[Maeur1]

So on Monday, i was browsing my email (On hotmail btw(Microsoft)) And then BAM, i recieve a message saying that MICROSOFT security essentials has stopped. Then everything closes down and some dam piece of crap (Smart Protect? I think) shuts every program down saying that every file on my computer is infected (Note: i didnt even install a program with the word "Smart" in it at all) and so whenever i opened a program, the stupid virus closed it instantly and said that it was infected.

After that i figured that it isnt any better time to do anything other than reformat. so i did. Then i find that on my internet meter that it had downloaded almost 9gb worth of data (WTF right?).

I rang up telestraclear and they said that they cant do anything as it was not an error in their system(Fair enough). So i rang up Microsoft to see if they give any compensation for my lost internet data as it was their services that failed to eliminate the virus(Hotmail apparently has a antivirus built in.).

It seems that even though it was their fault that it didnt remove the virus, they still didnt provide me with anything.

Am i in the wrong of blaming a anti-virus systems designed my Microsoft, for Windows?

Any opinions?

[LinuxUser]

Well, the license agreement would say that they can't be held responsible for anything like that, so I doubt you can do anything (at least without taking them to court, and even that mightn't be successful). Not to mention I don't think it is fair to blame any anti-virus or system using it when it misses something.

Actually, they could put the blame on you because most likely it either got in a security hole that had been patched but you hadn't updated to the patched version, or you installed it yourself somehow (possibly along with something else).

By the way, the best way to fix it would have been to boot to a Linux CD/DVD/USB, and delete the file – it would most likely have been in your temporary internet files somewhere.

[Maeur1]

LinuxUser, on 13 April 2012 - 11:22 AM, said:

Well, the license agreement would say that they can't be held responsible for anything like that, so I doubt you can do anything (at least without taking them to court, and even that mightn't be successful). Not to mention I don't think it is fair to blame any anti-virus or system using it when it misses something.

Actually, they could put the blame on you because most likely it either got in a security hole that had been patched but you hadn't updated to the patched version, or you installed it yourself somehow (possibly along with something else).

By the way, the best way to fix it would have been to boot to a Linux CD/DVD/USB, and delete the file – it would most likely have been in your temporary internet files somewhere.

Actually what i did was that i took out the HD, put it in another machine and deleted the file (Smart Security.exe) but 3 hours later it returned.

What happened was that I got a email i didnt even open it and Internet download manager wanted to download something so i let it thinking that it was probably something to do with microsoft (since i was on the Hotmail Inbox page). I didnt worry about it and i never ran anything. i scanned my downloads directory and there was no viruses came up.15 mins later i saw that my netwaork usage was crazy high (Like 4mb/s) and was wondering what that was, nek minnit it closed all my programs and the rest is posted. I dont see how i am at fault there, i mean sure i let IDM download something, but from my inbox? IDM usually prompts me to download things from random sites and so it wasnt unusual that it asked me to download something. And scanning the download dir came up with nothing? Some bizzare things going on here.

[guitar_man_94]

I would have ran Windows in safe mode so that it can't connect to the internet and only loads the required files. Then I would have installed like 5 of the best antivirus programs and run them all, often one finds something and the others don't.

[Maeur1]

guitar_man_94, on 13 April 2012 - 12:27 PM, said:

I would have ran Windows in safe mode so that it can't connect to the internet and only loads the required files. Then I would have installed like 5 of the best antivirus programs and run them all, often one finds something and the others don't.

Lol i love that idea. THE ULTIMATE TEST!!!

[LinuxUser]

I would suspect that that particular file was only part of it.

Could it have been from an ad – it has happened before? Most likely, the ad or whatever used a browser exploit to download and run the file, and probably moved or removed any traces from the downloads folder. What browser do you use, and when was it last updated?

[tbonesteak]

Press windows button + r, then type MSCONFIG and go to services disable them all and to startup and disable.

Then go start > all programs and if there is a startup folder delete it, then reboot and then you can do a full virus scan.

[Maeur1]

tbonesteak, on 13 April 2012 - 12:41 PM, said:

Press windows button + r, then type MSCONFIG and go to services disable them all and to startup and disable.

Then go start > all programs and if there is a startup folder delete it, then reboot and then you can do a full virus scan.

Did that. It closed msconfig.exe before i could even do anything. Regarding to linuxuser, i believed that too, but i just couldnt find the file it downloaded anymore, and waht was unusual was that it downloaded a .zip file, and afterwards i couldnt find that file anywhere. it magically dissapeared and i looked for hidden folders and it still wasnt there.

The SmartSecurity.exe was in C:\programdata, a common place for progams and /programdata is a hidden folder by default. But deleting it didnt work. It just came back after 3hrs.

[tbonesteak]

Can you open REGEDIT ?

If you can then you could probably fix it from there.

[LinuxUser]

My guess is that, as I said, it deleted the file it downloaded. I'd check your temporary internet files under C:\Users\<user name>\AppData\Local as I've found things in there on occasion. In fact, I'd do a search for all applications created in the appropriate timeframe – search the whole of all drives, and make sure it includes non-indexed locations.

[Maeur1]

tbonesteak, on 13 April 2012 - 01:53 PM, said:

Can you open REGEDIT ?

If you can then you could probably fix it from there.

Nope. I couldnt open anything, i couldnt even open the start menu, let alone run anything. even ctrl R didnt work. I have reformatted now, i gotta say i have forgotten how much oomph my comp has when reformatted

Also Linux, i had checked Appdata folder for anything unusual but couldnt find anything.

[LinuxUser]

Hmm, I guess it went straight to the ProgramData folder – it makes sense though.

[TomSahz]

To keep that 'always-fresh-from-a-format' feeling have a browse through the 'Windows 7 Tweakguide' at tweakguides.com. Cant recommend it enough.