I've picked up something called Antivirus 2009 on my laptop. It tells me I have "infections" that need removal - when I do anything it eventually takes me to a registration screen for the product but the registration costs $50.

I did not download this to install; in fact, I'm not sure how I picked it up. It won't allow IE to load any pages - they do load but then it jumps to the Antivirus 2009 home page. There's a link to download the "uninstall.exe" file but that doesn't complete so it's bogus.

I was able to get here using Firefox although the Antivirus 2009 crap loaded but I was able to simply close it.

I tried the Windows System Restore but it won't restore (which may be related to this or may be some other problem I've been unaware of). I tried 5 different restore points going back over 1 month (well before this issue which first happened last night).

I'll Google to see what I can find. Any ideas or suggestions on how to get rid of this will be appreciated. Thanks.

Looks like it's "spyware.iemonster".

More info HERE.

I ran the free SpyHunter scan & it found the bug. I'm not savvy enough to delete the files & mess around with the registry so I think I'll spend the $30 to buy the full version which will delete the files.

That sounds like some nasty spyware

I'm not sure if this will help but it's a spyware program that might help you, and best of all its free.....good luck


http://www.superantispyware.com/

I've had the AntiVirus 2009 short-cut on the desktop screen for two weeks. Like FinnLander said, it just appeared one day. I just installed the SpyHunter ($30)program and it got rid of it. I believe it was responsible for the virus we had on the computer about the same time AntiVirus 2009 appeared. I got rid of the virus, but didn't know until reading this post, AntiVirus 2009 is a rogue program. Thanks for the info.

SpyHunter is pretty much a waste of $30. It's not very good at what it does and there are better free options out there.

One way to get rid of AV 2009 quickly and free:

http://www.malwarebytes.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=5178

I still use Spybot Search and destroy and have been happy with it for years now.

Spybot site.....free download

FWIW, I tried Webroot's Spy Sweeper and it trashed my computer. Locked up the computer every time I tried to reboot. Finally, rebooted into Safe Mode and deleted it. It may have been a conflict with the anti-virus program. Webroot was very fair though, they refunded my money without question.

skully & PackerHawk - sure, where were you guys last night when Mrs. Finn was screaming "OH MY GAWWWD, WE HAVE A VIRUS!!!!"

SpyHunter was successful in removing the d@mn bug. Very happy with my $30 purchase.

All this trouble & I wasn't even surfing porn . . . .

quote:

Originally posted by pacfan:
FWIW, I tried Webroot's Spy Sweeper and it trashed my computer. Locked up the computer every time I tried to reboot. Finally, rebooted into Safe Mode and deleted it. It may have been a conflict with the anti-virus program. Webroot was very fair though, they refunded my money without question.

We use Webroot at the enterprise level @ the company I work for. It is very good.

Generally when Webroot doesn't run properly, it's a signal of a deeper issue with the computer.

I'm glad they refunded your money though.

I also mysteriously picked up AV 2009 the other day.

Could not delete it at first. But Windows Defender helped me out.

Per what I gathered and read about AV2009 from the MS data base thru Windows Defender AV2009 is a "rogue Software" that gets in your system. It displays "FALSE" virusus' on your system with screens that look like real MS security warnings, but they are fake. The point is to scare you into paying them $50 to get their program downloaded. But the main point is those virus' they say you have are false. They are not really there.

It's a bit tough to get rid of, but Winows Defender stopped it for me. Then I looked in the program file to delete it but it was not there. But after Defender stopped it twice, then deleting the shortcuts from the desk top and from the list of programs it finally was gone.

My regular anti virus program and spyware program verified I had no real problem when AV2009 first mysteriously showed up. I knew AV2009 was bogus when on its help page it said to delete it you had to download something else from them, when I tried to do that my real virus program blocked it.

An irritatiing pain in the ass, but even a non-techie like me got-r-done.

BTW I run Webroot Spy Sweeper and Trend Micro AntiVirus. No probs.