Error Fix Problem...

[profpotkins]

Hello everyone! I have never posted here before and need your input. My aunt in the UK has picked up the Error Fix rogue program. I told her to try Superantispyware to no avail. Problem is, now she says she cannot delete that either! Any suggestions appreciated.

[Anupam]

I saw Malwarebytes AntiMalware being suggested on two sites that I saw for removing ErrorFix. I saw some other site, but either they suggested their own tool, which looks suspicious itself, or suggested manual removal, which will be difficult for your aunt to do.

So please tell your aunt to download MBAM. Update the definitions, and then full scan the PC with it. If you can, you can assist her remotely by using TeamViewer, a software to remotely manage a PC. Its very simple to setup, and very easy to operate.

If she is using Internet Explorer as her primary browser, please tell her to change to Firefox, with AdBlock and WOT as security add-ons.
Also, please ask what antivirus she has installed on her PC. If its not a reliable one, please tell her to install Avira or Avast. They both are free and excellent.

[js960]

Smell like user/aunt error. Install both SuperAntiSpyware and Malwarebytes. Do quick-scan with MBAM first. If no good try SAS quick-scan. Still no good seek help at a removal forum. There are hardly any benefits by doing full scans and fast means you can witness session through TeamViewer - or at least it wont take all night!

I would not force her off IE, but she should use IE8 which has a SmartScreen filter thingy on level with what is in Firefox. Can and should still add WOT, made for aunts and very likely site she got Errorfix from is blocked by WOT.

http://www.mywot.com/ is where WOT lives. If she screams because of all the little lamps then set plugin up so it only reacts to RED sites - and then it blocks. That way WOT is almost 100% transparent and wont bother her. Much crap comes from Google searches or Google Ads so may be an idea to let lamps be. Is there to help her - make her think before clicking! Taking out anything but RED makes some sense if she protest.

[kendall]

One other option is to use an online antivirus like HouseCall. There are many others, but I prefer HouseCall the best.

[js960]

Would be good to check with once this is removed by those 2 tools. I like ESETs the most http://www.eset.com/onlinescan/ but make sure it does not autoclean or even look at "possible unwanted/unsafe" programs. Real infections are still taken care of. Also it should have ability to quarantine infections, option to restore. ESETs is close to a real offline on-demand scanner, see under program files - but I think some are still a bit risky to use. Best to simply tell them to only report, save result if possible, and then evaluate findings. Would not be surprised if ESETs have "remove at next reboot" as a feature but not fun to get stuck in removal done the wrong way.

Is it from errorfix.com? If so Malwarebytes detects even download so dont worry. Is also in WOT of course http://www.mywot.com/en/scorecard/errorfix.com SuperAntiSpyware does not react to download.

No AV have a clue btw. http://www.virustotal.com/analisis/c...a25-1252615610 but how it is. Was about to say she is probably running an old Norton where subscription ran out in 2008 - not necessarily so.

[aqua]

see if errorfix is running in proccess-from task manager..

[profpotkins]

Thanks for the quick replies.I should have mentioned earlier that she uses Vista, although I do not know if she has IE8. Will get her to try MBAM and will let you know the results. Thanks again.

[profpotkins]

Thank you everyone, Malwarebytes did the trick. Your support was most welcome.

[Anupam]

Good to hear that ... and thanks for replying back. Please do make sure, she is running the latest Internet Explorer, or Firefox with the necessary add-ons, to avoid any such thing in future . Good luck.