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How to remove VirusRay (Removal Instructions)
What these programs do:
VirusRay is the latest in a long series of rogue anti-spyware programs that are installed via the use of Trojans and other malware. These programs are installed by Trojans, called Zlob infections, that impersonate audio or video codecs that you are required to install in order to watch or listen to certain media. In reality, though, when you install these programs they instead download and install rogue anti-spyware programs on to your computer and display fake security alerts in your Windows taskbar.
When the Zlob infection downloads and installs VirusRay, VirusRay will automatically start and perform a scan of your computer. When done scanning, VirusRay will state that it found Trojans on your computer. The funny thing is that the Trojans VirusRay finds are the actual ones that were used to install it in the first place. In order to remove these Trojans, though, you will be required to purchase the full version of the software. This is obviously a scam and you should not purchase this software under any circumstances. A screenshot of VirusRay can be found below.
VirusRay Screenshot
A component of the Zlob infection is that it will also display fake security alerts in your Windows taskbar. These alerts will state that your computer is infected with malware or that you have some other security or performance problem. These are just another tactic used to scare you into purchasing the software and should be ignored. The current text of these alerts are:
System has detected a number of active spyware applications
that may impact the performance of your computer. Click the icon to get rid
of unwanted spyware by downloading an up-to-date anti-spyware solution.
An example of the fake alert is shown below:
VirusRay Fake Security alert
The following guide will walk you through removing the VirusRay program as well as the accompanying Trojans and malware that are installed with it.
Tools Needed for this fix:
Symptoms in a HijackThis Log:
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [VirusRay 3.8] "C:\Program Files\VirusRay 3.8\VirusRay 3.8.exe" /h
O22 - SharedTaskScheduler: bokard - {ab75cc7d-2751-4144-a278-5462d5a5884c} - C:\WINDOWS\system32\dfrep.dll
**Note: The file name associated with the O22 changes frequently.
Add/Remove Programs control panel entry:
VirusRay 3.8
Video Add-on
Information Center
IE Safety Features
IE Custom Tools
Guide Updates:
10/23/07 - Initial guide creation.
10/25/07 - Added automated removal instructions
Choose the removal method you would like to use:
Automated Removal Instructions
for VirusRay:
- Print out these instructions as we will need to close every window that
is open later in the fix.
- Download SmitfraudFix.exe from here and save it to your desktop:
SmitFraudFix.exe
Confirm that the file SmitfraudFix.exe now resides
on your desktop, but do not double-click on the icon as of yet. We will use
it in later steps. The icon will look like the one below:
- Next, please reboot your computer into Safe
Mode by doing the following:
- Restart your computer
- After hearing your computer beep once during startup, but before the
Windows icon appears, press F8.
- Instead of Windows loading as normal, a menu should appear
- Select the first option, to run Windows in Safe Mode.
- When you are at the logon prompt, log in as the same user that you had
performed the previous steps as.
- When your computer has started in safe mode, and you see the desktop, close
all open Windows.
- Now, double-click on the SmitFraudfix icon that should be residing on your
desktop.The icon will look like the one below:
- When the tool first starts you will see a credits screen. Simply press
any key on your keyboard to get to the next screen.
- You will now see a menu as shown in the image below. Press the number 2
on your keyboard and the press the enter key to choose the
option Clean (safe mode recommended).
- The program will start cleaning your computer and go through a series of
cleanup processes. When SmitFraudFix is done, it will automatically start the Disk Cleanup
program as shown by the image below.
This program will remove all Temp, Temporary Internet Files, and other files
that may be leftover files from this infection. This process can take up to
a few hours depending on your computer, so please be patient. When it is complete,
it will close automatically and you will should continue with step 11.
- When Disk Cleanup is finished, you will be presented with an option asking
Do you want to clean the registry ? (y/n). At this
screen you should press the Y button on your keyboard and
then press the enter key.
- When this last routine is finished, you will be presented with a red screen
stating Computer will reboot now. Close all applications.
You should now press the spacebar on your computer. A counter will appear
stating that the computer will reboot in 15 seconds. Do not cancel this countdown
and allow your computer to reboot.
- Once the computer has rebooted, you will be presented with a Notepad screen
containing a log of all the files removed from your computer. Examine this
log, and when you are done, close the Notepad screen.
Your computer should now be free of the VirusRay infection.
If you are still having problems with your computer after completing these instructions,
then please follow the steps outlined in the topic linked below:
Preparation
Guide For Use Before Posting A Hijackthis Log
Manual Removal Instructions
for VirusRay:
These steps may appear to be long and daunting. They are, though, quite easy to
do and consist of so many steps only because I have written them in an extremely
detailed manner.
- Print out these instructions as we will need to close every window that
is open later in the fix.
- Download FixVR.reg
to your desktop by right clicking on the following link and then selecting
Save Link As or Save File as,
depending on your browser.
FixVR.reg
Download Link
Confirm that the file FixVR.reg now resides on your desktop as we will need
it later.
- Download SmitfraudFix.exe from here and save it to your desktop:
SmitFraudFix.exe
Confirm that the file SmitfraudFix.exe now resides
on your desktop, but do not double-click on the icon as of yet. We will use
it in later steps. The icon will look like the one below:
- Go to your desktop and double click on the FixVR.reg file
that you downloaded earlier. When it asks if you would like to merge the information,
press the Yes button and then the OK button.
- Click on the Start button and then select the Run
option.
- In the Open: field type c:\windows\system32
and then press the OK button.
- When the folder appears, if it says These files are hidden,
click on the Show the contents of this folder option.
- We now need to make it so you can see hidden files.
- Click on the Tools menu and select Folder Options.
- Click on the View tab.
- Under the Hidden files and folders category select
Show hidden files and folders.
- Uncheck Hide protected operating system files.
- Press Apply and then OK.
- If you still can not see the file, then undo these changes and skip
to step 11.
- Scroll through the list of files in this folder and look for dfrep.dll.
Right-click on dfrep.dll and select rename.
Rename the file to dfrep.dll.bad.
Note: Please rename any of the above files that you may find. If
you do not find any of these files, then you should post a note about it in
the Am
I Infected? forum.
- After you rename the file, you can close the System32 folder window.
- Next, please reboot your computer into Safe
Mode by doing the following:
- Restart your computer
- After hearing your computer beep once during startup, but before the
Windows icon appears, press F8.
- Instead of Windows loading as normal, a menu should appear
- Select the first option, to run Windows in Safe Mode.
- When you are at the logon prompt, log in as the same user which you
had done the previous steps.
- When your computer has started in safe mode and you see the desktop, click
on the Start Menu button.
- Click on the Control Panel option.
- Double-click on the Add or Remove Programs icon.
- Find the entry for VirusRay 3.8, Video Add-on, Information Center, IE Safety Features, and IE Custom Tools
and double-click on them to uninstall them if found. Follow the prompts to
uninstall the program, but do not allow it to reboot the computer if it asks.
- When it has completed uninstalling you can close Add or Remove Programs
and your Control Panel.
- Delete the following files and folders (Do
not be concerned if a folder does not exist):
C:\Windows\System32\dfrep.dll.bad
C:\Windows\System32\cfg.dat
C:\Windows\System32\ieffse32.dll
C:\Windows\System32\lbf.tme
C:\Windows\System32\regmod.exe
C:\Program Files\VirusRay 3.8\
- Close all open Windows.
- Now, double-click on the SmitFraudfix icon that should be residing on your
desktop.The icon will look like the one below:
- When the tool first starts you will see a credits screen. Simply press
any key on your keyboard to get to the next screen.
- You will now see a menu as shown in the image below. Press the number 2
on your keyboard and the press the enter key to choose the
option Clean (safe mode recommended).
- The program will start cleaning your computer and go through a series of
cleanup processes. When it is done, it will automatically start the Disk Cleanup
program as shown by the image below.
This program will remove all Temp, Temporary Internet Files, and other files
that may be leftover files from this infection. This process can take up to
a few hours depending on your computer, so please be patient. When it is complete,
it will close automatically and you will should continue with step 25.
- When Disk Cleanup is finished, you will be presented with an option asking
Do you want to clean the registry ? (y/n). At this
screen you should press the Y button on your keyboard and
then press the enter key.
- When this last routine is finished, you will be presented with a red screen
stating Computer will reboot now. Close all applications.
You should now press the spacebar on your computer. A counter will appear
stating that the computer will reboot in 15 seconds. Do not cancel this countdown
and allow your computer to reboot.
- Once the computer has rebooted, you will be presented with a Notepad screen
containing a log of all the files removed from your computer. Examine this
log to see what files were found, and when you are done, close the Notepad
screen.
- We next perform an online scan with Panda to find any possible inactive
remnants from this infection: Panda
Online
- Once you are on the Panda site click the Scan your PC
button
- A new window will open...click the Check Now button
- Enter your Country
- Enter your State/Province
- Enter your e-mail address and click send
- Select either Home User or Company
- Click the big Scan Now button
- If it wants to install an ActiveX component allow it
- It will start downloading the files it requires for the scan (Note:
It may take a few minutes)
- When download is complete, click on Local Disks to
start the scan
- When the online scan has been completed, let it remove what it finds, and
then you can close Internet Explorer.
Your computer should now be free of the VirusRay infection.
If you are still having problems with your computer after completing these instructions,
then please follow the steps outlined in the topic linked below:
Preparation
Guide For Use Before Posting A Hijackthis Log
This is a self-help guide. Use at your own risk.
BleepingComputer.com can not be held responsible for problems that may occur
by using this information. If you would like help with any of these fixes, you
can post a HijackThis log in our HijackThis
Logs and Analysis forum.
If you have any questions about this self-help guide then please post those questions
in our AntiVirus,
Firewall and Privacy Products and Protection Methods forum and someone will help you.
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