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Spyware / Malware / Virus Removal

multiple Avast warnings

13 min read

This thread's last reply is from . Advice, software, and links below may be out of date — treat specific steps and download links with caution.

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Hello fixer-man_nick, Everything is looking good :thumbup:

Time for some housekeeping
  • Click on Start >> Run…
  • Now type in ComboFix /Uninstall into the and click OK.
  • Note the space between the X and the /Uninstall, it needs to be there.
    [external image: Posted Image]
The above procedure will reset your System Restore and clear out the backups and quarantines created during the course of this fix.

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Clean up with OTL:
  • Double-click OTL.exe to start the program.
  • Close all other programs apart from OTL as this step will require a reboot
  • On the OTL main screen, press the CLEANUP button
  • Say Yes to the prompt and then allow the program to reboot your computer.

If you notice any remaining tools or files you can delete them by right clicking and choosing delete.

===================
Now that you appear clean, :thumbup: please follow these simple steps in order to keep your computer clean and secure:

Here are some tips to reduce the potential for spyware infection in the future:

1. Make your Internet Explorer More Secure
  • From within Internet Explorer click on the Tools menu and then click on Options.
  • Click once on the Security tab.
  • Click once on the Internet icon so it becomes highlighted.
  • Click once on the Custom Level button.
  • Change the Download signed ActiveX controls to Prompt.
  • Change the Download unsigned ActiveX controls to Disable.
  • Change the Initialise and script ActiveX controls not marked as safe to Disable.
  • Change the Installation of desktop items to Prompt.
  • Change the Launching programs and files in an IFRAME to Prompt.
  • Change the Navigate sub-frames across different domains to Prompt.
  • When all these settings have been made, click on the OK button.
  • If it prompts you as to whether or not you want to save the settings, press the Yes button.
  • Next press the Apply button and then the OK to exit the Internet Properties page.
2. Update your Anti-Virus Software - I can not overemphasize the need for you to update your Anti-virus application on a regular basis. With the ever increasing number of new variants of malware arriving on the scene daily, you become very susceptible to an attack without updated protection.

3. Make sure you keep your Windows OS current by visiting Windows update regularly to download and install any critical updates and service packs. Without these you are leaving the back door open.

4. SpywareBlaster prevents the installation of ActiveX-based malware, blocks cookies, and restricts the actions of "bad" sites. See tutorial here

5. MVPS HOSTS FILE replaces
  • your current HOSTS file with one that will restrict known ad sites from serving you unsolicited advertisements. It basically prevents your computer from connecting to those sites by redirecting the attempted connections to 127.0.0.1, which is the IP of your local computer. See guide here and for Windows Vista here
  • Download Host.zip and Save it to your Desktop.
  • Right-click hosts.zip and select 'Extract all files' or 'Extract files…'.
  • Follow the prompts and click 'Finish'.
  • This will open the newly created hosts folder on your Desktop.
  • Double-click on the included mvps.bat file, this will rename the existing HOSTS file to HOSTS.MVP, then it will copy the included updated HOSTS file to the correct location on your machine.
  • Once updated you should see another prompt that the task was completed.
Finally, I strongly recommend that you read TonyKlein's good advice So how did I get infected in the first place?


Good luck, happy computing and stay clean! :)

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