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Windows 7 Yikes! - Any advice on trojans removal ?

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shiphen

Extraordinary Member
Joined
Jan 8, 2010
Messages
58
Hi

Any advice on how best to remove trojans?

BACKGROUND
At the bottom right of my Windows7 screen, the Action Center gave me the following alerts:
- "Remove the W32/Gaobot.worm.genu - Win32/RBot.3eu!Worm virus"
and
- "Remove the Trojan.PWS.Legmir.AD / W32.Ahlem.A@mm virus"

Strangely the anti-virus software that I am running - AVG (Free)(V9-LATEST) - completely failed to find either of these viruses, even though I regularly make sure that it is bang up to date.


STEPS TAKEN SO FAR
I have downloaded SuperAntiSpyware, MalwareBytes, and A-Squared Free(v4.5).
I tried rebooting Windows7 in Safe Mode, by hitting F8 repeatedly during reboot.
However I could not get this to work. The first time I tried all that happened is that Windows7 completely failed to boot! The second and third times simply produced a normal boot.

I then ran MalwareBytes which found some stuff, at which point (very late in the day!) AVG found some stuff too.

So then I tried running msconfig.exe and selected "Diagnostic Startup" and rebooted into a safe mode.

Right now I am running an A-Squared scan and re-running MalwareBytes scan...

...But what is extremely worrying to me, is that I can't get AVG to run a scan right now. if I click on the "Computer Scanner" tab, and then click on "Scan Whole Computer", all that happens is that it says "! There are no active components" at the top of that window. (Is this because I have booted into "Diagnostic Startup" mode?

What should I do?
e.g.
- What else should I use to scan for trojans/viruses?
- How will I know when I have removed all the trojans/viruses?

All advice much appreciated!


Ship
 


Solution
Trouble
Microsoft Security Essentials, Malwarebytes, and Spybot Search and destroy. If after performing full scan with all three you are getting a clean bill of health, then I would suspect you're OK. But in actuality only time will tell. Also I'd keep just MSE and remove AVG the only thing that it ever found for me was virii and malware that other programs had already found and quarantined in their respective quarantine folders. Plus MSE has a much smaller foot print overall.
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If re-installing is not an option you could also try Microsofts security app which is currently considered one of the best free security apps out there:

Link Removed due to 404 Error
 


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No, re-installing really isnt an option.

I have now managed to reboot my Windows7 (64bit, btw) into Safe Mode and I have then tried scanning with SuperAntiSpyware, Malwarebytes, A-Squared, Microsoft Security Essentials, Microsoft Malicious Software Removal Tool, and also AVG which very late in the day found some stuff after Malwarebytes found something nasty...

Right now I am also running Avira AntiVir Rescue System (booting off a CD)...
But how do I find out if is there anything nasty still left?
 


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Microsoft Security Essentials, Malwarebytes, and Spybot Search and destroy. If after performing full scan with all three you are getting a clean bill of health, then I would suspect you're OK. But in actuality only time will tell. Also I'd keep just MSE and remove AVG the only thing that it ever found for me was virii and malware that other programs had already found and quarantined in their respective quarantine folders. Plus MSE has a much smaller foot print overall.
 


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Solution
Thanks Trouble - one thing what antivirus do you recommend and/or use yourself?

I just installed Kaspersky which has already found something that AVG failed to find. However my PC is now running somewhat slower... :(

[This could be a coincidence of course..., but I remember using Kasperky about 4 years ago and thinking the same thing - i.e. that it was powerful and effective but that it was very resource hungry. Maybe things havent changed...!]

Cheers

Ship
 


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I have downloaded SuperAntiSpyware, MalwareBytes, and A-Squared Free(v4.5).
Click to expand...

Including the others you've tried, I would suggest a "clean" install.

You never know what other files may be left over.

Remember, you'll need to re-install all your 3rd party applications.
 


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shiphen said:
Thanks Trouble - one thing what antivirus do you recommend and/or use yourself?

I just installed Kaspersky which has already found something that AVG failed to find. However my PC is now running somewhat slower... :(

[This could be a coincidence of course..., but I remember using Kasperky about 4 years ago and thinking the same thing - i.e. that it was powerful and effective but that it was very resource hungry. Maybe things havent changed...!]

Cheers

Ship
Click to expand...

I have heard a lot of good things about Kaspersky and most say it has some impressive catch statistics. So I would say use your own best judgement. I consider myself, my own best antivirus. But in addition to using good common sense, I just use MSE and the builtin windows 7 firewall and feel relatively safe. The topic of which to use and why is always very subjective and I suppose most if not all of the products you can name have their good points as well as their bad.
 


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@reghakr
Yes I am now seriously considering a fresh install (i.e. format disk and start again, right?) The only problem is that I would need to take a copy of my data first - and that may well have become infected too, no?

Also I am now starting to get very behind in my day job - you know REAL work... - and a full re-install represents a couple of days of labour I would estimate. :^[

Ship
 


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I 've done a complete format on every build of Windows 7 and yes I had to re-insatll all my 3rd party applications.It took me about a day. but well worth it,

BTW, what anti-virus were you using originally stephen?
 


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