What are the steps to efficiently scan & remove viruses & spyware?

[MMAUY]

How do you do this and what are the steps?
I am trying to learn as much as I can.

Are there any common viruses/spyware, that most infected computers get?

What do you do when a infection disguised as a anti virus/anti spyware, keeps popping up and cannot be un-installed? Ive tried spy doctor, ccleaner, hijackthis, AVG,ad-aware but it just does not go away. Im ready to re-format.

[gunslinger]

I had this problem a while back with a customers pc. I tried everything you tried and still got the pop up at the lower right telling me that the computer was infected and I needed to install their "special software". This is what I did to get rid of this:

first run spybot s&d in safe mode after thats done:
Be carefull here
Open regedit (start run regedit press enter)
expand the branches untill you are at this location
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Servic es\cmdservice
Hilight cmdservice rightclick choose delete in the context menue

If you have trouble deleting a key. Then click once on the key name to highlight it and Rightclick > Permissions.
Then make sure you are Administrator and give yourself Full Control of that key. place a check next to allow full control (if its not there already)
You might need to click advanced and place a check next to [x] inherit from parent the permissions that apply to child objects.
Click Apply then ok untill your back at the suspect service key , right click and delete the key, Close the registry editor when done.

Do the same for this key
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\ControlSet001\Services\c mdService

This fixed it for me.

[nonchalant]

For the viruses I'd run Kaspersky. They have a free trial version on their website. For the spyware I'd run Advanced windows care and Windows Defender (both free).

If all that fails I'd format and be done with it. Some of this crap is just impossible to remove and its getting worse.

Or you could try www.aec.cz (http://www.aec.cz)

[Laptop Repair]

For viruses get any of the good antivirus software and for spyware get spyware doctor rest of the work software will do.... so enjoy:)

[SuperStuff]

I use an old version of AVG's Anti-Rootkit to remove a virus like this. They no longer upgrade the Anti-Rootkit software because it is part of the paid versions of AVG. A combination of virus removal tools are needed in one's arsenal to remove them.

[greggh]

You can get 99% of them by hand with no scanners. Scanners should not be used as a crutch. They should be used at the end to finish the job by scanning for all the random junk that doesnt matter and getting rid of it.

[NYJimbo]

I use an old version of AVG's Anti-Rootkit to remove a virus like this. They no longer upgrade the Anti-Rootkit software because it is part of the paid versions of AVG. A combination of virus removal tools are needed in one's arsenal to remove them.

You use an outdated and no longer updated anti-rootkit program to remove new rootkits ?. :confused:

[sys-eng]

For viruses get any of the good antivirus software and for spyware get spyware doctor rest of the work software will do.... so enjoy:)


Finally!! Now I know how those "techs" advertise that they remove viruses and all sorts of infections for $40 or less. :rolleyes: