Scareware/Rogueware/Scamware.

dogmaryxx

New last-resort, extreme tool that may help you clean up special types of security risks.

http://security.symantec.com/nbrt/npe.asp?lcid=2057

http://www.symantec.com/norton/products/tutorials/tutorials.jsp?pvid=nis2011&tutid=power_eraser

Not used yet. Volunteers please.:)

John_Gray

I think the problem with this program is going to be false positives.

It suggests that I 'fix' the 'bad' remote administration program for our work Exchange server's antispam solution.

It says that two working shortcuts to perfectly OK programs are 'suspicious'.

It objects to five programs (mscorlib.dll, system.drawing.dll, system.windows.forms.dll, system.xml.dll, system.dll) located some way down in C:\Windows\Assembly but when I click on the Locate button it says it can't find them. I have no idea what they do, but I doubt there's anything wrong with them.

The log is nearly 700 KB of XML code relating to 181 drivers and 110 products, but nothing obviously of interest.

I wouldn't want to unleash this product in its current state on anyone non-techie!

Addendum... To add to the above, I later ran the Remote Scan on all shortcuts and files, and they all came back with "Not a known threat".

fiddiwebb

Hmmmm......Norton and last-resort go well together.

It could be seen as an easy-fix for problems, if it is to aggresive then it may well create more problems to a user than it should.

You might have a nice clean machine but will it be usable?

Only time will tell.

John_Gray

To be fair to Norton Power Eraser, it does state:

Because the Norton Power Eraser uses aggressive methods to detect these threats, there is a risk that it can select some legitimate programs for removal. You should use this tool very carefully, and only after you have exhausted other options.

It's not obvious to me, even after running it, whether it inspects running programs or services...

poppy10_2

SCAN COMPLETE
No Risks Found.

Pretty pleased with that, I've had this comp for over two years and have quite a lot of different programs installed on it. Just shows with a bit of common sense you can keep your system clean.

fiddiwebb

But what I would like to know is what happens when it does find problems?

It states it uses aggresive methods to detect threats does it also use aggresive methods to delete threats, hate to think critical system files could be tampered with or even deleted.

How does this compare with Combofix (which should be used with advice)?

Knarf44

There is an option within the software called: "Review Past Repair Sessions and Undo Them".

I believe it also gives you the option of creating a restore point before you fix the problems.

You are right though that in the wrong hands ie someone who's not sure what they doing, the software has the ability to cause more problems than it solves. If it identifies risks you really do have to be sure that they are real risks and not just false positives before asking it to "fix" the problems.

Norton have stated that this is a last resort program to be used when all other attempts eg using your resident AV program, anti-malware program (Malwarebytes) have failed.