Fucking spyware bullshit

[topgeartom]

I am exceptionally annoyed.

I left my computer on today whilst i went out, and came back to find this:
http://img127.echo.cx/img127/4413/untitled17dn.th.jpg (http://img127.echo.cx/my.php?image=untitled17dn.jpg)

Obviously, as you can see the background is wayyy fucking different, as are the colours to all the icon text etc.

I also now have this fucking 'spy sherrif' (www.spysheriff.com) which has magically installed itself, and performs a scan every time i start the computer, and then tells me my computer is fucked up (even though other virus scanners say everything is clean) and that to remove these viruses i have to buy the license, blah blah blah.

now that would be fine, if i could just get rid of everything, but no. I now cannot change my background at all. The wallpaper menu is completely grayed out, so i cant do fuck all, and the icon colour scheme is seemingly unchangable.

Also, when i try to remove spy sheriff from the add/remove programs list, it sayas that everything has been successful, and sure enough, spy sheriff disappears from my task bar and menu etc.....that is until i log off and then log on again or restart the computer!!!! :shock:

No matter what you do, it keeps coming back every time you restart or similar.

I have tried EVERYTHING to get rid of this, 5 different anti-virus /spyware/adware programs, such as ad-aware, microsoft spyware remover, Xoftspy.....loads. even registry mechanics, that have removed gd knows how much shit from there, but no matter what, when i restart, the background is still there, the appreance is still fucked up, and spy sheriff still reappears and does its thing.

Needless to say, im just a very little bit pissed off.

Suggestions? (other than formatting c:)

Thanks, from one angry little man

[antonioledesma]

if you can use another computer, google the program and surely you'll find the way to get rid of that spyware, which usually is editing by hand the registry

good luck, but if you can, save a backup of your registry and a system restore point

[Nemisis8u]

I use spybot search and destroy. Its a good program and is free. Link (http://www.safer-networking.org/en/index.html). So try that and see if it helps you. I also use adaware Link (http://www.lavasoftusa.com/software/adaware/). So if you want try to use those and see if it does anything. BTW mafia is a sic game. Where are you at now?

[zondaland]

The only thing that it looks like you haven't done is to grab the oldest system restore point that you can possibly find. If you are unsure of how to do this just hit F1 and there is a very simple link from there (I think it is only XP that has system restore points).

I would recommend that you go for one from a long time ago (e.g. March) as although you may not have realised it was there it is quite possible that the spyware was just sitting dormant for god knows how long.

Anyway spyware is a bitch, if you want to beat it use Linux, if you don't want to use Linux good luck trying to get rid of it.

[topgeartom]

thanks for your suggestions, ill give search and destroy a shot, but i think the problem with all of these anti-virus/ anti-adware progams, is that spy sheriff isnt actually recognised as a potential threat.

i know all about system restore, but was trying to steer clear of it for now

[ZfrkS62]

www.mcafee.com hasn't let me down 8) nails viruses, spy/adware. $40/yr and you can DL it anytime if something happens or you get a new computer. Constantly updates itself whenever these is one availible too :D

[cateye]

and if evey thing FAILS ... FORMAT always work :lol:

[No.1]

If the SpySherrif insists on re-installing after every log on, try going to start menu -> run -> then "msconfig" (without apostrophes of course)

Then check selective start up, and then edit the Boot tab... if you see anything suspiscious, uncheck the box, but don't do this with everything, as there are some pretty wierd things on there anyway :wink:

Hope it gets sorted.... spyware just forced me to reformat the laptop... oh and afterwards, make sure you have as much protection as is sensible, and back things up regularly, to make re-formatting less of a pain.

Good luck with it all mate :)

[EDIT]

and if evey thing FAILS ... FORMAT always work :lol:

Oh yeah.... love that shit :roll: I'm sure tom appreciates the help

[Nemisis8u]

With msconfig, I just disable everything in startup :lol:. The computer seems to work fine. There are one or two things that come back by themselves though, but I think that they are windows related. My computer seems to load faster, and there really is not point in keeping half that shit in Quicklaunch :roll: . As if the extra second or to going to matter. The only things that I would keep would be security related. Quicktime and stuff like that can go fuck themselves.

[topgeartom]

Right, well as an update, i did manage to get rid of the spy sheriff, but all the background stuff was still locked out, so i got pissed off and copped out.
I went for system restore and just reverted back to yesterday. Everything is working dandy for the moment.

Thanks for al the suggesions -apart from the format comment j/k :P :wink:

[SFDMALEX]

get adaware, its the best prog I find by far, and if it cant remove some of the files by it self, write down the names and do it through dos

[MBDriver]

actually...I would like to think Microsoft Anti-Spyware would be the best spyware removal tool right now aside from Adaware professional.

[mclaren_Gt]

mmmmmm i think the Addaware is very good, it work me, but one friend suggest me the Microsoft anti spyware, he says, it the best.

[bmagni]

microsoft's one is really good, has worked really nice for me

[MBDriver]

agreed on the Microsoft Anti-Spyware.

I highly recommend everyone to give it a shot. Since I've installed it, I haven't got one single spyware and I run Ad-Adware every week. :)

[abbor]

I have no anti-spy/ad-programs what so ever, and luckily my computer works perfectly, except from a few exceptions that are not very serious.. :D It's always been like this, so I can't give any advise on what to do if you get spyware or adware.. All I'm saying is, DO NOT install programs you know have these things :wink:

[Overmind]

I recommend you get a couple of the spy-ware removal programs as well as an updated antivirus.

Next thing you should do (and don't laugh at this :) ) is go to the control panel and then "Add or Remove Programs", where you chose to uninstall and anything you are not familiar with :). You see some of the spyware apps try to be as legal as possible and offer self-unnistall :).

The other thing is the scanning using those progs... the best thing you can do is have your disk inserted into the other PC and run the scans from there. Or at least you should boot into a safe mode.

Or can also start a task manager and then google up each of the processes that are running :).