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Geek Culture / I need help getting rid of a program...

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ETCG
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Posted: 22nd Jul 2009 19:15
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I was doing something on my comp, and all of a sudden it tells me to download Windows Security Suite. I tried getting rid of it, but the message kept coming up. I finally clicked download, and it told me I had like 20 infections on my comp so I'd have to buy the full version to take them off. I know it's a fake 'cause I just got the comp a couple weeks ago. I try taking it off, but theres no uninstall, theres three shortcuts to a file I can't find thats supposedly the program itself. Also everytime I try to delete the shortcuts, they come back when I log on again. It says a lot of websites are harmful (even the forums !) I really need help getting rid of it. It's defnately not a Windows product, which means it's fake which means I got to get it off fast!

If anyone has gotten in this kind of situation, let me know how to fix it please.
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Veron
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Posted: 22nd Jul 2009 19:21
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Get Spybot S&D and run a full scan.

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NeX the Fairly Fast Ferret
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Posted: 22nd Jul 2009 20:18 Edited at: 22nd Jul 2009 20:19
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Give us a full list of everything running in the Processes tab of Task Manager. Don't forget to tick "Show Processes From All Users".

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ETCG
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Posted: 22nd Jul 2009 20:40
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I would if I could, but another strange thing happened after I downloaded it...

CTRL ALT DELETE doesn't work!!!!! How could any program take that out?!

It shows a time bar like its loadng, but nothing happens. After couple seconds the time bar stops.
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NeX the Fairly Fast Ferret
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Posted: 22nd Jul 2009 20:46 Edited at: 22nd Jul 2009 20:47
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Your system is gone beyond your control if you can't even open Task Manager. Try start->run->taskmgr.exe. If that doesn't work, reformat.

Also, run some proper antivirus on any memory sticks and networked computers you had contact with. NOD32 or Sophos should do. Use trials.

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xplosys
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Posted: 22nd Jul 2009 20:57 Edited at: 22nd Jul 2009 20:58
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You don't have a virus, and in most cases, AntiVirus software isn't going to help you. You have malware/spyware. This is what's known as a fake AntiVirus or Fake AntiSpyware program. It's purpose is to get your credit card info.

You can run an AntiVirus program and it may detect and remove certain files that it perceives as a threat, but it won't fix the system files and registry changes that have already been made.

Your best and easiest solution is to wipe and load with your restore disk if you have one. If not, download and run a program like "SuperAntiSpyware" and let it detect and delete the hidden files that are causing the problem. Still, in most cases this won't fix the registry changes that were made to limit your admin control. These changes were made to keep you from removing the program.

If you decide not to wipe and load and go with the spyware remover, you will still need to find rouge files and fix settings and registry keys when it's done. I don't think it's something that can be explained. You have to do it on-the-fly.

If your lucky, the spyware remover will identify the program and you may find a downloadable fix/remover for the rest of the problems. Be careful, many times what looks like a valid fix or program is actually more spyware and can make the problem worse.

Brian.

Lizzie Borden took an axe and gave her mother forty whacks.

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Nickydude
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Posted: 23rd Jul 2009 00:24
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Download AVG Free, it's a spyware remove, it's what I use.



THE ANSWER TO ALL FPSC QUESTIONS!
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NeX the Fairly Fast Ferret
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Posted: 23rd Jul 2009 00:52
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You honestly think if he can't use his Task Manager he'll be allowed to install ANY software, much less a well-known AV? Forget it, the system's gone.

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Brick Break
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Posted: 23rd Jul 2009 01:08
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Follow these steps:
1) Restart your computer. While it's warming up, repeatedly press F8 until you get a little menu.
2) Choose the Safe Mode option.
3) Go into C:\Program Files and delete the Windows Security Suite folder.
4) If that doesn't solve the problem upon restarting your computer again, try to find any suspicious files in your System32 or AppData folders.

WINNER list:
Latch, Lee Bamber, TDK, TheComet
Thanks for the help!
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TheComet
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Posted: 23rd Jul 2009 02:02
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Try SuperAntiSpyware. It's free and quite powerful. Google it.

And if nothing works, head THIS direction.

TheComet


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Brick Break
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Posted: 23rd Jul 2009 02:20
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@TheComet- You said almost the exact same thing on another thread. I've never heard of either. The best way is to go through your drive and manually clean it out yourself.

WINNER list:
Latch, Lee Bamber, TDK, TheComet
Thanks for the help!
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Lonnehart
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Posted: 23rd Jul 2009 02:27
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There is the one last thing to try to get rid of it, but only to be used as the very last resort (or every six months to keep the computer running smoothly)...

Completely reformat your hard drive...

In the beginning there was nothing. There'll be nothing in the end...
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NeX the Fairly Fast Ferret
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Posted: 23rd Jul 2009 02:32
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Quote: "(or every six months to keep the computer running smoothly)"


Or buy a decent hard drive. Ones that are more expensive at the same spec are more expensive for a reason.

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Lonnehart
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Posted: 23rd Jul 2009 02:37 Edited at: 23rd Jul 2009 02:37
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I reformat every 6 or so months for the estimated lifetime of the HD (I think it's 5 years), then I go replace it before I hear the infamous Klik of Death...

In the beginning there was nothing. There'll be nothing in the end...
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ETCG
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Posted: 23rd Jul 2009 09:11 Edited at: 23rd Jul 2009 09:22
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Ty for all the info you have given me. The main reason I know it's fake is it says the comp can't find the source of the file. No folders, no files, no nothing besides shortcuts. I will attempt to run taskmanger...

OMG! It won't run taskmgr even if I tell it to! I'll try some of your other suggestions, and I don't have a backup hard drive so...

I think the worst thing is I bet your the files it says are threats are real, and I'm pretty sure the program was the one to put them on there.

I hate spam and pop ups.

edited:

@Brick Break:
I cant do that because the comp can't find the source file/folder. All it sees is shortcuts to an invisible file in application data folder.

Also I can download stuff. But sometimes it says the site is harmful (as I said before), and then takes me to some random ad site. When I click ignore after I post, it's a Chinese mail site called Maiu
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Jeku
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Posted: 24th Jul 2009 04:22
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Quote: "Or buy a decent hard drive. Ones that are more expensive at the same spec are more expensive for a reason."


That makes... absolutely no sense. Having to reinstall Windows every 6 months has nothing to do with having a crappy hard drive brand

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Mahoney
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Posted: 24th Jul 2009 05:45
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Quote: "There is the one last thing to try to get rid of it, but only to be used as the very last resort (or every six months to keep the computer running smoothly)...

Completely reformat your hard drive..."


I believe Microsoft has eradicated the "re-format every six months" problem with Windows by now.

Windows Vista Home Premium Intel Pentium Dual-Core 1.6 Ghz 1GB DDR2 RAM GeForce 8600GT Twin Turbo
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Lonnehart
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Posted: 24th Jul 2009 06:12
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It's not because of anything with windows. For me it's because crap piles up on the hard drive. Stuff I download but don't use/need anymore. I backup the stuff I want to keep (if I didn't have a copy of it already) and format the drive to erase the rest. You can think of it as dust getting into the bearings of a wheel that constantly turns. If you don't stop that wheel and clean it out every once in a while it will one day grind to a halt, never to turn again until you replace that bearing...

In the beginning there was nothing. There'll be nothing in the end...
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NeX the Fairly Fast Ferret
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Posted: 24th Jul 2009 11:48
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Quote: "That makes... absolutely no sense. Having to reinstall Windows every 6 months has nothing to do with having a crappy hard drive brand"


Yes, it does. Crappy hard drives don't have a sustainable seek speed and the controllers are often useless. Speaking from experience here, I went from an absolutely dirt cheap 500Gb drive that made Windows sluggish and take ages to boot to one that was £35 more expensive and the difference is unbelievable, despite the contents of the drive being ghosted across and the RPM being the same. It used to take up to five minutes to boot; I could walk off, have a cup of tea and come back and it still wouldn't be done. Now it's the quickest booting XP machine I've ever seen.

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Mahoney
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Posted: 24th Jul 2009 20:45
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Quote: "Yes, it does. Crappy hard drives don't have a sustainable seek speed and the controllers are often useless. Speaking from experience here, I went from an absolutely dirt cheap 500Gb drive that made Windows sluggish and take ages to boot to one that was £35 more expensive and the difference is unbelievable, despite the contents of the drive being ghosted across and the RPM being the same. It used to take up to five minutes to boot; I could walk off, have a cup of tea and come back and it still wouldn't be done. Now it's the quickest booting XP machine I've ever seen."


But that still doesn't explain how it causes you to reinstall every 6 months. . . >.>

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NeX the Fairly Fast Ferret
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Posted: 24th Jul 2009 20:49
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Well, a slow hard drive equals a slow OS. Isn't that obvious?

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Mahoney
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Posted: 24th Jul 2009 21:07
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Yes, but one is rarely heard saying, "Huh, Windows has been slow ever since I installed it. . . TIME TO RE-FORMAT!"

Note: that came off sounding more rude than I meant it. I'm just saying, if it's a bad drive, then it will be slower than normal from the start. :/

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NeX the Fairly Fast Ferret
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Posted: 24th Jul 2009 21:27 Edited at: 24th Jul 2009 21:31
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When you first install, your filesystem is in perfect condition. No fragmentation, all of the system files right at the start of the disk. As time goes on and the disk is slowly filled, updated files, new DLLs and new drivers end up in other parts of the disk because that's where there's space. This means that that the whole OS runs slower as time goes on unless you keep Windows in its own partition. A good hard drive won't succumb to the slowdown all this causes as much because of its sustainable fast seeking and larger cache.

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Grog Grueslayer
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Posted: 25th Jul 2009 10:01
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Quote: "But that still doesn't explain how it causes you to reinstall every 6 months. . . >.>"


The more data we accumulate on our HD's the more likely we will run into bad sectors on the drive. Defragging helps resort all the files that are in multiple locations that NeX the Fairly Fast Ferret talked about but defragging the huge drives we have today sometimes take days... it's faster just to reformat and start over.

It's also the "throw my hands up in the air and give up trying to fix" solution that we all know will most definitely work.

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Mahoney
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Posted: 25th Jul 2009 10:13
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I guess I'm one of the few who still defragments weekly and keeps Windows truly tidy.

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Jeku
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Posted: 25th Jul 2009 22:58
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Quote: "Well, a slow hard drive equals a slow OS. Isn't that obvious?
"


But that still doesn't make sense. Your registry getting bloated I can see. Or if you have a growing list of processes over 6 months-- well, that makes sense. But your hard drive brand has nothing to do with needing to reformat after 6 months. Maybe it's just me but there are dozens of things that I would equate to having to reinstall Windows ahead of a slow hard drive. A slow hard drive would be slow right from the start.

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NeX the Fairly Fast Ferret
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Posted: 26th Jul 2009 01:28
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It wouldn't necessarily! A fast hard drive deals with fragmentation better! Newer versions of Windows, I'd imagine, also reorganise the filesystem in times of inactivity to provide a less fragmented system folder. Think about it, as updates are installed they end up getting further and further away from the rest of Windows as time goes on because the space close to the system folder gets filled up by your files. That means longer seek times to load components because they're not all together in one section of the drive, they're all over the shop.

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Jeku
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Posted: 26th Jul 2009 03:07
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Quote: "That means longer seek times to load components because they're not all together in one section of the drive, they're all over the shop."


Most defrag software has the option to reorganize files that are "most used" to be closer for the disc head to read, resulting in faster read times.

Personally I'd prefer it if Windows didn't automatically do that in the background, because it would slow things down. I run a good defragger about once every week or two and leave it at that.

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NeX the Fairly Fast Ferret
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Posted: 26th Jul 2009 03:10
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Quote: "Personally I'd prefer it if Windows didn't automatically do that in the background, because it would slow things down."


So you'd rather have your system idling whilst you're browsing the internet or listening to music, rather than keeping itself in decent shape?

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Jeku
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Posted: 26th Jul 2009 03:12 Edited at: 26th Jul 2009 03:12
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Quote: "So you'd rather have your system idling whilst you're browsing the internet or listening to music, rather than keeping itself in decent shape?"


Maybe I should have been more clear. If I'm playing Fallout 3 I don't want Windows moving files around on the disc in the background. If I'm surfing the web or reading email, it can be my guest. But yes, I'd RATHER explicitly have it start when the computer's been idle for, say, 20 minutes, than to have it working ALL the time.

Furthermore, if your hard drive is continuously moving files around, the lifetime of the drive will be significantly reduced.

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NeX the Fairly Fast Ferret
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Posted: 26th Jul 2009 03:17
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Yeah, because moving the updates closer to the rest of the OS once rather than jumping all over the place every time they are needed is so much worse.

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Jeku
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Posted: 26th Jul 2009 03:23
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Quote: "Yeah, because moving the updates closer to the rest of the OS once rather than jumping all over the place every time they are needed is so much worse."


Can you explain what you mean here? I also don't install updates while playing a game, and I explicitly choose WHEN Windows Update installs them. Therefore, again, moving them somewhere better on the disc can be done when I explicitly choose, NOT *ALL* the time as Windows is running. You understand the difference, right??

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NeX the Fairly Fast Ferret
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Posted: 26th Jul 2009 03:27 Edited at: 26th Jul 2009 03:28
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I was referring to the lifetime argument. If you fix the problem once you don't have to spend the rest of the drive's lifetime fighting it. If you ask the average user when they last defragged they'll look blankly at you.

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Jeku
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Posted: 26th Jul 2009 19:41
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Quote: "If you fix the problem once you don't have to spend the rest of the drive's lifetime fighting it."


It doesn't work that way. The files get disorganized on their own eventually after a defrag, which is why we need to do a defrag. This happens on every OS. Again, if you want the most used files to *always* be organized in an optimal position, that will slow down the OS.

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gamerboots
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Posted: 29th Jul 2009 03:54
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As nicky said, download avg free. update it with the latest definitions, Then boot into safe-mode and run a full scan from there. I'm sure it will find plenty of "rogue software" entries in your registry (and will kindly remove them for you too )
@jeku
I only defrag 3-4 times a year but I've found that the majoirty of fragmentation comes from temporary internet files so I clear them about once a week.

Regards
Gamerboots~
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Mahoney
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Posted: 29th Jul 2009 05:56
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Quote: "I only defrag 3-4 times a year"


Seriously? I mean, if you very rarely add/remove/edit files and just use your computer for, well, "computing," that could be reasonable. . .

But on topic: would I be wrong to suggest Avast! over AVG for this issue?

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Lemonade
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Posted: 29th Jul 2009 10:16
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I usually defrag 2-3 times a year. I didn't think it was that important.

Check out my tech blog below!
http://cooltech-sciencelab.blogspot.com/
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gamerboots
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Posted: 29th Jul 2009 12:30
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Quote: "But on topic: would I be wrong to suggest Avast! over AVG for this issue?"

thats a sticky question :
avast has a history of false alarms. so, its alarms will go off a lot of times when it shouldn't.
if you use avg and set advanced settings to "scan files on close" then nothing downloads or gets past its resident shield however , there is a cost of a large drain on processing power. (a small price to pay for protection )
@Mahoney
once you have installed everything and defrag then as I said, most of your fragmentation will come from temporary internet files. You can test this out by viewing the report on your defrager on the folders of the most fragmented files

Regards
Gamerboots~
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