Club Arnage

Hi folks, a Trojan virus called fakespypro appears to have found its way onto my laptop. Dell laptop with windows vista. Mcafee had run out, so thought would download ms security essentials and uninstall mcafee. That worked fine, until I uninstalled mcafee when it was apparent that the malware was preventing all sorts of things running properly.  Run scans with windows security essentials in safe mode and then restart, but it returns. looking at various forums, Is it worth having a go at downloading something like malwarebytes or spybot in safe network mode and then running one of those? Thoughts please....bearing in mind I am not an it pro....ta

mg mark   

Checked with my son, said download AVG as it finds alot of the virus and its free.

Past experiance has worked for all of us

http://www.avg.com/gb-en/buyav-ppc_1?ctype=ppc_uk_gs_0002_buyav_1&wm_crID=5035958&wm_lpID=28518107&wm_ctID=383&wm_kwID=17360839&wm_mtID=3&wm_content=0&wm_g_crID=6597716679&wm_g_kw=a+v+g&wm_g_pcmt=&wm_g_cnt=0&wm_kw=a+v+g&wm_sd=1

Oh yea, if it works you will owe him a beer at Le Mans this year  ;), as it will be his first Le Mans (if he can manage go, subject to his studies)

You could try this http://housecall.trendmicro.com/uk/ (http://housecall.trendmicro.com/uk/) as this has worked for me in the past. I also run AVG.

Ade

Try downloading SpyBot, haven't got a link but google it. It will take a short time to install, but a long time to do the first sweep. Make sure that you select / clean all files

There's a great thread here http://forums.majorgeeks.com/showthread.php?t=35407 which goes into massive detail (and links to other OS dependent threads), but the two products they suggest seem pretty good to me - had to use them a couple of times and they always seem to do the trick

SuperAntiSpyware http://www.majorgeeks.com/SUPERAntiSpyware_d5116.html

MalwareBytes - http://www.majorgeeks.com/Malwarebytes_Anti-Malware_d5756.html

Googling fakespypro brings up a lot of so-called removal tools but I'd always start with the products above.

This should sort it out for you download the free version and keep it updated

http://www.malwarebytes.org/

Thanks for the info folks, plenty to try out there! I'll try and see how it goes. I'm accessing this via an iPhone at the mo until I get back to work, so surfing for info is somewhat limited by the small screen! I haven't worked out getting onto the net via the laptop at present, if I can't any clues as to whether I can download any of the programmes mentioned to another computer, transfer to a disc and then install and run it that way to start with? Also does said Trojan thing actually modify files such that one has to reinstall stuff? Ta,

MG Mark

Mark - by all accounts this is a nasty one, but is treatable successfully with Malwarebytes Anti Malware,  linked to above, which you should be able to download as an .exe file and burn to disc on another computer to run on the infected computer.

VMT, have managed to find the way to successfully back up, virus free, various working files, photos etc created since my last back up (thankfully relatively recently) onto a remote drive, so I can now have a go with malwarebytes or similar and not lose any personal stuff. Failing all else there is the time honoured "format c, yes, are you sure, yes" method as the ultimate weapon in the armoury!

MG Mark

Folks,

Thanks for the advice and pointers.  I managed to download Malwarebytes onto another computer, copy it, load and run it on mine - it found and removed all sorts of stuff, including the main culprit, which was Fakespypro. However, that returned after restarting, and did the same again after another run through, so it had obviously embedded itself thoroughly. 

On the basis that I had already backed up all my working files before it appeared, had loaded relatively few applications, and my expertise had run out, I took a deep breath and ran the Dell factory restore option, which reformats the hard drive and reinstalls the system to the original spec. 

Thankfully, this has worked and got rid of the problem completely, so I'm back up on line and firing on all cylinders now, with just a few settings to change and a slack handful of stuff to load back up.  The experience certainly reinforced the value of backing up personal files regularly.....

Thanks again,

MG Mark

Pleased its all sorted
That will teach you not look at porn on the net lol

Mark,

You might consider using something like DropBox or Humyo as a constant backup system.

Not that expensive so long as you don't store lots of GB's.

Rgds,

Paul.

Buy a Mac

1. They generally are a lot safer to run as far as viruses are concerned
2. You have a built in back-up system called Time Machine which only needs an external hard drive, if you have ever seen how this works you will be impressed.
3. They do not fall over all the time like a PC
4. They look good

>Martini...LB

I wasn't going to mention Mac in case the Mac haters start up again.

Paul - posted from his MacMini [feeling smug]