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Antivirus Plus is a rogue anti-spyware that uses false advertisements
as a way to convince you to install their product. Once installed, Antivirus
Plus will be configured to start automatically by launching the file C:\Windows\system\rundll32.exe.
Once launched the program will scan your computer and state that your computer
is infected with a variety of malware, but does not allow you to remove anything
unless you first purchase the program. While Antivirus Plus is running you will
also see frequent nag screens stating that you should purchase the program as
well as fake security alerts stating your computer is infected. Furthermore,
this program will launch a pop-up Window that pretends to be the Windows Security
Center. This Window is just another advertisement trying to scare you into purchasing
the software and should be ignored as it is not the real Windows Security Center.
Antivirus Plus screen shot For more screen shots of this infection click on the image above. There are a total of 5 images you can view.
This guide will walk you through removing Antivirus Plus and any associated malware
that may have been installed with it.
10/23/08 - Initial guide creation.
11/17/09 - Updated for new version.
Automated Removal Instructions for Antivirus Plus using Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware:
Print out these instructions as we may need to close every window that is
open later in the fix.
Before we can do anything we must first end the processes that belong to
Antivirus Plus
so that it does not interfere with the cleaning procedure. To do this, download
the following file to your desktop.
Once it is downloaded, double-click on the rkill.com in
order to automatically attempt to stop any processes associated with
Antivirus Plus
and other Rogue programs. Please be patient while the programs looks for various
programs and closes them. When it has finished, the black window will automatically
close. If your desktop was hidden, you should also now be able to view it
again. Do not reboot your computer at this point, or the programs
will start again.
Now you should download Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware, or MBAM, from the following
location and save it to your desktop:
Once downloaded, close all programs and Windows on your computer, including
this one.
Double-click on the icon on your desktop named mbam-setup.exe.
This will start the installation of MBAM onto your computer.
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 and is at the last screen, make
sure you uncheck both of the Update Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware
and Launch Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware check
boxes. Then click on the Finish button. If Malwarebytes'
prompts you to reboot, please do not do so.
If you receive a code 2 error while installing Malwarebytes's, please press
the OK button to close these errors as we will resolve them
in future steps. The code 2 error will look similar to the image below.
As this infection deletes a core executable of Malwarebytes' we will need
to download a new copy of it and put it in the C:\program files\Malwarebytes'
Anti-Malware\ folder. To download the file please click on the following
link:
When your browser prompts you where to save it to, please save it to the C:\program
files\Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware\ folder. When downloading the file,
it will have a random filename. Please leave the filename the way it is as
it is important that it is not changed. You may want to write down the name
of the file as you will need to know the name in the next step.
Once the file has been downloaded, open the C:\program files\Malwarebytes'
Anti-Malware\ folder and double-click on the file you downloaded
in step 8. MBAM will now start and you will be at the main program screen
as shown below.
Before you can perform a scan, you must first update the program. To do
this click on the Update tab, and that at the new screen
click on the Check for Updates button. Malwarebytes' will
now check for new updates and download and install them as necessary. When
the update is completed, you will be prompted with a message stating either
that you already have the latest updates or that they have been updated. Either
way, you should now click on the OK button to continue.
Now click on the Scanner tab and make sure the the Perform
full scan option is selected. Then click on the Scan
button to start scanning your computer for
Antivirus Plus
related files.
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.
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
AntivirusPlus
removal process.
You will now be back at the main Scanner screen. At this point you should
click on the Show Results button.
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.
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.
You can now exit the MBAM program.
Your computer should now be free of the AntivirusPlus 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:
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.
Have a problem and would like to ask us for help? To learn how to ask your question Click Here!
Do you have popups or other malware infecting your computer? If so, Start Here!
Are you having trouble using this site? Then you should visit the New User Orientation Center!
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