"Windows XP Security Update 2012" virus

obieone

I'm posting from Ubuntu in the disc drive. This thing has taken over XP completely. Wouldn't let me open Malwarebytes, IE, nothing, and I hate to do a fresh install:frown:
What are my options?
TIA

mdaudioguy

Either of these pages might be of help:

http://removeit.info/remove-xp-antispyware-2012-fake-security-application/

http://www.pcrisk.com/removal-guides/6476-remove-xp-security-2012

amulford

can you get into a safe mode?

WilliamM2

I've removed this from a couple of computers by putting the drive in another machine and running all your scans from there. If there isn't any data you need to recover, a clean install will actually be quicker, besides, I'd never trust the machine again if it were mine.

In the future, learn to make disk images, and back up your data every day, or store it all on an external drive. makes recovering from something like this a 15 minute job.

disneyjoe7

Your F'd

Rivrrat

I've had that happen, and I was able to run Malaware Bites and Combo-Fix from a flash drive.

Good luck.

zingo

You will need to use another computer to make a bootable cleaning disc. Below are two offers from Microsoft, but there are many programs out there that can fix your malware. The issue is you need to clean the drive without booting from it.

http://www.microsoft.com/security/scanner/en-us/default.aspx

http://www.microsoft.com/security/pc-security/malware-removal.aspx

obieone

disneyjoe7 wrote: »

Your F'd

You aint kidding. I had to do a fresh install w/ Ubuntu, and remove the partitions.
The XP install kept getting stalled at the 'Windows set-up' stage in DOS?

BIZILL

kids got it on the laptop. took a miracle and lots of trying, but got into safe mode. got malwarebytes to scan. removed 3 infections. the laptop now turns off prematurely.

fail.

guess i'll install a new operating system.

fatchowmein

obieone wrote: »

I'm posting from Ubuntu in the disc drive. This thing has taken over XP completely. Wouldn't let me open Malwarebytes, IE, nothing, and I hate to do a fresh install:frown:
What are my options?
TIA

http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/virus-removal/remove-win-7-antispyware-2012

You'll need a second computer to download the tools and a thumbdrive or CD/DVD to put the tools on so you can load it on the infected pc.

Slaine777

I had a virus/malware hit my system a couple of years ago and it would corrupt any download done in IE. Other browsers could download, but programs like Malwarebytes would start to download but never make progress. I had to rename the install file to download and install it, then rename the executable to run it.

nadams

Best thing to do is create a new user profile on the machine. Typically, these fake A/V programs only effect the profile they were loaded on.

Once you do that, log into the new profile, download, install, and run Malware Bytes. After the scan is done, log back into the infected profile. In the event that Malware Bytes still will not run, you may have to fix the broken EXE associations. Do a google search for "Windows XP EXE fix" (or whatever your OS is), download and apply the .REG file. Then do your final Malware Bytes scan.

The fake A/V may have also hidden all the files and folders on the drive. In this case, you will have to manually un-hide them.

Dennis Gardner

Simply restore your computer to a previous restoration point. That is the only thing that worked for me. McAfee, Malware Bytes, eve those run in Safe Mode etc. all failed. I have done this 3 times on 2 different computers so far. 5 minute fix once I found it.

cnh

I haven't even heard of this one...shows how out of the loop I am. But last year when I was teaching in China I had some Grad Students who could, literally, 'hack' ANYTHING, and I mean anything.

What that says for security in the future: Your guess is as good as mine.

cnh