PLease help me...need quick help!

[thebiggoose]

My dad borrowed a laptop from his friend(a cheap dell one)...and he did something so that theer is an icon on the right side of the taskbar taht randomly pops up a little window saying your computer is infected...buy our software here...how can I get rid of it without buying a new copy of windows?

 

[Josias]

Dude, you just try and click on it, and say indly to the program: "No Mr. n00b, though I'd like to purchase your software, I am incapable of doing so, therefore, f*ck off!".

Just click on it, and see if there's some way you can get rid of it. Otherwise, tell the guy he borrowed it from to get a Mac.

BTW, the computer hasn't been infected. It did it all the time on my old winpoo laptop, I rarely got virus/worms/spyware...

 

[plinden]

If it's popping up "Buy our software" it's probably spyware that somehow got onto the machine. Virus checking software from reputable companies won't do that.

So, download "spybot search and destroy" and "adaware" and run each of them to see what it says.

Also try scanning for viruses with Housecall - http://housecall.trendmicro.com/

 

[thebiggoose]

oops...I forgot to say I can't connect to the internet on this comp

 

[thebiggoose]

i ran adaware and it found 109 problems but would only let me fix 20 before i ahd to buy the full version

 

[Xander562]

i ran adaware and it found 109 problems but would only let me fix 20 before i ahd to buy the full version

so after those twenty are fixed, do it again, and again, and again, untill there arent anymore

 

[codo]

You need - AVG Anti Virus Free Edition and Spybot - Search & Destroy, a spyware/general crap remover.

That will clean you up nicely - For free.

 

[thebiggoose]

it wont let me...I've even tried reinstalliung it

the computer is running xp with sp1

 

[codo]

Do my steps above - Failing that -

Close all programs you are not using and...

Do Control + Alt + Delete and click the "Processes" tab and post a screenshot of all the process or type them out - e.g. taskmgr.exe, vmnetdhcp.exe, PDSched.exe etc and I’ll check them out to try and find anything suspicious.

 

[thebiggoose]

okay thanks
I'm trying spybot seach and destroy

 

[NJuul]

Find a way to connect to the internet, click on the pop-up, google the name it refers you to along with "remove" or "adware", and find a tool that specificly says that it will remove the program.

 

[thebiggoose]

it sends me to http://www.spywarequake.com

 

[codo]

http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/forums/topic47826.html
Edit: Let SpyBot finish scanning/fixing first, it may be able to fix it for you without doing all that complicated stuff - If it doesnt, then try the link above.

 

[NJuul]

it sends me to http://www.spywarequake.com

Funny, I actually got this little bugger as well the first time I installed Windows on my MBP. Didn't know how to behave in Microsoft-land.
I ended up deleting the windows partition and reinstalling.
Probably not a solution you wish to resort to.
Good luck getting rid of it.

 

[drewfasa]

If the Dell isn't connected to the internet, how can it be your fault if it has a virus? All PCs have viruses, I'm sure the guy can live with it.

 

[NJuul]

If the Dell isn't connected to the internet, how can it be your fault if it has a virus? All PCs have viruses, I'm sure the guy can live with it.

Good point. Guess that either the virus was there when your dad borrowed the Dell, or he has been surfing the internet on risky web-pages!