|
|
Joined: Aug 2008
Posts: 37
Rookie
|
OP
Rookie
Joined: Aug 2008
Posts: 37 |
XP Antivirus 2008 I'm willing to bet that a lot of you started groaning as soon as you read the title for today's Quick Tip. Several of you have been e-mailing me the last few weeks about the XP Antivirus 2008 ordeal, so I figured it was about time I go over it. I know the whole issue has put many of you in a panic, but I have some information for you today that I think will help calm you down. Let's get right to it! First of all, let me explain a little about what XP Antivirus 2008 really is. It's basically one of the latest scams to hit the Web. It's a fake antivirus program, but it looks so real and it has fooled a lot of computer users. It usually starts showing up after you've downloaded a video (or something similar) that supposedly has a virus attached to it. You are then urged to install XP Antivirus 2008 to get rid of the malware. That is, after you pay for it, of course. Once you shell out your money and install it, it starts popping up false virus alerts and fake scans. It also takes up a lot of your system memory and makes your computer almost impossible to operate. Now, if you have fallen for this scam, don't feel bad. You're definitely not the only one. It's awful that things like this even happen, but they do, so you just have to deal with them. Luckily, there's a rather simple way to remove XP Antivirus 2008 from your computer. The directions are pretty lengthy and I didn't want to take up all that space here in the newsletter, but you can find three different removal methods on this Web site. The first one is already on the page for you and the links for the other two can be found down below. Just make sure you follow the instructions very carefully and before you know it, you'll be rid of this nasty scam for good! ~ Erin Quote:
Received this in a newsletter from a web site I subscribe to: www.worldstart.com. I've never encountered it yet but, thought I would share info. Worldstart is another Kim Komando type of web site.
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 15,015
Legend
|
|
Legend
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 15,015 |
I can tell you my mother got hit by this, and after 2 weeks of trying to get rid of it per the webs instructions and it still being there I finally reformatted her system.
Even though it appeared to be gone, I could tell it was running, and sure enough when I backed up here files for the reformat, I ran a virus scan on the USB HDD and it showed up as sitting in the system directory, along with an autostart in the registry still, even though I had removed it several times.
It is one nasty little bugger.
Out of fun and interest, I visited the "website" they link on the fake page, and sent and email to the contact, not expecting to get an answer I was surprised I did, along with the removal program I requested. Knowing this is a scam, I scanned the "DeleteWinXPAntiVirus.exe" they sent attached and found the virus in it.
I wonder how many people have gotten this so far, I know of 3 myself for sure.
We don't have to agree with each other, to respect each others opinion.
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 6,331
Hall of Famer
|
|
Hall of Famer
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 6,331 |
People who create these things should be burned at the stake. Then we'd have no more viruses..........................
Can't say I have any sympathy for the computer nerds who make these things. They could go to max security prisons and become some guy's toy for all I care. All they do is ruin a ton of people's days
UCONN HUSKIES 2014 Champions of Basketball
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 3,405
Hall of Famer
|
|
Hall of Famer
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 3,405 |
There have been many "Download Internet Explorer 7" emails with viruses that have been slipping by my filters lately and I have to keep reminding the lemmings at work that just because they get an email saying they need to do this, doesn't meant that they should.
"My signature line goes here."
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 14,248
Legend
|
|
Legend
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 14,248 |
Quote:
I have to keep reminding the lemmings at work that just because they get an email saying they need to do this, doesn't meant that they should.
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 15,015
Legend
|
|
Legend
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 15,015 |
I love the fact that they can't tell a real virus warning, from one of those website pop-ups. 
We don't have to agree with each other, to respect each others opinion.
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 3,044
Hall of Famer
|
|
Hall of Famer
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 3,044 |
Worse yet is there is yet another, WinAntivirus2009..XP AV 2008 is another varient of it. I have posted a detailed article on my Website of how to fully remove this piece of malware off your system if you have been infected with it. The write up is here Remove WinAntivirus 2009 i have cleaned this off 4 computers in my area so far today
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Aug 2008
Posts: 37
Rookie
|
|
OP
Rookie
Joined: Aug 2008
Posts: 37 |
Thanks for tip and nice of you share. I would love to see a special forum set-up here for just these issues as they are so relative to us novices to being able to be active on the board. Myself, so far I have not encountered any of the mentioned viruses but, always do scanning of attachments before I open them and only if they are from trusted friends. 
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 961
Administrator
|
|
Administrator
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 961 |
Quote:
I would love to see a special forum set-up here for just these issues as they are so relative to us novices to being able to be active on the board.
There's no need for another forum just for issues such as this; they can be posted in this forum just as this one was.
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 17,027
Legend
|
|
Legend
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 17,027 |
i had to reformat my system, which isn't a big deal because it is a brand new computer
but my cousin told me to look into avg free, software for protecting your computer
do current antivirus programs/software protect you from this stuff?
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 15,015
Legend
|
|
Legend
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 15,015 |
This particular virus can only be protected if you refuse to click on everything that pops up on your screen.
It basically pops up from the web with a clicky link on it, you click it thinking you are downloading a virus fix since they tell you "Your computer has XX infected files, click here to fix them" once you click that link your toast.
Antivirus programs will probably catch it during install and warn you, but as I've seen many people do, they don't read the messages they just click away. When this virus first came out, the antivirus programs didn't have it yet, and they wouldn't catch it, but once this one is on your system it's tough to get rid of.
We don't have to agree with each other, to respect each others opinion.
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 17,027
Legend
|
|
Legend
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 17,027 |
Quote:
This particular virus can only be protected if you refuse to click on everything that pops up on your screen.
It basically pops up from the web with a clicky link on it, you click it thinking you are downloading a virus fix since they tell you "Your computer has XX infected files, click here to fix them" once you click that link your toast.
Antivirus programs will probably catch it during install and warn you, but as I've seen many people do, they don't read the messages they just click away. When this virus first came out, the antivirus programs didn't have it yet, and they wouldn't catch it, but once this one is on your system it's tough to get rid of.
a reformat completely rids it though, right?
this thing popped up last night, barely 24 hours after i had bought a new computer... i wonder if it was on my external, and popped back up
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 15,015
Legend
|
|
Legend
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 15,015 |
I tried several web remedies to cure my mom's PC when she got it, while I could get the thing to keep from popping up virus warnings constantly, I could see it was still there and running.
So I reformatted, it's the safest way to rid yourself of it.
You can try some of the links posted on here, and remedies, but unless your fairly adept at computers it may not be worth your while to spend the time.
Last edited by FloridaFan; 08/28/08 04:44 PM.
We don't have to agree with each other, to respect each others opinion.
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 17,027
Legend
|
|
Legend
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 17,027 |
Quote:
I tried several web remedies to cure my mom's PC when she got it, while I could get the thing to keep from popping up virus warnings constantly, I could see it was still there and running.
So I reformatted, it's the safest way to rid yourself of it.
You can try some of the links posted on here, and remedies, but unless your fairly adept at computers it may not be worth your while to spend the time.
yeah, well with a new computer, i had no problem reformatting, considering all i had on there were a few programs that i had downloaded.
now im just worried my external may have this, and i have all my music and pictures on there, as well as some old college football and nba games...
do you think if i downloaded AVG, or some other program, i could run it at my external and hopefully rid it of this horrible virus?
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 15,015
Legend
|
|
Legend
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 15,015 |
You can try, but I found the virus kept AVG from finishing install. So I couldn't scan with it, although I took a copy of my mom's HDD home, and plugged it in and ran a scan and it caught the virus file, but the virus itself was not running, so cleaning and quarantining was easy.
I use a program from Acronis, called True Image, and have stored a full copy of my OS and basic program on a separate drive. Then if all hell breaks loose, and I have to reformat, I can just recopy that setup back to my PC hard drive, have all my basics, then just load newer stuff, and I still have all my settings, passwords, bookmarks, documents, etc stored from a clean install.
It literally saves me hours of reinstall.
Last edited by FloridaFan; 08/28/08 04:45 PM.
We don't have to agree with each other, to respect each others opinion.
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 17,027
Legend
|
|
Legend
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 17,027 |
Quote:
You can try, but I found the virus kept AVG from finishing install. So I couldn't scan with it, although I took a copy of my mom's HDD home, and plugged it in and ran a scan and it caught the virus file, but the virus itself was not running, so cleaning and quarantining was easy.
I use a program from Acronis, called True Image, and have stored a full copy of my OS and basic program on a separate drive. Then if all hell breaks loose, and I have to reformat, I can just recopy that setup back to my PC hard drive, have all my basics, then just load newer stuff, and I still have all my settings, passwords, bookmarks, documents, etc stored from a clean install.
It literally saves me hours of reinstall.
if i can install avg on my c drive, shouldnt that be able to also look toward my F drive (external)
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 15,015
Legend
|
|
Legend
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 15,015 |
We don't have to agree with each other, to respect each others opinion.
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 17,027
Legend
|
|
Legend
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 17,027 |
that's all im really worried about, i have almost 20g of music that ive collected over the last 5 years... i would be devastated if i lost all of that (some is backed up)
|
|
|
DawgTalkers.net
Forums DawgTalk Tailgate Forum XP Antivirus 2008 Program Scam
|
|
