Topic: RegistryDefender, Rogue Spyware program rant.

[thegallery]

A friend of mine who's computer was running slow (probably do to spyware), kept getting these popups to 'help clean up his system', so he spent $30 un a "Registry Defender" program. This thing is insidious. He's got more popups then ever, no ability to get to websites including reading his hotmail, and what's more, the popups are for other programs to clean up his system!I was fortunate to knock some sense into him before he bought another...

Anyway, whatever he has going on I can't remove. Instructions online say to stop the RegistryDefender.exe process, but of course they changed the name to something else. The program doesn't seem to exist on the computer, but it's still there. And after adaware ran, finding 22 infections, it suddenly came to an abrupt halt and I had to send an error report of to Lavasoft. It tried it twice with no luck.

He must of downloaded their latest version of this spyware and programs like adaware aren't up to tackling it. Just thought  mention this, as I'm sure I'll find a fix. But what a nightmare This is going to take at least 2 if not 4 hours to figure out. If any of you have dealt with this or have an opinion let me know.

Poor guy does nothing on his computer except email and a little surfing. He's only used 13gigs of a 250G HD in over a year. He was able to stop payment on the credit card and change his number.

[Rik]

It might be worth going for a clean install from the sound of it, quick and certain.

[Simon]

You'll have to Google them, as I can't do links from my phone, but it might be worth trying Super Anti Spyware and / or Malware Bytes, before formatting.  They can usually remove stubborn pests such as this.

[TR]

Try the free Malware bytes anti malware before he does anything drastic.

Malware bytes


Whoops you beat me to it Si