How to remove AntiSpyware 3000 (Uninstall Instructions)

Posted by Lawrence Abrams on February 6, 2009 @ 02:07 PM · Views: 4,009

 

What this infection does:

AntiSpyware 3000 is a new rogue anti-spyware program that displays false infections in the scan results when scanning your computer. AntiSpyware 3000 is advertised via false advertising in the shape of fake online anti-malware scanners. When visiting certain sites you will be shown a pop-up stating that your computer is infected. When you attempt to close this pop-up you will automatically be brought to a new site and shown an advertisement that pretends to be an online anti-malware scanner. When this advertisement is completed it will state that your computer is infected and that you should download and install AntiSpyware 3000. It is important to understand that when the advertisement tells you that you are infected you should not believe it as it has no way of knowing what is running on your computer.

Once AntiSpyware 3000 is installed it will be configured to start automatically and then scan your computer. Once the scan has finished it will display numerous infections on your computer that cannot be removed unless you first purchase the program. These infections, though, are actually fake and the files do not actually exist on your computer. They are only being shown to you in order to scare you into thinking your computer is infected and thus scare you into purchasing the AntiSpyware 3000 program.

 

AntiSpyware 3000 screen shot
For more screen shots of this infection click on the image above.
There are a total of 4 images you can view.

 

In order to remove AntiSpyware 3000 and any associated malware, you can use the following guide to remove it for free.

 

Threat Classification:

• Information on Rogue Programs & Scareware

 

Advanced information:

View AntiSpyware 3000 files.
View AntiSpyware 3000 Registry Information.

 

Tools Needed for this fix:

• Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware

 

Symptoms that may be in a HijackThis Log:

O4 - HKCU\..\Run: [AntiSpyware3000.exe] C:\Documents and Settings\Bleeping\Desktop\antispyware.exe

 

Guide Updates:

02/06/08 - Initial guide creation.

 

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Automated Removal Instructions for AntiSpyware 3000 using Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware:

 

1. Print out these instructions as we will need to close every window that is open later in the fix.
   
   
2. Download Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware, or MBAM, from the following location and save it to your desktop:
   
   Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware Download Link (Download page will open in a new window)
   
   


3. Once downloaded, close all programs and Windows on your computer, including this one.
   
   
4. Double-click on the icon on your desktop named mbam-setup.exe. This will start the installation of MBAM onto your computer.
   
   
5. When the installation begins, keep following the prompts in order to continue with the installation process. Do not make any changes to default settings and when the program has finished installing, make sure you leave both the Update Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware and Launch Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware checked. Then click on the Finish button.
   
   
6. MBAM will now automatically start and you will see a message stating that you should update the program before performing a scan. As MBAM will automatically update itself after the install, you can press the OK button to close that box and you will now be at the main program as shown below.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
7. On the Scanner tab, make sure the the Perform full scan option is selected and then click on the Scan button to start scanning your computer for AntiSpyware 3000 related files.
   
   
8. MBAM will now start scanning your computer for malware. This process can take quite a while, so we suggest you go and do something else and periodically check on the status of the scan. When MBAM is scanning it will look like the image below.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
9. When the scan is finished a message box will appear as shown in the image below.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   You should click on the OK button to close the message box and continue with the AntiSpyware3000 removal process.
   
   
10. You will now be back at the main Scanner screen. At this point you should click on the Show Results button.
    
    
11. A screen displaying all the malware that the program found will be shown as seen in the image below. Please note that the infections found may be different than what is shown in the image.
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    You should now click on the Remove Selected button to remove all the listed malware. MBAM will now delete all of the files and registry keys and add them to the programs quarantine. When removing the files, MBAM may require a reboot in order to remove some of them. If it displays a message stating that it needs to reboot, please allow it to do so. Once your computer has rebooted, and you are logged in, please continue with the rest of the steps.
    
    
12. When MBAM has finished removing the malware, it will open the scan log and display it in Notepad. Review the log as desired, and then close the Notepad window.
    
    
13. You can now exit the MBAM program.
    

Your computer should now be free of the AntiSpyware3000 program. If your current anti-virus solution let this infection through, you may want to consider purchasing the PRO version of Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware to protect against these types of threats in the future.

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 Using Malware Removal Tools and Requesting Help

 

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Associated AntiSpyware 3000 Files:

%DownloadedLocation%\antipyware.exe
%DownloadedLocation%\Plugins

 

Associated AntiSpyware 3000 Windows Registry Information:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\AntiSpyware3000
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run "AntiSpyware3000.exe"