Trouble with Pop-ups - Rescue41

• Perform all actions in the order given.
• If you don't know, stop and ask! Don't keep going on.
• Please reply to this thread. Do not start a new topic.
• Stick with it till you're given the all clear.
• Remember, absence of symptoms does not mean the infection is all gone.

• Install ewido anti-malware.
• Launch ewido by double-clicking on the icon.
• The program will now open to the main screen.
• You will need to update ewido to the latest definition files.
• At the top of the main screen click Update.
• Then in the Manual Update section, click on Start Update.

• • Open the SmitfraudFix folder and double-click smitfraudfix.cmd
  • Select option #1 - Search by typing 1 and press Enter (a text file will appear, which lists infected files if present).
  • Please copy/paste the content of that report into your next reply.
• Note: process.exe is detected by some antivirus programs (AntiVir, Dr.Web, Kaspersky) as a "RiskTool"; it is not a virus, but a program used to stop system processes. Antivirus programs cannot distinguish between "good" and "malicious" use of such programs, therefore they may alert the user.
  http://www.beyondlogic.org/consulting/proc…processutil.htm

You should print out these instructions, or copy them to a NotePad file for reading while in Safe Mode, because you will not be able to connect to the Internet to read from this site.

• Restart your computer
• After hearing your computer beep once during startup, but before the Windows icon appears, tap the F8 key continually;
• Instead of Windows loading as normal, a menu with options should appear;
• Select the first option, to run Windows in Safe Mode, then press Enter.
• Choose your usual account (as long as it is an account with Administrator privileges).

• Open the SmitfraudFix folder again and double-click smitfraudfix.cmd
• Select option #2 - Clean by typing 2, then press Enter.
• You will be prompted with: Registry cleaning - Do you want to clean the registry?
• Type Y, then press Enter, to remove the Desktop background and clean infected registry keys.
• The tool will now check if wininet.dll is infected.
• You may be prompted to replace the infected file.
• If prompted, type Y, then press Enter.

• The tool may need to restart your computer to finish the cleaning process; if it doesn't, please restart it into Normal Windows.
• A text file will appear onscreen, with results from the cleaning process.
• Please copy/paste the content of that report into your next reply. The report can also be found at C:\rapport.txt

• Double click ATF-Cleaner.exe to run the program.
• Check the following boxes:
  • Windows Temp
  • Current User Temp
  • All Users Temp
  • Temporary Internet Files
  • Prefetch
  • Recycle Bin
  • Java Cache
• The rest are optional - if you want to remove the lot, check Select All.
• Now click Empty Selected.
• When you get the Done Cleaning message, click OK.

• Click on Scanner
  • Click on the Settings tab, and set the following settings.
    • How to act
    • Click on Recommended actions, and set to Quarantine.
  • How to scan
    • Check all options.
  • Possibly unwanted software.
    • Check all options.
  • Reports
    • Check Automatically generate report after every scan.
    • Uncheck Only if threats were found.
  • What to scan
    • Check Scan every file.
• Click on the Scan tab.
  • Click on Complete System Scan and the scan will begin.
  • When the scan has finished
  • Make sure that Set all elements to: shows Quarantine, if not click on the link and choose Quarantine from the popup menu.
  • At the bottom of the window click on the Apply all Actions button.

• Double-click smitfraudfix.cmd
• Select option #3 - Delete Trusted zone by typing 3, then press Enter.

• c:\rapport.txt
• Ewido log
• A new HijackThis log

• Double click ATF-Cleaner.exe to run the program.
• Check the following boxes:
  • Windows Temp
  • Current User Temp
  • All Users Temp
  • Temporary Internet Files
  • Prefetch
  • Recycle Bin
  • Java Cache
• The rest are optional - if you want to remove the lot, check Select All.
• Now click Empty Selected.
• When you get the Done Cleaning message, click OK.
  
• If you use Firefox browser.
  • Click Firefox at the top and choose: Select All
  • If you would like to keep your saved passwords, please click No at the prompt.
  • Click the Empty Selected button.
• If you use Opera browser.
  • Click Opera at the top and choose: Select All
  • If you would like to keep your saved passwords, please click No at the prompt.
  • Click the Empty Selected button.

• Go to VirusTotal or Jotti's, and scan the following file.

• Click on the Browse button at the top of the screen.
• Browse to the file.
• Click OK.
• Click Send, and the file will upload to VirusTotal / Jotti, where it will be scanned by several anti-virus programmes.
• After a while, a window will open, with details of what the scans found.
• Note details of any viruses found.

• Close any programmes you may have running, ESPECIALLY your web browser
• Click Start > Control Panel.
• Click Add/Remove Programs.
• Check any item with Java Runtime Environment (JRE) in the name.
• Click the Remove or Change/Remove button.
• Repeat as many times as necessary to remove all versions of Java.
• Reboot your computer once all Java components are removed.

• Turn off System Restore.
  • On the Desktop, right-click My Computer.
  • Click Properties.
  • Click the System Restore tab.
  • Check Turn off System Restore.
  • Click Apply, and then click OK.
• Reboot.
  
• Turn ON System Restore.
  • On the Desktop, right-click My Computer.
  • Click Properties.
  • Click the System Restore tab.
  • UN-Check *Turn off System Restore*.
  • Click Apply, and then click OK.
• NOTE: only do this ONCE, NOTon a regular basis

• Double-click My Computer.
• Click the Tools menu, and then click Folder Options.
• Click the View tab.
• Put a check by "Hide file extensions for known file types."
• Under the "Hidden files" folder, select "Do not show hidden files and folders."
• Check "Hide protected operating system files."
• Click Apply, and then click OK.

• From within Internet Explorer click on Tools > Options > Security > Internet > Custom Level.
• Make sure these options are set as follows:
  • Download signed ActiveX controls to Prompt
  • Download unsigned ActiveX controls to Disable
  • Initialize and script ActiveX controls not marked as safe to Disable
  • Installation of desktop items to Prompt
  • Launching programs and files in an IFRAME to Prompt
  • 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.
• Press the Apply button and then the OK to exit the Internet Properties page.

• Adaware SE Personal
  Adaware is a free program. It scans for known spyware on your computer. These scans should be run at least once every two weeks. For more information, see this tutorial
  
• Spybot S & D
  Spybot is a scanner like Adaware. It scans for spyware and other malicious programs. It is important to have both Adaware and Spybot on your computer because each program provides unique detection and protection measures. Spybot has preventitive tools that stop programs from even installing on your computer.
  To see how to set this up as well as more spybot features, see here
  
• SpywareBlaster
  Spyware blaster is a program that stops known malicious activex controls from installing on your computer. It works by changing settings in your registry. It makes "kill bits" in the registry, so that certain activex controls can't install.
  If you don't know what activex controls are, see here
  
• IE Spyad
  It puts many bad webpages on your restricted zones LIST. This means that you can still view the "bad" webpages, but the webpages can't do certain things (such as use javascripts and cookies). Use IE Spyad for single account computers, and IE Spyad 2 for multi account computers.
  
• Hosts file:
  • Every version of windows has a hosts file as part of them.
  • In a very basic sense, they are used to locate webpages.
  • We can customize a hosts file so that it blocks certain webpages.
  • However, it can slow down certain computers.
  • This is why using a hosts file is optional!!
  • Make sure you read the instructions on how to install the hosts file, here.
• If you decide to download the hosts file, the slowdown problems can usually be avoided by following these steps:
  • Click the start button (at the lower left hand corner of your screen)
  • Click run
  • In the dialog box, type services.msc
  • hit enter, then locate dns client
  • Highlight it, then double-click it.
  • On the dropdown box, change the setting from automatic to manual.
  • Click ok
    

• Use an Anti Virus Software - It's very important that your computer has an anti-virus software running. This alone can save you a lot of trouble with malware in the future. See this link for a LISTing of some, on line & their stand-alone anti virus programs:
  Computer Safety On line - LIST of free Anti virus programs
  
• Use a Firewall - I cannot stress enough how important it is that you use a Firewall on your computer. Without a firewall your computer is susceptible to being hacked and taken over. Simply using a Firewall in its default configuration can lower your risk greatly. For more info, check this webpage out.
  See here to choose one.
  
• Site Advisor This is a utility that can be downloaded and installed. It loads an icon to the taskbar of your browser (versions for IE and Firefox), indicating the trustworthiness of the site you are on. Green for safe, Red for suspicious. Click on the icon to access details that SiteAdvisor has about the site.

• UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE!!! Make sure you do this about every 1-2 weeks.
• Run Spybot and Adaware regularly. (Once a week minimum)
• It is important that you visit http://www.windowsupdate.com regularly. This will ensure you always have the latest security updates installed on your computer. If there are new updates to install, install them immediately, reboot your computer, and revisit the site until there are no more critical updates.

NOW is the time you can start to hit back at the people who infected you.
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Please take the time to go and complain - that forum has a topic for your infection which is Smitfraud…. (if not, post in the Is your infection not listed here? topic). Please post as a reply, you do not need to register to do so (but you can if you wish). It will also have a list of other places you can go to to register your complaint, depending on the country you are resident in. Please read the topics and complain, it is only with such complaints to goverment or government agencies that something will get done.