Infection

[Roboframer]

I little icon has appeared bottom right toolbar - a green shield with a tick in it 'AV security suite'

It's telling me my PC is infected - and infected it is - but the grammar is up the shoot .... 'Windows reports that computer is infected. Antivirus software helps to protect your computer ................... Click here for the scan your computer" So I'm guessing that this 'AV Suite' IS the infection and I can't find the programme to try and delete it.

Clicking on anything results in a fast scan giving loads of results of infections but to remove them a purchase is required, blah blah.

Can't open AVG - can't open word, can't open AOL and tons more - keep getting the warning balloon that ends up in an AV scan and an option to purchase or stay unprotected' A constant barrage of warnings and none from AVG - as I said - that won't work, this thing has taken over!

I'm on Mozilla Firefox now - that seems to be all that's working.

[pinkybanks]

You've just been introduced to a Scare Ware trojan, best to hard restart the pc, then update your AV and firewall properties. Just don't allow the programme to run any updates, and don't part with any money...its a scam.

[stcstc]

it is spyware

http://www.myantispyware.com/2010/06/03 ... val-guide/

[prospero]

I had one of those once and the only way I could get rid was a System Restore. Hasn't been back.

[Roboframer]

It's blocking system restore, it's blocking everything - I've Googled 'AV security suite scarware' - seems I'm going to have to pay for a download to get rid of it totally.

These pop ups have to be cleared - can't see anything otherwise - can't be minimised and whatever you click ('NO' or 'Stay unprotected)' it launches IE and a porn or viagra site comes up - so I'm just leaving that there to keep the pop ups away!

[stcstc]

boot up in safe mode then you should be able to uninstall it i think

[Roboframer]

I did the safe mode thing (F8 during reboot) but I saw I could opt for system restore there and tried that - couldn't select a date!

Could run malwarebytes though - but that hasn't shifted it.

Could also load Thunderbird and AOL and therefore read/send emails, but couldn't access any web pages - firefox wouldn't load in safe mode, or IE or Google Chrome Will try the safe mode without the system restore in a mo'

Googled this 'AV security suite' - plenty on it. So, seeing as it's a known pile of shite, why can't it be taken out?

It's a real pain in the arse - but I suppose at least I'm learning stuff!

[Roboframer]

Had another go at sytem restore yesterday - the only date I could select was the previous day when all this happened, so I thought I'd go for it and hope it would go back to just before it did!

Well, it was retrievibg files when when all the house fuses tripped (isolated the problem to tyhe pond pump) and that was that - couldn't start it again - it just started on the F8 screen and no matter what I did, just kept restarting and reetuning to that screen

So we thought bugger it - dashed out to PC world at 7pm and bought one of these http://www.pcworld.co.uk/gbuk/advent-mt ... 4-pdt.html

What a difference!!!

Maybe I'll hand the old PC to some sort of PC Doctor and see if it can be rescued and use it for internet access at the shop. It's been a real dog for years - should have done this earlier.

We've downloaded the F secure 30 day free trial and will pay for it when that expires - have had F secure before and liked it - just failed to renew it and all I had AFTER with the last PC was free AVG, which didn't stop that AV security suite, which I think I picked up from a message on Facebook.

This things got a bloody digital TV tuner built in!!

[prospero]

John. As long as it's a software issue and the basic PC is sound, someone could erase the whole hard drive and reinstall the operating system. That way you can start with a clean PC. Had that done to one of mine which I keep as a backup. Been using it this week as it happens as the newer one is being cantankerous at the moment. (Keeps restarting but it won't tell me why.) If you have any data on drive that you want to rescue, it should be possible to take out the HD and plumb it into another PC as a slave unit and access/copy any files.

[Roboframer]

My son works in IT and does this sort of thing all the time - but he lives in Milton Keynes; I'll drop it off with him next time I'm up; if he was closer he could give me some tuition. I backed the thing up shortly before all this though, so my files are OK.

Meanwhile this new thing is awesome - about 9 seconds to start and another 4 to get on line with IE. That compares with about 20 mins on the old PC, if I was lucky!

[Roboframer]

Oh - and I will not be installing AOL!

AOL is our service provider and our email address is AOL, but I just access it now - seconds. We also have an 'info@' address to receive enquiries from our website; that's with Mozilla Thunderbird but you cannot access your account if things like this happen - you have to re-register and you lose all your history/anything sent between times, so we got our web person to divert web enquiries to our aol address instead, that can always be accessed.

Don't see any point in setting up the info and sales@ addresses now, bar, I suppose, it would look more professional than an @aol.com address.

[stcstc]

you can get your thunderbird profile back

google recovering thunderbird profile, or backing up

and you should find something

my wife uses thunderbird and has done this a few times between new laptops etc

[Bill Henry]

I backed the thing up shortly before all this though, so my files are OK.

Just be careful. When you get a chance, scan the back up files before you have to re-install them. You don't want to reinfect your hard drive if there are some hidden nasties in your archives.