My computer is fine. It is my daughters. She has a laptop. Yesterday she called me and said her computer had a virus. It is called "XP Antispyware 2009". Does anybody have any ideas on how to get rid of it, or what program to buy? She is in college and needs it eveyday. Thanks for any help.

 

Its not a virus, its an annoying viral popup that issues spooky messages like: "your hard drive might be infected", "virus detected" or "your daugher is dating a rastafarian" to trick you into buying a software program not worth much.

Search on lavasofts 'adaware' (free) and install it and fire it up. or get something heavier duty like system mechanic #1 or norton system works #2

 

There is only one progrm that clears that up..

Malwarebytes Antimalware and it is free or you can purchase the protection module..

 

Just "reformate" the computer and start all over again. Not that hard. Cleans everything.

 

This is absolutely the LAST thing you ever want to recommend somebody do to their machine! Assuming they use their PC for anything other than very minimal email operations, a re-format not only wipes out all data of any kind that they've ever saved on their machine it also requires the re-loading of any programs, hardware drivers, network settings, software up-grades, etc, that are not part of the basic operating system. Depending on what they do with their PC, it can take anywhere from hours to days to re-format the hard drive properly and get back to where the machine runs somewhat as it should.

In the initial entry of this thread, trike1946 says his "daughter is in college and needs it every day". This assumes she has, over the course of whatever time she's been in college, loaded more than just the minimal operating system that was on her machine the day it was purchased. To do what you're suggesting would probably be disasterous to her. If she and trike1946 are not knowledgeable enough to recognize that the alleged "virus" called "XP Antispyware 2009" pop-up is a rogue advertisement meant to scare people into buying the program, they are probably not qualified from a computer knowledge standpoint to know how to "re-format the hard drive" successfully. This is not meant to disparage the mental capabilities of either trike1946 or his daughter, because most computer users are in this "same boat".

At last count, I maintain 16 different computers for my relatives and friends on a no-cost basis (other that a few cherry Cokes now and then while I'm solving their problems). Obviously, I've seen them do some really stupid things caused by somebody giving them very bad advice. After they've dug themselves into a deep hole trying to fix a problem about which they have very little practical knowledge and then they come to me wanting to be bailed out, I don't get upset with them (I give them credit for trying) but I do get P.O'ed with whoever gave them the bad advice. Consequently, I couldn't help but respond to your bad advice here, z97ford1.

Trike1946, have your daughter go to this site (FileHippo.com - Download Free Software) to download the latest version of Ad-Aware 2008 (which is Version 7.1.0.8, as of today- 10/18/08). She'll find it located in the middle of the screen on the 2nd row of programs, listed under the column heading of "Anti-Spyware".
Download the file to her desktop, then open the file and follow the directions to install the program. Then start the program from the desktop icon that'll be installed, and click on the "Update" button. When that finishes, run a full system scan (this may take an hour or more), and delete anything it finds. This should take care of her problem.

I apologize for the rant, but I just dislike seeing someone with a legitimate problem asking for help and then possibly getting led by the hand down the primrose path of self-destruction because of bad advice. Been there, had that done to me. Lesson learned the hard way! Trust your mother when she tells you she loves you ..... but check her out, first!

 

BTW, trike1946, the Ad-Aware program is free. This is the program that quaddriver recommended you get. It's the top (free) anti-adware program available and is frequently mentioned in popular magazine and newspaper articles when they discuss malware (malicious software) and privacy issues.

 

Maybe I didn't make myself clear in my previous post, but the Malwarebytes program is the ONLY one that cleans this rogue..

SPybot, Adaware, Norton, McAfee and others do not clean this..

I have had many customers bitten by that junk and before I found that program I usually ended up reformatting..

If you search on google and folow all the links it will end up recommending the Malwarebytes program..

So save yourself some aggrivation, take my advice and in a half hour you will be good to go..

Heck here is direct link to their site so you don't have to search for it.

Malwarebytes.org

 

thats a little headstrong - I can clean it off manually doing a regedit.

system mechanic also works (which is why I have a 4 seat license) for this and a plethora of other stuff making it a 'must have'

you can google up the manual removal process from a few thousand sites. Of course you have to wade thru the sites offering to sell you removal to remove someones elses viral. Its all scamware. And it doesnt involve hot blonde russian women.

 

How about this- I have something blocking me from getting onto the internet on my desktop. It is blocking me from doing anything. I have reset everything I know of to defaults, tried to find it on add/ remove programs, but it is simply blocking me from doing anything. It started out as some antivirus thing (looked like a Microsoft add-on or something). Now all I get when I open the browser is Antivirus 2009- recommending you run this thing but not letting you decline to. They want $50 for the program, but I can't get around it. It only goes to my homepage for a few seconds and then jumps to this "buy my program" screen, as if my computer is being held hostage. BTW, I don't mind being called unquailified or computer lliterate. I am simply one of those guys that wants to be able to do my email, hoework and goof off on the internet. I really appreciate your help!!

 

but you got here...can you print the screen and save it as an image and upload here?

 

<?xml:namespace prefix = v ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:vml" /><v:shapetype id=_x0000_t75 stroked="f" filled="f" path="m@4@5l@4@11@9@11@9@5xe" oreferrelative="t" o:spt="75" coordsize="21600,21600"> <v:stroke joinstyle="miter"></v:stroke><v:formulas><v:f eqn="if lineDrawn pixelLineWidth 0"></v:f><v:f eqn="sum @0 1 0"></v:f><v:f eqn="sum 0 0 @1"></v:f><v:f eqn="prod @2 1 2"></v:f><v:f eqn="prod @3 21600 pixelWidth"></v:f><v:f eqn="prod @3 21600 pixelHeight"></v:f><v:f eqn="sum @0 0 1"></v:f><v:f eqn="prod @6 1 2"></v:f><v:f eqn="prod @7 21600 pixelWidth"></v:f><v:f eqn="sum @8 21600 0"></v:f><v:f eqn="prod @7 21600 pixelHeight"></v:f><v:f eqn="sum @10 21600 0"></v:f></v:formulas><vath o:connecttype="rect" gradientshapeok="t" o:extrusionok="f"></vath><?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-comfficeffice" /><o:lock aspectratio="t" v:ext="edit"></o:lock></v:shapetype><v:shape id=_x0000_i1025 style="WIDTH: 468pt; HEIGHT: 351pt" type="#_x0000_t75"><v:imagedata o:title="" src="file:///C:\DOCUME~1\Stu\LOCALS~1\Temp\msohtml1\01\clip_ima ge001.png"></v:imagedata></v:shape>

I was using my laptop to communicate. I went back to the desk top and tried to do what you suggested. It seems to be working now- I was unable to go to my homepage, which is a verizon fios page. I tried to go to my gmail page and it worked, but I saw a very brief message saying that something was trying to download ... sorry couldn't read the whole thing before gmail did come up and I was able to do what you suggested. I am now at my laptop trying to get the picutre of the page to come up in my post. Weird.

 

Well that didn't work too well. I don't know how to post it here, I saved it as a word doc.

It says:

Internet Explorer warning: visinting this site may harm your computer.

Most likely causes:
-The website contains exploits that can launch a maliscious code on your computer
-suspiscious network activity detected
-there might be an active spyware running on your computer

What you can try:

Activate Antivirus 2009 for secure internet surfing (recommended)
Check your computer for viruses and malware
More information.

[those last three lines are links- when you click any of them it goes immediately to the screen telling you that the program to do the above is $50, with no way to opt out]

Now, as I said, I was able to get into Gmail with a banner type warning at the top saying pretty much the same as the first line above. When I then tried to go back to my homepage, it allowed me to. Next time I went to the computer directly to the homepage, the warning page came up again, but again I was able to get to gmail... I swear that when I am done with my current college courses I am going to educate myself- before it's too late- about these damn computers!!

 

Run Malwarebytes Antimalware program...

 

I have removed it manuallybefore also, but if you don't get it all It can come back..

I would rather have the program automatically remove it then I know I didn't miss a piece of it..

I haven't used System Mechanic so do not know if is successful at removing..

All I do know is when searching the internet for removal info the Malwarebyte program was the one that I kept getting refered to from multiple sites..

I tried it and it cleaned it with know problems.. That is 100% proof in my book..

 

Malwarebytes Antimalware. It worked. Thanks a TON!! Do you recommend the microsoft updates? How often?