Question

Virus and Spyware removal done quickly and professionally on-site

Asked by: yeller

I have been doing computer repairs for some time now.  Very often I am asked to remove spyware and viruses.  Doing this at my home  or in my office is no problem but it is a lenghty process.  Many of my clients have requested that I do this on-site (at there homes) but I always say that it is too time consuming to do it there.

I have used Virus and Spyware removal tools that I used from a Boot CD (UBCD).  Additionally, I use other well know applications like, Avg, Spybot, Malwarebytes, Mcafee Stinger, etc, etc..  But these all take quite a while to do their scans.

How do other companies do this type of job at a client, in a quick and effective fashion?

Any suggestions would be appreciated.

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Asked On
2009-08-24 at 09:09:27ID24677035
Topics

Anti-Virus

,

Anti-Spyware

Participating Experts
3
Points
500
Comments
6

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Answers

 

by: pankusareenPosted on 2009-08-24 at 09:24:55ID: 25169901

1)Always check the application that autorun at windows start up by using
Autoruns for Windows v9.53
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/bb963902.aspx

The companies Basically format the pc and reinstall the os. or they have the clone image of the windows+software.
and they just restore the image file

 

by: yellerPosted on 2009-08-24 at 11:16:56ID: 25170881

pankusareen,
thanks for the reply.

I'm not sure if you understood my question 100%.
A home user would not want to have their PC formatted right away.  They would want their data backed up and cleaned of viruses and spyware.  They definitley would not have an image of their hard disk.

I am asking what companies like Nerds on Site or GOGO Geek or companies like that do when they arrive at a home.  How do they clean up a home user's PC?  How can they say they can do it in an hour our two?

I've contacted those type of companies and they say they come to your home and they can clean up your PC in a couple of hours.  I do not understand how they can do that.

 

by: phototropicPosted on 2009-08-24 at 12:55:15ID: 25171841

I do a lot of domestic callouts, and a lot of those involve removing malware
The proceedure I would usually follow involves a 1Gb flash drive and a UBCD4Win CD:

If the pc is not bootable, I would run a system restore via the UBCD Reg Restore wizard (time: 5-7 mins.)
UBCD also gives you the option of mounting registry hives to use Regedit;
Enable network support if you are behind a router and you can update and run a/v or malware tools such as SAS etc.;

If the pc will boot I would install, update and run Mbam, having first cleared the temp. file cache with a tool such as Cleanup or ATFCleaner; if you run Cleanup and an Mbam quick scan simultaneously, the scan will be over in 10 mins or less;
Once you know what you are dealing with, you can use other tools such as Combofix (mentioned above) (10 - 15 mins.). Then analyse the log, perhaps write a cfscript, then run it again (30 mins total)
Smitfraudfix (5-10 mins);
LopSD (5-10 mins);
For Rootkit infection I use Unhackme (10-15 mins.);
For more diagnostic you can run HJT (takes a minute);
Some tools are very quick to run:
FixIEDef (2-3 mins);
Winsockxpfix (2 mins including reboot);
Mvps hosts reset (5 seconds);

Obviously I will not sit chatting to the client while we run chkdsk /r !!!
If the machine is powerfully infected, I will return it to the workshop, pull the drive, and run multiple scans. But I can often clean the pc completely in a 1.5 hour callout.

Sorry I don't have time to post links to all these tools, but Google is your friend...

The above is my contribution to this question, which is along the same lines as yours:

http://www.experts-exchange.com/Software/Internet_Email/Anti_Spyware/Q_24671571.html

 

by: vikingtechnologiesPosted on 2009-08-24 at 13:02:56ID: 25171942

In the old version of the tool was fsecure and mcafee antiviruses. In the last version i see now that comes with a Kaspersky Virus Removal Tool 7.0.0.290 (0906) and some other tools.
Spybot - Search & Destroy 1.6.2 (0906)
Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware 1.34 (0906)
etc..
Please be aware that it has a windows version too.
I have worked with 9.6 version. I didn't tryed the last version sorry.

 

by: yellerPosted on 2009-08-25 at 12:13:19ID: 31619734

I awarded 50 points to vikingtechnologies  for showing that there might be alternatives out there.

phototropic basically covered all of my questions.

Thanks

20120131-EE-VQP-002

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