Free, Safe, Effective Malware removal...

[Owly055]

Disclaimer.........I loath Windows with a purple passion... it's been an unstable unreliable system since day one, and I've run EVERY version from 3.0 ( little more than a graphical front end on DOS) thtough 7 on at least one system........... By contrast, I've been running varioius version of Linux as my primary OS for many years..... I use the SUSE distributions as they have served me better than any other in a number of respects...
I've found that "security software" has been the number one culprit as far as degradation of stability and performance............. My secondary system, the ONLY Windows system I run regularly, runs only ONE program, and that program is "mission critical".... I don't use a browser, a word processor, an email program, spreadsheet program, or anything else, just one program connected to a remote server. I learned the hard way that security software caused "train wrecks". A few years ago I started using Microsoft Security Essentials for Window........ A FREE program, that does NOT crash window or degrade it. I no longer have to "blast my hard drive" and start over periodically. In the past I had zero tolerance for reduced performance and stability and would Fdisk and start over as soon as I began observing those things........ a long and painstaking process. With Win98, it was as often as 6 times a year!!

When I went to Linux and relagated Windows to ONE program, it made life a LOT easier. Both of my systems have Linux on one partition and Windows on the others.......I can switch if one becomes unstable (always the Windows partition). Linux runs stably and reliably for many years.... Windows for a few months as a rule!! That is until I went to ONE program and Microsoft Security Essentials for Windows........... F___ Microsoft!!!


H.W.

 

[jtratcliff]

When I went to Linux and relagated Windows to ONE program

I kept a windows box around just for Quicken for quite awhile while I traveled through RedHat, Gentoo, and now Ubuntu. Then I moved my windows install to a virtual machine (first VMware, then VirtualBox). Now I run quicken via Crossover which is a commercially supported version of Wine (a reimplentation of the MS Windows API under linux) and don't use MS Windows at all.

Depending on your ONE app, you may be able to ditch MS Windows altogether for either Wine or Crossover...

Now if I could just ditch Quicken for GnuCash

 

[dtgrdn]

Disclaimer.........I loath Windows with a purple passion... it's been an unstable unreliable system since day one, and I've run EVERY version from 3.0 ( little more than a graphical front end on DOS) thtough 7 on at least one system........... By contrast, I've been running varioius version of Linux as my primary OS for many years..... I use the SUSE distributions as they have served me better than any other in a number of respects...
I've found that "security software" has been the number one culprit as far as degradation of stability and performance............. My secondary system, the ONLY Windows system I run regularly, runs only ONE program, and that program is "mission critical".... I don't use a browser, a word processor, an email program, spreadsheet program, or anything else, just one program connected to a remote server. I learned the hard way that security software caused "train wrecks". A few years ago I started using Microsoft Security Essentials for Window........ A FREE program, that does NOT crash window or degrade it. I no longer have to "blast my hard drive" and start over periodically. In the past I had zero tolerance for reduced performance and stability and would Fdisk and start over as soon as I began observing those things........ a long and painstaking process. With Win98, it was as often as 6 times a year!!

When I went to Linux and relagated Windows to ONE program, it made life a LOT easier. Both of my systems have Linux on one partition and Windows on the others.......I can switch if one becomes unstable (always the Windows partition). Linux runs stably and reliably for many years.... Windows for a few months as a rule!! That is until I went to ONE program and Microsoft Security Essentials for Windows........... F___ Microsoft!!!


H.W.

And this helps the OP how?

 

[jtratcliff]

And this helps the OP how?

It suggests the option to move away from MS windows to a less malware-targeted platform: Linux.
e.g.

When I went to Linux and relagated Windows to ONE program, it made life a LOT easier.

It's not a panacea. It doesn't make one immune from malware... just not as susceptible.

 

[Owly055]

It suggests the option to move away from MS windows to a less malware-targeted platform: Linux.
e.g.


It's not a panacea. It doesn't make one immune from malware... just not as susceptible.

The real point is that the ONLY security software that is reliable and doesn't cause crashes and degraded performance on Windows is Microsoft Security Essentials. Linux is not technically "immune", but for practical purposes it has been. It also has security software, which is built into the distribution... SUSE in my case, and is virtually invisible. By being in a small community of users as opposed to the huge user base ripe with targets, you have a level of protection automatically just by being outside the "bullseye"............

H.W.

 

[GotPushrods]

How do I remove myself from the list that relatives call in order to scrub their computer? I've tried everything.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00KI5I5N6/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

I started wearing that to family gatherings. As a "joke".

 

[Owly055]

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00KI5I5N6/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

I started wearing that to family gatherings. As a "joke".

Great idea ;-) ................... Actually I've removed myself from that list by making it clear that there is no practical way to "fix widows" other than Fdisk ............ which means spending a lot of time doing backups, then restoring everything, including the driver nightmare. When they can't find their install disks....... which almost nobody can, they soon lose interest, and ususally they buy a new system within a few months, mumbling about how their old system was worn out........ It's what keeps computer manufacturers in business, and Windows is designed that way intentionally.


H.W.

 

[Homercidal]

We're getting far away from the topic. I highly doubt the OP wishes to spend time installing and learning a new OS. Starting a debate comparing different operating systems isn't helpful. And we've been down this road so many times, just like Glass vs Plastic, or is Secondary necessary.

 

[stpug]

Is there such a thing? MalwareBytes trial ran out, and stuff like Spyhunter appear to have hidden fees.

Any advice?

Edit: In case it helps looks like I caught a case of "dealingapp"

AdwCleaner has been a solid, simple, portable, adware cleaner for me. No installation needed. Download the runtime and run it. When it's done it will want to reboot, after which it will present you with the log file. However, it's not a resident, real-time software like malwarebytes or avira, et al. Run the scan (which is fast), look through the tabs of adware/malware it found, unselect what you want to keep, click the clean button.

http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/download/adwcleaner/

 

[DrunkleJon]

Oh, and be careful, scratch that. Do not run/use registry cleaners, or any of those programs purported to speed up your computer unless you really know what you are doing (and in that case you can do those cleanups better yourself). They rarely do any good, and often mess things up worse.

I stand by an offline malware scanner as the best option because that way rootkits, etc are unable to hide. The biggest problem though is that there are still traces and occasionally the traces are legitimate settings used nefariously so that they re-infect upon connecting to the internet again. In those cases the scorched earth(nuke the drive and reinstall from a scratch OS reinstall) tactic is best.

 

[unionrdr]

I had to wind up re-installing myself. Those traces can be a ticking time bomb.

 

[Pappers_]

Microsoft Security Essentials, Malwarebytes free version, Spybot Search and Destroy, and CCleaner are the programs I use regularly. Easy-peasy.

 

[Staestc]

After dealing with these issues for years like everybody else, I have landed on Avast free and MalwareBytes free as has been stated by others. I have not had any problems in a couple of years. Just my two bits.

 

[Rick91981]

Run TDSSKiller. Open it, accept the EULAs (2 of them), click change parameters. Select the check the box for detect TDLFS file system, Click OK, Click start scan. Scan should only take 1-2 minutes. If it finds anything, let it clean it.

Then run MalwareBytes. You do not need the paid version. The free works just fine, just update the definitions file before running it. Also before scanning, go into settings and on the left go to detection and prevention and check the box to detect rootkits. Run the scan and clean anything it finds.

Lastly there may still be traces left in your browser after scanning. These will need to be manually removed. The easiest way is to reset your browser back to default. Alternatively go into the settings and add-ons/extensions and delete the offending pieces.

If you need further help feel free to contact me and I can either walk you through it or remote into the PC and help clean it, I do IT for a living.