Win32 Virus Removal

What good timing... the other day my 11 year-old son accidentally clicked a link that infected my computer with one (they are technically called "rogue viruses"). As you said, they are not serious threats, but some can be a true b*tch to remove... this was one of them. I tried Malwarebytes, AdAware, CCleaner, and even some manual registry edits, none of which completely got rid of it. To make matters worse, this one included a google redirect virus, which is extremely annoying and very difficult to get rid of.

But wait, there's more. In the process of dealing with all of this, somehow my home networking and print server got screwed up, which was a major hassle. So what started as a harmless but annoying virus (again, these rogue viruses are basically "fake") ironically became a huge, snowballing headache. And I (mostly) know my way around a computer, so I can only imagine the frustration for someone who doesn't.

Eventually, with hours of work and tons of trial and error with different malware programs and credible online expert recommendations, I was able to fix everything, bit by bit. A few lessons/tips:

1. Don't get a virus. I know, sounds funny and obvious, but it is amazing how many people still do all the wrong things. In this case it was my young son so I cut him some slack and educated him about it. But everyone should know the basics: don't open attachments, links, or e-mails you are not familiar with or are unsure about. Period. If you follow that simple rule your odds of getting a virus are slim.

2. If #1 fails, make sure whatever scan/fix programs you use are always up to date. Malwarebytes, CCleaner, AdAware and other free programs are really excellent, but virus writers and hackers are always one step ahead. So if the last time you updated your program/definitions was a month ago, the bad guys could have easily written tons of new code that the programs won't catch.

3. Once your software is up to date, run both the quick and full scan options, and run them more than once. You'd be surprised... sometimes they will catch stuff the second time around that they didn't catch the first time.

4. Always be disciplined about backing up, and also set restore points. They can really help (sometimes).

5. If none of your scanners do the trick, try one of the good and credible free online scanners. ESET was the one I used and it was a huge help. These scanners are kept up-to-the-minute so they are often much better than any you can download.

6. If you've tried everything and still have problems, and you are not comfortable playing with the registry or other "guts" of your operating system, it is worth the investment to use a remote access repair service, where a technician takes control of your PC and fixes everything while you watch. Yes, you pay (average is about $129, though I've seen some independents that are much less). But these services (again, do your homework and make sure you are using an established/credible one) are invariably effective and most people I know who have used them have been happy they spent the money and saved the time and agony. Just google "remote access virus removal," and add "U.S. based" if you don't want to deal with the whole offshore tech support thing.

7. If this all sounds like a huge headache, please see #1.

Here's hoping for a virus-free 2011 for all.

Michael Hess
BNet Columnist
Business With Class

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