|
Question:
For a few weeks I've had a persistent problem with an
apparently fake pop-up warning on my PC. Scanning with
McAfee security software hasn't helped, and the people
at McAfee haven't been able to help me.
When I
turn on my Windows XP PC, this misspelled pop-up
appears: "Your computer is infected! Windows has
detected spyware infection! It is recomended (sic) to
use special antispyware tools to pervent (sic) data
loss. Windows will now download and install the most
up-to-date antispyware for you. Click here to protect
your computer from spyware!"
What
should I do?
Answer:
You are receiving a fake warning from a piece of
malicious software called Trojan.Spaxe (or SpyAxe) that
first appeared in 2005. Its objective appears to be
either to scare you into buying fake software to
"fix" the problem or to direct you to a
malicious Web site that may download something worse to
your PC.
Since
your problem happened recently, I suggest using Windows
System Restore to return your computer's settings to the
way they were about a month ago. This essentially
removes all programs that were installed on your PC
during the past month, but doesn't affect any of your
data, such as photos or documents.
Go to
Start
, then choose All Programs, Accessories and System
Tools, and from the last list select System Restore.
Choose "Restore my computer to an earlier
time," and then click "Next." When asked
to "Select a
Restore Point
" choose a boldfaced calendar date from about a
month ago. Confirm your date choice, click
"Next" and Windows will take over. When the
process is completed, your fake warning software should
be gone.
To
prevent a recurrence, make sure you're using a PC
firewall. For a free one, see the link below.
———
Q: I
understand you know of a free antivirus program that is
reliable and that you use yourself. Can you tell me
which one it is?
A: I'm
frequently asked about free software, so I'm listing
three free programs that I use:
—AVG
Anti-Virus (free to individuals, corporations pay); find
it at tinyurl.com/csej4p.
—ZoneAlarm
firewall (free to individuals, corporations pay); find
it at tinyurl.com/5vtzry.
—Spybot-Search
& Destroy antispyware (free): find it at tinyurl.com/clbek4.
One more
thing about "free" programs: Be sure to read
the fine print before you download; many programs are
free only for a trial period, after which you have to
pay to keep the software running. The three I've listed
are free forever.
|
