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PSA: Fake Windows Security Malware

post #1 of 14
3/18/10 at 2:19pm
Thread Starter 
There are some things you just don't want to deal with when you are sick...people trying to commit fraud is one of them.

Last night my computer with a malware program that does a poor job mimicking the Windows Security Center for XP (I'm not sure about Vista). What happens is a you will get a "security center" pop up saying your system has been attacked my malware and then another window will pop up with a fake scan (there are other pop ups as well). From what I read online you can't get rid of them by clicking close, they are trying to make you buy fraudulent software to get it to stop. The best way to get rid of it is to use a good program called Malware Bytes. It's a free download (there is also a pay full version that offers additional features). I ran a full system scan on all drives (took about 2.5 hours). After the scan is finished you will go to another page and make sure that all of the found items are checked then press the button to get rid of them (I can't remember the exact wording). Afterward, you will be prompted to reboot the system to finish the process, and the Malware is out of your computer.

I just wanted to pass this along in case it happens to anyone else.
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post #2 of 14
3/18/10 at 2:36pm
Unfortunately my daughter got this on her laptop and it has completely ruined it, I did the removal but it was too late, it has eaten her xp and we can't re-install it, so yes beware of this everyone, its terrible. x
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post #3 of 14
3/18/10 at 3:29pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ruthyb View Post
Unfortunately my daughter got this on her laptop and it has completely ruined it, I did the removal but it was too late, it has eaten her xp and we can't re-install it, so yes beware of this everyone, its terrible. x
Surely there's a way to reinstall? Go look for a boot disc online, there's some versions of linux discs that are intended for this - knoppix, etc. (there's windows based ones, but a windows virus can't do anything in linux so it's safer). Use that to try to recover the windows serial key. Then borrow/beg, etc a XP disc from someone and reinstall.

If you have XP installed on your computer(s) you should also be able to use that key. Or at least it was possible to do so a few years ago. Microsoft does (did) understand and let people install the same copy on more than one of their home computers. Just make sure that if you do that to try to make the information you're giving it match your other pc.

Or if daughter isn't afraid of change she could just try linux. No more worries about this sort of thing.
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post #4 of 14
3/18/10 at 3:46pm
Her laptop is just a floppy disc drive and we are finding it hard to find a suitable programme. x
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post #5 of 14
3/18/10 at 4:00pm
Ew. If there is a usb port, you can use linux/install linux from a usb flash drive. I don't know about getting windows back on there. Maybe if you used an external cdrom drive through usb? If you do that, though, I suggest you check out nLite to make the reinstalled windows lighter for an older laptop.

ETA: If you can't get those things, find a good friend to help or take it to a shop. There is one more method if nothing else works, but it's a bit more complicated.


To anyone else reading. If anything pops up, ever, that looks suspicious. Ctrl+Alt+del and close it via task manager.
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post #6 of 14
3/18/10 at 6:23pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Essayons89 View Post
There are some things you just don't want to deal with when you are sick...people trying to commit fraud is one of them.

Last night my computer with a malware program that does a poor job mimicking the Windows Security Center for XP (I'm not sure about Vista). What happens is a you will get a "security center" pop up saying your system has been attacked my malware and then another window will pop up with a fake scan (there are other pop ups as well). From what I read online you can't get rid of them by clicking close, they are trying to make you buy fraudulent software to get it to stop. The best way to get rid of it is to use a good program called Malware Bytes. It's a free download (there is also a pay full version that offers additional features). I ran a full system scan on all drives (took about 2.5 hours). After the scan is finished you will go to another page and make sure that all of the found items are checked then press the button to get rid of them (I can't remember the exact wording). Afterward, you will be prompted to reboot the system to finish the process, and the Malware is out of your computer.

I just wanted to pass this along in case it happens to anyone else.
Wow! I wish I had read this sooner. That is probably what happened to my desktop. My new laptop has a great virus/malware protection. Maybe I will use the restore disks for my desktop
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post #7 of 14
3/19/10 at 12:59am
Thread Starter 
It kind of threw me at first. I'm glad I had the Malware Bytes already installed. When I was reading about it there were comments by people who were blocked from getting online by the malware and couldn't download a program to remove it. I had no problem getting online to find information about it. It's incredibly persistent in trying to get someone to buy whatever it is these people are scamming.
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post #8 of 14
3/19/10 at 2:35am
Ruth can you not opem the laptop in safe mode then try and get it to system restore it to a date before it crashed? might work, i've found it to be hitty miss, otherwise you can reinstall the operating system as long as you have the discs
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post #9 of 14
3/19/10 at 6:15am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ruthyb View Post
Her laptop is just a floppy disc drive and we are finding it hard to find a suitable programme. x
OMG I just realised my work puter has a floppy drive after wondering if they still made computers with them
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post #10 of 14
3/19/10 at 12:18pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by icklemiss21 View Post
OMG I just realised my work puter has a floppy drive after wondering if they still made computers with them
A lot of computers still could, the FDD connection is still on a several motherboards. Though some mini ATX might not have it to save space.


Ruthyb - A quick question. When you try to turn that laptop on, what do you see? Does it boot into windows at all? Or do you get a blue screen saying it's missing ntoskrnl.exe or similar? If the former windows could be repairable. If the latter the windows installation, root to be exact, is corrupted. The only fix is reinstalling.

If it truly was from the malware mentioned in the first post, I suggest everyone take precautions to prevent it. Most malware anymore just wants to use your computer, not destroy windows, so it's easier to remove.
BUT, it is possible that what happened to that laptop is unrelated. Windows can corrupt on it's own, not properly shutting down can cause it. As can a failing hard drive, mother board, or power supply (< been down that route a couple times).
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post #11 of 14
3/19/10 at 12:28pm
My friends hubby has looked at it, he is a computer engineer, the laptop is a toughbook, an old army thing and its totally had it, I'm not too bothered, my daughter needs a more modern one, this is an 80's laptopThere isn't anything that can be done, the usb doesn't accept any external plug ins. It was just her first laptop so we will get her another one, its just making people aware what could happen with this horrible virus. x
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post #12 of 14
3/19/10 at 12:32pm
Ah, ok. I doubt it was any virus. Sounds like the hardware just finally went kaput. Amazing that it survived so long with regular use - newer computers aren't built like that anymore.
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post #13 of 14
3/19/10 at 12:50pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by strange_wings View Post
Ah, ok. I doubt it was any virus. Sounds like the hardware just finally went kaput. Amazing that it survived so long with regular use - newer computers aren't built like that anymore.
It was definetely a virus, it loaded up antivirus 2009 and just kept popping up everywhere, I googled it and discoered it was a virus, I tried to get a removal tool to get rid of it and when I did it just won't do anything anymore. I am a bit p'd off as we had only just bought this laptop, it was not advertised as an 80's version and it was advertised as ideal first kids laptop and I thought it being on xp it would be ok, we have since discovered xp was a too bigger file for it and it should have been on an old windows, we are in arguments with the man about getting a refund for it as it was falsely advertised. x
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post #14 of 14
3/19/10 at 1:12pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ruthyb View Post
It was definetely a virus, it loaded up antivirus 2009 and just kept popping up everywhere, I googled it and discoered it was a virus, I tried to get a removal tool to get rid of it and when I did it just won't do anything anymore. I am a bit p'd off as we had only just bought this laptop, it was not advertised as an 80's version and it was advertised as ideal first kids laptop and I thought it being on xp it would be ok, we have since discovered xp was a too bigger file for it and it should have been on an old windows, we are in arguments with the man about getting a refund for it as it was falsely advertised. x
Ah, ok. I hope you can.
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