HowTo kill Virus / Malware

[whitewiz]

I have a short HowTo with links to free software here
http://whitewiz.blogspot.com/
it is intentionally brief but feel free to add links to any software you have found useful in the comments section.

[Negative]

Your section on spyware is filled with incorrect/inaccurate definitions, and the advice you're giving is shady at best.

Browser Hijack: when you can't change your start page
Spyware: software that logs where you surf
Malware: software that promises to be useful but uses your pc resources for P2P or distributed attacks

While there are many different definitions out there for "browser hijack", "spyware" and "malware", yours are simply incorrect.

M$AntiSpyare - the only free spyware tool that stays in the system tray

Spybot stays in the system tray as well (if you let it).

BHO Deamon - Browser Helper Objects are plugins for Internet Explorer, remove them all

You don't want me to remove my Acrobat Reader BHO, do you?

Autoruns - find programs that start automatically, just disable everything

If I would disable all autoruns, my lappy wouldn't work anymore :/

Bad, bad "article"...

[CuseMMA]

I don't mean to kick a guy when he's already down (thanks for pointing all those things out Negative) but for future reference if you're going to post a tutorial there's a seperate forum for that:

http://www.antionline.com/forumdispl...=68&daysprune=

[whitewiz]

Then please help me correct my HowTo; what would you put? Remember that my intended audience is those that are not computer literate. Oh and yes if your computer is infected and you are not computer literate my recomendation to disable all BHO's and startup programs makes sense. They can be re-enabled later when the computer is stable. I thought only the paid version of spybot stayed in the tray... I could be wrong i don't use Spybot.

[©opy®ight]

If I would disable all autoruns, my lappy wouldn't work anymore :/

Well it would, i disabled all my things in msconfig except volume worked fine but i got tired of starting things manually....

[morganlefay]

There are a TON of posts on this site how to clean, fix, avoid malware etc

Do a search...and some reading.

Then write your tutorial.

MLF

[XTC46]

No offense, but because your targets are computer illiterate then you should be even more careful to give correct defs. Try using webopedia(among TONS of other online resources, dont use your half assed ones) for more accurate definitions.

Trash any Norton/Symantec Antivirus/Firewall products (really)

It is generally a bad idea to tell people to "trash" existing products in favor of ones that you recommend especially without giving REASONS why.

Turn off windows file protection

Don’t you mean the system restore function? And you should include turning it back on after the scans.

You don’t mention scanning in safe mode.
hijackthis is a registry editing tool used for malware removal primarily and should not be recommended to "computer illiterate" people because it can hose the system incredibly easy. You should also mention to back up your registry before making these changes.

Auto runs- find programs that start automatically, just disable everything

How about we disable explorer.exe from starting automatically. =/

You include 1 antispyware tool, there are MANY free ones and options would be given. Things like adaware and spybot are among the most popular. always give more than 1 option, I dont think there has been a time where 1 program was enough to remove everything.

You include no free firewall software (sygate is awesome)
You include no free virus removal tools (like stinger)
You dont mention patching the machine
You dont mention keeping the software up to date

Browser Hijack: when you can't change your start page
Spyware: software that logs where you surf
Malware: software that promises to be useful but uses your pc resources for P2P or distributed attacks

These definitions are HORRIBLE. The reasons you give for doing things are just plain bad. You are writing a tutorial, it is made to teach. If the people dont know any better than you are teaching them wrong information wich they will then carry with them and pass on.

I like that you are trying, but writing a tutorial that is blatantly wrong is worse than not writing one at all, because people can ruin computers with misinformation. This needs a lot of work, but don’t get discouraged, and keep trying. =)

[whitewiz]

ok changes made:
definitions now link to wikipedia
link to reason why to trash symantec antivirus
listed why to disable windows file protection
you're right, i only listed my preferece of antivirus tools
virus removal tool i listed was AVG; i believe stinger has been replaced by freescan online, added a link to FreeScan
added link to windowsupdate (good catch, i missed that 1)

[Und3ertak3r]

I thought only the paid version of spybot stayed in the tray... I could be wrong i don't use Spybot.

Interesting comment..

There is no PAID FOR version of Spybot Search and Destroy..

Anyone who has recieved that message has managed to end up with the INCORRECT programm.. not the wrong version.. Wrong Download site..
Me feels there is a bit of DNS problems about.. had several customers who have ended up a different site to www.safer-networking.org download link than this one that I supply them

http://www.safer-networking.org/en/download/index.html

Stinger IS STILL STINGER:
http://vil.nai.com/vil/stinger/


YOu need to disable SYSTEM RESTORE (that is what microsoft call it) while your removing Malware.. it is a handy tool.. so re-enable it when the PC is clean..

System file protection is a completly different service.. DONT CONFUSE THEM.. and DONT CONFUSE THE CLIENT BY NAMING IT DIFFERENTLY... SYSTEM RESTORE is SYSTEM RESTORE.. system file protection is NOT system Restore...

move weight machine downstairs?
move PC to basement
move 27" TV to living room
dispose of Marn's walker
dispose of Marn's air compressor
dispose of console TV ?
make some button men

lol.. who needs a weight machine when moving 27"TV's around..btw..Marn? why the air compressor

[moonlight_x]

Und3ertak3r, you reminded me on some incident that some spybotSD download does not check for update correctly. It always reply "no update available" as it can't find any sites providing updates.