Bits from Bill
Removing AntiVirus 2008/2009 The Easy Way
Last week, I wrote about how to prevent getting infected with the to common AntiVirus 2008 or other similar branded attacks. I have been hearing from far too many people who have been getting infections lately.
In my post, I talked about preventing this infection but I didn’t cover how to remove this infection in case it was too late. I started working on details and steps on how to use WinPatrol to remove this infection but realized there is an easier way. Many folks have also run into the problem that this infection will block access to any WinPatrol pages. In some ways I’m honored that the bad guys are afraid of WinPatrol and how things were easier when WinPatrol only had a small following.
Our friends over at MalwareBytes.org have often dedicated their programs to specific threats and they have a solution that works great for most of the common infections I’ve been seeing this fall. The free version of their Anti-Malware program is simple, easy to use and can automatically scan your system cleaning up many of these threats.
The bad guys are also blocking MalwareBytes.org so it might be easiest to download from a 3rd party site like CNets Download.com.
Download Here
It’s a never ending cycle as we all battle various computer threats but fear not, there are plenty of good guys out there too. Marcin and the folks at MalwareBytes are just part of a larger group who sincerely want to help. I recommend helping them by licensing their full version. Just like my WinPatrol PLUS they provide a lifetime of free upgrades and support with no hidden fees.
Labels: antimalware, antivirus2008
posted by Unknown | 11:38 AM
3 Comments:
Hi Bill,
Ive had WinPatrol on my XP machines for years. Just wanted to say thanks for the great service.
It truly is a never ending battle to stay safe online.
Bill, as much as I like your blog and actively use your software, this one "Removing AntiVirus 2008/2009 the Easy Way" was a bust for me. WinXP, currently up to date with Windows Updates, reliable firewall, major antivirus program. Yes, I keep my system scrubbed of temp files and everything related to internet history and browsing history data removed. Yet your software recommendation flagging 159 instances of the same software as a malware activity. Nothing but a false occurrence. Not only have I had this software long before malware was a term, I beta tested for the company, obtained my copy from only a reliable company source, it has been scanned many times before by other malware products and antivirus programs. Shame, as this is a true miss. Yes, I helped test your product also.
George
Hello Bill:
A false positive now and then is not a sign of failure of a security product. A piece of malware is just another program, and it may use similar code as some "good" programs, so false positives can happen to any security product.
It's impossible to put a copy of every good program on a false positive "farm" for checking against before signatures are released.
When a false positive does occur, we need to let the AV/security vendor know about it so they can fix it.
Regards,
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