Advice Request Opinions for general purpose after-infection cleaners?

[ForgottenSeer 823865]

No regular user will let you do a clean install for fear of losing their browsing history.In this case scanners are your only option.Unless you can convince them their bank account or credit information may be compromised by an unknown type of malware.Good luck with trying that.

Really? I did hundreds of times with my customers, I just ask them beforehand if they have valuable datas or sites they want to keep before I wipe the system.
Most of them don't care of their browser history, which are mostly news sites, porn, cooking recipe, travel guides, pet and shopping sites...
not saying with modern browser you can sync them easily...
Only things that matters to them are their MS Office docs and holidays pictures... For that, just transfer them to an external hard drive and run some scanners on case of worms.

The main concern I heard was their favorites software which they pretended to have "lost" the license... Guess from where the infection came from...

How many systems I found using KMS activators or cracks..

 

[South Park]

I use HMP free as a double-check scanner. I've heard very good things about EEK from several security forums, though I haven't had to use it personally. The offline Microsoft Safety Scanner might also be of interest.

If my own system were infected, I'd nuke and pave. I back up my data daily, including browser histories and profiles (it's easy to do with portable apps!). If I were cleaning up a friend's system and they didn't want to reinstall Windows, the three tools I mentioned are what I'd use.

 

[cosmos]

Malware removal courses (like the one offered by Bleepingcomputer.com) are prerequisites to anyone pretending to be a malware remover.

Sounds interesting, any links? If I can "handle" the info served, it'd be nice to watch this.

 

[ForgottenSeer 823865]

Sounds interesting, any links? If I can "handle" the info served, it'd be nice to watch this.

No links, register on their forum, ask for a seat.
It is quite popular so you may end up in a waiting list.

 

[Protomartyr]

@cosmos

For more info on what forums offer malware removal training:

Home - UNITE Against Malware

If you are being helped by a member of UNITE, you can be assured that you are receiving help from a well trained malware fighter who has the support of hundreds of the industry’s best experts…

uniteagainstmalware.com

I'm currently going through Bleeping Computer's Malware Removal Training Program.
You can find more info about it here: Malware Removal Training Program - Virus, Trojan, Spyware, and Malware Removal Help

Spots are hard to come by and are quickly filled.

 

[cosmos]

@cosmos

For more info on what forums offer malware removal training:

Home - UNITE Against Malware

If you are being helped by a member of UNITE, you can be assured that you are receiving help from a well trained malware fighter who has the support of hundreds of the industry’s best experts…

uniteagainstmalware.com

I'm currently going through Bleeping Computer's Malware Removal Training Program.
You can find more info about it here: Malware Removal Training Program - Virus, Trojan, Spyware, and Malware Removal Help

Spots are hard to come by and are quickly filled.

I've clicked on the join course program. Not a member so still waiting for a registration.

 

[goodjohnjr]

I would currently recommend Malwarebytes Free, Malwarebytes Adwcleaner, and maybe Norton Power Eraser.

If HitmanPro had free detection and removal permanently instead of losing removal after 30-days then I would be using that too, but until then I have been using the previously mentioned programs (I may be getting rid of Norton Power Eraser soon though after it performed much worse than the other two at detecting some PUPs (Potentially Unwanted Software) from my brother's computer a week ago).

I am currently testing Bitdefender Free as my primary layer of protection, the previous three programs as my back-up scanners, Windows Defender set to Periodic Scanning as my back-up back-up scanner along with all the default Windows 10 security options/layers (Windows Firewall, Smart Screen, et cetera) enabled, Adguard DNS on the router, Ublock Origin, and Bitdefender Trafficlight.

-John Jr

 

[cosmos]

Made a quick test of Zemana 3 on a clean system. Extremely fast, found 5 results but all false positives. Will have to test Zemana 2 as well to check the user folder. Not overly impressed, but then again I didn't have the time to check it on an infected system, in order to compare it with other programs.

 

[South Park]

Made a quick test of Zemana 3 on a clean system. Extremely fast, found 5 results but all false positives. Will have to test Zemana 2 as well to check the user folder. Not overly impressed, but then again I didn't have the time to check it on an infected system, in order to compare it with other programs.

I've seen a large number of negative comments about Zemana at other security forums, so I'd hesitate to rely on that one.

 

[goodjohnjr]

Made a quick test of Zemana 3 on a clean system. Extremely fast, found 5 results but all false positives. Will have to test Zemana 2 as well to check the user folder. Not overly impressed, but then again I didn't have the time to check it on an infected system, in order to compare it with other programs.

Hello @cosmos,

Sadly Zemana Antimalware seems to be a lost cause now, it was once a good product, but I can no longer recommend or use it and I would not be surprised if Zemana themselves give up on it eventually; and so I have uninstalled it from all the computers that I had it installed on last year.

Zemana employees seemed to have stopped communicating here at the forums, the false positives are high and are not fixed after months and even over a year of reporting them, they made a few promises but failed meet those promises (like not responding to something here at the forums that someone found a couple of years ago, I contacted them about this over a year ago, they said that they would make a statement about it but never did), a week ago it failed to detect any PUPs et cetera that were installed on my brother's computer that Malwarebytes Free and Malwarebytes Adwcleaner and Windows Defender and Norton Power Eraser could detect, and more.

So to me the writing is on the wall, so I think that Zemanta Antimalware is probably a dying product, and I finally got my brother to uninstall it and replace it with Malwarebytes Free and Malwarebytes Adwcleaner and Norton Power Eraser (which we may stop usingit soon because both Malwarebytes products greatly outperformed it at detecting the PUPs et cetera that were installed on his computer).

-John Jr

 

[Tiamati]

(i create fresh image with basic software installed such as office and telemetry tweaked - No antivirus installed-to avoid drivers error if i changed my AV solution)

Hey, sorry if it's a stupid question, but can you tell me how do you do that?

 

[DDE_Server]

Hey, sorry if it's a stupid question, but can you tell me how do you do that?

No problem
I make fresh installation of the latest windows 10 build iso downloaded using media creation tool then use O&O shutdown 10 to disable windows 10 telemetry and spying settings then install office and other simple programs which I am sure it is basic and would not change and need a lot of time to install then I talk Full image using AOMEI backupper of the system when I need to reset or revert back then I restore from it and another incremental backups if needed

 

[Zorro]

Have you got any suggestions on solid and free working tools than can be used alongside/replace (please specify) the tools I'm using now?

I can recommend you a Dr.Web CureIt scanner! Quote: "The healing utility Dr.Web CureIt! It will cure an infected system once, but it is not a permanent means to protect your computer from viruses. The utility on our website always incorporates the latest Dr.Web virus databases, but it does not include an automatic virus database update module. Dr.Web CureIt! a set of virus databases is relevant only until the release of a new add-on (as a rule, add-ons are issued once or several times per hour)". Dr Web. CureIt! (download)

 

[Tiamati]

No problem
I make fresh installation of the latest windows 10 build iso downloaded using media creation tool then use O&O shutdown 10 to disable windows 10 telemetry and spying settings then install office and other simple programs which I am sure it is basic and would not change and need a lot of time to install then I talk Full image using AOMEI backupper of the system when I need to reset or revert back then I restore from it and another incremental backups if needed

Tyvm! I'll try it

 

[DDE_Server]

Tyvm! I'll try it

you are welcome