What's the best way to remove/uninstall a suspect program?

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Guest

If you install a freeware/shareware program and later have reason to
believe it might be hosting a virus or trojan or other malicious code,
what is the safest and most effective way to remove the program?

(You could theoretically run the program's own "uninstaller"; but if
the program itself is suspect, then it's conceivable that the
"Uninstaller" might also unleash malicious code).
 
nospam256K said:
If you install a freeware/shareware program and later have reason to
believe it might be hosting a virus or trojan or other malicious code,
what is the safest and most effective way to remove the program?

(You could theoretically run the program's own "uninstaller"; but if
the program itself is suspect, then it's conceivable that the
"Uninstaller" might also unleash malicious code).
Click to expand...

1. Run antivirus program
2. Run Anti-spyware/anti-trojan program
3. Manually delete programs folder (if the above finds something), or allow
the antivirus/trojan/spyware program remove it for you. Then run a program
such as RegCleaner, to ensure anything concerning it in the registry, is
promptly removed.

--

Regards

Steven Burn
Ur I.T. Mate Group
www.it-mate.co.uk

Keeping it FREE!
 
Steven said:
1. Run antivirus program
2. Run Anti-spyware/anti-trojan program
3. Manually delete programs folder (if the above finds something), or
allow the antivirus/trojan/spyware program remove it for you. Then
run a program such as RegCleaner, to ensure anything concerning it in
the registry, is promptly removed.

--

Regards

Steven Burn
Ur I.T. Mate Group
www.it-mate.co.uk

Keeping it FREE!
Click to expand...

In addition to what Steve Burn wrote:

A. *Always* install through an installation monitor such as Total
Uninstall (http://www.geocities.com/ggmartau/)
B. Uninstall the program through the uninstall option of the
installation monitor.

(this also helps when the uninstall of the program is either not
functioning or will leave orphan files behind)

HtH
Dick
 
If you install a freeware/shareware program and later have reason to
believe it might be hosting a virus or trojan or other malicious code,
what is the safest and most effective way to remove the program?

(You could theoretically run the program's own "uninstaller"; but if
the program itself is suspect, then it's conceivable that the
"Uninstaller" might also unleash malicious code).
Click to expand...

Does your AV scanner w/ up to date defs find anything ? If so it
should take care of any virii<well most> then you can uninstall
through the Windows uninstaller.....
I always test new programs ,Freeware or otherwise, on an OS in a
virtual drive set up just for testing and scanning w/ a heavy updated
arsenal of virii,trojan, adware, etc., scanners. I use * Total
Uninstall* as afore mentioned. After I'm sure I like the proggie and
convinced it's clean, I will install it on my real OS drive.< again
using *Total Uninstall*>
At the very least this saves me from cluttering the hell out of my
registry...and if something really goes bad, well, I simply delete the
virtual drive and create another one. :)
HTIOAH


bLB

=====================================================================
"Always enter your own address into your address book.
That way, if you get a virus that sends out emails, you'll get a copy.
You'll already be infected, but at least you'll know about it."

======================================================================
Free video ID apps

MpegProperties
http://www.medialab.se/mpgprop_e.html

GSpot
http://www.headbands.com/gspot/

MovieID
http://www.geocities.com/cplarosa/movieid/
 
I always test new programs ,Freeware or otherwise, on an OS in a
virtual drive set up just for testing and scanning
Click to expand...

Can you recommend a good virtual drive creator software?
(sorry if this has been asked before, I couldn't find it in the archives)>
 
Paul said:
Can you recommend a good virtual drive creator software?
(sorry if this has been asked before, I couldn't find it in the archives)>
Click to expand...

Yes, I'd also like to know how to set up a "virtual drive".

Thanks for your help.
 
Can you recommend a good virtual drive creator software?
(sorry if this has been asked before, I couldn't find it in the archives)>
Click to expand...

I use VMware Workstation <payware>. If you use either Windows 2K Pro
or XP Pro, you can download and use MS Virtual PC 2004 45-Day Free
Trial.
But to keep on topic you might want to try the free Bochs.
http://sourceforge.net/project/showfiles.php?group_id=12580&release_id=215733
I've never used it but it may suffice ?
I, also, have SuSE Linux running very nicely on a virtual drive....I
can minimize Linux and work in XP simultaneously, cool,aye...hehe :)
HTH

bLB

=====================================================================
"Always enter your own address into your address book.
That way, if you get a virus that sends out emails, you'll get a copy.
You'll already be infected, but at least you'll know about it."

======================================================================
Free video ID apps

MpegProperties
http://www.medialab.se/mpgprop_e.html

GSpot
http://www.headbands.com/gspot/

MovieID
http://www.geocities.com/cplarosa/movieid/
 
Paul said:
Can you recommend a good virtual drive creator software?
(sorry if this has been asked before, I couldn't find it in the archives)>
Click to expand...

vSubst has been mentioned in ACF

http://home.tiscalinet.ch/t.bigler/utils.html

<Q>
vSubst v1.7 - 32-Bit-SUBST
Creates drive-letters for any folders on your harddisk. Useful to create
virtual drives e.g. on laptops.
Allows easy removal of all virtual folders (= Visual 32-Bit-SUBST-Command)
Limitations:
• SUBSTed-drives don't operate 100% in networks
• Some copy-protected CD-ROMs check for the physical presence of a disk...
• Volume-Label is always identical to the host label.
• vSubst just creates a virtual drive like the old subst-command -
nothing more or less.
</Q>

Susan
 
Paul said:
Can you recommend a good virtual drive creator software?
(sorry if this has been asked before, I couldn't find it in the archives)>
Click to expand...

If you want to transfer CDs to the virtual drive take a look at Hekko:
http://www.circleofone.com/
From the readme file:
<quote> Hekko Virtual CD creates a virtual cdrom drive on your
Windows PC. This allows you to make images of your favorite
CR-Roms and use them without inserting a CD into a
CD-Rom drive. This not only improves the speed at which
you can access the data on the disk, but also stops the
really annoying disk switching that is required every time
you run a game. </quote>

===

Frank Bohan
¶ Wrapping it up at the day's end burns 12 calories per hour.
 
I think you should try Total Uninstall. It makes a mirror of your system,
then you can install a application; afterwards the program makes a second
mirror and comparish both mirrors

link: http://www.geocities.com/ggmartau/

Why a virtual drive? When you install a new program, it writes also stuff
to the register. Or, maybe I don't understand the meaning of a virtual
drive ;-)

Op Thu, 9 Sep 2004 22:32:28 +0100 schreef Frank Bohan:
 
I think you should try Total Uninstall. It makes a mirror of your system,
then you can install a application; afterwards the program makes a second
mirror and comparish both mirrors

link: http://www.geocities.com/ggmartau/

Why a virtual drive? When you install a new program, it writes also stuff
to the register. Or, maybe I don't understand the meaning of a virtual
drive ;-)
Click to expand...

I'm running SuSE 9 Linux on a virtual drive ..I assure you Linux is
not writing anything out of the drive to Windows ... :)
Albeit, I use VMware Workstation...and not some CD drive emulator.
HTH

bLB

=====================================================================
"Always enter your own address into your address book.
That way, if you get a virus that sends out emails, you'll get a copy.
You'll already be infected, but at least you'll know about it."

======================================================================
Free video ID apps

MpegProperties
http://www.medialab.se/mpgprop_e.html

GSpot
http://www.headbands.com/gspot/

MovieID
http://www.geocities.com/cplarosa/movieid/

AVIcodec
http://avicodec.duby.info/
 
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