Urgent - virus help needed

I visited an education website on my main laptop about an hour ago, and it now seems to be infected by a thing called Systemcare antivirus software which keeps popping up and saying my computer is infected with horrible viruses. It wants me to click to remove them. I haven't and my Avira software has run a scan and says there is no problem. However, nothing is working right, system restore says it cannot operate, and apparently my Windows firewall is off and won't turn back on again. I am really worried, what should I do? Should I switch it off? And what then?

 

Go to www.wintips.org/remove-system- care-fake-antivirus/

 

Is that safe? I'm not feeling very trusting of computer stuff right now!

 

Also, i've checked on the programs list and Systemcare does not feature on it, so I don't see how I could uninstall it.

 

It's actually a virus itself, designed to steal your personal details.
Has it asked you to buy software to clean your computer?
Thats how it gets your details, it also turns off parts of windows such as the firewall.
You will have to remove it some how.

 

Lots of these things that tell you that you have a virus and supply a cleanup-program "for money" ... need to get a bona fide program to remove it, but these malware products thrive but being difficult to remove. You might have some luck starting Windows in Safe Mode and then trying to remove it. (It may actively prevent you installing things designed to remove it - safe mode may help with that). You normal anti-virus software may sort it out if you start your computer in Safe mode (but I don't know that for sure)

The link JazzSi provided details removal without installing anything - although there is a follow-on step to clean up the registry using a downloaded "cleaner" product. It also recommends MalWareBytes (which has a good reputation) - the links to that look dogy because they are going via a 3rd party marketing site - which is probably giving WinTips a kick back for any successful sales ... you can just go direct to MalWareBytes:

http://www.malwarebytes.org/

That's one of its cloaking ploys I'm afraid.

 

Google Systemcare antivirus removal and there are plenty of step by step instructions on how to remove it, from trustworthy sites. Take your pick really.

 

When my daughter's laptop got infected with something very similar (Install Shield Bug?) I used the instructions from this website to get rid of it, and this is the link for their System Care removal guide http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/virus-removal/remove-system-care-antivirus

I seem to recall downloading RKill and or Malwarebytes onto a USB stick using another computer and running it from that (must of had a problem accessing their site with that malicious software on her computer).


P.S. It's handy to keep up to date versions of those 2 bits of software on a USB stick. I'd hate to be away on my hols and have something nasty on my laptop until I got home.

 

Yes - as others have said, malware bytes should clear it up with a couple of full scans. Nasty bit of work that, can make a real mess.

 

Many thanks for your help.

So, to summarise, i should open Malbytesware on this computer, (my old one, the RM) and download their software onto a memory stick. Is the free removal software OK?

Try to open my other computer (the HP) in safe mode - it wouldn't last night- then open the program from the memory stick and click "run".

It was also suggested that I should should run some software direct from the Norton site on the HP.

 

Hooray! I have run malbytes ware and the laptop seems to be back to normal, more or less. However, i still have not been able to turn the Firewall back on, it still comes up with an error message.
I omitted to run RKill first, perhaps I should run that in safe mode, then repeat the Malbytes ware scan?

 

It would do no harm.
Might I then suggest that once the machine is fully cleaned up and running properly you download and install something like Win Patrol. This is a program which runs in the background and basically prevents anything from altering your computer without your permission. Google Win Patrol. There are other programs which do the same thing as well, but I only have experience Win Patrol .

 

I tried to download Rkill but it didn't seem to want to on the Bleeping computer site. Every time I clicked on a download link it took me to a forum page.

I think I already have a bit of software that asks for permission - didn't seem to stop the Systemcare, though.

 

Tried to download RKill again on the HP - says it is corrupted by a virus. Hmmm.

 

Ongoing race between Virus Writers and Preventers :(. All you can do is to routinely keep everything up to date.