Malware Nightmare (Wife's fault!)

Ladies & Gents, my Friday night has just been ruined by she who must not be named (Lord Voldemum) calling me into the kitchen to say "There's something wrong with the computer". It would appear that Madame Luddite has 'somehow' downloaded a malware called Windows System Optimizator (FFS! Its not even a word!).

Anyway, I now have this cancerous bloody thing on my PC so am using a laptop to try and find out how to remove it. My question is, which of the advice sites can you trust? There are so many that talk about this particular malware I have no idea whether they will further f**k up my computer or are also malware sites. A lot of them insist you download their stuff. How do I know that this is safe? Have any of you dealt with this Optimizator thing before?

Any help greatly appreciated. On the plus side its given me the moral high ground over the Long-haired Colonel - something I intend to exploit to its fullest extent.

Last thing, what happened in Hustle? I got as far as the team going to Birmingham before I was summoned to witness the almighty cock up that Mrs Jambosun had made.

Many Thanks

 

Download AVG, which is free and give it a try.

 

I noticed my post gave a link to Amazon with AVG. Google AVG and give it a go.

 

Cheers Wits, I'll have a look in the morning. Its well past wine o'clock now and I'd probably make the problem worse having had my weekly recommended allowance in about an hour. Have you used AVG before?

 

Yes, you can download the free version or pay for their super protection. Download the free one and give it a try.

Good luck.

 

:thumbup:Brilliant - Thanks for the help.

 

if that does'nt work download ( free version ) malwarebytes - anti malware it worked for me with two nasties that nothing else would remove.

 

I use the free version of AVG and had no problems. The IT geeks at work all use it and recommend it.

 

All great ideas, hope they work. If all fails try going back to the latest restore point before the malware.

 

malwarebytes and SuperAntisSpyware works, also run in the back ground

 

Avg as others have said is very good (free version ) Once installed will remove malware within seconds. Well it does on mine.

 

You should be able to catch the bit of Hustle you missed here:

BBC - BBC One Programmes - Hustle, Series 7, Episode 2

 

malwarebytes.org is worth purchasing. Trend Housecall will do an online check.
Microsoft security essentials is free.
For unbiased, quality info on IT security issues go to Steve Gibson's site.

 

This isn't as easy as 'download xxx'.

First off what version of windows are you running and what security do you have installed at present ?

 

I think there is more stress in the world caused by computers than anything else ! (bar the normal exceptions which I won't dwell on here!)

I used to to run a PC on Windows Vista and had AVG installed which was very good.

I'm not really a computer wizz but ditched it in favour of a Mac (I've got a MacBook Pro) which i'm very pleased with.No more virus or junk or registery problems, like the adverts say 'they just work'.

Mac's are a bit like Marmite you either love them or hate them but if cash will allow they are well worth checking out.

Anyway good luck with your system and AVG.

 

SORTED!!. I am really grateful for all the advice from you guys. I looked at the security/advice sites for ages, working out how to do the step by step approach and was (fairly) confident I could crack it. However when I turned the PC on the malware prompt to run it was there, as I knew it would be, and I'd read that you had to let it do its thing before you could then go about removing it. Anyway, the malware "Optimizator" couldn't load and so I was left with a completely froen screen with the egg timer sitting there and nothing happening. I then tried to crack it in safe mode but the bloody stuff was in there as well. NMC is right; its not easy and I think I need to go on a course or at least get to know a CIS guy (shudder).

Finally I remembered that I'd registered with BT Home IT Call ages ago to sort out a 2nd Hand laptop that was giving me grief. One call to them and 45 minutes later it was all sorted. There was the usual faff of trying to find ethenet cables and extension leads etc to let them remotely control the computer, but after that it was a breeze. Thank God for Geeks!!

I now have malwarebytes and CCleaner installed. My only remaining problem is how to let Mrs Jambosun make it up to me!

Thanks again for your help. Now I can go and watch Hustle on Sol's i-player link.

Cheers.

 

Nice one.

Tick 'all' the boxes in Ccleaner except the bottom one. You can tick that one but it takes longer.

You should also go into 'msconfig / startup' and uncheck everything in there except your security

 

re: C Cleaner.

A good drill is to get yourself (and her indoors) to run the Cleaner and Registry cleaner regularly, ie Weekly and then again every time your PC seems to be running slowly, too.

Takes only a short time and you will generally notice the increase in speed afterwards.



It acts just like REDEX in your petrol tank, but without the clouds of blue smoke ;-)

 

Good advice thanks. Lessons will start tomorrow morning so that there are no more "all I did was press 'Yes'. It looked ok" moments!