XP Anti Virus and Vista Total Security Virus Removal (Trend Micro Housecall vs Malwarebyte Anti-Malware)

XP Total Security, Vista Total Security Virus

Dad Fix Tip #5: How to Remove a Google Redirect Virus

As previously blogged, this is a quick tutorial on how I removed a virus I found on my home computer. Turns out, there were over 27 viruses on my little Dell PC. For the record, I've found NONE on Wifey's Mac but we also don't let our teen and pre-teen daughters use the Mac (I'm sure that's just a coincidence WINK WINK.)

So, the symptoms were simple. I couldn't get any of my browsers to surf the web. Not Safari, Chrome, Maxthon, IE or Firefox. Any URL I typed in showed me a page that warned of an unsafe destination and that I should use the XP Total Security program to get me there safely. Right.

A quick google search for "XP Total Security virus" fetched me several results. I found the one HERE (thanks to Bleeping Computer) to be 100% effective. Follow the directions step-by-step and it should work for you too. NOTE: if you have this virus, you might need to visit my blog on your smart phone, secondary laptop, work computer or something other than the infected computer. I used my Droid Incredible.

Either read through the instructions and follow along on a second sytem or print out the instructions. HOWEVER, you will need to download some programs. There are instructions on how to download the necessary files onto your phone and then transfer. That is exactly how I did it. If you have to use a secondary computer, just download to a thumb drive or equivalent.

Before downloading these, read the directions eluded to HERE.

FixNCR.reg (http://download.bleepingcomputer.com/reg/FixNCR.reg)

RKill Download Link - (Download page will open in a new tab or browser window.)

Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware Download Link (Download page will open in a new window)

FixNCR will fix your registry. RKill will stop the virus from running. Malwarebyte will find and remove the virus completely. NOTE: it took over an hour for Malwarebyte to completely search my C: drive and turned up with 27 viruses (all of which it fixed).

Prior to this method of fixing the virus, I ran Trend Micro's Housecall twice. It found 6 bugs the first run and two bugs the second run. Even after deleting or fixing the bugs, I STILL had the XP Total Security virus. I had also ran HiJackthis and did everything it recommended but still had the viruses. Both of these programs are free and USED TO BE fairly successful. Not so much anymore.

So there ya go. That should help you rid your computer of the XP Total Security virus, or for Vista users its the Vista Total Security 2011 virus. Either way, good riddens!