AntiSpyware Quarentine

[Rich]

After downloading the AntiSpyware Beta1 I ran a deep scan
and found approx 200 infections. I deleted everything and
deleted two of the files in quarantine. I then went to
the Symantec website and did a scan for virus infections.
It came up with the following: 106582 files scanned, 866
file(s) infected on your disk drives.

One of the infected files it gave was the Quarantine area
of Microsoft AntiSpyware Beta1 located at: C:\Program
Files\Microsoft AntiSpyware\Quarantine\A3DCB594-D04C-41FF-
8AC4-DC8134\5D6BB386-F351-487B-B988-BE9F2B is infected
with Adware.CoolWebSearch

Other adware programs I found are as follows:
Adware.GatorClone
Adware.Iefeats
Adware.VirtuMonde
Adware.BetterInternet
Adware.WinProtect

I have purchased Symantec's firewall pro and anti virus
pro. I've had a subscription for years. I have always
kept it on Med/High protection level. But the adware
still gets in. The Symantec anti virus has also had its
quarantine area infected with a virus. They sent me a
patch for it a few days after I reported it to them.
Symantec has instructions on how to remove some of the
adware manually but there website is not updated often
enough to keep up with the new versions of the adware.
Many of the instructions haven't been updated since 2002.

I hope Microsoft AntiSpyware as a community can come up
with a solution to this adware and spyware dilemma. If we
don't I see the entire internet crashing in the near
future.

 

[Anonymous Bob]

with Adware.CoolWebSearch

Other adware programs I found are as follows:
Adware.GatorClone
Adware.Iefeats
Adware.VirtuMonde
Adware.BetterInternet
Adware.WinProtect

I have purchased Symantec's firewall pro and anti virus
pro. I've had a subscription for years. I have always
kept it on Med/High protection level. But the adware
still gets in. The Symantec anti virus has also had its
quarantine area infected with a virus.

<snip>

Good evening Rich.

You're not going to like what I have to say, but give it some
thought.

For the most part an Anti-virus program offers little protection
from adware/spyware. The best protection you can get is sitting in
front of your keyboard. You're going to have to make some changes.
If you're getting re-infected it may be because your browser
security settings are too low. I have to say too, that no matter how
well protected you think you are, it would still be unwise to go to
some sites feeling like you're bulletproof.

Now, do you have any current problems we can help you solve?

Bob Vanderveen

 

[Guest]

Hi Bob,

My browser security is set on medium and my browser
privacy is set on medium high.

1. My browser pops up on start up to an about:blank page.
I've tried to stop it with Microsoft AntiSpyware but it
never works.
2. My connection is slower than it should be. I recently
started having problems downloading Microsoft updates.
When I went to Symantec they said my security was very
good, but I uploaded the info about it and it showed I
had one problem. Hackers could see my ping from my
direcway 2way satellite server and would probably target
me because of this. I've also had problems with the ping
from my server and uploading files to my websites doc.

3.When I go to web sites some of the words on the website
page's are changed into links, they go to search engines.
4.When I do a search on google I always get a popup
saying the phrase I had searched for. I believe it
usually goes to ebay.
5.I get popups for adware removal tools, adult sites and
especially ifriends popups all of the time. I get a popup
when I first start my computer saying my computer is at
risk click here for more info.

I've tried removing some of the adware manually by
following the instructions on the symantac website. I
found I can rarely find a file they say should exist with
a certain adware virus.

I feel I'm targeted because I own a semi successful
website.

Any help would be appreciated!

Rich

 

[Anonymous Bob]

Hi Bob,

My browser security is set on medium and my browser
privacy is set on medium high.

1. My browser pops up on start up to an about:blank page.
I've tried to stop it with Microsoft AntiSpyware but it
never works.
2. My connection is slower than it should be. I recently
started having problems downloading Microsoft updates.
When I went to Symantec they said my security was very
good, but I uploaded the info about it and it showed I
had one problem. Hackers could see my ping from my
direcway 2way satellite server and would probably target
me because of this. I've also had problems with the ping
from my server and uploading files to my websites doc.

3.When I go to web sites some of the words on the website
page's are changed into links, they go to search engines.
4.When I do a search on google I always get a popup
saying the phrase I had searched for. I believe it
usually goes to ebay.
5.I get popups for adware removal tools, adult sites and
especially ifriends popups all of the time. I get a popup
when I first start my computer saying my computer is at
risk click here for more info.

I've tried removing some of the adware manually by
following the instructions on the symantac website. I
found I can rarely find a file they say should exist with
a certain adware virus.

I feel I'm targeted because I own a semi successful
website.

Any help would be appreciated!

Rich

Rich, I think you have some serious problems.
http://www.geekstogo.com/forum/You_Must_Read_This_Before_Posting_A_Hijackthis_Log-t2852.html

Follow the directions here including all the downloads they
recommend. If that doesn't fix your problem someone will help you.

Good luck,
Bob Vanderveen

 

[Guest]

Hi Bob,
I've done everything they say to do at geekstogo.com for
a severe infection. Now at symantec the report is down
from 866 files infected to finding only 14. Although I
have deleted approx 1400 infected files with all the
adware/spyware removal tools geekstogo.com says to
download. I found the most effective was Ewido Security
Suite, it deleted 922 infected files after I had ran many
other adware removal tools.

I still can't use the microsoft update page and I'm still
getting the aboutblank IE popup when I start my computer.
Microsoft gave me a download link for Windows XP Service
Pack 2 but I can't download it, Ive tried a dozen times
and the connection always gets cut off after about 60%
downloaded. But everything else I reported that was
affected is apparently gone.

Now I will join the message board and see if the geeks
can help me figure out how to remove the adware/spyware I
have left on my system.

Thankyou for all your help!

Rich

 

[Guest]

I just removed another 228 infected files with the Ewido
online beta scanner located at:
www.ewido.net/en/onlinescan

Rich

 

[plun]

Hi Rich

You can save a lot of scan time using CCleaner.
Removes all temporarily junk within a PC which takes
a long time to scan. Also spyware and virus hides within this junkyard.

www.ccleaner.com

 

[Guest]

I have already done that, thanks anyway

I found I needed to use the download about:buster by
RubbeRDuckY

It took care of my popup problem.

Then you are use a shredder once again.

This is the process:
Download about:buster by RubbeRDuckY
Download CWShredder
Download SpSeHjfix
Download and install CleanUp!

Rich

 

[plun]

Hi

Spyware is a challenge.........

At last it could be good to run a online scannner as TrendMicros
Housecall. All 3 of them.

http://housecall.trendmicro.com/

 

[Anonymous Bob]

I have already done that, thanks anyway

I found I needed to use the download about:buster by
RubbeRDuckY

Good afternoon Rich.

That was a good report. Thanks for the feedback.
Are you able to run WindowsUpdate now?

Bob Vanderveen

 

[Guest]

Good Evening Bob,
No I'm not able to run Windows Update yet. But I believe
I will be able to download the windows service pack 2
threw another link that was sent to me by tech support at
Microsoft. I have a download limit imposed on me from my
server at this time and will probably have to wait until
tomorrow to download anymore.

I just tested my computer on the Symantec website once
again and this time I came up 100% clean

The only problem I have left is running the Windows
Update...

Thanks Bob!

Rich

 

[Guest]

Hello Plun,
I ran the online adware/spyware scanner at the site you
mentioned and sure enough it found and removed 28 more
adware/spyware infections that none of the other dozen or
so Anti-Adware/Spyware software found..

Thanks! I appreciate your help

Rich

 

[Bill Sanderson]

I'm going to read the rest of this discussion after this post, but I wanted
to address the technical issue of infected files being found in quarantine
areas.

A quarantine area is just a folder set aside by the vendor to store infected
files in. Such files might be of value to the user, and perhaps later
definitions might allow for their disinfection.

So--it is expected to find infected files in a quarantine area--that's what
it is for.

The process of "honoring" each other's quarantine areas--i.e. an antivirus
voluntarily not scanning Microsoft Antispyware's quarantine area, and
perhaps thus needlessly alarming the user--involves cooperation across an
industry.

I'm not surprised that Symantec's products don't yet recognize a beta
product's quarantine area--I wouldn't expect this to happen until details
are finalized for product release.

 

[Bill Sanderson]

Here's a link for SP2--not sure it will be helpful, but now that you've
gotten much cleaner, perhaps the download will do better.

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/...be-3b8e-4f30-8245-9e368d3cdb5a&displaylang=en

If you are on a dialup connection, you'd probably be much better off with
Windows Update, if you can get that functioning. This is the full download
and is quite large.

--

 

[Bill Sanderson]

If you are already in contact with Microsoft tech support, see if you can
get them to help with the Windows Update issue--this should be within the
purview of the free help available via 1-866-pcsafety in the U.S. and
Canada, I believe.

This really is crucial to the continued well-being of your machine.

Congratulations! This was an impressive cleanup job--well done.
--

 

[Anonymous Bob]

Good Evening Bob,
No I'm not able to run Windows Update yet. But I believe
I will be able to download the windows service pack 2
threw another link that was sent to me by tech support at
Microsoft. I have a download limit imposed on me from my
server at this time and will probably have to wait until
tomorrow to download anymore.

Good evening Rich.

Hmmmm.... as you don't have SP2, I can't help wondering if you have
the updated update code.;-)
Instead of running from the Start button, try Tools | Windows
Update.

Bob Vanderveen

 

[Guest]

I had deleted everything out of the quarantine area.
There was no file in it! It looked to be itself infected
by a virus.

Rich

 

[Guest]

I'm on a 2 way satellite from direcway.com but I just
found out today they limit downloads to 169mb every four
hours. If I still can't download SP2 tomorrow I will give
your link a try.

Thankyou,
Rich

 

[Guest]

I have contacted them about it by email on the website
two days ago and by the (email address within the email)
they sent me the other day with the SP2 download link,
but I'm not getting any reply.

I did talk to microsoft the other night about it over the
telephone, he didn't say anything just that he would send
me a SP2 cd in 4 to 6 weeks. The microsoft page for
ordering the cd online wasn't working for me either.

Rich

 

[Guest]

I tried Tools Windows Update, it didn't work either. I
have successfully downloaded SP2 today but when I try to
install it I get access denied! I tried it Safe Mode but
still got the same message.

I had called Compaq Presario about year and a half ago
because I couldn't install SP1. I would get the same
Access Denied message I'm getting now with SP2. Compaq
Presario tech support flat out told me I could not
install SP1 on this computer.

Any Advice?

Rich