Please help - fake antivirus

chopandchange

I clicked on a webpage and it must have been infected because INSTANTLY a fake antivirus programme installed itself and started running this thing and claiming it was scanning my computer. It wouldn't let me cancel and say no. I psnicked and shut down my system. When I re-booted the fake programme wasn't open but I know I now have a virus and my question is, can anti-virus programmes get rid of these things? Will they detect them or just think they are innocent files when they're not? My system is running slow and doing weird things. I'm freaked out so I shut it down again. Will it work to run my AVs, or is my laptop ruined for ever?

chopandchange

I am doing a full system scan with MalwareBytes in networking safe mode. Am I on the right track? At least it let me do it and it's not blocking it. Hopefully that's a good sign.

When it finishes I will try my other AV programme and will try installing some more for good measure.

I hate it when these things happen.

david39

Do not install and run more than one antivirus program at a time.

Just choose one and make sure it is kept updated. Multiple installations will at best slow your computer down, at worst will conflict and not be effective.

If you change your AV program, make sure the old one is fully uninstalled, not just switched off.

I use Avast but there are plenty more free ones out there that are excellent.

chopandchange

That is contrary to the advice I received here last time I had a problem. I was told to run multiple checks with multiple AV software, as no one program will catch everything. It may slow things down but as long as one doesn't interfere with the other there's no reason why you can't have two for regular scans and install loads more temporarily (though not all at once) if you know there's an actual infection. When this one finishes I plan to run AT LEAST 3 or 4 more until I find the beastie.

I'd be careful if I were you. If your AV is regularly telling you it has found 0 infections, it means just that. It hadn't found any. That doesn't mean that there are none.

Back on topic: can any experts give me advice specific to this type of virus?

JJ_Egan

Your laptop is not ruined for ever at the very worst a format and install of Windows will bring it back to factory state ..

What AV did you have protecting your laptop in the first place and was it updated .

jje

Browntoa

wrong advice given then , you would have been told to run Malwarebytes check , then maybe a double check with an ONLINE scanner but you should only ever run ONE antivirus at a time

we can sort that out afterwards

chopandchange

Thanks guys. I've got Malwarebytes and Avesti I think (can't remember - the one with a red symbol).

chopandchange

I didn't mean I was RUNNING more than one at a time! I meant I have two installed on my laptop. I would never try to run two at once! I think my laptop would pass out.

chopandchange

Malwarebytes found zero.

Pooey.

I'll run the other one now.

terakris

simply perform a system restore to an earlier date, say a day or so before you clicked the link. then run a full scan with your current antivirus program, remove/clean any infected files it finds and should be job done.

chopandchange

Neither of them are finding anything. I only get this "warning," but I've had a couple of "warnings" on one of them for a while and I don't think any of them amount to much. It's telling me something about AVG. I don't have AVG installed any more. What is it on about?

in scan in 'C:\' <ACER>
C:\Users\ANONYMOUS\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows\Temporary Internet Files\Low\Content.IE5\Q4QONCC9\avg_free_stf_en_85_285a1462[1].exe
[WARNING] The file could not be read!
Begin scan in 'D:\' <DATA>

How do I "perform a system restore to an earlier date," please?

Thank you for your kind help. :T