Has anyone else been hit with Winfixer tonight?

Question

About 8pm - is this a serious thing? Norton detected it, I don't know if it's gone or not. Any suggestions how I can find out? I ran a full scan, my number of files seems massive - would this be an effect? Any help would be very welcome.

Answer 1

I was hit with it about a year ago and I had to reformat.It causes a lot of pop ups.
If norton doesnt fix it try this free scan,
http://www.ewido.net/en/onlinescan/
or

Spybots search and Destroy http://www.download.com/3000-8022-10122137.html?tag=pao

Answer 2

Nope.
How or where did you download it?
It either came disguised as something else that you downloaded or in an email attachment.

I use AVG free and Windows Defender 2 Beta.
Haven't had any problems for at least 12 months, but then I never open unsolicited email attachments, especially those that have been passed around like "wow! you've got to seee this one"
and I never download and install anything offered by a website proclaiming that it will "clean up your system" "make your PC run 10x faster" "stop all windows errors" etc. Most of these are keystroke loggers or trojans or some other malware.

Any half decent antivirus software or security software will warn you that a website is trying to install something behind your back.

Answer 3

Yes, I have.

And very annoying it is too. Try deleting it from your Control Panel, then emptying out your (Windows) Trash Can.

This shoukd solve your problem

Answer 4

From web search for removal of winfixer, (macafee site adviser shows this as a "green" site).
Spyware DataBaseRemove WinFixer
WinFixer Removal Instructions

WinFixer General Description:
WinFixer is a commercial product that pretends to be a legitimate system tool. WinFixer is actually spyware, which continuously displays annoying false reports of purportedly detected system problems, errors and parasite threats. This may trick the user into thinking that the program is not a security threat and make the user purchase a version of WinFixer.

Remove "WinFixer" Automatically:
Download WinFixer RemoverDownload WinFixer removal software.

Go to this site and use the download

http://www.spywareremove.com/removeWinFixer.html

Also sugest you get and run any of these you don't have.

Antiviral. (free)

AVG free. Excellent protection available from: http://www.Grisoft.com

Don't use two antiviral products together as they may be incompatible. If your Antiviral trial has run out, then remove product from your computer and get the AVG installed.

Anti-spyware (all free)

O.K. Some quick links to get you out of trouble

Essential products are: Adaware SE from: http://www.lavasoft.com

Spybot SD http://www.safer-networking.org/en/spybotsd/index.html

Spywareblaster http://www.javacoolsoftware.com/spywareblaster.html

Windows Defender - http://www.microsoft.com/athome/security/spyware/software/default.mspx

Spycatcher
http://www.tenebril.com/consumer/spyware/spycatcher-express.php
Ewido http://www.ewido.com

PC starter kit at download.com 20 of the best recommended programes for people new or less advanced in computers. Check all three pages, at bottom see Security/Tools/Fun

http://www.download.com/PC-Starter-Kit/2001-12350_4-0.html?tag=dir
Now for some informed reading, courtsey of 2-spyware Research centre.
Anti-Spyware contains the list of all known legitimate anti-spyware programs that can effectively detect and remove spyware, adware threats and other kinds of computer parasites from the system. Listed programs have been carefully tested by the 2-spyware.com research center and successfully passed our strict tests. This means that all of them can quite precisely recognize a particular pest, completely disable it by terminating its processes, deleting its essential files, registry entries and other related objects and eventually clean the infected system ensuring that no unsolicited programs will stay and attempt to violate your privacy and harm your computer.

All the products in Anti-Spyware category really work, do not deceive the user by producing false positives and cannot damage a compromised computer while eliminating found malware. However, it is important to know that not all of them are recommended for daily use. Each spyware remover in the list comes with a review describing its positive sides, drawbacks and impression it left. Such review also includes program screenshots, information about its price, implemented features, performance and general effectiveness. We rate tested programs by giving marks from 1 to 100. The higher mark a spyware remover gets the more effective it is. Please carefully read each review, pay attention to the rating mark a program got and read comments published by other visitors. This will help you to make a wise choice and compare your current anti-spyware program with other modern solutions on the market.

If you cannot find a particular spyware remover in anti-spyware category, take a look on the category of corrupt tools. It contains the list of rogue, fake, illegal, even harmful applications that definitely cannot correctly detect and remove various security and privacy threats and therefore must be avoided.

Additionally we provide the list of recommended anti-spyware software that got the highest marks and therefore is the most effective. From the personal experience we can tell that one spyware remover is not enough, different programs find different parasites. You need to do a wise choice.
Anti-spyware tools:
Total Anti-Spyware products in our DB: 71
Recommended Anti-Spyware products:
Spyware Doctor (91/100) - real time protection; deep file scan; optimal (low) system requirements; complete system scan; highly configurable
Spy Sweeper (89/100) - real time protection; trial version available; deep file scan; complete system scan; highly configurable
Spybot Search and Destroy (84/100) - quick performance; real time protection; free to use; highly configurable
Windows Defender Beta 2 (75/100) - real time protection; free to use; deep file scan; complete system scan


For more information from this site http://www.2-spyware.com/anti-spyware
To check software downloads first for malware or problems:
http://www.freedrweb.com/browser/interne...

C Cleaner. http://www.ccleaner.com/

This will tell you a lot about what is on your computer, such as running programmes,cookies, History, settings etc. and will help you clean up and remove unwanted items. Be careful how you use it as it is a very powerful programme and you should read the help index before you do anything with it.

Hope this information is of help to you and others

Answer 5

Winfixer is not allowed on my computer. I forbid it. You might try superantispyware. It is free.

Answer 6

If you are still dealing with winfixer her is a link that will help.

http://www.uninstall-spyware.com/uninstallWinFixer.html

Answer 7

Install and run Linux on your computer and you wont have these problems.

Answer 8

delete it straight away

Answer 9

not so far

Answer 10

no