[ARC5] OT: Browser (malware) Problems, Solutions

Fri Apr 10 09:27:51 EDT 2015

Bill, thank you very much for this computer advice. It's especially helpful for guys like me, whose computer savvy is limited to turning the damned machine on and off.
Joe Connor 

     On Friday, April 10, 2015 2:12 AM, Bill Pileggi <wpileggi at juno.com> wrote:

 As a few of you may know,  (computer) hardware and operating systems are one of my specialties. I've also made many studies of adware, malware, annoyingware, viruses, etc. extending back a couple of decades.

One of piece of advice I must emphasize: always get the (antivirus) software from the author's website!  There are way too many fake programs and websites out there...

Another hint - there are no "registry cleaners" out there (that I know of) that actually work. Waste of time.

Here are some tools I use AFTER I manually* disable the malware, rootkits, viruses, and the like:

(Most of these can be run in SAFE MODE. If you're stuck with WIN8/8.1, there is a registry fix to enable 'normal' safe mode.)

Malwarebytes - http://www.malwarebytes.org.   The FREE version works well.  There is also a paid version which runs all the time in the background.  Many users make the mistake of starting the TRIAL version of the software. (A FREE version is free, there is no TRIAL period.)

(If the unwanted program is listed under "Add or Remove programs" or "Programs and Features", then try to uninstall it from there FIRST. It's a BIG mistake to run Malwarebytes before trying to uninstall the program.)

Super Anti-Spyware - http://www.superantispyware.com.  I like the PORTABLE (free) version. This also has an "unwanted" software scan feature I like.

Hijack This! -  from TrendMicro - http://free.antivirus.com/us/#cleanup-and-prevention.   An old favorite which is still exceedingly useful. Also available from SOURCEFORGE.

AVG Free Antivirus - http://free.avg.com/us-en/homepage.  After determining what's active (malware)  on a system, I will frequently scan with AVG. It does a decent job of picking up the junk. You have to set it to detect the extended set of "PUPS" - "potentially unwanted programs".

Don't forget to manually "flush" all your browsers. Delete the History, Disable Add-Ons, Delete all the Temp files, reset back to 'factory settings'.

(Another hint - if the website is 'stupid', don't stay there! LEAVE!)

*The manual process takes only a few minutes but requires an expert skill level.  Too lengthy to explain in this forum.

Best of luck, Bill KA3AIS
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