Allstar Hijacker – What is it and What Does it Do?

Let’s start with the question of what Allstar Hijacker is. The simple answer is a hijacker, but what is a hijacker? A hijacker is most commonly a program that is installed without your knowledge or consent that hijacks your computer. A hijacker most commonly hijacks your web browser. That is the case with Allstar Hijacker.

Allstar Hijacker changes your home page, your default search engine and where your searches would normally take you. Not only that, but Allstar Hijacker also adds shortcuts pointing to porn websites in your favorites.

To remove Allstar Hijacker you need to get a dependable antispyware program. There are many out there on the market, so I suggest you find one with several awards. That will tell you that the program is not only legitimate, but is also considered a good program by those in the computer industry.

Oh, I didn’t have Delphi, I had AdRoar

I should really just stay away from toolbars. I got this one, and the problems started immediately. I got a pop-up that said, “This module was compiled with a trial version of Delphi. The trial period has expired.” What??? I couldn’t worry about that, since I had other pop-up ads to deal with. They were wreaking havoc on my computer, and it had to end.

I was still kind of confused over this Delphi thing when I ran my antispyware program. When it was done an hour later, it said that I had AdRoar, but it wouldn’t get rid of it. Free programs will do that, I guess. I shopped around some for better antispyware and found SpyZooka. I liked the 100% removal guarantee, so I bought it. Within 15 minutes, my spyware problems were over, and I never heard about Delphi again.

The 5MOF Mini Player Is a Bad Program

I like trying out new programs that I find on the internet. Sometimes, though, that gets me into trouble. For instance, I found this program called 5MOF Mini Player. It looked like a nifty little media player program. Well, I got more than I bargained for. Once the download was complete, I started to get pop-up ads and my computer acted like it was having a seizure when I tried to run something. I knew I got adware from this.

It appeared that the free antispyware program I was trying out couldn’t fix it. No problem, I thought, I’ll get a different one. Because I got infected, I thought I should be serious about what I got this time. I heard about SpyZooka, so I gave it a spin. After that quick fix, I think I’ll just stick with this one.

AntivirusPlasma – The Ugly Truth

The computer industry has seen AntivirusPlasma before under a different name: Antivirus2009. If you are familiar with Antivirus2009 you will let out a groan. If not, you may let out a groan after I tell you about AntivirusPlasma.

AntivirusPlasma is a rogue security program. I call it rogue because it is fake, and there is nothing this program can do for you. It will do much to you, but nothing for you.

AntivirusPlasma starts out by flooding your computer with alarming but false pop-ups telling you that your computer is infected and only AntivirusPlasma can fix it. Do not fall for this. If you go to the website the pop-ups direct you to you are given a fake scan, told your computer is very infected, and then pressured to buy AntivirusPlasma. There is no full version of AntivirusPlasma. You would be paying for a trial version. No, let me correct myself--you would be paying for malware, adware and spyware. The AntivirusPlasma site asks for either $49.95 or $79.95 for the “software.”

Removal as soon as possible will save your computer, because if you let the infection stay on your computer you are looking at real damage done to your computer. Look for a dependable--and real--antispyware program. In my opinion you should never spend more than $40 for one.

Good PC Antispyware Can Be Hard to Find

I’m tired of seeing all the “best antispyware” program ads while I’m looking for a new PC antispyware program. I got infected by a supposed antispyware program the other day. I’m pretty sure that it’s spyware since I didn’t have any problems until I saw it. The only reason I didn’t buy it is that it was too expensive for my taste.

Of course, the stupid antispyware software I had didn’t say that I had an infection. I know better though, because my computer’s hiccupping and crashing every five minutes or so. I saw an ad for SpyZooka where they offer a 100% spyware-removal guarantee. I’m not seeing anyone else doing that, so maybe they’re really the best.

AntispyKnight – How Did it Get On My Computer?

AntispyKnight makes its way onto your computer when the Vundo or Zlob Trojan infects your computer. The Trojan could have found its way onto your computer in any of several ways. You could have visited a porn site and accepted a fake video or ActiveX codec. You could have opened a spam email and clicked on the file enclosed. You could have been using file-sharing software and got the Trojan while you downloaded music or video. A corrupt website could have given it to you through ActiveX or video codec.

Any of those ways would get you infected. If you do any of those things you are opening yourself up for getting infected by something like AntispyKnight or similar.

Spyware Preventer will hurt you, not help you

Spyware Preventer only poses as a helpful program. In all actuality, Spywarepreventer is a rogue anti-spyware program. These programs pretend to be a malicious software (malware) scanner and remover when it is actually the malware it pretends to get rid of.

Sometimes hidden in video codecs, which is software that allows you to compress or decompress digital video, the spyware preventer will download itself when you download the other product. Then, once downloaded without your knowledge, this will spur the pop up ads that will inform you that you have a security risk and should use their free scanner to check for malware.

Unaware of what has happened, you think about it. The design of Spyware Preventer is persuasive because it looks like a Windows function in its appearance. However, once you allow the program to do the free scan, it will scare you with fabricated results saying that you have multiple infections. Then, spywarepreventer.com will offer you a full version of their product in order to remove these malware programs that they made up. This is just another way they can get some easy money from you. Spyware preventer cannot remove infections that your computer may have, and cannot even do a legitimate scan. It is all for show.

Also, your computer will slow, and you will become overwhelmed by the pop ups for spyware preventer. The worst part about accidentally downloading this malware is that they have the opportunity to send information back to programmers with your personal and confidential information. They are not looking for your family pictures; they can get a hold of your credit card information or anything else that is private and important. This is how they make money off of you, besides their enticing offer of their full version program.

So, your next task is to remove this program from your computer before these scam artists get a hold of any more of your information. This is the hard part, because you cannot simply search for the spyware preventer and hit uninstall. The files are hidden and labeled as similar files that you really do need to keep for your computer to function properly. So, you are going to have to turn to the experts.

That is not so bad though, because don’t you want professionals to ensure you that your computer is not allowing access for scam artists to get your information? This is something you want to be sure of. And, you do not want to just jump online and search for any old company to take care of this for you. You need someone that is confident and has experience with these programs. You want to be sure that you are cutting off the scam artists’ connection to your information.

Zinaps – Do Not Install It!

With the direction that technology is headed today, it’s inevitable that we’ll get people creating programs with bad intentions. Hackers have been notorious for creating viruses and spyware programs that are created solely for causing destruction to a user’s computer. Unfortunately, destruction is not the worst side effect of these programs. Identity theft is a major, growing problem from these types of malware. One prime example of this type of program is zinaps. This program will install itself onto your computer, without your consent by the help of a Trojan. If you go on the internet and download some form of free software or free music from an unknown source, there is a good chance a Trojan was downloaded also. Zinaps installs a trial version of itself onto your computer and then sends you a completed scan with a list of false virus infections. This is supposed to encourage the users to go to the zinaps website and download the full version, after paying for it of course.

No matter how many popups you may receive that warn you of infections do not download the software. Once it’s on your computer it will slow your computer down due to the resources needed to run the popups and notifications. In the background meanwhile zinaps will be watching your every move, monitoring your browsing history, keystrokes etc and then sending that information to a paid source. What that source does with that information is endless, but chances are it can lead to identity theft. If you believe zinaps has been installed on your computer, here are the directions you can follow to remove it manually:

Uninstall Program
Go to Start --> Settings --> Control Panel
Double-click on Add/Remove Programs
Find and uninstall Zinaps

Stop processes
Go to Start --> Run --> type taskmgr
Select the Processes tab and look for the following process under Image Name:
Zinaps7.exe
Select the name and click on “End Process”

Unregister registry keys
Go to Start -->Run
Type “regedit” and then press OK
Right click on the files below and select “Delete”
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\software\microsoft\windows\currentversion\run Zinap
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\software\microsoft\windows\currentversion\run Zinaps
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run\”Zinaps7? = “C:\Documents and Settings\Administrator\Application Data\Zinaps7\Zinaps7.exe /MIN”

Remove Files
Go to Start --> My Computer --> Local Disk (C:) --> Program Files --> Show the contents of this folder.
Zinaps7.exe
%UserProfile%\\Application Data\\Zinaps7\\Zinaps7.exe
%UserProfile%\\Application Data\\Zinaps7\\settings.ini
%UserProfile%\\Start Menu\\Programs\\Zinaps7\\Uninstall Zinaps Anti-Spyware 7.0.lnk
%UserProfile%\\Start Menu\\Programs\\Zinaps7\\Zinaps Anti-Spyware 7.0.lnk

If your homepage has been changed
Type in the address of your desired homepage in your browser
Go to Start --> Control Panel --> Internet Options --> click on the General --> click Use Current under Home Page

Your best long term option for dealing with problems like zinaps is to use a trusted antispyware to remove it. You of course can attempt to remove it on your own but you make yourself vulnerable to many problems by doing so yourself. If you have a trusted antispyware program that can do this for you, then not only will it remove any existing spyware on your computer but it will also protect you from any future attempts to install onto your computer.

Spyware Software is not all the Same

To be clear, when I say spyware software in this case, I’m talking about the stuff that infects you rather than the stuff that cleans up these infections. Spyware comes in varied forms and can attack you in different ways. Obviously, this means that some infections are worse than others.

Often called Trojans, spyware will do one or a combination of three things. It will almost always give you pop-up ads and will always compromise your computer’s security and integrity. It can also hijack your browser and redirect you to pages it wants you to see. It can also download more spyware and adware, sometimes even viruses. It can also provide a backdoor for hackers to take control of your computer. All in all, it’s bad news.

What Is ActualNames and What Does It Do?

It took me a lot of searching to find out about ActualNames, but I found the information for you. ActualNames is a web browser hijacker. The web browsers ActualNames affects are Internet Explorer, Netscape Navigator and AOL. ActualNames has also been found to interfere with sending email from various email applications and some email sites.

ActualNames is a danger to your computer, not just an annoyance. ActualNames has been found to download unsigned code from its controlling server and execute that code. So far the functions of this code have not yet been discovered.

It has been found that ActualNames comes bundled with KazaaMate, and it is also suspected of being installed by ActiveX, driven by pop-ups.

The Dangers of SpyProtector

Let’s start with the first danger of SpyProtector. To get the “full” version of SpyProtector you have to give out your credit card information. Since SpyProtector is not a legitimate program, you have given your credit card information to scammers. There is no telling how they will use that information. They may use it to run up charges on your card or they may sell that information.

Since SpyProtector is really a bundle of spyware, malware and adware, your computer is now compromised. You will be annoyed by pop-ups. Your activities are monitored for personal confidential information, thus opening you up to identity theft and having your bank account information stolen. Lastly on this list is the malware running on your computer which will hinder your computer’s performance due to the processes running in the background.

As you can see, SpyProtector is not something you want to have on your computer.

Not Every Spyware Remover Is the Same

I had to learn that lesson the hard way. I got this free spyware remover on the internet. Well, it was the trial version on this one website. It’s the funniest thing, too. My computer had more problems after I got it than before I had it. I got pop-ups all over the place and my computer locked up. Apparently, I got suckered into downloading spyware on my computer! Needless to say, I wasn’t happy about that.

So now I was in the market for a new antispyware tool. I decided that if I was going to have to pay for an antispyware program, it had better be worthwhile. I read about this one program called SpyZooka. I got online and checked out their webpage. I was impressed with what I saw. I downloaded it and have been happy ever since!

You Need Protection From pcprotectioncenter2008

Corrupt security programs are an epidemic on the Internet. They lurk in the back alleys and even have storefronts, pretending to be helpful. In all actuality, they’re some of the worst criminal programs you will encounter. Pcprotectioncenter2008 is just one example of many.

The basic low-down on rogue security software is that they infect your computer, tell you that they can help and scam you out of your money. They lurk in infected downloads and at infected websites. You’re most likely to get an infection downloading pirated software and doing peer to peer (P2P) file sharing. Aside from the legal problems of stealing software, Internet piracy has always had a real and present danger of malware infection. If the FBI doesn’t scare you, then viruses, worms, rogue security tools and other spyware should. Free software just isn’t worth it.

The infected websites are another big problem. More often than not, corrupted websites are pornographic or gambling in nature. Sometimes these are linked to legitimate pornographic and gambling sites. Every corrupt security tool has a home page, which target people who are shopping for security tools. Also, infections from one of the other transmission methods will often redirect the user to these sites.

The biggest problem with any of these infected sites is that they are often indistinguishable from legitimate sites, unless the user already has an effective antispyware program installed. That doesn’t always work, though, since the website has to get flagged to be blocked. The fake antispyware home pages are the worst. They have buttons for their “free online scan” or “free trial version.” Many legitimate antispyware sites have these also, so it’s no way to tell them apart. The difference comes when the buttons are clicked on.

Wherever it happens, it takes one click on an infected button to be infected. Immediately, a pop up “warning screen” appears and begins to count what it calls “infected files.” It all moves incredibly fast, and the number of “infected files” rises to a ridiculous level.

Now that you’re good and panicked, it will say that if you download the registered or full version, it can clean up all these infected files. Relax, none of these files are infected; they’re just your temporary files. It’s your browsing history and tracking cookies, which aren’t infected at all.

Supposedly, you have the choice to accept or decline this offer. However, the warning screen won’t go away, and your computer won’t do anything else if you just say, “No.” You are effectively being held hostage by this program. If you give in to their demands and say “Yes,” you will be taken to a screen asking for your credit card information.

Of course, you should never EVER give them your credit card information. For one thing, these programs are more often than not more expensive than legitimate programs. Especially considering that the corruption doesn’t stop at infecting your computer. Now that they have your credit card, they have no reason to not take ALL of your money.

Get Rid of Malware with SpyZooka

SpyZooka is the top choice for removing malware, a type of software program that hijacks your computer system and usurps its controls. It is software designed to infiltrate or damage a computer system without the owner's informed consent or his knowledge. You, the computer owner, should be aware of these signals that malware had been installed: sluggish computer performance, symbols and cookies on your toolbars that were never there before, and replication of files that you did not copy.

The only cure for malware is to have your computer checked and cleaned. If you only install rudimentary cleaning software, there may still be some malware remaining. The best solution is to remove malware with a good antispyware program, such as SpyZooka. With a 100% guarantee to remove the malware, SpyZooka will keep you traveling down the information super highway without making unplanned stops due to spyware hijacks.

Spyware Infiltrates Personal Messages During the Holidays

'Tis the season to be jolly--and to have spyware served up disguised as a cozy glass of eggnog from a family recipe that no one in your family actually sent you.

That's right--one of the important lessons to having a jolly holiday season is to be wary of attachments that nobody you know has sent you. Some spyware and adware will present themselves as email attachments from friends and family, but they often attach themselves to emails without the knowledge of the sender. This alarming trend is worse during the holidays when victims are too rushed to pay attention to online security measures.

If you do find that you have downloaded spyware, adware or any other malware, the answer is SpyZooka. It is the antispyware that will get you up and running in time to make that legitimate eggnog recipe.

Antispyware 2008 is Cunning But Dangerous

So, you’ve downloaded antispyware 2008s trial version and now you’re faced with the decision of purchasing the full version to get rid of the problems that the initial trial version came up with in their scan of your computer. So, out of paranoia, you get out your credit card and pay the fee to keep your computer safe. However, in doing this, you have just subjected your computer to some serious damage. How can this be true? How can a program that’s supposed to help your computer actually harm it?

Actually, this can happen in matter of minutes, sometimes even seconds. Why, you ask? Because these companies that are producing this malware (malicious software) to access and pull your personal information from your computer. And, their methods have a way of convincing you to pay them money to keep their operations in business. You get scared that you actually have malware on your computer already, and so they scare you into downloading their program, paying a fee, and you end up with malware that wasn’t there previously.

Scamming you on your computer has evolved over time. The very programs that are supposed to be protecting you and your computer from these harmful programs are actually the malware in disguise.

Using Trojan horses such as Zlob or Vundo, antispyware 2008 takes advantage of your need for Active X and Java applications to run certain websites. In some cases, you may need these programs, but Zlob or Vundo will pop up to simulate these occurrences during your web browsing. When prompted to install these programs, you do so accordingly knowing that you will need these programs to view the content of the website. However, once you do this, these Trojan horses will cause unnecessary pop up ads or notices regarding your internet safety in the form of antispyware 2008. Once you do the initial scan of your system, or their limited trial, many problems are brought up in the form of a fake scan result then prompting you to pay to have full access to the program to disinfect your system.

The biggest problem you will encounter when you go to remove antispyware 2008 is that simply removing the program will not get rid of the malware. The program has hidden several codes in other hidden programs within your computer that will continue to cause problems for you. Even if your personal information isn’t stolen from this malware, you can at the very least have a very slow running computer or be bombarded with pop up ads.

This is where you’ll need a program like Spyzooka. Spyzooka is not a scamming site, and has a 100% guarantee on their services. They have experience in dealing with the removal of these programs and will insist on being persistent in making sure that the malware is removed from your computer. The antivirus 2008 has made you a victim, but Spyzooka can let you regain power over your computer and private information.

What is UltimateAntivirus?

UltimateAntivirus is a rogue anti-spyware program related to the XP Antivirus group of fake anti-spyware programs running around loose in the internet. UltimateAntivirus uses Trojan viruses like Vundo or Zlob to get into your computer. The most common place to pick up these viruses is on porn websites. Once on your computer, UltimateAntivirus uses scare tactics, such as pop-ups that say you are infected, to get you to go to a website and buy a “fully licensed” version for $35-$80.

When you download and install the “full version” and run it, more malware gets onto your system. The program will say it found some parasites and got rid of them, but really it opened your system to control by outside sources that can steal your bank account information and other sensitive data, opening you up to identity theft.

Doctor Adware IS Spyware With .Doctor.I

Boy, I was wrong. I downloaded Doctor Adware, thinking it was a decent spyware removal tool. As it turns out, it’s a bundle of adware applications, including one called, ironically, .doctor.I. I though for sure that my computer was ruined. I can’t believe I actually bought the full version of this thing. What a waste of money!

I thought it was strange that I was getting pop ups when I had a program that was supposed to stop all that. Every time I scanned, it said there was nothing, but I knew better. They didn’t happen before this download, and for sure, my computer wasn’t nearly this slow and glitchy before.

I decided I’d search for a second opinion. It was kind of slow going, since my browser kept quitting on me. I was also a bit aggravated when I saw so many adware removal tools that claimed to be the best, top, number one, and so on. I decided that I should narrow it down to who could claim a 100% removal guarantee.

I found SpyZooka and tried their trial version. It was just as I thought. Everything that came up on that scan came from Doctor Adware! I was otherwise impressed with SpyZooka’s product, so I went ahead and downloaded it. One quick scan and deletion, and that was it! It took altogether 15 minutes to clean up my computer, unlike the hour or so it took with Doctor Adware. Besides, this time, it’s clean for real!

Kazaa gave me .Companion

I thought at first that joining Kazaa was a good idea. Getting free music was pretty cool, but .Companion isn’t. I thought it was pretty creepy that the advertisements knew exactly what I was into. As it turns out, I found out that this companion program shares my information with someone I don’t even know so that they can send me personalized advertisements.

So yeah, it started with pop ups. Then my computer started getting clunky. Browsing the net got to be like watching snail races. Sometimes my browser would just give up and shut down. I didn’t know that it wasn’t a virus, so I was wondering why my antivirus didn’t get whatever was wrong. Then I learned about adware and spyware removal utilities.

After this discovery, I thought I’d search for the best from the word go. “Best” wasn’t specific enough, since apparently everyone is the best. I decided to go with 100% guaranteed removal, and found what honestly looks like the best thing. I found SpyZooka. Five star ratings and partnership with the Better Business Bureau? Oh, do tell me more about this…

They stay on top of spyware updates way better than anyone else. They also protect you from future infections; something that used to be a separate program. The scans take only 10-15 minutes! This program is just flat out incredible! I’ll never get another spyware removal program after this one!

.FindSpy stole my wallpaper!

I’d like to think I’m kind of computer savvy. I guess if I was, I wouldn’t have caught .FindSpy. Then again, I was in the know enough to know I was infected with something when my computer’s wallpaper disappeared and was replaced with advertisements saying that I was infected with spyware and I needed to download some antispyware program I never heard of. I’ve never seen anything like this, but I figured it probably was the program I was infected with doing the advertising. The cartoon guy in the trench coat was kind of cute, though.

My computer had the other markers of being infected with adware. It ran slowly, VERY slowly. My internet browsers didn’t quite work right. Both Internet Explorer and Mozilla Firefox would take forever to load, and sometimes they’d just blink out. Yep, this is pretty ugly. I knew also that there was a good chance that some hacker out there might be looking at my stuff, so I got right on to scanning. As it turns out, my free program didn’t work so well. It found it well enough, but it couldn’t remove it.

It had done this once before, so I decided it was time to buy a good program. After a little shopping around, I found SpyZooka. What really set it apart for me was that they stay up to date, instead of updating about every week or so. I downloaded it, ran it, and my problems were over. I wouldn’t dream of replacing it!

AdStatus – Adware You Need To Be Rid Of!

AdStatus is an adware program that usually comes bundled with other freeware, and could have easily been installed without your permission by another program. It brings you advertisements based on its monitoring of your web surfing habits. It can circumvent your popup protection, and render it ineffective. AdStatus installs a toolbar in Internet Explorer which results in the changing of your browser homepage and searches. It also places a startup key in your system so that it springs to life each time you boot up your computer.

AdStatus can not only monitor and pass on your web surfing habits, but it can and does install third-party software without your knowledge or permission that can do a heck of a lot more damage. It will eat up your available system resources to the point where your computer becomes very slow and nearly unusable for work or play. In short, AdStatus is the sort of friend you wish hadn't dropped by. Now getting rid of him is the problem!

Removing AdStatus by yourself can be tricky at best. There are quite a few places where AdStatus may have set up camp, and finding and deleting all of these is not something for the faint of heart. You most certainly will miss some, and AdStatus will keep you at this for some time. Also, if you happen to make a mistake, which is very easy to do, you could accidentally delete a file crucial to the efficient operation of your computer, and then you're pretty much sunk.

No you're much better off using a proven antispyware software solution like SpyZooka. It is fast and efficient, and comes with a 100% spyware removal guarantee. SpyZooka will have your computer clean and you back up to speed in no time at all!

.Companion Is Adware With A Multifaceted Approach

Especially dangerous to your computer, .Companion is a bug that will attack you from several angles. It can be loaded on your computer from a number of sources, particularly Kazaa and other peer-to-peer, or P2P, file sharing groups, and as part of the Gator user ID/password storage software. File sharing groups are notorious for enabling the spread of internet parasites including viruses and adware. Simply put, when you download a file from one of these sites, you don’t know exactly what you’re going to get, so definitely user beware.

Though never a safe program, Gator is almost completely obsolete these days, since most internet browsers have user ID and password storage built in. Incidentally, if you’re in the habit of storing your user IDs and passwords on your browser, it’s in your best interest to quit now. This practice can leave you open to exploitation by hackers. Your identity can be stolen this way very easily, so it’s much safer to have this information written somewhere or remembered by yourself.

So what does .Companion do? Well, in terms of what adware does, nearly everything. It monitors your browsing activity to deliver it to an outside server. It displays pop up advertising. It also changes your browser settings and resets your home page, which is a more polite way of saying “hijacking.” The monitoring feature is where it’s possible that your login information can be exploited. While it may not be important in the case of blogs and membership only sites, it can be deadly serious when it comes to bank accounts and credit card information. Again, user beware!

Assuming that information from your accounts isn’t being exploited, there are still major problems with adware. For one thing, the pop up (pop under, banner, etc.) advertisements are annoying, if not potentially embarrassing. For another, and this is especially true with this program, all this activity of pop ups, browser monitoring, changing browser settings, communication back and forth with people you don’t know, all without your knowledge and consent, costs your computer’s performance by sapping its resources. It takes your computer’s memory to run these programs. Also, your computer’s memory is directly related to how much bandwidth your internet connection has, which also gets drained by these programs. So, adware is a double-whammy on use of your computer’s resources.

The next thing you know, your programs and internet connections slow down to a crawl. Some of your larger programs may not run at all, and display error messages. Your computer itself may freeze up and display its own error messages. In this case, if you’re working on a project, you will in all likelihood lose that information when you have to reboot your computer.

.Broadcap - Talk About Bogging Things Down

You know, I think I’ll just quit Grokster altogether. I got this stupid pop up video when I downloaded their software. I don’t have a super-fast computer anyway, and to have random videos pop up and fill my screen every now and then is just irritating. After I got a workable adware killer, I found out that what I had was called .Broadcap. Admittedly, I’m pretty new to this whole internet thing. It took me a while to figure out that this video pop up was not only something I didn’t want, but also something I didn’t have to live with.

I’d never heard of adware before. If I did, I apparently didn’t hear enough about it to think there was anything wrong with it. Of course, I’d heard all about viruses. After I complained to a friend about this Grokster thing, he laughed. Then he explained to me what happened. I had gotten some adware from Grokster, which is pretty well known for doing that. He then explained that I should get rid of it, because it was probably collecting information from my computer. In fact, it was collecting my browsing history so that it could send me video promotions that I might go for. Well, that’s just dandy, it’s spying on me, too. Who knows what Grokster has of mine now?

So I asked him what I should do next. He said that I should get a good antivirus and anti-adware program. He also gave me a quick tutorial on how to Google search, and what to look for. I think I may have done him a one-up. Instead of using #1 or “Best” as search terms, I decided to go all the way and see if there was one that had a 100% guarantee. I also looked for approval ratings. I figured it couldn’t hurt. There it was, my 100% guarantee, five star ratings and membership with the Better Business Bureau. I had no idea that they had anything to do with internet businesses, but that must mean this is the best thing, right?

Antivirus 2009 Can Re-Install Itself

Antivirus 2009 and many of its variants are constantly evolving, and they do a good job of it.  One of its major "accomplishments" is that it can install itself on several places on your hard drive.  Even when you think you've got it beat, it will replicate itself from a file you may have missed.   

It's no fault of your own if you miss something.  This is a sneaky, insidious program.  It can store itself in several places on your computer.  You may wipe out the obvious files, only to miss one.  Then, it will replicate itself once again, as soon as you reboot! 

There's a program out there called Spyzooka.  You can use it on your computer, then upload its report to the anti-virus center which will tell you if you need to do anything else. 

It's the only program I know of that gives 100% of your money back, if it can't completely clean out all infections--even Antivirus 2009! 

How a Vundo Rootkit Can Ruin You Via Paypal or Your Bank Account

Vundo is a Trojan horse that can make your life hell in several different ways.  It can download programs that wreak all kinds of havoc on your computer.  For example, you may see constant pop-ups and your desktop icons may disappear!  But this isn't the worst of it.

Some versions of Vundo download a program known as a rootkit onto your computer.  A rootkit gives a malicious individual complete administrative access to your computer.  Without your ever knowing it, a cyber-criminal with a rootkit could rifle through your entire system, looking for your stored personal information!

This is especially dangerous if you've instructed your browser to save passwords to sites like PayPal or your online banking site.  I don't think I have to tell you how this could get nasty in a hurry.

Moral of the story: don't save important passwords on your browser, and get some software that can defend you from Vundo and rootkits!

XP Defender - A Bogus Program!

It’s kind of scary how these programs like XP Defender try to con people out of their money by pretending to be XP related programs.  What’s sad is that people fall for them.  But that’s how they work. 

XP Defender will scare you by saying your computer is swarming with viruses, insinuate that they’re part of your Windows program, and charge you money for the “registered version” or “upgrade.”  Too bad they don’t just go away after taking your money. 

Nope, they come back later for more. 

What really sucks is that they’re always hard to get rid of.  I know this sounds messed up, but the old viruses are almost at the level of a friendly joke compared to these guys.  Luckily I haven’t seen any that will burn up your computer yet. 

The Scam of XP Antivirus Programs

“Ladies and gentlemen, what I have here is the cause…err…cure for the problems that ail you!  Step right up, step right up!”  Everyone has seen this in the old western movies.  The shifty salesman comes into town, selling snake oil.  The typical ending is that he gets chased out of town, being tarred and feathered.   

Much of the same could be said of the XP Antivirus program and its relatives.  They all claim to be the cure for what would appear to be a horrendous infection.  It only costs $50 or so to “cure your ills.”  Of course, it doesn’t work that way. 

These programs infect your computer.  Then they aim to charge you money to make your problems go dormant for a while.  Of course, they eventually reactivate, and ask for more money.  This is, figuratively, the very same thing the snake oil salesman does. 

Difficulties with XP Antivirus 2009

During my time as a computer technician, it was always good to know if a reported virus infection was XP Antivirus 2009, or XP Antivirus 2008, or any of the other related viruses.  That way, we knew before we even started that it was going to be a more difficult removal process. 

These viruses are just plain nasty!  Not only do they pretend to be legitimate Windows products, not only do they bog down your system with unwanted files and settings, they actually have the gall to demand that you pay them money for it! 

Even worse than that, not many of the legit antivirus programs out there can consistently remove these viruses.  What we need now is a program that can remove these viruses all the time, every time!

Why XP Antivirus & Antivirus 2008 Get Overlooked by Anti-Virus Programs

Programs like Antivirus 2008 and XP Antivirus are malicious fraudware programs that pretend to be real antivirus programs. They pretend to pick up system threats that other programs don't; then they try to get you to buy the "registered" versions.

Unfortunately, they often keep up the charade in front of real antivirus programs, making them look legit. They do this either by generating morphic files, or else hiding files in the System32 folder. If you don't know what these are, just trust me when I say they're pretty sneaky things to do!

I've got a favorite tool called Spyzooka that can fix these kinds of problems. You don't have to try it out--but I think after you've tried some other programs, you might want to!

Facts About Antivirus XP 2008

Antivirus XP 2008 is not a Microsoft Windows Program. It certainly sounds like one. And the slick interface can make it pretty convincing. But don't believe it--it's not made by Microsoft or any related company.

Antivirus XP 2008 is not really an anti-virus program! It's nothing but a fake piece of software. Its primary intention is to get you to pay for its "upgraded" version, and make some cyber-criminals rich in the process. Don't buy it!

Antivirus XP 2008 is hard to detect. Because of the stealthy nature of the product--it can hide in system folders, for example--many anti-virus programs don't pick it up.
I know a secret little program called Spyzooka that does a good job with this kind of program. It can be a relief when nothing else has worked. I'm thankful for it--you may want to try it out too!

Dangers of AntiSpyCheck

AntiSpyCheck is a piece of fraudulent software that will try and trick you out of your money.  How does it do this? 

By downloading itself (unasked for) onto your computer and then displaying fake security threats.  Once it's scared you half out of your hard drive, it will provide a "solution": the paid version of AntiSpyCheck.

But this isn't its only danger.  It may also: 
      Generate unstable system performance (due to eating up resources)
      Hijack your browser, then redirect or change it
      Install other types of adware, spyware, or other malware
      Compromise your privacy and security 

AntiSpyCheck can be a nightmare to manually remove.  It's best to use a legitimate piece of anti-virus software for the purpose.  Make sure you research the next antivirus software you get, just to make sure it's legitimate! 

What To Do If You've Been Had By XP Security Center, XP Antivirus, or Other Fraudware

It's understandable if you were taken in by XP Security Center.  The interface looks so professional, nice and clean.  It may have even detected real threats to your computer, just like it said.  Unfortunately, programs like this often release those very same threats into your computer.  This way, it looks like real anti-spyware that might be worth paying for.  But it's not. 

But many of us are duped.  It's nothing to feel too bad about.  But it IS something you should do something about!  The frauds that came up with XP Security Center, and subsequently took your money, reside in Russia, which will make it damn hard to get your money back.   

Make sure you alert your bank or credit company about your purchase.  Even if you can't get your money back, you can still cancel your card and make sure you don't get charged again!  (This happens, so cancel ASAP!) Then, get yourself some real anti-spyware software and get rid of XP Security Center for good!

XP Security Center Is Not What It Seems!

Ever downloaded something called XP Security Center?  Then you were probably shown a professional-looking software interface that told you there were multiple security threats on your computer.  Unfortunately, these threats--as well as the “anti-spyware” that detected them--were fake. 

Don't blame yourself if you were taken in by this charade.  The interface makes it look awfully professional.  And programs like this do often release minor viruses or other security threats into your system, to make it seem legit. 

Unfortunately, it's not.  Many people who buy this software often find that their credit cards keep getting charged from a location in Russia! The same thing has happened with programs like XP Defender.  This isn't something the FBI or better business bureau can go after.  Make sure you don't buy it--and think about getting some real anti-spyware to clean away every trace of XP Security Center! 

Welcome To AntiSpyWare Solution!

Thanks for finding my blog! Here we're going to delve into all things spyware and adware, and all the latest news, tips, tricks and resources to help rid yourself of these joy-killers!

Check back often as we'll always have something new to talk about! (Unfortunately!)