Spyaxe is malware
Somehow*, I ended up with Spyaxe, an anti-spyware program that is actually spyware! It modified my homepage, it jacked up my system files, and added a pop-up warning in my System Tray with a quasi-Windows appearance.
It displays the following warning:
"Your computer is infected! Windows has detected spyware infection. It is recommended to use special antispyware tools to prevent data loss.
Windows will now download and install the most up-to-date antispyware for you.
Click here to protect your computer from spyware."
I tried to get a picture of this message with MWSnap, but no luck.
Clicking on the link sends me to www.spyaxe.com.
Spybot Search and Destroy didn't fix it. The "uninstaller" in the Spyaxe menu removed the program, sent me to their website, and the Spyaxe icons reappear on reboot.
I've spent three hours on this so far. What does this mean?
1. I'm as mad as three cats in a sack.
2. I have to think about what files aren't backed up (hint: most of them).
3. I'm going to pass on whatever I figure out.
4. I'm going to download Kanotix or Mepis, two Linux live-cds that support one-click installations. I have been trying to bump this project up. I don't want my main PC on Linux yet, but have at least one extra computer to spare for this project now.
(edited to remove doing anything to bring legal wrath down on SpyAxe. They're in New Zealand. Not worth it.)
-------------------------------------
* Drinking and computing don't mix.
It displays the following warning:
"Your computer is infected! Windows has detected spyware infection. It is recommended to use special antispyware tools to prevent data loss.
Windows will now download and install the most up-to-date antispyware for you.
Click here to protect your computer from spyware."
I tried to get a picture of this message with MWSnap, but no luck.
Clicking on the link sends me to www.spyaxe.com.
Spybot Search and Destroy didn't fix it. The "uninstaller" in the Spyaxe menu removed the program, sent me to their website, and the Spyaxe icons reappear on reboot.
I've spent three hours on this so far. What does this mean?
1. I'm as mad as three cats in a sack.
2. I have to think about what files aren't backed up (hint: most of them).
3. I'm going to pass on whatever I figure out.
4. I'm going to download Kanotix or Mepis, two Linux live-cds that support one-click installations. I have been trying to bump this project up. I don't want my main PC on Linux yet, but have at least one extra computer to spare for this project now.
(edited to remove doing anything to bring legal wrath down on SpyAxe. They're in New Zealand. Not worth it.)
-------------------------------------
* Drinking and computing don't mix.
posted by Todd D. at 7:45 PM
2 Comments:
Yes. See my next post for details, or just download the file at http://www.spyaxe.com/uninstall/uninstallers.zip and run it.
The Spyaxe people found out someone was sending them bogus links (the bad people's virus/trojan/whatever), and built the two fix-it files that are in the Zip file.
They're quite small, ran instantly, and worked perfectly to fix my system.
Always virus-scan everything, etc., etc.
Hi,
after a similar experience with the malware SpyAxe, and no luck running several commericial antispyware programs, i.e. pest patrol, NoAdware, and Spybot, I went on-line and found some, to me, "complicated" suggestions. I could not follow them, and so I re-booted my computer in "safe mode", and just continued to run the commericial programs(above) until I became "free". However, you should know that SpyAxe also "infected" one of my commercial antispyware programs(Pest Patrol), and I have to "disinfect" it in a similiar fashion,i.e. just continuuing running the other programs in "safe mode". I don't know whether, or not I was just lucky, but, finally, it did work for me. I also contacted Google, the FTC, and the FCC stating my displeasure. I have heard from them all, and they are looking into this web-site. Hope I have been helpful.
soulmedic369@yahoo.com
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