Kelly Wright

You Can Remove WinFixer, but it’s Complicated

WinFixer is a fake program for Windows-based PC's developed to scare the users by false malware positives. Stubborn to remove and persistemt in delivering ads, Winfixer virus is an example of malware of the new generation.

A rogue security program called WinFixer started its notorious existence about three years ago. Back in 2005 winfixer looked a part of Windows Security Center, informing PC users about detected spyware instances and advising to download a cure.

Sadly, many web surfers fall for the trick and installed an application allegedly recommended by Windows itself. The installed program never did what it promised; instead, it kept showing scary messages about system intrusions and spyware danger, trying to alarm the user into buying a full version of winfixer. Those who purchased license keys in the hope to have their computers finally cleaned out of malware, faced the cold truth: nothing really changed. The mean nature of malicious software similar to winfixer doesn’t allow to stop annoying alerts even after licensing the program. Of course it never detects any real-life malware because it doesn’t contain any scanning engine. The results with highly dangerous files and registry entries are included in the installation of the software.

Winfixer itself was quite harmless to PC systems, but it managed to live till present days. Partially the long and sad history of this fake software can be accounted for its aggressive techniques used to infect computers. The program uses vulnerabilities in Internet Explorer and Outlook Express, also distributes itself via spam emails.

One important thing about this rogue application is the number of files and registry entries it places into contaminated systems. I counted over hundred of them, but depending on each particular case of infection this number can be bigger. This explains why it is so difficult to remove winfixer manually, and why special tools are needed to accomplish the task.

Volunteer programmers created removers for this type of malware, and their smithfraud fixers are available for free ob many websites. Software companies like a-squared and Malwarebyte’s also developed free software that helps to remove winfixer. But this is not always the case: some of the bigger antivirus makers who control a large share of the market may have ignored this particular spyware, thus potentially increasing the risks of it infecting new computers.

Steps to remove winfixer should be observes in the following order.

1. Download and install at least two anti-malware programs that are capable of detecting and removing the fake software. Update the installed applications;
2. Reboot Windows and run it in Safe Mode;
3. Without launching any program and even not opening a folder, run one of the security programs you’ve just installed;
4. Wait until the scan finishes, complete the winfixer removal steps if necessary (depending on the software, this operation can be completed automatically during the scan or immediately after);
5. Restart Windows once again, repeat step 2, but this time use the other antispyware program you’ve installed. This is to have the system scanned with two different scanning engines which were developed with different detection algorithms. If one scanner missed anything, the other should be able to find it, thus ensuring a complete clean-out;
6. Finally, restart and log in normally, as you always do. For best results, run a system file verification, which requites a valid Windows CD. To do that, run sfc /scannow command in Windows command prompt.

Depending on how many files are on your hard drive(s), the total time required to remove winfixer infection, may take up to an hour, or even more.

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