Computer help

[89jeepxjw]

So im not real fancy with computers at all. On the lower right hand corner of my desktop there is a red circle with an x. It keeps popping up saying my junk is infected and need anti spyware. When I close it it just keeps coming back up and when you click ok it takes me to a website that wants my credit card for some hoopla antivirus. My computer runs fine just annoying as this thing keeps popping up. How do I get rid of it? O btw this is on a dell with windows xp.

 

[RichP]

So im not real fancy with computers at all. On the lower right hand corner of my desktop there is a red circle with an x. It keeps popping up saying my junk is infected and need anti spyware. When I close it it just keeps coming back up and when you click ok it takes me to a website that wants my credit card for some hoopla antivirus. My computer runs fine just annoying as this thing keeps popping up. How do I get rid of it? O btw this is on a dell with windows xp.

If it just started today, go to start, accessories, system tool, system restore. Pick a date before it started and restore the system to that date. Sometimes you get lucky.

 

[theNAST1EST]

x2 on the system restore

...the red circle with the x looks like an icon that your computer would normally produce, however it's simply a program or application trying to appear official so you'll buy xxxxx product.


oftentimes, they appear when your computer's "free trial" anti-virus software expires. thus the link to a website to purchase the full version. if this is the case, the only way to end the annoying icons is to either pay the fee (if it looks legit), or go to your control panel and uninstall whatever anti-virus program is causing the issue. be warned though, this will leave your computer unprotected until you install new anti-virus software.

either way, investing your $$ in a good software package will save you more headaches than you can imagine.

good luck

 

[AIbandit]

So im not real fancy with computers at all. On the lower right hand corner of my desktop there is a red circle with an x. It keeps popping up saying my junk is infected and need anti spyware. When I close it it just keeps coming back up and when you click ok it takes me to a website that wants my credit card for some hoopla antivirus. My computer runs fine just annoying as this thing keeps popping up. How do I get rid of it? O btw this is on a dell with windows xp.

This virus is known as anti virus 09(updated anti virus 08) it has different stages and causes massive damage. It tries to get you to purchase its "anti virus/spyware program"
Right now your in the early stages you might be able to fix it. As soon as you start deleting some of its software it replicates in different areas of your pc and registry
and advances. The image below was one I treated it started out like yours trying to get you to buy it. after closing the process manually it got uglier changing the desktop image to that virus symbol spamming massive amounts of windows.
This link has some info about it http://www.2-spyware.com/remove-antivirus-09.html
or google it

There's ways to fix it but all end up with a damaged registry and corrupted files (easiest fix is a reformat)

I suggest saving what you can( external hard drive and flash drive also scan them before opening on a different computer or reformatted drive!)

this is an old version my sister had she said it was just sending her to that site for a couple months (until i pissed it off by closing process's and deleting some of its files)

 

[dave92cherokee]

Get online and download avast antivirus, spybot search and destroy, and zone alarm (if you have high speed internet). Their all free to download and use, and will all work just as well as the expensive programs. When you get them downloaded and installed run and update with them so they have the current info and then let them do a scan of your system. They will find whatever program it is that's causing that icon as it's likely spyware and remove it.

 

[RichP]

I had one machine here with it, accounting pc no less, wasted 2 hours and it kept coming back, finally did a restore and that seemed to clean it up after deleting the files and directories. At that point I locked all the pc's down and while it ticked off the users it freed up a bunch of my time....

 

[89jeepxjw]

So how do I go about deleting all the files and directories? and how to perform a restore? Again Im totally clue-less.....

 

[AIbandit]

So how do I go about deleting all the files and directories? and how to perform a restore? Again Im totally clue-less.....

Did you try restoring yet??
Start/All Programs/Accesories /System tools/ System restore
This can have multiple outcomes from cure to semi cure to fueling the fire
Even if you think this cured it still go through the following process


the link I gave you had the instructions... Do it in this order!

Kill processes:
AV2009.exe AV2009_Update.exe SysShield.exe Uninstall.exe


Delete registry values:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\AVP09
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\AV2009
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\Antivirus 2009
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Internet Settings\User Agent\Post Platform "AVP09"
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run "Antivirus 2009"
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run "Windows applications server"

Delete files:
AV2009.exe AV2009_Update.exe scanopt.sys Support.url sysdata.sys SysShield.exe Uninstall.exe \\Antivirus 2009.lnk Support.lnk Uninstall Antivirus 2009.lnk


Delete directories:
c:\Program Files\Antivirus 2009
c:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Start Menu\Antivirus 2009

 

[RichP]

Came in handy an hour and 15 minutes ago. I keep telling them there are no issues after 4:45 on a friday and before 0900 on a monday. And don't ever walk out the door saying "I've had a problem all day" and expect me to jump right on it.