AVG Anti-Virus for XP - Phantom Virus?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Will Denny
  • Start date Start date
W

Will Denny

Hi

That folder holds the files for System Restore, but can't be accessed by AV
programs. If the virus is in there, it can be deleted by turning SR
off/on - but you will lose all existing checkpoints:

Right click on My Computer, select Properties and then the System Restore
tab. Enable 'Turn off System Restore on all drives' and click Apply>OK.
Then reboot your PC. After that first reboot go back into System Restore,
disable 'Turn off System Restore on all drives' and click Apply>OK. Then
reboot your PC again. After this second reboot the virus would have been
deleted and you will have a newly created checkpoint.
 
No Mike, AVG in many ways is better than Norton and others. Stick with it.
Will Denny's advise is excellent but I would like to add one more item. Your
Restore is probably set at 12% of your harddrive with many restore points
therein including previous restores with the virus. Delete all previous
restore
points except the last one and manually create a new one. That way you are
sure the virus has been deleted from your system. If you do a restore, you
can
go back up to 90 days, you could reinstall the virus. Go here:
Start>All Programs>Accessories>System Tools>Disk Cleanup>More Options tab
bottom of window>System Restore>Cleanup button>Delete all but the most
recent restore point. Then manually create a second Restore Point. On a
40gig harddrive it will cleanup 4.8gigs of files including the virus. Happy
putering! :~)
 
Mike said:
Hi

I'm running Win XP with AVG Anti-Virus, I also run Ad-aware and Spybot -
Search & Destroy on a regular bases. Even so every now and then I get a
window pop up with the following message :

AVG Resident Shield

Virus
Trojan horse Downloader.Swizzor.2.AQ

is found in file
C:System Volume
Information\_restore{FBD8CA0F-4996-9861-443EDFF2A70C}\FP29\A0014386.exe

To remove this virus, please run AVG for windows

But when I run AVG it finds nothing, for that matter I can't locate the
above mentioned folder either. Is this a pop up hoax or something I should
be worried about?
Click to expand...

Another way of cleaning this up would be to use Accessories - System
Tools - Disk Cleanup. Click on the More Options tab and then on the
Clean Up... button in the System Restore (bottom) section.

Good luck


Ron Martell Duncan B.C. Canada
--
Microsoft MVP
On-Line Help Computer Service
http://onlinehelp.bc.ca

"The reason computer chips are so small is computers don't eat much."
 
You get what you pay for ! AVG has a free version , so you can't complain
about it. If any one says it will pick up all the nausty viruses and worms ,
they are crazy. It will pick up most of them , for the one's that find there
way in , use a scanner , like Housecall. JD
 
JD said:
You get what you pay for ! AVG has a free version , so you can't complain
about it. If any one says it will pick up all the nausty viruses and worms ,
they are crazy. It will pick up most of them , for the one's that find there
way in , use a scanner , like Housecall. JD
Click to expand...

Nope.

Pretty much all antivirus programs will not remove viruses that are
encapsulated in the System Restore data, because doing so would
destroy the integrity of all of the System Restore information.


Ron Martell Duncan B.C. Canada
--
Microsoft MVP
On-Line Help Computer Service
http://onlinehelp.bc.ca

"The reason computer chips are so small is computers don't eat much."
 
Come on now ....
Viruses do not load to the System Restore files until they enter the common
files and are back up. Once the get there you are badly infected. . Do you
wait till this happens ? JD
 
JD said:
Come on now ....
Viruses do not load to the System Restore files until they enter the common
files and are back up. Once the get there you are badly infected. . Do you
wait till this happens ? JD
Click to expand...

The virus in question as per the original post is only present in the
System Restore data.

One would presume that the machine was infected by a new virus during
the interval between the initial onslaught of that virus and the
availability of antivirus software updates to block that virus.

When the update was received the antivirus would have been able to
clean or remove the infected files, except for those backed up in the
System Restore data.

All repeat all antivirus programs are vulnerable to this type of
infection, and the frequency and timing of AVG's update releases
compares favorably with the rest of the field. They have occasionally
lagged with respect to a specific new virus, but so has every
antivirus company at one time or another.


Ron Martell Duncan B.C. Canada
--
Microsoft MVP
On-Line Help Computer Service
http://onlinehelp.bc.ca

"The reason computer chips are so small is computers don't eat much."
 
Hi

I'm running Win XP with AVG Anti-Virus, I also run Ad-aware and Spybot -
Search & Destroy on a regular bases. Even so every now and then I get a
window pop up with the following message :

AVG Resident Shield

Virus
Trojan horse Downloader.Swizzor.2.AQ

is found in file
C:System Volume
Information\_restore{FBD8CA0F-4996-9861-443EDFF2A70C}\FP29\A0014386.exe

To remove this virus, please run AVG for windows

But when I run AVG it finds nothing, for that matter I can't locate the
above mentioned folder either. Is this a pop up hoax or something I should
be worried about?
 
Thank you. I've now done that, but does this mean I need to invest in a
better anti-virus program to prevent it happening again?

Much Obliged
Mike
 
Thank you people for the information and the advice. I've done as you
suggested and seem to be free and clear for the time being.

Much Obliged
Mike
 
YES. you need to use Nortons/Symantec as this is tried and tested for many years. A free program is not designed to protect you but to tempt you to buying their full version software. I have never installed any free software on my systems except, Winzip and WS-FTP. All other progs are proper commecial versions. I simply don't trust anything that is free!! In the UK there is no free lunch!!

Hope this helps.
http://www.microscum.com/ns/mlslies/index.htm
Thank you. I've now done that, but does this mean I need to invest in a
better anti-virus program to prevent it happening again?

Much Obliged
Mike
Click to expand...

--
I use non Microsoft products wherever possible which requires no activation.

I use Netscape 7.2 as my default browser which has everything I need for my work.

I believe in good Financial Management!! I do not believe in enriching rich jerks!
 
Hi guys.
Just to put in my two cents worth.
I recently bought norton/symantic virus/internet protection. It is
supposed to have all you need to work safely even going on the web.
Immediately after installing this expensive program I lost all ability
to load any new programs or stay on the web. I also was not allowed
to view any files sent me through email.
No amount of tweaking or configuring fixed any of these problems. As
it is well known, there is no way to get any suppost other than the
lame support multiple choice questions on the website. So I've
written a letter to the company hoping to get some help or my money
back.
I'm not the only one who has had these same problems plus some
variations.
So a word to the wise. If you can get a trial version of the software
you are wanting to buy better do that first. Although you will
probably get different results with the trial version than with the
paid version.
Enough said

Have a great day.

firedog
 
John Eddy [MSFT]" said:
YES. you need to use Nortons/Symantec as this is tried and tested for many years. A free program is not designed to protect you but to tempt you to buying their full version software. I have never installed any free software on my systems except, Winzip and WS-FTP. All other progs are proper commecial versions. I simply don't trust anything that is free!! In the UK there is no free lunch!!

Hope this helps.
http://www.microscum.com/ns/mlslies/index.htm
Click to expand...

Your comments are as bogus as the name and email address that you used
in posting this.


Ron Martell Duncan B.C. Canada
--
Microsoft MVP
On-Line Help Computer Service
http://onlinehelp.bc.ca

"The reason computer chips are so small is computers don't eat much."
 
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