suse on one of my old computers and gentoo on the another. im thinking of making the switch one my new computer becouse ive only had to restore xp about 900 times, windows is really going down the toilet.

 

Up to you if you try it, but there is one way to see what is starting at time of boot. Only problem is you have to go into the System Registery. Do a search for RunOnce. Any file listed in this setting will run just before logon. Also look under Run setting just above it. Most but not all Virus or Spyware will use these to startup when you logon(All Users)

Also another thing is MSConfig. This is every setting your computer uses when it starts up. Click on Start/Run then just type in MSConfig(not case senstive.). You can check or un-check options to decide how your system boots and runs including what programs will be enabled, or disabled.

With both things, be carful what you edit and or take out. This is how your system boots and runs. Take out the wrong thing, and it falls flat on it's face. Most things you take out will only mean a program will not start, or run correct. I only mention the caution so you understand what you could do. As long as you take note of what you do, then you can undo it if it does not work. If you are not sure, then post it before disabeling it so I can see it. If you can not wait, copy and paste it into a search box, and put a double quotation " behind and in front of the line you pasted, and it will search for that excat quote.

All Virus and or Addware will load a web sight. Most Firewalls will block a Web Sight. Figure out what web sight it is loading. Once you figure it out, then you can get the IP to block by clicking on Start/Run and type in CMD. This will bring up a (DOS) command window. Type Ping (web sight name).com or net what ever it is. You can test this by ping Google. Type the following command. Ping Google.com. If typed correctly it will return IP 64.233.187.99 you would then enter the IP in your Firewall, and that sight is blocked. The virus is blocked, but not disabled/cleaned. You can then work on removing it as it can not connect. Most all virus or addware will load two or more web sights, so look for both.

 

Tech Support from Microsoft.com recomends this as a fix for winfix.

I have never run this, so up to you.

http://www.ik-cs.com/programs/virtools/WinFixerFix*****

Here is the Article on Microsoft that recomends it.

http://forums.microsoft.com/Windowso...04582&SiteID=2

 

I feel your pain... I spent about 6 hours the other weekend removing it from my roommate's laptop.

Don't know if it'll work in your case but here's the steps I used.

Installed and updated AVG anti-virus by Grisoft, ran it once... removed viruses, but they came back. So I ran the msconfig utility and found some strange stuff in the start, specifically some entries that had no title. I disabled anything I didn't recognize. Then I restarted in safe mode and ran AVG again. It found more bugs so I nuked those too. Restarted the computer in normal mode and ran AVG again just to be sure it came up clean. Then I ran AdAware and SpyBot S&D to get rid of all the spyware. Then just to be sure I ran AVG one more time. Her computer hasn't had the winfixer popup problem in more than a month now. Hope that helps ya get rid of it! let me know if you have any problems with it.

Oh, btw, she had downloaded a bunch of stuff off the web that promised to fix winfixer and all they did was make it worse, I'd be careful what you download.

 

It's almost always (few exceptions: Mcafee/Norton) better to go to your local software store and purchase your antivirus software than trying to buy it on the internet after you have problems. At the very least, you know exactly what you're getting that way.

 

I bought spyware doctor because they gauranteed to fix winfixer, it found it and said it fixed it but it kept returning. I know its going to sound strange but I updated my Mcafee virus scan and it found it, and while it was fixing it I got the blue screen of death, but when I restarted the computer winfixer was gone. It was in the windows/systems32/ stuff and I think when Mcafee deleted it some of my operating system went with it because I get the blue screen every couple of hours of use. I am giong to keep spyware doctor because it does catch alot of stuff the others don't. good luck, we are all slaves to the computer!

 

What triggered it? Where did it come from?