System Alert (WindowsXP Pro)

[JCO]

This is a friends laptop computer. Every few minutes you get a "System
Alert". The icon is in the System Tray (lower right corner). Can't figure
out how to stop this. Cleaned out the Registry, deleted stuff in HKLM that
might be a trogen, Ran Spybot several times to clean everything out. Ran
McAfee and cleaned out two trogens. The system alert still pop ups.

**********************************
System Alert
System detected virus activates. These may impact the performance of your
computer. Please use antimalware software to clean and project our system
form parasite programs Click this balloon to get all available software.

Clicking the icon, in the system tray, takes you to a website as shown
below:
www.anti-vermins.com/?aff=321
Its an advertisement to purchase Antivermins software, sponsored by
Microsoft.. it appears.
***********************************

What else can you suggest I do?

 

[Earl Grey]

Hi JCO:

The alert is a scam. Your friend needs to remove the adware on her or
his computer.

Earl Grey

 

[JCO]

That we figured. Spybot won't get rid of it and neither will McAfee.
I can't tell where it is coming from. What other programs will get this
Adware off of the computer.

 

[Earl Grey]

Hello again:

As your friend is learning, adware can be very tough. Often you need to
try many different scanners before you hit upon one that can identify
what's on the computer. That's what you have to do now - try many
different scanners. Here are a couple of the better ones to start you off:

Kaspersky:
http://usa.kaspersky.com/services/free-virus-scanner.php

Symantec Security Check:
http://www.symantec.com/home_homeoffice/security_response/index.jsp#

Good luck.

Earl Grey