Troubleshoot your PC

How to Remove Security Tool Malware

2009-10-10T01:10:00.000-07:00

Security Tool is the latest rogue or malware software which is creating havoc in the computer community with internet connected. It prompts for a full system scan and throws out fake virus alerts to make you buy their software. It may ask you to pay for the software and guide you to a website for entering the credit card details. Once the bank details or credit card details are given, it might end up in hacker’s hand.

Follow these simple instructions on how to remove the infection manually.

Symptoms:

• Frequent alerts and pop up from Security Tool graphical interface
• Frequent alerts from Security Tool to run a scan on the computer
• Slow internet connection or unable to go to certain websites
• Unable to run or update certain security software’s

Manual Removal of Security Tool Malware

1. Start the computer in Safe Mode with Networking

2. Go to folder options (Open Control Panel – Folder Options)

Click View,
• Check Show Hidden Files and Folders
• Uncheck Hide extensions for known file types
• Uncheck Hide protected Operating System files

3. Check Task Manger and Kill if any of the process listed below is running

• Check for any running ‘.exe’ files with random numbers and kill it.
(Press Ctrl+Alt+Del, Open task manager, Click Processes, Right click the Process, Click End Process Tree)

4. Remove the infected files from user directory

In XP
• C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\[random numbers]
• C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\[random numbers]\[random numbers].exe
• C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Start Menu\Programs\Security Tool
In Vista
• C:\program Data\ [random numbers]\[random numbers].exe
• C:\program Data\Microsoft\Windows\start menu\Programs\ Security Tool
• C:\Users\User Profile\App Data\Roaming\ random numbers]
• C:\Users\User Profile\App Data\Roaming\ random numbers]\[random numbers].exe

5. Remove from Registry

Open registry editor (Start – Run – regedit)
Click Edit – Find
• HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Security Tool
• HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\[ random numbers]
• HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\Security Tool
• HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Current Version\Run
To make sure that the infections are completely removed from registry, it is a good practice to note down and search for the values ‘Security Tool’ and [random numbers.exe]. Remove any entry which contains the file name.

How to Remove Alpha Antivirus

2009-10-03T04:38:00.001-07:00

Alpha Antivirus is the latest rogue software which has already infected a lot of computers. Once installed, it facilitates the entry of more Trojans and Virus in the computer.Here are some steps to manually remove the infection creating files from the computer.

Click here for more details How to Remove Alpha Antivirus

How to Prevent Spam Emails

2009-09-27T07:53:00.001-07:00

According to the latest statistics, 95% of emails generated daily are rubbish considered as spam mails. Imagine the unnecessary bandwidth wasted for these emails and the resources wasted for keeping these mails in check. Follow these simple suggestions to prevent spam mails getting to you,thereby saving your precious time.

Click for more details How to Prevent Spam Emails

How to Manually Remove Rootkit

2009-09-27T03:15:00.001-07:00

Root kits are often very difficult to detect even by experts. Follow these simple steps to remove root kit manually.In case if normal users find it difficult to follow, better consult an expert to follow the steps.

Click for more details How to Manually Remove Rootkit

Problem with Cd or Dvd Drive Missing

2009-09-27T03:13:00.001-07:00

Follow the steps to fix the issue with the CD or DVD driving missing.This steps may also fix issues where there is problem with CD-DVD burning and also drive donâ€™t detect the writing media.

Click for more details Problem with Cd or Dvd Drive Missing

Files That Need Backup

2009-09-27T03:12:00.001-07:00

Backup of data can mean different things for different users! Not everyone needs to backup the same type of files. Some of the common types of files that need to be backed up are listed below.

Click for more details Files That Need Backup

Why and How Should You Back Data?

2009-09-27T03:10:00.001-07:00

Backing up of data is very important.It can save you time and also make sure the data is safe during disaster.Attempting to recover the lost data can be very time consuming and expensive with no assurance that you will get back your lost data.

Click for more details Why and How Should You Back Data?

How to Increase Computer Speed by Removing Startup Entries

2009-09-27T03:09:00.001-07:00

Some startup programs can really slow down the computer. Startup entries act as a trigger by calling the programs associated with it to run in the background. Disabling startup entries will prevent some programs from running in the background, thereby increasing the speed and performance of the computer.

Click for more details How to Increase Computer Speed by Removing Startup Entries

Should I Shut Down The Computer After Use?

2009-09-27T03:06:00.001-07:00

Find your answers to this million dollar question.Should I leave my computer turned on or should I shut it down when not using it?

Click for more details Should I Shut Down The Computer After Use?

Computer Beeps Without Booting to Desktop

2009-09-27T02:39:00.001-07:00

Have you encountered issues with unable to boot the computer and it just gives a beep sound? The beeps or combination of beeps through an internal speaker is computers way of saying "there is a problem".Learn how to interpret this information using the tips.

Click for more details Computer Beeps Without Booting to Desktop

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Check Windows 7 Compatibility

2009-09-07T02:12:00.000-07:00

Check if your Desktop or Notebook is compatible for Windows 7.

The world is now looking for the official release of Windows 7.The official date for Windows 7 release is set for Oct 22nd 2009, even though there are rumors that the release date might be extended to take care of some of the bugs discovered recently in the beta version.

If you want to install Windows 7, then you need to find out if your desktop or laptop is Windows 7 compatible. To do this, you have to download and scan using the Windows 7 Upgrade Advisor. Windows 7 Upgrade Advisor scans your computer, applications and devices with the sole intention to see if they are compatible with Windows 7. It also provides guidance on how to resolve issues, if possible.

You can only run the software if you’re using Windows XP SP2 and SP3, Windows Vista and Windows 7 Beta and RC.

Download Windows 7 Upgrade Advisor tool
Run the software and click Start check
Check the report generated by the software (If you want to save the report, then use the Save Report button)

Check the report

• System Requirements checks if the Windows 7 minimum requirements are fulfilled.
• Devices check that Windows 7 has drivers for your internal and external devices.
• Programs checks if your software is Windows 7 compatible.

To check if computer is ready to run Windows 7:

• Green means No issues, so your computer is 100% Windows 7 compatible.
• Yellow means Minor Issues, so Windows Update should fix them.
• Red means Major Issues so you are not ready to upgrade to Windows 7.

Tweak IE8 to run faster in Vista

2009-09-05T02:01:00.000-07:00

Networking devices, such as SPI firewalls, some NAT routers, VPN endpoints, Wi-Fi devices have problems with the way Windows Vista resizes the TCP Window. Try the tweak only for Vista computers.

Networking devices, such as SPI firewalls, some NAT routers, VPN endpoints, Wi-Fi devices have problems with the way Windows Vista resizes the TCP Window. Possible symptoms include: web traffic ok, email timeouts on receiving only, slow or no network file server access, random network timeouts or connectivity problems, freezing or slow web browsing or VPN connections. This issue can be fixed by disabling TCP/IP autotuning.

Disabling TCP Window autotuning limits the TCP Window to 65535, which may not be adequate for faster broadband internet connections. So try the step, restart the computer and check if this worked. If not, enable it back again.

Click on start  type cmd  right click on “cmd.exe” to “run as administrator”.In command prompt type

regsvr32 actxprxy.dll
netsh interface tcp set global autotuning=disabled

In some cases, if this does not work, try the following

netsh interface tcp set global autotuninglevel=highlyrestricted

To enable it once again. In command prompt type

netsh interface tcp set global autotuning=normal

Related Articles

To fix IE8 Search Provider Default Error, click here

How to Remove Nortel Antivirus

2009-09-03T23:11:00.000-07:00

Beware of this new rogue software “Nortel Antivirus” from “Scientists”.Much of the success of this rogue software comes from the fact that it got an interface similar to the genuine Norton software. The name and manufacturer also sounds similar. Remove the rogue software before it creates more damage to your computer security.

Beware of this new rogue software “Nortel Antivirus” from “Scientists”. The name resembles Norton Antivirus from Symantec. Much of the success of this rogue software comes from the fact that it got an interface similar to the genuine Norton software. The name and manufacturer also sounds similar. In case if somebody google for the name “Nortel”, they will come with information that it is a leading multinational telecommunications equipment manufacturer. It is natural for some to believe that this is a new software provided by Nortel.

Nortel Antivirus is promoted by either Trojans or some fake websites which allows to download and install the software. Once installed, it will configure itself to run when windows start. Then onwards every time when windows starts, it comes up with a message that the computer is infected and needs to run a scan which is fake. After the scan, it will list some security issues and threats which is also fake. It then asks you to pay for the software to get rid of the infections and threats. Don’t purchase it. You might end up losing money from your Bank account. Remove the rogue software.

Notice the name and manufacturer inside the Red circle.

Hope your security software will release an update to get rid of the issue. In case if your security software cannot remove it, follow these instructions to manually remove it.

Kill if any of the services is listed in task manager

wox.exe
mrgdll.exe
wtds5.exe
(Press Ctrl+Alt+Del, Open task manager, Click Processes, Right click the Process, Click End Process Tree)

Remove the infected files from Directory.

In Vista, go to
C:\program data\nol and remove all the files inside.
In XP, go to the following location and remove all the files inside.
C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\nol
C:\Program Files\nol

Remove from Registry

Open registry editor (Start  Run  regedit)
Click Edit  Find
Search for wox.exe, mrgdll.exe, wtds5.exe and remove all the entries containing these file names.

Restart the computer and you should be doing fine.

In case if you are going for a Virus Removal Service, read the following article before doing it
http://computersight.com/communication-networks/security/virus-removal-services-is-it-worth-it

Paying for Virus Removal Services : Is It Worth It?

2009-09-01T17:54:00.000-07:00

With the spread of internet, increasing number of infections and malwares are getting inside the computer. Virus removal services all around the globe is reaping harvest more than ever before.Some brands even charge you,no matter if you have bought their security software and installed it.I hope this article will help you in determining if paying for removing infection is worth it.

With the spread of Internet, increasing number of infections and malwares are getting inside the computer. Virus removal services all around the globe is reaping harvest more than ever before. Apart from major security software giants like Norton, McAfee, computer manufacturers and ISP’s have also entered into the virus removal market looking for profits. They charges a hefty amount to remove the infection regardless you bought their software or not. Consider these facts before you contact Virus Removal Service.

Advantage of using a Virus Removal Service

Once you pay the fee, you may sit back and enjoy while the technician take care of the issue.
You don’t have to be an expert in computers to remove the infections.
You may leave the headache of fixing the infection to the pros and utilize that time for other work.

Disadvantage of using a Virus Removal Service

Fee for the service is usually high. In some cases the issue might be so simple that it can be finished in couple of steps. The technician might do some steps which has nothing to do with infection removal and makes it look like he struggled a lot to get rid of the infection.
Re-occurrence of infection. Some infections leave residues inside the computer which might lead to re-occurrence of the same issue. They are smart enough to lay dormant and undetectable for a while and then resurface after a period of time. However smart the technician is, this is a reality faced by every Virus removal technician. If the issue happens after the warranty period, you may have to pay once again to get their service.
Possibility of system crash. In some cases, the computer might crash after the troubleshooting is done. Surely lots of people have experienced this. The reason might be genuine .But in some cases, it can be because the technician accidentally deleted files or he took the wrong approach to fix the infection. Either way, it is easy to blame the infections for crashing the system. Our problem is, most of the times we are caught off guard. We end up in paying for the service and lose data as well.
Customer service mislead customer to believe that whatever issue happened in the computer is because of infection. This is because whoever talks to you, they have a target to achieve and they will do anything to make you pay as their bonus depends on how many customers agreed to pay (Not that I am complaining,but just educating to let you know) If the Virus Removal technician fails to fix such issues, then he might ask you to contact someone else to fix the issue.The point is you just wasted your time and money.

It is true that most of us have good security software, but when there is an infection, we end up blaming the software for not preventing the infection from getting into the computer. The truth is, no security software in the world is 100% perfect. No matter how much money you spend on the software, there will be some evil genius somewhere out there who can develop an infection which can still get in through the loopholes in the system. To add to this, I am sure that security software companies are not doing much and are making a huge profit out of this.To make my point, my daughter paid for removing an infection called “Personal Antivirus”.She had enough protection,updates her security software regularly and run scans weekly.Almost after 2 months,I heard from my neighbour,an IT professional, that she too paid for removing the “Personal Antivirus” infection. Now the point is both had the same security software, which was updated regularly and both used to do regular scans.How can it be justified that the security software company was unable to release a fix even after 2 months?

Is there anything we can do to remove the infection without getting the Virus Removal Service?

Make it a point to google for information regarding the issue on the computer and how to fix it.For eg. if you are getting an error message, enter the complete error message in google search bar and search.If there are multiple lines of error messages,just enter the first line. Somebody out there might have found a solution and shared the information.If it is too technical, check if anyone around you can fix it for you.Let the Virus Removal Service be the last option.
My way of dealing with this issue is, since my security software could not detect the infection, try with other software’s which can be used for free. Some of these software’s allow running a scan and removing the infection. Some of my favorites are Hijack This, Malwarebytes Anti-Malware, Super Antispyware, Lavasoft Adware, Avast. I install these software’s one at a time, run a scan, remove the infection and then check if the issue is fixed. If not, uninstall the software, install the next software, run a scan and remove the remaining infection. Let me warn you, there is always a risk involved like a system crash, when I run these software.But I always make sure that I am safe with all my important files backed up.
If nothing works, do a clean installation. Make sure that you have the back of all the important data files and other application software’s before doing that. It is always better that you install in this order- Install the Operating system, install the device drivers, install the windows updates, install the security software, install the application software and then copy all the backed up files back to the computer. Even If there are no issues in my computer, I do clean installation once a yr. This makes sure that I am not carrying any hidden infections, remove all the junk files and software’s, makes my computer fast and stable.

Hope this information will help you in taking a decision before paying for the service.

Fix IE8 Search Provider Default Error

2009-08-27T23:35:00.000-07:00

A lot of customers are now frequently getting the Search Provider Default Error.It happens when IE is opened first time.Opening an additional tab or new window wont show the error.This issue cannot be resolved by resetting IE8 or removing the IE8 toolbar or by resetting the default search provider

To fix the issue

Close IE8 window.While in the Registry Editor find and highlight the registry key:HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\User Shell Folders
Right click on the highlighted key (which is named “User Shell Folders”
Select “New” on the next menu
Select “Expandable String Value”. This will add a “new value” the right side of the registry.
Right click on the “name” for this new value in the right side of the registry
Rename the new value “AppData”
Right click on the value name “AppData” you just created
Modify the value by entering “%USERPROFILE%\Application Data” in the “value data” field. Enter just as shown here, do not change any characters (leave out the ” ” ). You might want to cut and paste the character string to avoid typos.
Click Ok and you should have a new line on the right side of the registry with a name of “AppData”, type “RG_EXPAND_SZ” and a Data entry of “%USERPROFILE%\Application Data”.
Close the Registry
Close and reopen IE8 to confirm the fix

Another fix for the issue in Vista and XP Professional computers

Run GPEDIT.MSC
Computer Configuration> Administrative Templates> Windows Components>
Internet Explorer , Restrict changing the default search provider turn it to Disable apply OK. should work on XP too

If none of this works, then you might need to uninstall IE8 or wait for an update from Microsoft to fix this issue. For the time being, use another browser like Mozilla Firefox.