By Jim
Updated on Thursday, May 6th, 2010
Social engineering is a big part why parasitic malware spread so effectively. Take for example A-Fast Antivirus. If you’re not familiar with antivirus software, this might sound like a popular scanner and virus remover but it is just a sound-alike. It’s nothing like the famed and trusted Avast security software though.
Like all the usual suspects, if you find that one of these rogue antivirus programs have crept into your computer, remove it immediately. It will incessantly show pop-ups that make you buy the upgraded version of the software. It also creates fake infections in your computer as a scare tactic to get you to pay for it and does other more heinous stuff like stealing saved password, login details and personal information. Once this data is out there, hackers will be able to ravage your financials, social networks and reputation for schemes of their own.
Therefore, be aware of the applications you have in your computer. There might be malware lurking in there disguised as an antivirus app. It will block all the conventional methods of removing though so beware. It blocks legit antiviral programs, security features of your operating system and all the other usual program removers. Read below for the safe and easy fix to eliminate this problem.
Symptoms Of Infection
- Your computer is acting slow. A-Fast Antivirus slows down your system significantly. This includes starting up, shutting down, playing games, and surfing the web.
- You are getting pestered with pop ups. A-Fast Antivirus infects your registry and uses it to launch annoying pop up ads out of nowhere.
- Searches are redirected or your homepage and desktop are settings are changed. This is a symptom of a very serious A-Fast Antivirus infection.
Dangers Of Infection
Viruses like A-Fast Antivirus will infect your registry and other important system files. If the infection is not treated it can cause a complete collapse of your system.
Some A-Fast Antivirus infections contain spyware and keyloggers which can be used to record sensitive data like passwords, credit card, bank account, and social security numbers. The longer you allow the infection to fester, the greater the chance of identity fraud.
How To Remove Infection Manually
Uninstall A-Fast Antivirus Processes
Delete A-Fast Antivirus Files
c:\Program Files\A-fast
c:\Program Files\A-fast\A-fast.exe
Remove A-Fast Antivirus Registry Files
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\System “DisableTaskMgr” = “1″
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\System “DosableTaskMgr” = “0″
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run “fast”
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\ControlSet001\Services\SharedAccess\Parameters\FirewallPolicy\StandardProfile\AuthorizedApplications\List “C:\Program Files\A-fast\A-fast.exe”
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Warning! If Spyware Doctor is blocked by the virus then run your system in safe mode and try again. To do this reboot your system and tap F8 repeatedly as your computer starts up. Then run Spyware Doctor as normal. If this doesn’t work try renaming the Spyware Doctor EXE file.
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