Fecking virus. My computer has the AV Security Suite virus...

[JTG of the PRB]

...and it's been nothing but a pain in the ass all day. Long story short, I either need to get my computer fixed or pay $100+ to continue the tenuous virus protection I currently have in 15 days.

:argh:

Fucking viruses.

[lazarus]

1. Microsoft Security Essentials

It's all you need for anti-virus. Free, invisible, exceptional program.

[Lasher]

4. I agree, I'm pleased with MSE.

:thumbsup:

[Capn Sunshine]

6. make that two

but the longer you leave that virus unattacked, the more damage it does. Soon, you won't be able to boot in safe mode.

I agree that the best way to rid yourself of it completely is to place any docs photos and programs on a flash drive,reformat, then reinstall windows.

[Sebastian Doyle]

2. Boot into safe mode w/networking.

this piece of shit virus will not run in safe mode. While in safe mode, download Malware Bytes and run it. It should eliminate that piece of shit.

[quakerboy]

3. Alternate to the above suggestions

Save any data you need saved onto a flash drive. Or a spare hard drive, or even CDs, I suppose.

Then reformat your hard drive. Then reinstall your OS. Then install a good, free Antivirus. I suggest Avast, plus Malware bytes. Plus Spybot S&D.

Then carefully scan all of your files with each before you bring any of them back into your system.


But that's just me. Once a/some virus has found its way in, I never trust my system with sensitive data again until I have a clean install.

[Lasher]

5. Try running Super Anti Spyware

It's worked to remove that particular virus when others have failed.

[mzteris]

7. avg got rid of it for me...

of course getting avg to download was a trick in itself... it took numerous tries over several hours but it finally went away.

Firefox and IE both were deadends for downloading. I installed google chrome and got avg to install. . .


Can someone tell me what the f'ing purpose of viruses are? Does someone make money off of them or just -um - get off on wreaking havoc?

[HopeHoops]

8. Download the free version of AntiMalware from MalwareBytes.org.

Run the quick scan and be sure that you select the "update signature file" (or whatever sounds like that) check box. If it won't let you download or run it (which some flavors of AV can do), just download it on another machine, put it on a USB thumb drive, and run it directly off of there. It may give you fake errors when you put the thumb drive in, but the drive will still mount and show up in Windows Explorer. It is best to do all of this in Safe Mode with Networking, but you might be able to do it without going that far. There are a lot of different flavors of this one, but they all have one thing in common: they want you to enter credit card information to buy the "full" version which DOES NOT EVEN EXIST!

[Tailormyst]

11. Do this: It is free and it works

[HopeHoops]

18. I've used it to scrub both Vista and XP machines.

It is a wonderful tool. They have a more advanced version for $25. I don't think the scan is any different, but it does work actively like a virus checker whereas the free version is just a "run as needed" tool.

[LanternWaste]

9. I've been dealing with this on systems at work...

I've been dealing with this on systems at work. Here's the quick and dirty solution.

Boot into safe mode w/ networking. In this mode, the virus isn't booted so you can do what you need to. Also, the virus is smart enough to prevent you from opening any web page it determines as a threat and prevents you from running any application it determines to be e threat. This is why booting into safe mode is so important.

Download Malwarebtes and Rkiller (you can find Rkiller on the Malwarebyters site or just do a search for it.) First run the rkiller app, then install and run a FULL scan using Malewarebytes.


Here's a quick, step by step removal process for it...
http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/virus-removal/remove-av-security-suite


It's damned nasty bit of work and has caused me to waste about five hours over the past two weeks to get it off our system at the office. Good luck!

[JTG of the PRB]

10. Well, the Norton I was finally able to download says the virus has been quarantined.

Of course, my trial of the software expires in 14 days, so I have to completely get the virus deleted by that time so I can install the Norton software free through Comcast. In any case, I'm more or less unwilling to mess around with it anymore, and sometime soon I will be seeing someone who can actually do this stuff (instead of just guessing at it, as I would be doing).

Thank you, everyone, for your suggestions! I really appreciate the help! :hi:

[Tailormyst]

12. Malwarebytes.org

Your AV programs won't fix this. You will also be amazed at what else it finds running in the background on your computer.

I run it once a week due to the teenage boys in my house.

[JTG of the PRB]

13. I'm just concerned that it might have a conflict with the Norton software I downloaded.

I read a few sites that had similar comments, and the last thing I need is those two fighting while the virus continues to sit there being all... Infecty.

[Tailormyst]

16. Nortons is useless against these, imho

[Capn Sunshine]

14. Just a heads up there, Tailormyst

I've seen this virus in LOTS of HGTV oriented sites-particularly recipe oriented ones.
It's also frequently attached to DU posts a of late, per my Malwarebites. ( or else Earl has put some really funky code in there)
It's everywhere these days, not just the dark side where Teenage boys hang out.

[Tailormyst]

15. Yup- I also run it on all the computers at work.

Hackers just seem to have a love for gaming sites, fileshare and porn :) Now that the hackers are getting older I think they are starting to branch toward other types of sites.

[Bonobo]

17. Get a mac

They work better.