Total Security Malware

[GeoffW1 (Geoff)]

Hi,

I just got rid of the XP Total Security virus. OMG what a mongrel thing it is, blocks any access to the Internet, stops your usual anti-virus and anti-spyware, and gives itself permission in your software firewall. It installs its own files with random names, and this makes it very hard to find.

You can still operate Safe Mode however, and download a removal tool. It took me hours.

Cheers

[michaellxv (Michael)]

I had to remove this one from my mum's laptop recently. Once I could get in to backup all the data I opted for the backup\format\reinstall method of removal as I could never be sure I had it all.

It's a nasty piece of work.

[DavidU (Dave)]

This one is a shocker. I had it on my laptop last year ,VERY difficult to remove.

[supernova1965 (Warren)]

Yeah I have had to deal with several variations of this one and the End user is convinced that it is safe because of the names they give it and then they think it is Microsoft trying to rip them off. I am trying to educate them but it is a pain to get rid of I had one only last week that wouldn't even let me do system restore to an earlier time because that was disabled in normal mode as well. I finally got into safe and sorted it out.

[Visionoz (Bill)]

When able to get into "Safe Mode" with Networking option - ignore any pop-ups; ie let it stay on the screen and drag it aside - and then download "AntiMalware Bytes from http://malwarebytes.org (use the Free version)

HTH
Cheers
Bill