Atomic Systems

Hi Chums,

I've just caught XPAntivirus. I've managed to run the mobile version of SuperAntiSpyware which I think has got it but now no .exe files will run. I get the 'Windows cannot open this file' box evrytime.

Any ideas please?

Have a look at

http://hubpages.com/hub/XP-Antivirus and

http://www.pcworld.com/downloads/file_d ... nload.html

Tony

Damn scareware eh? SWBO nearly got caught by one of those a while back - but came and asked before doing anything fatal....

Do you have a 'restore point' prior to the event? If not, looks like you'll need one of the manual removal approaches - there's quite a few available as well as those Tony posted;

http://www.symantec.com/security_respon ... 10-0713-99
http://uk.answers.yahoo.com/question/in ... 032AAnOAgC

What AV/firewall do you use - they may have the appropriate tools

Of course ( shutting the stable door, now that the horse has bolted, as granny used to say ....) you need to be a bit cautious about the sites that offer 'free scans' and 'speed up your PC' and the like......

Good luck!

Cheers

John

Thanks for the replies Ode Pals.

Problem is I think the malware has gone but it's left me with no .exe files opening. I'm only on here because I have a desktop shortcut to UKTrainSim so it doesn't need the executable file to run.

Bring back the death penalty?

I wouldn't hesitate for a moment where the people that write these things are concerned !

Here's some blurb on the subject that may be of value for others

XP Anti-Virus 2011 a.k.a. XPAntiVirus 2011 is a fake security program. It presents itself as a virus remover while the program itself is malicious piece of software distributed by trojans.

XP Anti-Virus 2011 brings tons of counterfeit security warnings trying to push people into purchasing the app. Do not trust a single notification displayed by XP AntiVirus 2011! The program itself is a computer infection and it should be removed as soon as possible.

XP Anti-Virus 2011 may cause other problems as well such as hijacked web browser.

Here are some examples of XP Anti-Virus 2011 pop-ups:

XP Anti-Virus 2011 ALERT
Internet Explorer alert. Visiting this site may pose a security threat to your system


System danger!
Your system is in danger. Privacy threats detected. Spyware, keyloggers or Trojans may be working in the background right now. Perform an in-depth scan and removal now, click here.


Attention: DANGER!
ALERT! System scan for spyware, adware, trojans and viruses is complete.
XP Anti-Virus 2011 detected 29 critical system objects.


Security breach!
Beware! Spyware infection was found. Your system security is at risk. Private information may get stolen, and your PC activity may get monitored. Click for an anti-spyware scan.

Alec

PS THERE BUT FOR THE GRACE OF GOD GO YOU OR I !!!!!

You're not alone........ not that that's much comfort eh?

There are a lot of pages on the subject, most of the ones I looked at (briefly) suggest it's a registry file association problem and there is one or more downloadable 'fix' files available.

This link;
http://www.softwaretipsandtricks.com/fo ... my-pc.html
seems to be typical and contains an onward link for a registry fix. Norton av shows the Doug Knox site
http://www.dougknox.com/xp/file_assoc.htm as 'safe'

Good luck!

John

Good afternoon everyone
Hope you soon get your computer health sorted Dave
Has anyone noticed that some "Google" images tend to carry the sort of messages mentioned?
I have had a few of them recently ....luckily I managed to close my browser and then run my AV and Malware Bytes
Which didn't detect anything untoward fortunately
Kind regards Stephen

Hi Dave,
All I can say is thank you for your unselfish posting, warning us of this threat.

Good luck
Doug

Thanks again for the replies.

John, I've seen Doug Knox mentioned as well.

I've booked Wednesday off for a clear (ish) head look at possible solutions.

Thats a Rouge Anti-virus program.

Best way we get rid of it, is this little beauty of a program, and the free version works fine:
http://www.techspot.com/downloads/4716- ... lware.html

Its called Malwarebytes Anti-Malware. Just download, install, update and run a Full Scan. Removes loads of gunk from your Windows.

If you have multiple user accounts you'll need to run it separately on each one to be sure, but since it only takes an hour or 2 it isnt too bad. When I do it I always run once in normal mode and once in Safe Mode just to be sure...


I'm suprised no one else has mentioned it
Pretty much removes the need to manually remove all the reg entries and hidden exe files, like the above links recommend...

MoonKid47 wrote:<SNIP>Best way we get rid of it, is this little beauty of a program, and the free version works fine:
http://www.techspot.com/downloads/4716- ... lware.html

Not quite correct Alex - unfortunately the free version of Malwarebyte's didn't prevent my old system getting this nasty little trojan, which is why I upgraded to the full version that allows you to scan active memory. All OK now, I'm happy to say.

Ash

I use Malwarebytes free and also SpyBot Search and Destroy, whch seems good at finding Trojans.

Tony

Shhh !

Say nothing . . quiet now . . .

I think I've / we've fixed it !

The Doug Knox link did it in seconds and all appears OK.

Fingers crossed, touch wood etc etc