spyware locks up

[Bo]

My anti spyware locks up on a file named
hkey_local_machine\software\btiein. When this happens, I
must manually turn off machine. Control,alt,delete doesn't
work. The scan never completes. Help!

 

[Bill Sanderson]

This is probably a Huntbar variant.

Symantec has a removal tool for this critter:

http://securityresponse.symantec.com/avcenter/venc/data/adware.huntbar.html

Read about half-way down to removal instructions, where there is a link to
the executable tool.

Once you've run this tool, retry Microsoft Antispyware.

 

[Bill Sanderson]

Whoop - Please also submit a Tools, suspected spyware report, detailing the
problem you are having.

 

[Guest]

-----Original Message-----
My anti spyware locks up on a file named
hkey_local_machine\software\btiein. When this happens, I
must manually turn off machine. Control,alt,delete doesn't
work. The scan never completes. Help!
.

 

[anonymous]

At last, I know I'm not crazy. I have the same problem
as you do: it never completes the scan and locks up at
some point. If you find answers, i sure want to know
about it.

 

[sjsiman]

I'm having the same problem. The scan never completes
and AntiSpyware locks up. Although, it doesn't lock up
the rest of the machine.

I'm very interested in any ideas about how to solve this.

 

[Bill Sanderson]

This help may be beyond the scope of what is easily accomplished in an
online forum such as this one.

In my experience, this issue is caused by the permissions being altered (by
the spyware) on the registry key where the scan hangs up.

We have to be a little cautious about some "hangs" with Microsoft
Antispyware--there are reports of file scanning issues that sit on a given
file for 1/2 hour to perhaps more than an hour .

It is possible to fix the permissions issue. In XP Home, you must sign in
in safe mode as "administrator" to take ownership or change permissions.

Rather than working through the details of how to do this, if the bug has an
automated removal tool available from an antivirus vendor, I'd strongly
recommend using such a tool--simpler and safer.