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Rogue Anti-virus applications are being produced in ever increasing numbers each week now. Why? This is a scam that works big time! Rogue Anti-Virus scams are able to steal money, credit card numbers and sometimes entire identities.

Below you can see the life cycle of a Rogue Anti-Virus scam.
1. You get infected with a Trojan like Virtumonde (via an outdated Java Runtime Environment).
2. The Virtumonde Trojan displays fake system alerts (in the form of system balloon popups), uses popunders and search redirection in your browser in an effort to convince you that your PC is infected and can only be cleaned with “special anti-virus software”.
3. At this point the user is in a panic and proceeds to purchase the rogue anti-virus.
4. Now the really bad part starts. The poor pc user just paid $30-$90 AND gave their identity with valid credit card info to an international ring of thieves.
5. Next, the rogue anti-virus gets installed, run and then does nothing. Our user just got duped.
6. Now, the user must hire a consultant (like myself) to clean the rogue anti-virus and all the other infections associated with it.

I see so many clients with Rogue Anti-Virus infections each week. Typically, about 1 out of 7 of my clients will purchase the Rogue Anti-Virus application and then they usually see numerous credit card charges about 3 weeks later (that’s before I get there). I usually instruct clients to cancel the credit card they used to purchase the Rogue Anti-virus and purchase some identity protection (for a year at least).

Thankfully removing Rogue Anti-Virus is really pretty easy; however the Trojans that downloaded and installed the Rogue Anti-Virus are sometimes very difficult to remove. They are 2 methods I use to remove Rogue Anti-Virus. One method is free and the other costs about 40 dollars.

Method 1: The free, but a bit difficult method

The best part about this method is that it’s free. It targets the Rogue Anti-Virus and the other malware associated with it. You’ll need 4 applications.
1. AVG Anti-Virus Free V8
2. SuperAntiSpyware
3. MalwareBytes’ Anti-Malware
4. Spybot Search and Destroy

First, uninstall your current anti-virus since it’s not doing the job anyway. We will be installing a new anti-virus (AVG Anti-Virus Version 8) which you can start doing right now. After AVG 8 is installed and updated please go ahead and install the remaining 3 applications. Be sure to update each application after you install it (each application has an update menu or button).

Reboot your PC in safe mode (by tapping F8 during your PC’s startup). Once in safemode perform full scans with the 4 applications above (in that order). Quarantine anything considered an infection. Reboot. Your Rogue Anti-Virus has probably been removed along with the Trojans that downloaded it. If you’re using IE7 or IE8 make sure you perform a reset on the browser as well.

Method 2: The easy method, but it’s not free

Download Spyware Doctor with Anti-virus. Uninstall your old anti-virus. Install Spyware Doctor with Anti-virus and register it. Click yes to enable the OnAccess Guard and then click Smart Update. Download and install all the updates. Run a Full Scan and then fix everything the scan finds. Reboot. Your Rogue Anti-Virus has probably been removed along with the Trojans that downloaded it. If your using IE7 or IE8 make sure you perform a reset on the browser as well.

Final Malware Clean Up Notes
If you have system menus that are missing or inaccessible ComboFix does a really good job at restoring those. Download ComboFix. Disable Spyware Doctor or AVG. Run ComboFix. Let ComboFix reboot your PC. Re-enable your anti-virus.
At this point you should be malware free.

Matthew Rizos writes daily articles on how to remove malware using anti-malware software and techniques at:

http://www.remove-malware.com

Services are also provided remotley at:

http://www.encompasscomputing.com

Compute speed is important to all computer users. It is common for computer users to notice a decline in speed with their computer after a period of time, but there are ways to prevent and repair these issues so that your computer runs just as fast as it did when it was first bought. The first thing you should check for is the installed programs. Many times when you buy a new PC it will come bundled with a large number of common software programs already installed. Many of these programs are not needed, and you should remove all of the ones you do not use or need to increase your computer speed.

After you have deleted all the unnecessary programs, run the disk defragmenter utility. This step may take some time, but the results are worth it. When you use programs, and add or remove programs, many times fragments of programs are moved away from the main section. When this happens, it takes longer for your system to start or run the program because the computer must first search for all the pieces. Disk Defragmenter will solve this problem, moving all the file pieces together again and increasing both the computer speed and performance of your PC.

Spyware programs can be a big source of speed loss on your computer. These programs are downloaded and installed without your consent or knowledge, and then they run invisibly in the background, using resources and slowing down your system. Eliminating these programs will help bring the computer speed of your PC back up, and protect your private information as well. There are many excellent anti spyware programs available, and these will help you detect and remove spyware before it poses a risk to you or your PC.

You should install and use an anti virus software program in addition to one for any spyware programs. Viruses, worms, and trojans can cause your PC to lose speed, as well as other more harmful effects. Make sure that you check frequently for updates, at least once or twice a week, otherwise your software may not recognize one of the newest threats to PC security. With anti virus software, even if a virus is transferred the program will recognize it and remove it on the next system scan. This will help your computer speed.

Computer Speed Is Affected By How Clean The Registry Is

The most effective way to increase the computer speed is to clean out the registry of your system. There are a couple of different ways that this can be done, and the easiest and safest is to use a registry cleaner. It is possible to manually edit the registry, but this is never recommended by the experts, because of the damage that may be done accidentally by deleting the wrong key or entry. Manual editing also takes an extensive amount of time, days or even weeks to complete because of the large size of the registry.

With a registry cleaner, you simply start the program and let it run. Within minutes your registry will be clean, and your PC will be back up to speed. This will also greatly improve the performance of your system. There is no reason you have to let your computer speed slow you down.

Brian Williams is a self-confessed PC fiddler dedicated to ’spreading the word’ when it comes to fixing PC errors and helping people make the most use of their PCs. For FREE ACCESS to more PC tips n’ tricks, just visit http://www.optimize-your-pc.com/regcure/regcure_blog/index.php/.

After you have had your computer for a while, you may notice a loss of computer speed and performance. Almost every computer user has these problems, and there are ways to increase the speed of your PC so that it runs as fast as it did the day you brought it home. Other symptoms that may occur along with speed loss include numerous pop ups getting through, programs take an unreasonably long time to start or load, your computer gets louder during startup, your screen keeps freezing, and your system crashes and needs to be rebooted. Increasing computer speed will improve these problems.

One way to speed up your PC is to defragment the Disk. Many Windows operating systems have a utility program called Disk Defragmenter that will perform this chore for you. If you have not defragmented the hard drive in a while, this step may take hours to complete, but the increase in computer speed makes it time well spent. Make sure you remove any programs you do not want or use before you do this, for maximum efficiency and speed increases. The more programs you have installed, the slower your system will run.

Computer Speed And Things Which Can Affect It

Adding some additional memory to your system will help your computer speed increase. RAM, or random access memory, can be added to add speed to your system and allow it to function and perform better. Deleting the cookies and stored Internet files on your PC will also help. These files take up space and slow down your system, and when you remove them your PC will work much faster. Using keyboard shortcuts can also help you add computer speed, plus this step makes it easier on your typing fingers at the same time.

Protect your system against viruses and spyware. These forms of infections can play havoc on the speed of your PC, and spyware is a big culprit when it comes to computer speed loss. Many users are not aware that there is spyware programs on their computer, because these programs hide in the background using up a lot of resources and slowing down your PC significantly. Use a good anti spyware program to locate and delete any spyware programs running on your system, and use an anti virus program to eliminate any viruses or other harmful files and programs.

Run Disk Cleanup. This program is another utility included in most Windows operating systems, and this program can help boost the speed of your system by a substantial amount. Getting to is utility only takes a few steps, and the computer speed increase you will get makes this step worth it. Go to the Start menu, then choose Programs. Now click on Accessories, then on System Tools, and then click on Disk Cleanup. The utility does all the work, you simply start it and let it run.

The best way to increase the speed of your PC is to use a registry cleaner. These programs can safely and quickly clean out the registry of your system, making it run much faster and perform more effectively. A registry cleaner will also prevent error messages from appearing. A clean registry is the most important step to increasing the speed of your computer to what it was in the beginning, when you first got it. We all want a PC with fast computer speed and performance.

Brian Williams is a self-confessed PC fiddler dedicated to ’spreading the word’ when it comes to fixing PC errors and helping people make the most use of their PCs. For FREE ACCESS to more PC tips n’ tricks, just visit http://optimize-your-pc.com/regcure/.

When a computer problem happens, a lot of people reach for the phone to call a professional at the very beginning, but this can be a mistake. There are some common computer problems that you can fix yourself, without needing a technician or computer expert. These problems range from no Internet connection to a sluggish computer and poor performance. Most of the time you can repair these issues yourself with just a few steps and a little bit of time.

If you can not get a connection to the Internet, and you already have the connection set up correctly, try to reboot your computer. Unplug the computer modem and the cable modem, or other Internet connection device, as well as the router. Turn the computer modem back on, and see if it tries to connect. If it does, plug the cable modem and router back in. If this does not help and you have a newer Windows operating system, such as XP, you can run a diagnostic test from the Internet error window when you try to connect, and the wizard will walk you through this test. If these steps do not correct the problem, contact your Internet Service Provider.

Common Causes And Repairs For Computer Problems

If you have a virus or other malicious software program on your computer, it can cause computer problems or even crash and permanently damage your system. Anti virus software can take care of this problem and offer you security around the clock. Some of these programs are free, and they are essential to keeping your computer in good repair.

Spyware is another threat that can cause you to have computer problems, including a very slow computer and theft of your sensitive information, as well as tracking your browsing habits. These software programs are installed without your consent, in secret, and they can cause poor performance by your computer because of the number of programs they run. Installing a good anti spyware program, and running a scan of your computer every day, will keep spyware off your system and take care of this problem. This step will also keep your computer running efficiently.

Device drivers that won’t work well, or at all, can usually be fixed by updating these drivers with the newest updates available. Sometimes a driver can become corrupted or even disappear, and updating to or re-installing the newest driver can prevent these problems with device drivers. Without the correct drivers, your devices will not work, so keep all of the drivers updated for the best device performance. This will avoid computer problems.

Use a Windows registry cleaner for a computer which is sluggish and does not perform well. The registry can become littered with file fragments from programs which have been removed from the computer, because these pieces stay. These fragments will slow down your computer by keeping junk in the registry, and a registry cleaner will solve this problem very simply and quickly. Editing the registry manually is not only time consuming but also dangerous, and a registry cleaner knows exactly which files should be removed and which files are essential to the operating system. A registry cleaner will eliminate almost all computer problems.

Brian Williams is a self-confessed PC fiddler dedicated to ’spreading the word’ when it comes to fixing PC errors and helping people make the most use of their PCs. For FREE ACCESS to more PC tips n’ tricks, just visit http://optimize-your-pc.com/regcure/.

Everyone who has ever used a personal computer has experienced computer problems at some point, and these PC problems can cause frustration. There are some steps you can take which will repair any problems you have, while preventing new problems from occurring. There are many things that can cause your PC to have problems, varying from corrupt files or too many programs installed all the way to hardware or electrical problems. Computer problems can be varied, but you can stop them.

Some Causes Of Computer Problems

Computer slowdown is a big problem for many users, but is it any wonder computers slow down? A lot of people cram games, music, videos, photos, and other assorted things on their computer and then wonder why it gets sluggish. If there are programs, applications, and games that are installed which are not used, wanted, or needed, then get rid of them. Games which you do not play regularly should be removed, and odds are the installation disk is still in your home, so if you do ever want to play the game again you can simply install it again.

Spyware can also be a major cause of computer problems. These programs are secretly installed on your system, usually without your knowledge or consent, and then they run in the background, using up a lot of system resources. Removing these programs will get rid of many error messages and help increase both the speed and performance of your computer. An anti spyware program can detect and remove these programs so that your PC is secure and stable, without system crashes, error messages, or a slow PC.

Disk Defragmenter is a Windows utility that can help increase both the stability and speed of your computer. Over time, programs can be fragmented on the disk, and this makes it harder on the computer. When a program is started, if the files are fragmented it may take longer for the computer to open up the program because your PC has to search and find every fragment. Disk Defragmenter goes through the entire disk and ensures that file fragments are grouped close together to ensure easy searching and quick operation. This will stop many computer problems.

Cleaning the registry of your system will prevent many common computer problems from happening. The registry contains keys and entries for all vital and critical programs, including the operating system, as well as all other programs and applications installed. The registry also contains user preferences and settings. When programs are removed, fragments can still be left in the registry, creating problems and causing error messages. A registry cleaner will eliminate the build up of useless fragments in the registry and clean it out, stopping computer problems and errors before they start.

Manual editing of the registry is not recommended, because this can lead to severe problems and is very risky. If the wrong key or entry is removed, your system can crash and never start again, and no one wants this to happen. Using registry cleaner software provides a way to clean the registry with no risks in a very small amount of time, usually taking just minutes. This will prevent almost all possible computer problems quickly and easily.

Brian Williams is a self-confessed PC fiddler dedicated to ’spreading the word’ when it comes to fixing PC errors and helping people make the most use of their PCs. For FREE ACCESS to more PC tips n’ tricks, just visit http://optimize-your-pc.com/regcure/.