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Viruses, Spyware, & Adware

Your computer may have contracted a virus or spyware if you have any of the following symptoms:

  • Different home page or search page
  • Lots of popups
  • Toolbars that you didn't install – See an example see it
  • Slow internet, or no internet at all
  • Persistent virus alerts

If you have internet access, your first step should be to visit http://antivirus.uconn.edu to download and install Symantec Antivirus. This is the corporate edition product from the makers of Norton, and is available to all students free of charge, with unlimited updates. The program should update automatically after installing. Try running a virus scan; if the infection is not too severe, Symantec should be able to clean it. Otherwise, consider dropping your computer off at HuskyTech for a full cleaning.

Windows XP:
You will also want to run an additional scan for spyware and adware. This is malicious software that can steal private information and annoy you with advertisements. Although Symantec can find and remove some spyware, we recommend that you download Spybot from http://safer-networking.org. This is a frequently updated, free program not affiliated with any for-profit corporation. When installing Spybot, make sure to uncheck the TeaTimer option at the end of the install process. Otherwise you can simply click next through the entire install. Always remember to update the program before running a scan!

Windows Vista:
You will also want to run an additional scan for spyware and adware. This is malicious software that can steal private information and annoy you with advertisements. Although Symantec can find and remove some spyware, Windows Vista comes preloaded with a program called Windows Defender which is designed to remove these threats. To run it, simply click the Vista orb in the bottom-left corner of your screen and begin typing “Windows Defender” into the instant search box, then select the program when it appears in the above list. Vista users can also try Spybot, detailed in the Windows XP section above.

Mac OSX:
Contrary to popular belief, Macs can get viruses! Fortunately, UConn provides OSX versions of Symantec at http://antivirus.uconn.edu.

Antivirus 2009 Virus

One of the worst virus outbreaks of the past several years has involved a program called “AntiVirus XP 2009.” This program attaches itself to many web pages, and until recently was not cleaned by Symantec or Norton. To avoid being infected by this virus, never click OK on any pop-up windows that mention a virus infection, or “scanning your computer.” If you see a warning along these lines, close the window immediately and shut down your computer. For an example of a computer infected by AntiVirus XP 2009, see the image below. If your computer becomes infected, we strongly recommend that you drop it off in our shop for cleaning. – See an example see it