'Anti-Virus' pop ups that are actually viruses; at my wit'

[SpellAndShield]

So a few days ago I discovered a little 'anti-virus' security blah blah in my tool bar on my lappy, immediately afterwards I was redirected to 'install anti-virus software' because 'EVERY' file on my laptop was supposedly infected; I could access my games, the internet, basic programmes, anything and any time I tried opening up a web page, it claimed that ' the web page could contain harmful data' (yes, google.com and yahoo.com :wacko: ) Everyting within a few hours was broken so I took my laptop into get the virus removed the next day. It seemed to work and the virus was gone, was back to surfing, playing games, etc. I THOUGHT everything was fine; now, just a few hours ago, the EXACT same 'ant-virus security ware' virus is back; no, I don't mean a similar one, THE EXACT SAME BLOODY ONE as 2 days ago, even though I paid $70 to get the thing removed. Now I am going to have to bring the laptop in on Monday to the same people and talk to them. :wallbash:

 

I don't know what they are going to say but does anyone have any idea how I can prevent this from ever happening in the future again? I am going to grad school soon and I can't afford to have these kinds of problems constantly. It is driving me crazy as my laptop is functionally dead (using someone else's desktop now). I will pay whatever is needed to get something to prevent this crap from happening again!

 

Any ideas, suggestions, etc would be appreciated?

 

BTW, are these 'antivirus security ware' viruses very common?

[ub3rman123]

If you see one of those pop up, do NOT use the x button. Those are sometimes rigged to install the virus. Instead, use ctrl-alt-del to close it out manually. I got one that way once.

[SpellAndShield]

If you see one of those pop up, do NOT use the x button. Those are sometimes rigged to install the virus. Instead, use ctrl-alt-del to close it out manually. I got one that way once.

 

Is there no surefire way to make sure I don't get this thing for a 3rd time? :confused:

[Shadowfen]

So a few days ago I discovered a little 'anti-virus' security blah blah in my tool bar on my lappy, immediately afterwards I was redirected to 'install anti-virus software' because 'EVERY' file on my laptop was supposedly infected; I could access my games, the internet, basic programmes, anything and any time I tried opening up a web page, it claimed that ' the web page could contain harmful data' (yes, google.com and yahoo.com :wacko: ) Everyting within a few hours was broken so I took my laptop into get the virus removed the next day. It seemed to work and the virus was gone, was back to surfing, playing games, etc. I THOUGHT everything was fine; now, just a few hours ago, the EXACT same 'ant-virus security ware' virus is back; no, I don't mean a similar one, THE EXACT SAME BLOODY ONE as 2 days ago, even though I paid $70 to get the thing removed. Now I am going to have to bring the laptop in on Monday to the same people and talk to them. :wallbash:

 

I don't know what they are going to say but does anyone have any idea how I can prevent this from ever happening in the future again? I am going to grad school soon and I can't afford to have these kinds of problems constantly. It is driving me crazy as my laptop is functionally dead (using someone else's desktop now). I will pay whatever is needed to get something to prevent this crap from happening again!

 

Any ideas, suggestions, etc would be appreciated?

 

BTW, are these 'antivirus security ware' viruses very common?

 

Get MalwareBytes' Anti-Malware from the linked website - the free version is excellent or you can pay for it and get scheduled scans and automatic update. (The free one you have to click a button to look for updates.)

 

I've used it on a number of computer viruses successfully, and it is safe enough for a non-computer professional to use. :thumbsup: Also you might check out the forums that MalwareBytes has on their site where you can look for help in fixing your system.

 

(I am not affiliated with MalwareBytes in any way other than as a satisfied user.)

 

Yes, these antivirus security malware are very common, so you should never download, execute, or click on the advertising for such programs unless you know the company is reputable or can get other independent assurance that the company is legit. (Google the company or software name to see if it is reported as good software or is mentioned a lot in "Help, I'm infected" messages.) And even then, only download security software directly from the company/organization website - not from any of the popular download "anything" websites or torrents that you might find the free/community/open source programs on. Hackers will download security software themselves from the company, modify it into malware and upload it to the generic download sites to catch the unwary.

[Shadowfen]

If you see one of those pop up, do NOT use the x button. Those are sometimes rigged to install the virus. Instead, use ctrl-alt-del to close it out manually. I got one that way once.

 

Is there no surefire way to make sure I don't get this thing for a 3rd time? :confused:

 

You didn't get it a second time. This is still the first time. The people you paid to remove it failed to find one of the hidden copies of the virus in your system and it managed to restore itself.

 

It's very tricky sometimes making sure you get absolutely everything out when removing something like this... And with some (thankfully uncommon) infections, the only remedy is to reformat your harddrive and reinstall from scratch.

 

You should have a firewall and antivirus (better than the Windows stuff), but the truth is that viruses can still get through them if you are unlucky.

[SpellAndShield]

If you see one of those pop up, do NOT use the x button. Those are sometimes rigged to install the virus. Instead, use ctrl-alt-del to close it out manually. I got one that way once.

 

Is there no surefire way to make sure I don't get this thing for a 3rd time? :confused:

 

You didn't get it a second time. This is still the first time. The people you paid to remove it failed to find one of the hidden copies of the virus in your system and it managed to restore itself.

 

It's very tricky sometimes making sure you get absolutely everything out when removing something like this... And with some (thankfully uncommon) infections, the only remedy is to reformat your harddrive and reinstall from scratch.

 

You should have a firewall and antivirus (better than the Windows stuff), but the truth is that viruses can still get through them if you are unlucky.

 

This is good knowledge to have. I do have a 30 day warranty and will tell them that they missed it. It was a one day job. Maybe they need more time...I want this thing gone and banished forever!

 

How many copies of a virus are there?!

[Shadowfen]

 

This is good knowledge to have. I do have a 30 day warranty and will tell them that they missed it. It was a one day job. Maybe they need more time...I want this thing gone and banished forever!

 

How many copies of a virus are there?!

 

It depends on how devious and tricky the virus writer was...

[evilneko]

Why not head on over to http://www.dslreports.com/forum/cleanup for some real help?

 

Since advertising on the web is a major vector for attacks, it is reasonable to set up a HOSTS file to prevent your computer connecting to ad servers. HostsMan and HostsXpert automate the process well, but you can always do it manually, it's just a text file after all.

 

It is also very good advice to not run with administrator rights all the time.