Are you fond of downloading freebies like mp3 files, Flash player updates, video codecs, and device drivers from obscure websites? Then don’t be surprised if your system ends up with an Antivirus Suite infection. I can almost see the astonished look in your face. That’s right, there’s such a thing as an Antivirus Suite infection because that program is really classified as malware.
How so? Well, this bogus program is not really capable of detecting even the simplest malware. All those scans that it performs and all those pop-ups that it generates are fake. They’re just meant to scare you. Once it has accomplished that task, it will then entice you into purchasing its so-called “full version”.
Of course, even the “full version” is a useless piece of code. The only difference is that the “full version” will require you to spend money to install it into your computer. Thus, you should be alarmed once you see Antivirus Suite running in your computer. Don’t be deceived by all its fancy GUI that looks pretty much like a legit antivirus.
Since bogus antivirus programs like Antivirus Suite can be inadvertently downloaded through trojans, we strongly advice you to avoid downloading anything from obscure websites.
Wondering why your newly installed antivirus, Your Protection, is asking you to uninstall other antivirus programs like Kaspersky and Avast? The reason is simple. It doesn’t want want to be known for what it really is … a treacherous, deceiving, fake antispyware.
So Your Protection is a scam? You bet it is. Just like other fake anti-spyware, Your Protection finds its way into your computer through trojans downloaded from malicious websites. That’s why we always discourage our readers from downloading anything from obscure sites. Most trojans are disguised as useful freebies that easily attract gullible users.
Your Protection hijacks computers by messing up the Windows system registry. It does this to have full control immediately after your next boot up. Once it’s inside, expect scans and popups that indicate the presence of rogue malware. Of course, all of these are fake; simply designed to scare you into purchasing a so-called full version.
The full version of Your Protection won’t do anything useful. Rather, all it will do is dupe you into spending your hard-earned money. Even worse, it will force you to reveal your credit card information, which by itself, is a dangerous practice altogether. Get rid of Your Protection while you still can.
XP Antimalware is a fake antivirus tool specifically designed to attack Windows XP users. It has a very professional-looking GUI that could easily pass for a legit, useful program. Alas, it is nothing more than a deceitful malware that will try to entice you into purchasing a so-called “full version”.
Just like practically all fake antimalware programs, XP Antimalware can infect your system through trojans. Where can you find these trojans? In bogus websites, that’s where. I wouldn’t download anything from obscure websites if I were you … especially if the downloadable item comes in the form of a useful file like an mp3, video codec, device driver, or Flash player update.
Online scanners in similarly obscure websites are also possible sources of these dangerous trojans. Once the XP Antimalware gets inside your system, it will waste no time attacking your Windows XP registry. That way, it can gain control of your system immediately after your next boot up.
XP Antimalware is also just one of the many fake anti-malware that rely on ave.exe. We’ve talked about this treacherous little file in a very recent post here on this site. I suggest you have a look at it as well.
Ever heard of Ave.exe? No, I didn’t mean av.exe. There’s not much difference between the two though. That’s right, ave (just like ‘av’) is just a member of a set of files that make up certain rogue programs.
Antivirus XP, XP Smart Security, XP Antimalware, XP Defender Pro, XP Security, Vista Antimalware, Total Vista Security, and Vista Defender Pro are just some of the many programs that require ave.exe in order to run. All of these programs are actually fake anti-spyware tools. That means, they’ll trick you into thinking they’ve got what it takes to remove certain spyware and other threats. But in reality, these programs are actually the threats!
Although you can remove Ave.exe manually (and we’ll show you how in a short while), the steps are pretty tricky. So I strongly suggest you go for automatic removal on this one.
Just like most fake-antispyware, the programs that rely on Ave.exe install themselves through trojans you might have downloaded from rogue sites. Therefore, beware of obscure websites that offer free downloads of video codecs, Flash player updates, or mp3s, as these sites may have a trojan ready to pounce on you. Once inside, they can attack you Windows registry and gain full control.
If there’s one thing that makes me anxious every time I insert a flash disk into my computer’s USB port, it’s the thought of being infected by the Recycler Virus. I got hit by it once, and I can tell you, it was one very stressful experience.
The Recycler Virus takes advantage of the Windows Autorun feature in order to sneak into your computer. This feature is often used each time you insert a portable media into your PC or laptop. This means, DVDs, CDs, memory sticks, and USB drives are possible carriers of this malware.
Once the Recycler Virus is inside, it will immediately attack and alter your Windows registry. That way, it could easily launch during boot up. As a result, very few popular antivirus software can disable it; let alone detect it. What’s even worse is that the Recycler Virus can even be resistant to formatting. Before I knew how to remove it, I tried formatting my infected flashdisk at least six times before finally giving up.
Since the Recycler Virus copies itself to all active drives in your PC, it can eventually consume precious space. And since it will try to contact other malicious sites the moment you go online, your system can slow down to a crawl. All is not lost though. There’s a way to remove this stubborn malware.
Dr. Guard is another fake anti-spyware targeted at gullible Web users. First, a free downloadable trial version is placed in websites affiliated with this scare-ware. Basically, the moment you land on these websites, they’ll announce that your PC is infected with spyware. They’ll most likely run a fake scan to really make it appear that the site has the capability of detecting infections.
Once they’ve captured your attention, you’ll be directed to the free downloadable trial version of Dr. Guard. Of course, this program is really a trojan designed to scare you some more. But since it’s free, most Web users will be tempted to click that ‘download’ button without thinking of the possible consequences.
That’s right, scaring is the name of the game for these malware. The intention is to get you scared enough to purchase their so-called full version. So how will this program proceed with scaring you?
Once inside, the trojan will attack your Windows registry. This is done to gain full control of your computer the moment you boot it up. After your next boot up, you’ll then start seeing pop-up alerts, fake scans, and even fake detections. This will make you believe that Dr. Guard is really doing its job.
Again, these are all fake, so don’t get tempted on buying that full version of Dr. Guard.
Be wary of av.exe. It is actually a process that accompanies fake anti-spyware infections like Antivirus Vista 2010, Win 7 Antispyware 2010, and XP Internet Security 2010.
Fake anti-spywares are programs that try to mimic legitimate anti-spyware utilities. They are hard to differentiate from the real thing because of their professional-looking user interface, ability to launch pop-up alerts, ability to conduct scans, and even churn out a list of alleged threats. Of course, the pop-ups, scans as well as the threats are all fake.
The intention is to scare you into buying a so-called full version that really does nothing helpful. You might even end up revealing credit card information to scammers.
To run all those features (pop-ups, scans, etc.), these malware alter your Windows registry, install files and run processes like av.exe. It is possible to remove av.exe manually. Basically, you need to stop the process then delete the file.
However, since the malware may install av.exe in different locations, it may be difficult to get rid of it. Also, remember that av.exe is simply part of a larger program. Thus, it is essential to remove the entire fake anti-spyware in all its entirety in order for you to gain complete relief.
The last thing Virus Protector will do is protect you from viruses. This is a dangerous piece of badware that you must quickly remove and stomp out! If your computer has suddenly become slower without you installing any additional programs, this is a clear indication you have this malware in your system. Virus Protector can also change your default homepage and create new desktop shortcuts on your PC.
The effects of malware like this can be disastrous and your loss might not be just your files and data. It can crash your system and cause major hardware problems for your computer. It might even introduce other viruses that can poison your PC even further.
Rogue software such as this are often distributed when downloading questionable files like free music or games. They are also transmitted through links in ads, spam emails and even on instant messages. It will look like a legitimate application and will show you a virus scan revealing some infections on your computer and offering to remove this if you upgrade to a full version. Do not pay for any upgrades it might offer you, you will not get anything in return except more viruses.
Despite the very official sounding name, this piece of software is merely a scam and it is actually malware in disguise. You need to remove it at once! It will claim to find several infections in your computer to force you to upgrade and buy the full version. In reality, these infections were actually put there by Personal Anti Malware Center itself and you are better off removing this badware immediately. If this malware announces that you need to purchase it, stop and don’t pay for it!
Malware like this will usually bog down your computer and slow down its performance to a crawl. It will block attempts to install legitimate antivirus programs and scanners. You might notice that your free disk space is getting smaller and smaller and more unknown files are popping up all over your system. Another symptom of rogue software like this is that you might find that your Internet connection slows down considerably.
The good news is you can fix these problems. Use a reputable antivirus software to remove it as quickly as possible. Also, avoid any shady websites and only download files from well-known and respected sources.
If you have Antimalware Doctor on your PC, you need to remove it immediately! It might look like a free antivirus program but it just the opposite. If you do not delete this immediately, it will cause a lot of damage to your computer. You might get corrupted registry files and it may crash your computer, sometimes even permanently. Your data might get deleted and you can lose all those documents, pictures and other files on your PC. It could even steal your private information like passwords and credit card account which can then be used for other illegal activities.
This rogue anti-spyware is usually deposited by other malware like Trojans, spam attachments and viruses. You might have gotten it from downloading using peer-to-peer networks or through shady websites and ads.
On the surface, it will look like a legitimate anti-spyware program. Do not be fooled by this. Ignore any popups it might flash and do not pay for the “full” version of this software. It will not help you remove any viruses. On the contrary, it will deposit more malware on your PC if you do not remove it immediately.
