What's a good anti-virus program to scan and remove? Need expert advice.?

Question

I recently got a virus on my Dell laptop and here are several things that happen:

1. I've heard music playing through my speakers when there was no media player open. (doesn't happen much lately)
2. My wallpaper turns to a dark grey screen at startup then reappears a few seconds later with reduced quality (like bitmap to jpeg). Also the labels (or words under desktop icons) get highlighted in grey, and some of the icons themselves get highlighted as well.
3. Internet explorer keeps switching my privacy settings automatically to "accept all cookies" whenever I open a new window.

I have tried several scans with norton and avast antivirus programs both in regular and safe mode and have even done boot scans with avast and they have yet to fix the problems. Now my computer crashes in regular mode whenever I try to open a program. Can someone please help?

Answer 1

If you have two antivirus programs installed this will cause serious conflict with your system. You can have three or four antispyware programs without conflict as one will usually find what the others miss.

Nortons is a resource hog and junk.

Suggest you remove both Avast & Nortons and install the free
AOL, Active Virus Shield.

Here is an excellent free antivirus program from AOL, Active Virus Shield powered by Kaspersky Lab of Russia. Rated # 1 in the world for virus detection. You will get auto updates every hour on the hour, plus an excellent background scanner that really works great. AOL, will only ask you for your email so they can send you a free key good for one year. After one year just request a new key.

http://www.activevirusshield.com/antivirus/freeav/index.adp

Minddoctor, France

Answer 2

I don't know if you tried any of the anti-spyware programs. Nortons and Avast should of found most of those, but you might have to run a few others to try to resolve some of these issues.

Avg has a free anti spyware program out found here:http://free.grisoft.com/doc/5390/lng/us/tpl/v5#avg-anti-spyware-free

also run their Anit Root Kit program found at the same above site.

Another good scanner is x-cleaner-micro edition found here:
http://www.spywareguide.com/onlinescan.php < This one is an activeX download and install. The program will pop up in the yellow information bar at the top of your IE browser ( if you have it enabled). Once installed, if the scanner doesnt come up right away, click once more on the xcleaner micro picture from the website. This will usually jump start the scanner to start scanning.

On last note:

Elon, sometimes the best antivirus program cannot fix every instance of Virus damage, especially if it occurs in the registry. I really don't think another anti virus scanner is going to fix your issue. It might just be time to format and re-install windows.


Good Luck though..

Answer 3

Norton AntiVirus isn't a "hog" program, its one of the top security programs out there, hence to say, it isn't a virus problem, its a registry problem, to fix it, download this powerful and free program from download.com it's called : Advanced WindowsCare V2 Personal, it'll fix all the errors and bugs that you have on your computer also deletes spyware and adware.

Answer 4

fairly often i could say to reinstall vista the only ingredient you're able to do is to reformat your perplexing tension with the restoration disk ti will delete the entire ingredient regardless of the indisputable fact that it will do away with the trojan on condition that it deletes each thing equipment records and all even the grasp boot series and the reloads it. If that doesn't restoration the shy away then it truly is a hardware worry with the products of the laptop.

Answer 5

I am using AVG by Grisoft for more than 5 years, now I use AVG Internet Security 7.5 download the trial version and go to serials.ws for key

Answer 6

hi. yes i can see you have a big problem, remove your old antivirus software and download something called bitdefender. its free. its the best software around. www.bitdefender.com.

its an all in one app, with firewall, antivirus, antispyware and spam block.
it secures evry bit.

Being a computer technician i reccomend it all the time.

best of luck

Answer 7

If All Does Not Work Just Reformat Your Laptop (Last Resort).

Answer 8

i use and reccomend avg antivirus 6 years without a problem
and i have installed it foe thousands of customers you should also get a good antispyware like superantispyware or spybot keep them updated and run them regularly

Answer 9

If Norton and AVG cannot help you then call your local parish priest and arrange an exorcism.

Answer 10

You have two AntiViruses running at the same time. You should only have one AntiVirus, one software firewall and one hardware firewall, and 2-3 spyware removal tools. This is because the real time protection between both AntiViruses are conflicting. Remove one of them. Try the following free softwares to rid yourself of malware:

I prefer Avast, but AVG is just as great.

AVG AntiVirus
http://free.grisoft.com/doc/1

Avast Home Antivirus
http://www.avast.com/eng/download-avast-...

You may also want some other tools to run and use as well

SpywareBlaster
http://www.download.com/spywareblaster/3...

Spybot S&D
http://www.safer-networking.org/en/mirro...

AVG AntiSpyware
http://free.grisoft.com/doc/20/lng/us/tp...

Adaware (Lavasoft)
http://www.download.com/ad-aware-2007-fr...

If you are currently having a problem:

◙ Download and install AVG. Use it first and see if it finds any viruses or trojans.

☞ http://free.grisoft.com/doc/1

◙ After running AVG go here and run this virus scanner online. There is no need to install it on your computer.

http://housecall.trendmicro.com/...........

◙ Microsoft's New Live Safety Center. Download this scanner to check and remove spyware, viruses, get rid of obsolete files and junk off your computer, and improve your PCs performance.

☞ http://safety.live.com/site/en-us/defaul...

◙ The Microsoft Windows Malicious Software Removal Tool checks computers running Windows XP, Windows 2000, and Windows Server 2003 for infections by specific, prevalent malicious software—including Blaster, Sasser, and Mydoom—and helps remove any infection found. When the detection and removal process is complete, the tool displays a report describing the outcome, including which, if any, malicious software was detected and removed. You can run this tool online FREE.

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/detai...

◙ Before downloading email attachments in Gmail and Yahoo Mail click on the link that says, "Scan With Norton Antivirus".

◙ Before downloading any software from the internet type it into http://groups.google.com/ to see if that title is known for spyware or viruses. Google Groups has over 1 billion posts spanning 25 years to help you. Even after checking it there ALWAYS scan it before opening it. You just can't be too careful. -- Smart Computing Magazine

◙ A lot of the download sites like http://www.download.com/ and http://www.tucows.com/ scan software before releasing it to the public. But just for safety sake you should still scan it yourself.

◙ Here is a really great article on browser hijacking. This will show you how to get rid of it. There is a tutorial and software to get rid of part of it. You'll need to make some changes to your computer's registry to get rid of the rest of it. Click on the chatroom link on their main page if you need help.

☞ http://www.spywareinfo.com/articles/hija...

◙ Here is Yahoo!'s Internet Security section.

☞ http://security.yahoo.com/

◙ Below is Mcafee's Site Adviser. Type in a URL in the form here and you will find out if the site you want to go to is known for phising (getting your personal info under false pretenses), viruses, spyware, and many other things. You can use the tool on their site or download an program to do that.

☞ http://www.siteadvisor.com/

◙ Get more information at these PC Magazine Web sites.

☞ http://www.pcmag.com/
☞ http://www.smartcomputing.com/

◙ Top 100 Computer & Software Magazines.

☞ http://netvalley.com/top100mag.html........

★★ TOOLS FOR SPECIFIC VIRUSES & TIPS ★★

◙ Sometimes you'll get a particularly nasty virus that cannot be removed with conventional tools. For times like these you can (quite often not always) download a removal tool for that specific virus. Below are some sites you should look at.

☞ http://www.grisoft.com/doc/utilities/ing...
☞ http://www.symantec.com/security_respons...
☞ http://www.bitdefender.com/site/download...

◙ Below is a tool called "Stinger" that Mcafee put together with all 54 of it's tools in it.

☞ http://vil.nai.com/vil/stinger/............

◙ GLOBAL VIRUS ALERT -- The latest virus outbreak alerts from F-Secure, Trend Micro, Panda, and Sophos. Each anti-virus fighter is reporting the state of the Virus Battles on its front, which reflects a unique customer and geographic profile.

☞ http://www.trimmail.com/news/tools/#glob...

◙ Add free virus alerts to your web site.

☞ http://www.trendmicro.com/syndication/vi...
For Trojans try these ( free to try),
http://www.ewido.net/en/
Or
http://www.misec.net/trojanhunter/.........
Or
http://www.agnitum.com/products/tauscan/...


And always scan once a week with these free and trusted scanners as well if you go to gaming sites and porn and etc.
http://housecall.trendmicro.com/...........
http://www.webroot.com/freescan............
http://www.kaspersky.com/virusscanner......
http://www.pandasoftware.com/products/ac...
http://www3.ca.com/securityadvisor/virus...
http://www.bitdefender.com/

First, you need anti-virus software - download, install and update AVG anti-virus (it's free for personal use) - you can find it here - http://free.grisoft.com/doc/1

Then remove your System Restore points (viruses love to hide in the System Restore files), but be aware that if you do remove your existing Restore Points you will not be able to "roll back" your computer to a previous configuration. To find out how to disable System Restore see this page - http://www.pchell.com/virus/systemrestor...

Just to be sure you don't have other malware on your computer I recommend that you download SpyBot Search & Destroy and Adware - both are free spyware/adware detection and removal software.

Next, start the computer in Safe Mode - (as the comptuer is starting up, keep tapping the F8 key on your keyboard until you see a special start-up menu) - more on how to start in Safe Mode here - http://www.microsoft.com/resources/docum...

Using AVG - run a full system virus scan while in Safe Mode

After the viruses have been detected and removed, run SpyBot and AdAware (full system scans) then restart the comptuer, enable System Restore again and enjoy a virus-free computing experience.

If the problems are still there, try using MSCONFIG to help figure out how to manually disable the Trojan from starting up - see more about MSCONFIG here - http://netsquirrel.com/msconfig/...........

To help protect against malware you should install a firewall, Zone Alarm works perfectly well and is free – http://www.zonealarm.com/store/content/c...

Also, don't forget to keep Windows up-to-date - using Microsoft Windows Update!

After following these instructions go to: http://www.geekstogo.com/forum/must-read... they will help you for free, no credit card or personal information needed, and they will analyze Hijack This logs for you, to make sure that your computer is safe. HijackThis helps If persistent spyware is bogging down your computer, you might need HijackThis. The tiny program examines vulnerable or suspect parts of your system, such as browser helper objects and certain types of Registry keys. Pressing the Scan button generates a log of dozens of items, most of which are just customizations. Don't check off an item and hit the Fix checked button unless you're sure it's malware. Clicking Info on selected item tells you why the entry was flagged as suspicious, but not whether it's actually malware. To find that out, search the Web for that item's name or go straight to a forum, such as SpywareInfo or Computer Cops. Saving the log creates a text document you can post to these forums.

The latest version adds powerful tools to the Config window. The process manager and hosts file editor help you excise virulent infections. The unique ADS Spy tool scans for alternate data streams, which some browser hijackers use to hide from spyware removers. The program still installs into whatever directory in which you unzip the file, which can make it hard to locate. HijackThis is a serious tool for any user who needs to root out a serious infestation, but wield it with caution. So, go to the site I gave you above, and they'll help you step by step.
Free registry cleaners:
CCleaner does not specialise in cleaning the registry, it's mostly used to speed up your computer by cleaning up your recycle bin, temp files/internet files, browsing history, application errors, log files and so on.. which frees up some space in your harddisk


I've tried these 10 free cleaners
http://www.regsofts.com/freeware/freereg...
I would recommend the following(click on the webpage and follow):

Free Windows Registry Repair(first one) - rather effective, the first scan i did after about a year showed over 500 problems with the registry, fixed them all

RegSeeker(2nd one) - fixed another 300 problems after using the previous one.

and like the two of them said, Eusing Free Registry Cleaner and Abexo Free Registry Cleaner(30 day trial)

Just run them all that'll fix most problems! But dont expect 100% fixes because programs might recreate registry entries when used and so a second scan might still show the same few errors. (ignore such errors)



those are all freeware, hope i'm of some help

Good Luck!

P.S. First go to: http://onecare.live.com/site/en-us/defau... Choose full service scan and let it install any active x components