BleepingComputer.com: Warning! Spyware Detected On Your Computer!

I received a pop-up window last night and I couldn't get away from it. I believe when I was trying to shut down internet explorer I was hijacked. Now I have a blue and yellow screen with "Warning! Spyware detected on your computer? Install an antivirus or spyware remover to clean your computer". Also, when my screen saver activates I have 'bugs' crawlling all around the screen eating up the blue background.

Help.

Joe

Please print out and follow the generic instructions for using "SmitfraudFix".
-- If you have downloaded SmitfraudFix previously, please delete that version and download it again as the tool is frequently updated!
-- If using Windows Vista be sure to Run As Administrator

• Make sure you scroll down to Clean and perform the steps where you reboot in "Safe Mode" and run option #2.
  
• The tool will go through a series of cleanup processes and automatically start the Disk Cleanup program to remove Temporary files. Wait for it to complete and Disk Cleanup to finish.

-- If the tool fails to launch from the Desktop, please move smitfraudFix.exe to the root of the system drive (usually C:\), and run it from there.

Go to Start > Control Panel > Display. Click on the "Desktop" tab, then the "Customize Desktop..." button.
Click on the "Web" tab, then under Web Pages, uncheck and delete everything you find (except "My Current Home page").
These are some common malware related entries you may see:

• Security Info
  
• Warning Message
  
• Security Desktop
  
• Warning Homepage
  
• Privacy Protection
  
• Desktop Uninstall

If present, select each entry and click the Delete button.
Also, make sure the Lock desktop items box is unchecked. Click "Ok", then "Apply" and "Ok".

Please download Malwarebytes Anti-Malware and save it to your desktop.
alternate download link 1
alternate download link 2

• Make sure you are connected to the Internet.
  
• Double-click on Download_mbam-setup.exe to install the application.
  
• When the installation begins, follow the prompts and do not make any changes to default settings.
  
• When installation has finished, make sure you leave both of these checked:
  • Update Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware
    
  • Launch Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware
  
  
• Then click Finish.

MBAM will automatically start and you will be asked to update the program before performing a scan.

• If an update is found, the program will automatically update itself.
  
• Press the OK button to close that box and continue.
  
• If you encounter any problems while downloading the updates, manually download them from here and just double-click on mbam-rules.exe to install.

On the Scanner tab:

• Make sure the "Perform Quick Acan" option is selected.
  
• Then click on the Scan button.
  
• If asked to select the drives to scan, leave all the drives selected and click on the Start Scan button.
  
• The scan will begin and "Scan in progress" will show at the top. It may take some time to complete so please be patient.
  
• When the scan is finished, a message box will say "The scan completed successfully. Click 'Show Results' to display all objects found".
  
• Click OK to close the message box and continue with the removal process.

Back at the main Scanner screen:

• Click on the Show Results button to see a list of any malware that was found.
  
• Make sure that everything is checked, and click Remove Selected.
  
• When removal is completed, a log report will open in Notepad and you may be prompted to restart your computer. (see Note below)
  
• The log is automatically saved and can be viewed by clicking the Logs tab in MBAM.
  
• Copy and paste the contents of that report in your next reply and exit MBAM.

Note: If MBAM encounters a file that is difficult to remove, you will be presented with 1 of 2 prompts. Click OK to either and let MBAM proceed with the disinfection process. If asked to restart the computer, please do so immediately. Failure to reboot will prevent MBAM from removing all the malware.

I was able to download the smitfraudfix on my computer. When I select option 2, Clean. The computer gives me a message " Registry editing has been disabled by your administrator" How can I bypass this? I am so close to hopefully getting the computer fixed.

This error occurs if the DisableRegistryTools Policy is enabled. If using XP, see Removing the DisableRegistryTools restriction. Be sure to read the note:
Or use "regtools.vbs" fix by Doug Knox and follow the instructions provided on that page.

Quietman7- It worked! My computer is fixed thanks to your help! Thank you very much for all you help!

You're welcome.

If there are no more problems or signs of infection, you should Create a New Restore Point to prevent possible reinfection from an old one. Some of the malware you picked up could have been saved in System Restore. Since this is a protected directory your tools cannot access to delete these files, they sometimes can reinfect your system if you accidentally use an old restore point. Setting a new restore point AFTER cleaning your system will help prevent this and enable your computer to "roll-back" to a clean working state.

The easiest and safest way to do this is:

• Go to Start > Programs > Accessories > System Tools and click "System Restore".
  
• Choose the radio button marked "Create a Restore Point" on the first screen then click "Next". Give the R.P. a name, then click "Create". The new point will be stamped with the current date and time. Keep a log of this so you can find it easily should you need to use System Restore.
  
• Then use Disk Cleanup to remove all but the most recently created Restore Point.
  
• Go to Start > Run and type: Cleanmgr
  
• Click "Ok".
  
• Click the "More Options" Tab.
  
• Click "Clean Up" in the System Restore section to remove all previous restore points except the newly created one.

To protect yourself against malware and reduce the potential for re-infection, be sure to read:
• "Simple and easy ways to keep your computer safe".
• "How did I get infected?, With steps so it does not happen again!".
• "Best Practices - Internet Safety for 2008".
• "Hardening Windows Security - Part 1 & Part 2".
• "IE Recommended Minimal Security Settings".