Need help removing virus/malware

[jerzdawg]

Ok, I'm fixing a pc for a friend. When I turned on the computer I was blocked out by some dumb message about copyrights and wanting to pay $200. Finally was able remove some of the files, delete from start up, etc. installed spy bot search and destroy, ran the scan and removed all entries. Used the pc on and off for a few days. No issues. Gave the pc back... Within 2 days...it's back. Is there a better freeware scanner/remover for this. I'm at my wits end with this.

[ButteIrishProud]

Download Malwarebytes and run a FULL scan in Safe Mode.

[Noir Angel]

Or install Avast and do a boot time scan.

[Detection]

1. Boot in safemode

2. Empty ALL temp folders, including user temp folders, not just windows

3. Reset IE, checking the box to delete everything

4. Open regedit:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run

and

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run

Delete any suspicious looking entries

Also delete anything in HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software and HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE that look malware related

Open MSCONFIG and disable anything that looks suspicious in there too

----------

Reboot in normal mode, and run a full scan with a fully updated malwarebytes

You have already scanned with spybot but do it again anyway

Another good thing is installing Avast Free, and do a "Boot Time Scan" this will be able to remove malware that can not be killed inside of windows

Download and run a scan with "Hijack This" remove any suspicious entries in there too

Scan a couple of times with all the above programs until they all return a clean result

If you still have a problem after all that, wipe > reinstall windows

[jerzdawg]

What exactly would be considered suspicious? I'd assume they would label anything that would set off red flags..

[Detection]

What exactly would be considered suspicious? I'd assume they would label anything that would set off red flags..

Well just anything you don't recognise as being installed on the machine as a genuine app, a lot of malware will have registry keys with weird symbols, such as !"?$%^&*&()_) or the name of the fake AV that pops up

Normally pretty easy to spot, the first 2 keys I mentioned are what windows calls to startup with windows, so if you don't want anything starting up with windows, delete those keys, and in MSCONFIG

[jerzdawg]

Running avast scan now, once that is done ill post the hijack this report

[sc302 Veteran]

where you live? I am in warren county. I could get it fixed up for you. also don't use that old pos hijackthis...use olt

http://www.geekstogo.com/forum/topic/277391-otl-tutorial-how-to-use-oldtimer-listit/

[Detection]

where you live? I am in warren county. I could get it fixed up for you. also don't use that old pos hijackthis...use olt

http://www.geekstogo...ldtimer-listit/

What is wrong with HijackThis ? Its a great piece of software

[sc302 Veteran]

Latest version is 2.04....It doesn't work properly with 64bit oses. It also doesn't dig as deep as otl.

Compare a hjt log with a otl log.

sample otl log

http://www.bleepingc...opic313328.html

sample hjt log

http://www.techsuppo...down-14837.html

which do you think is more thorough and can help you better find the cause?

[Detection]

Latest version is 2.04....It doesn't work properly with 64bit oses. It also doesn't dig as deep as otl.

Compare a hjt log with a otl log.

Ok, never used OTL, still HijackThis is a decent app, using both would be better than not using HJT, never had a problem with HJT and 64bit OSs though

[sc302 Veteran]

read about hjt and 64 bit, while this isn't necessarily a problem people unfamiliar with it will go to disable critical processes and screw their computers up more. I don't recommend running this as a novice, nor do I recommend running it over the internet being that people can be tempted to try to fix it themselves causing more issues. bottom line, it doesn't work well with 64 bit oses and otl produces the similar findings as hjt with many more pieces to the os puzzle (more files, more reg entries, more points of infection, etc). Running otl with a good rootkit detection software, like gmer, will allow you, the tech, to actually find something useful and be able to repair the computer.

http://www.experts-e...it-Systems.html

That being said, it may take a few hours to go through and verify a otl report.

[Detection]

read about hjt and 64 bit

http://www.experts-e...it-Systems.html

Well that doesn't render HJT useless on 64bit systems, we're not looking for missing file entries, we're looking for malware entries, make no difference if HJT can't find 64bit files

And more to the point, I don't know many 64bit versions of malware

[sc302 Veteran]

Well that doesn't render HJT useless on 64bit systems, we're not looking for missing file entries, we're looking for malware entries, make no difference if HJT can't find 64bit files

And more to the point, I don't know many 64bit versions of malware

not exactly useful either. if it is not useful, it is useless IMO.

[Rippleman]

you could do what others said and waste your time, or do what will be the easiest. Download a 10 meg file mawarebytes.com from here (filehippo link) on to a usb key. Boot into safe mode, install, run a scan, let it remove it. Done. If you want to do it the hard way, follow the other posts above.

[sc302 Veteran]

Secret....malware bytes doesn't remove everything. Their root kit detection piece is still in beta last time I checked. Malware bytes is not the end all be all.

I have been around a lot of malware, and I can tell you with 100% certainty that malware bytes doesn't remove all of it. Just a good portion. I run a min of three different removal utilities mwb being one of them when cleaning computers. Mwb isnt the first thing i run, it is the last. I do know its limitations.

[Rippleman]

Secret....malware bytes doesn't remove everything. Their root kit detection piece is still in beta last time I checked. Malware bytes is not the end all be all.

I have been around a lot of malware, and I can tell you with 100% certainty that malware bytes doesn't remove all of it. Just a good portion. I run a min of three different removal utilities mwb being one of them when cleaning computers. I do know its limitations.

after servicing a couple thousand machines over the last couple years , i have had a 100% success ratio with malwarebytes when scanning in safe mode. Could you give me an example of malware that it can't remove? I would like to download it and see for myself.

note: i LOVE getting new stuff to test virus removal techniques. being serious.

[sc302 Veteran]

Pick any root kit. The Remote Desktop attack 6months ago it couldn't detect (MSE was the first that did). Had problems finding, file name was close to a windows file name and I kept overlooking it.

I have been doing manual virus removal since late 90s. I have thousands over you. Hell, the hospital I was working at had a whole site infection over 10000 computers and hundreds of servers. Nightmare.

[Rippleman]

Pick any root kit. The Remote Desktop attack 6months ago it couldn't detect (MSE was the first that did). Had problems finding, file name was close to a windows file name and I kept overlooking it.

I have been doing manual virus removal since late 90s. I have thousands over you. Hell, the hospital I was working at had a whole site infection over 10000 computers and hundreds of servers. Nightmare.

could you give me even just 1 name of a rootkit that you could not remove with it? the worst one in your mind/experiance

[ButteIrishProud]

you could do what others said and waste your time, or do what will be the easiest. Download a 10 meg file mawarebytes.com from here (filehippo link) on to a usb key. Boot into safe mode, install, run a scan, let it remove it. Done. If you want to do it the hard way, follow the other posts above.

This. Why make the removal process difficult?

[Detection]

not exactly useful either. if it is not useful, it is useless IMO.

Huh? How is it not useful ?

What do you have against HJT ? It works, what more do you want ?

[sc302 Veteran]

could you give me even just 1 name of a rootkit that you could not remove with it? the worst one in your mind/experiance

Is it that hard to google root kit names, like I said pick one any one. Pull any one out of a google search. Malware bytes is 100% ineffective against any root kit. It doesn't have the scan engine for it, therefore it can't detect or repair against this type of infection. Google redirect is one.

Here you go read through and you will see that the user running malware bytes has no effect against it. http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/forums/topic434638.html

Huh? How is it not useful ?

What do you have against HJT ? It works, what more do you want ?

I don't like doing things twice and skimming through information I have been through before.

[Detection]

Is it that hard to google root kit names, like I said pick one any one. Pull any one out of a google search. Malware bytes is 100% ineffective against any root kit. It doesn't have the scan engine for it, therefore it can't detect or repair against this type of infection. Google redirect is one. Here you go read through and you will see that the user running malware bytes has no effect against it. http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/forums/topic434638.html I don't like doing things twice and skimming through information I have been through before.

Ok, well each to their own, lets not hijackthis thread with our differences ;)

[Rippleman]

Is it that hard to google root kit names, like I said pick one any one. Pull any one out of a google search. Google redirect is one.

Surprised you could not give one from your own extensive experiences and instead saying Google one. I am having no luck finding an .exe for the google redirect to infect myself with. Google is full of solution links and no actual download links (of course and expected). Do you know where i can get the .exe file? Or maybe a website that does give the infection?

[xendrome]

Yeah Malwarebytes doesn't get Rootkits at all, I use TDSSKiller for that.. Along with Malwarebytes and Combofix to clean the rest.