Friday, March 18, 2011

Google Redirect Virus: What You Must Know About It


To people who use their computer everyday for work, encountering problems like the Google Redirect Virus can be an annoying issue. This is because this virus is capable of causing huge problems for computer users. While it is easy to assume that this problem can easily removed, the virus can actually be difficult even with the help of tools. However, you can still get rid of the virus through a combination of procedures.

What is the Google Redirect Virus?
If you have been experiencing the annoying virus, it is actually a piece of malware which is really hard to remove successfully. Although there are several websites that provide a walk through or a diagnosis on the virus, they are not the best ways to get rid of the problem. But if you are able to find a good step by step guide on how to get it done, you will be able to get your computer back to its original state: clean and fully operational.

How to Know You Have the Virus
It is very easy to determine if your computer has been affected by the Google Redirect Virus. The simplest way to identify this is when you are getting dummy results pages every time you conduct a web search in Google. This is because the virus comes up with a dummy page which is full of bogus websites. The moment you visit these websites, your computer will be further infected with the malware and spyware these websites are made up of.

The Result
If your computer has been affected by the virus, you will have a computer which cannot be used well. Aside from this, your data is available to unscrupulous web users who can scam you.

Thursday, March 17, 2011

Palladium Pro Scareware and Why You Need To Remove It


2010 was a busy year for scareware, and 2011 is prepped for similar growth. According to Panda Security, over 5 percent of computers worldwide are affected by rogue antivirus programs. How do you know if yours is one of them? Rogue programs like Palladium Pro have distinctive calling cards which they leave all over your computer. Learning what these are can help you avoid them in the future, and avoid spending money on ineffectual scareware.
The Rogue Palladium Pro
Palladium Pro may be a new name to the 2011 scareware roster, but it is from the same family as the Fake Microsoft Security Essentials rogue antivirus programs. The goal is to convince you that your computer has been invaded by "Unknown Win32/Trojan" and "Trojan.Horse.Win32.PAV.64," and your private data is at risk. To do this, the rogue creates a multifaceted ad campaign, which makes liberal use of pop-up ads and false scan results warnings. Like all rogues, however, this newcomer is unable to scan your computer and offers little to no protection. It is scareware, which tries to profit on your need to keep your machine and data save. It is very likely that the only issue that your computer is facing is the presence of this rogue.
Introduction to Palladium Pro
Rogue antivirus programs typically depend on trojans to enter your system, and trojans typically rely on the same inroads into your system. It isn't just sites with "adult" content that are affected; it is possible to allow a trojan to access your machine if you visit sites with content such as:
? Freeware or P2P material. These are often bundled with various forms of malware.
? Free ad-ons, such as screen savers, desktop backgrounds, toolbars, or torrents.
? Applications or games from third-parties on social networking sites.
? Instant messenger or chat programs (even legitimate ones).
? Sites with "questionable" content, which can include illegal advertising and pirated content.
? Gaming sites.
It is also possible to run into malicious websites when conducting searches for trending topics, such as the latest current event. Malware designers create the pages solely to display ads and spread scareware. Palladium Pro can be bundled with other malware, such as browser hijackers.
Owners sometimes install the program directly because they believe it to be a reputable and effective antivirus program. The paid version, however, is no different from the pop-up producing trial version.
What to Look For
This rogue antivirus program can download itself without your knowledge, so it is doubly important to know what to look for. Palladium Pro depends on the trusted Microsoft name for its appearance of legitimacy, and warnings appear to come directly from this reputable source. These are typically in the form of pop-up ads designed to look like security program alerts and false scan results.
This rogue is a little more insidious than some because it may not allow you to start your Windows desktop or task manager, or even close the messages, unless you purchase the software. This is known as "ransomware."
To ensure optimal performance and security, remove Palladium Pro as soon as you can.
View the original article here

Protect Your Computer From ProtectShield Scareware


Antivirus protection is a top priority for any computer, and naturally enough, an entire industry has sprung up to offer system security. And just as naturally, an entire industry has sprung up that takes advantage of the need for reliable security and seeks to exploit it for its own financial gain. ProtectShield and other rogue antivirus programs create the illusion of severe threats and try to convince users that they have to purchase their software in order to remove them. Our need for security, and for quick resolution of risks, is what rogue programs thrive on.
What is ProtectShield?
Scareware is increasingly common, but rogue programs like ProtectShield tend to rely on the same methods. While inconvenient for the computer user, it does make them relatively easy to identify. Their overall goal is to persuade you to buy their software, and to do this, they must create the illusion of security risks in your machine. Thus, they launch intensive ad campaign, and while the ever-present pop-ups and false scan results can be worrisome, remember that they are just ads. This rogue program has no more power to scan your computer than it does to remove threats and offer protection. Rogues depend on confusion and illusion.
ProtectShield In Your System
How does it get in? How does it behave once it is in there? These are two of the most important questions a computer user needs to ask about rogue antivirus programs. Like most other scareware, ProtectShield depends on trojans. A trojan is like a bus that takes various forms of malware into your computer, and this bus usually travels the same routes. Sites that feature adult, gaming, pirated, freeware, P2P, free ad-ons and applications, social networking, and chat features are hotspots for trojan activity. Clicking on an ad, downloading a free video, or simply clicking on an affected link can allow the trojan to move on.
It should also be noted that when you search for "trending" topics, or frequently searched-for items, about ten percent of the top 100 results are malicious. Clicking through to one of these sites can allow malware to access the system.
Once inside, the rogue program goes through a dormant stage. You don't know it's there, but it is working to change your security settings. Once it does this, it is free to begin a more active life. Its two most prominent features are:
Pop-ups. These warn you that your computer is at risk from malware. The only way to fix this is to download ProtectShield immediately, so the ads say. But remember, these are ads only.
False scan results. We depend on security scans to alert us of potential threats, and this rogue creates mock scan result windows that feature the Windows logo in an attempt at legitimacy. While these appear to be from a trusted Windows source, the name "ProtectShield" is clearly printed at the top of the screen. Again, they want you to take immediate action without looking a little closer.
Slow performance, difficulty navigating, and unfamiliar desktop or taskbar icons are all signs that a rogue antivirus program has taken up residency in your computer. Knowing how to identify the rogue is the first step. The second is safely removing ProtectShield.
View the original article here

Quick Helping Guide to Remove XP Total Security 2011



XP Total Security 2011 is another member of rogue security applications which has been developed by hackers for the same purpose of making money by deceiving innocent users. It belongs to same family of XP Home Security 2011, Win 7 Anti-Virus 2011, and Win 7 Home Security. With the help of rootkit technique, this rogue application accesses your system resources and redirects it to remote website. In this way it adds additional malware into your system and steals confidential data. So, this counterfeit application is great threat to your PC which deteriorate it completely if remain in your system. It is advised not to waste your money on this program and immediately remove XP Total Security 2011 upon detection.
Destructive Actions of XP Total Security 2011
Show annoying pop-ups and security alertsDisable Windows Security software, error reporting service etcChanges system settingsGenerates malicious codes in Windows registrySlow Internet connectionUnable to open any security related websitesHijacks Internet Explorer, Mozilla and other web browsersSteal personal data using remote accessChanges browser homepage settingsCauses system crash Since this application pose great threat to the integrity of your computer and also violates PC security so, it is very essential to remove it as quickly as possible.
How to avoid XP Total Security 2011 Attack
You should adopt preventive measures to avoid such types of malicious attacks.
Take caution while opening unknown attachmentsYou must use strong passwords over networksUse FirewallUpdate Windows Security software Even if your system gets infected with this destructive malware immediately take strong step to get rid of this fake application.
How to Remove XP Total Security 2011
In order to remove this fake application you need to follow below mentioned steps:
Open Task Manager and stop its executable processesWith the help of Registry Editor remove its registryRemove its related files and folders from each location of your PC By following above mentioned steps you can get rid of this rogue application but sometimes some of the hidden files are not removed completely and they further generates malicious codes in your system. Manual removal also requires computer expertise who has detailed knowledge about registry editing because minor mistake can crash your system. So, it is advised to remove XP Total Security 2011 with the help of effective XP Total Security 2011 Removal Tool.
Using this tool you can safely remove this bogus application from your PC. It completely removes entire traces of files from your system and thus makes it free from spyware.
View the original article here

Remove AntiMalware GO in Order to Protect Your PC


AntiMalware GO is another rogue anti-spyware application similar to AntiVira AV and Antivirus. NET. It is another type of cyber brat which has been developed by scammers to deceive naive users. This malicious software makes use of various illegal techniques to scare you that your system is badly infected with harmful spyware and you need to purchase this application to get rid of harmful threats. But don't fell in the mischievous trap of this malicious application and immediately try to remove AntiMalware GO upon detection.
This rogue application enters your computer without any consent of user and start performing fake scanning of your PC. It misleads the users by displaying false viruses and security alerts as mentioned below:
Antivirus software alert
Infiltration alert
Your computer is being attacked by an Internet virus. It could be password-stealing attack, a trojan-dropper or similar.
After getting such results users get panic that their system is infected with harmful spyware and hence do the fault of purchasing the rogue application. But you must not do this fault and never try to pay for this malicious software because it is nothing but scam.
Sources of Infection
AntiMalware GO automatically enters your system when you perform following actions:
Visiting malicious websitesDownloading infected softwares, games and videosUse of Peer-to-peer softwareClicking spam emails and opening attached documentsInfected codec download
All such activities make your PC infected with malicious applications. So, take caution while performing such actions and always update your antivirus program. However, if your system is infected with this fake program then immediately take proper steps to remove AntiMalware GO otherwise your PC gets damaged.
Destructive Actions of AntiMalware GO
Stay in the background and executes malicious codesShow annoying pop-ups and security alertsChanges desktop settingsCreates unwanted shortcuts on desktopAutomatic deletion of filesChanges browser homepage settingsRedirect browser to remote websiteHijack Internet ExplorerSteal Personal data like credit card, password, bank account number etc
This malicious piece of software completely damages your PC if not removed immediately. So, it is necessary to remove it as soon as possible.
Instructions to remove AntiMalware GO
You can manually remove this malware but it is quite complicated and risky. It needs a computer expertise who have detailed knowledge about dll files, registry edition etc. In order to remove this application you can follow below manual steps:
End all processes of AntiMalware GOWith the help of Windows Registry Editor remove its registry keys and entriesFind and remove all related files and folders from every location your computer
Sometimes it happens that manual methods fail to remove this counterfeit application because some traces of files still remain in the system in the hidden form. So, to prevent you from such situations it is recommended to use automatic AntiMalware GO Removal Tool. Using this effective software you can safely remove AntiMalware GO from your system. The software is equipped with high-tech features using which it scan your system and completely removes the malicious application.
View the original article here

Remove Palladium Pro From Your Computer for Good - Palladium Pro Removal Explained


So your Computer is infected with palladium pro virus? It is a rogue antispyware that actually creates security threats to your computer. Once it gets inside your computer, this rogue antivirus will prompt you for upgrades and warns you for nonexistent threats. If you see this rogue antispyware on your computer, then you should remove palladium pro from your computer as fast as possible. This article will guide you through the palladium pro removal process.
First of all if you purchased any of the upgrades offered by the rogue antivirus you should cancel them right away. If you purchased them using your credit card then you should contact the credit card company as fast as possible and cancel the charges.
If you are confident in handling computer programs then you can try to remove palladium pro from your computer manually. In order to remove palladium pro manually you need to start the task manager and end its processes. Once the processes are removed you will regain access to your desktop (Normally this rogue antispyware will block your access to your desktop). Now you need to repair your registry files. You can do this by downloading the registry easy. You can read more about registry easy the website at the end of article. Repairing your registry is very important since this will prevent any virus from restoring itself when you remove palladium pro from your computer. After that you need to download a program called rkill to prevent any process from the virus from interfering with your manual removal process. You can find it easily by Googling "rkill download".
If you do not possess deep computer knowledge or if you want to do the removal quickly, you can use the automated removal process by using frontline rogue remover.
Manual Removal
Now you can manually remove palladium pro files by using the windows explorer. Try to do this as thorough as possible to prevent any comeback. If by any chance the manual removal is not working, it can only mean that your computer is severely infected.
Automated Removal
All the viruses and spywares nowadays are usually so clever that manual removal is usually impossible. This is why we need reliable antispyware and antivirus. However, most antivirus and antispyware out there are simply no good. I have tested many antiviruses to remove palladium pro from my computer for good and only a few of them succeeded in doing so. So far, the antivirus that works best against any rogue antivirus and cleans your computer thoroughly is the frontline rogue remover. After the scan and removal process my computer is restored to its original clean state. My computer also runs properly like usual without any errors.
View the original article here

Remove the System Defragmenter Virus - How To Get Rid Of This Malware


If your computer has started slowing down or you need to maintain it one of the first things you may consider is running the disk defragmenter tool. Unfortunately there is malware that takes advantage of this and presents itself as an advanced system scanner and defragmenter to help you to optimize your computer. This is the system defragmenter virus otherwise called the Trojan:Win32/FakeSysdef.
This malware cleverly plays on a name similar to the windows disk defragmenter but instead called itself the system defragmenter and tricks most people into thinking it is the same, if not a similar product from Microsoft.
The sole purpose of this malware is to get you to buy the full version of it, which does absolutely nothing to improve computer performance and may actually make it worse than before.
How does this malware trick you?
This malware look similar to a genuine disk defragmenter. It usually gets on your computer by tricking you into thinking it is genuine software and once installed it is very hard to remove. It will then run a fake system scan and report numerous hard disk and system errors. The longer this malware stays on your computer the more errors it will generate in an attempt to make you buy it.
You will see errors like:
#1 your hard drive has bad sectors.
#2 your computer has serious registry errors.
#3 your CPU is overheating.
#4 your computer is infected with malware causing disk corruption.
This malware then informs you that all this can be fixed by running the full version of this product. To stop this you need to remove the system defragmenter virus quickly.
How do you get rid of this?
#1 The first step is to stop this malware from running at all. To do this start task manager by right clicking on the task bar, then select task manager.
#2 once task manager opens go to the processes tab and find a process called exe. Exe. Click on it with your mouse and highlight it and then click on end process at the bottom of the task manager box.
#3 Start the registry editor from the start menu. To to do this go to start, then run and type in regedit. Then go to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run "exe.exe and delete this exe.exe entry.
#4 Once you have done this search for and delete the following files and program folders.
a) maindll.dll
b) Remove the system defragmenter.lnk file or shortcut from the desktop.
c) Delete the system defragmenter folder from the programs folder.
Once you have done all this restart your computer. If you have done everything correctly you should find that you have removed the system defragmenter virus. If it is still there either you have made a mistake or the virus has regenerated itself using hidden registry and system files. If this is the case you need to use the next option to remove it.
Automatic method to remove this malware
If you have been unable to remove this malware following the steps above the next step is to download and run a system and registry scanner. Ensure you do not download more malware! A genuine system scanner will scan the windows registry and the windows files for any malware and stop it. It will then help you to remove any trace of the system defragmenter virus and get rid of it for good.
View the original article here