VISTA Antivirus 2008... any other victims?

1379 Views 19 Replies 16 Participants Last post by BigJimCalhoun, Jul 20, 2008

gunluvver

Discussion Starter · Jul 12, 2008

I was trying to look up a Ruger serial # this morning and Googled "ruger mini 30 serial". It had this website as a selection: http://utenti.lycos.it/trividan/848.html so I clicked on it. I got a message from Symantec that it had detected a virus and quarantined it. I then started getting messages saying that I had malware installed and to click here to clear it. The messages wouldn't go away if I tried to delete them, then 2 porn icons appeared on my desktop. I updated Symantec then ran a check. It found and quaratined 1 download, and that cleared the porn icons off, but my IE browser is now blocked by VISTA and won't clear until I spend money to buy their anti-spyware. I'm using Mozilla Firefox browser right now with no problem. I am far from a computer geek, any easy way to get rid of the VAV.exe that has my IE locked up?

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nalioth

· #2 · Jul 12, 2008

Download and use firefox

http://www.getfirefox.com

IE is a virus magnet, and it welcomes all who approach it. . .

Symantec and McAfee are extortion-ware ( as you can see ).

Uninstall that crap and use Avast instead . . .

gunluvver

Discussion Starter · #3 · Jul 12, 2008

I'm using Firefox as we write. It's a company laptop, and they supply the anti-virus. I think I'll move all my bookmarks over to Firefox and uninstall IE to get rid of the bug, if that would do it.

Stottman

· #4 · Jul 13, 2008

My wife got tricked by it on Firefox... The virus looks like an official anti virus program......

I ended up having to reload everything... Now I am stuck with trying to validate XP.......

Hellfire

· #5 · Jul 13, 2008

deleated.

GregK27

· #6 · Jul 13, 2008

What message does it give you when you try to run IE?

Hatch

· #7 · Jul 13, 2008

do a system restore back to the next availible day before you made the mistake

Oswald2001

· #8 · Jul 13, 2008

Maybe a System Restore in Safe Mode?

Vista is a curse.

Microsoft hasn't even finished XP properly and they move on to their next clumsy effort to milk dollars.

5thShock

· #9 · Jul 13, 2008

You could try this at your own risk:

http://www.2-viruses.com/remove-vistaantivirus-2008

zoostation

· #10 · Jul 13, 2008

Spyware Terminator is a great free program for removing spyware also. I use that and Avira AV Guard (also free) and they work great. Snapfiles.com has them both.

Stottman

· #11 · Jul 13, 2008

Doing a system restore didnt work..

gunluvver

Discussion Starter · #12 · Jul 13, 2008

Here's what my opening page says:

Insecure Internet activity. Threat of virus attack
Due to insecure Internet browsing your PC can easily get infected with viruses, worms and trojans without your knowledge, and that can lead to system slowdown, freezes and crashes.
Also insecure Internet activity can result in revealing your personal information.
To get full advanced real-time protection for PC and Internet activity, register KvmSecure.
We recommend you to protect your PC now and continue safe Internet browsing.
Click here to get full advanced real-time protection and continue browsing.
Continue to this website unprotected (not recommended).
Warning: possible spyware or adware infection! Click here to scan your computer for spyware and adware...

bamaak

· #13 · Jul 13, 2008

I'm assuming this page is your browser's opening page, and not your usual home page.

I'm assuming you have no prior dealings with KVMSecure.

It looks like the KVM page is viral marketing. And it has inserted itself into your life. I'm not convinced you actually have a virus or are under attack.

In the text you posted it says "....Continue to this website unprotected (not recommended).....". I think this is a link to continue to your usual home page? If so, you can go on about your business and look for the way to remove the bogus home page. (It's a misdirection in a file named host somewhere, I forget, don't do that kind of work any more.)

good luck.

BTW, if you downloaded the file of serial numbers on the page linked in your original post and it was infected, you may have introduced more than one problem into your system. Maybe a virus that has been taken care of by your system and some additional malware that contains the marketing scam you are experiencing.

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Glock Holiday

· #14 · Jul 13, 2008

The FBI should prosecute all those companys that write into your windows registry without your permission and then have the balls to charge you to remove it for extortion plain and simple.
Because that's what it is.
I only use Firefox because of all the security problems with IE.
Oh and ditch Symantec. It sucks bad.

Get Kvmsecure out of your life:
http://www.xp-vista.com/spyware-removal/kvmsecure-kvm-secure-removal-instructions

gunluvver

Discussion Starter · #15 · Jul 17, 2008

Well, I gave it to my IT dept. at work. They had to wipe the whole thing out and start over. I was able to save all my pertinent work stuff, pics, and bookmarks an a flash drive so nothing was lost other than a day waiting for it.

AK103

· #16 · Jul 18, 2008

nalioth said:
Download and use firefox

http://www.getfirefox.com

IE is a virus magnet, and it welcomes all who approach it. . .

Symantec and McAfee are extortion-ware ( as you can see ).

Uninstall that crap and use Avast instead . . .

X2

I would add, download the NoScript and AdBlockPlus Firefox plugins which will make your browsing a lot safer.

If you are really paranoid, a nice little program is Hostsman which changes your MS hosts file to block thousands of spam/malware/virus/phishing websites for free : http://www.abelhadigital.com/2007/12/ho ... eased.html

Q-gunner2

· #17 · Jul 18, 2008

I just clicked on one of those lycos sites earlier.

The virus scan is a hoax. Their popup is an exact mock up of a legitimate Vista one, but it is NOT. I know this because it advised me I had a virus and needed to update my Vista virus scan to the 2009 version and that it would do so automatically... but I don't have Vista.

I clicked "cancel" and then saw something was downloading in the background, pretending to be a legitimate virus scan scanning for viruses. I exited it and cleared my history and nothing came of it since I caught it in time.

+1 for the FireFox add ons... I use those on the home computer, they work VERY well.

cphilip

· #18 · Jul 18, 2008

I can find those Mock Virus warnings wanting me to download their software for windows even on the Mac! They claim to have scanned and found viruses even though I am not running that OS! How silly.

They are pop ups embedded in certain web sites I find. They mean nothing. They simply have to be deleted. I don't go back to those particular web sites as they annoy me when they do that.

deaconblue

· #19 · Jul 18, 2008

Stottman said:
My wife got tricked by it on Firefox... The virus looks like an official anti virus program......

I ended up having to reload everything... Now I am stuck with trying to validate XP.......

To validate XP use the validate by phone option and answer there questions and it may take around 5 minutes and they will give you a new code. Just say that it its only on one PC and you had a virus--most the time they do not ask anything except is it OEM or purchased and how many PCs is it on and always say ONE pc--Pretty simple just a little time comsuming

BigJimCalhoun

· #20 · Jul 20, 2008

Vista rocks (no troll)

I have one Vista machine at work and 3 Server 2008 machines at my desk plus a few more in the lab.

IE has many security settings, but some (and I am not implying those in this thread) lower the security to get access to porn sites and therefore open themselves up for problems.

If you keep the User Access Control feature in Vista enabled you will have far fewer problems.

1 - 20 of 20 Posts

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