DO NOT install Personal Antivirus

**Zoomie** · 13-09-2009, 08:35 PM

Hi

I am sorry, I never take note of these types of messages (or emails) but have to tell you that about a month ago I accidently downloaded something called Personal Antivirus.

I believe it is a malware, and it basically gives you false virus alerts and tells you to download this program to get rid of it, and then you have to pay ....

I have previously been lax about downloading programs, falsely believing that I could just uninstall them if I didn't want them .. but I couldn't do this with Personal Antivirus (and it looks so much like Norton / Windows Alerts that I was initially fooled).

In the end I couldn't surf any websites (to find out how to get rid of it) and cos I didn't have backups or restore points I ended up reformatting my computer. Sadly some of the hardware then failed so I ended up getting a laptop (the desktop was 6y old, so was really on its last legs), but I just wanted to say, please be very careful you don't download this.

Was just on facebook and somehow the Personal Antivirus popup came up and I was having heartfailure making sure I didn't download it (and it kept trying to trick me).

Just beware

**sweets** · 13-09-2009, 08:40 PM

i had this on my computer once, i couldnt get rid of and nearly took my computer to a shop to see if they could take it off when i had a look in the official windows un install and did it there easy!

TheBTeam · 13-09-2009, 08:45 PM

I too had this and it completely crashed my computer whilst trying to stop it, with the program that my laptop said got rid of it!!!

It tried on my laptop too a few weeks ago, but i was wiser to it!

**bubbly** · 13-09-2009, 08:52 PM

I caught this virus from Facebook. It was hidden in one of those 'send a gift' type applications (I think it was the 'send a drink' one). It infected my laptop when I unlocked one of the drinks. It was a nasty little b*gger and VERY difficult to get rid of!

FACEBOOK USERS SHOULD BEWARE

**sarah707** · 14-09-2009, 06:48 AM

Thank you for letting us all know!

Sorry your system has been infected, it's not nice.

I use Comodo security - it is free and very well respected. Otherwise AVG is good

**youarewhatyoueat** · 14-09-2009, 05:07 PM

If it does pop up do not click on the x as that is how it downloads go to the bottom bar and right click and click on the task manager you can then see it running and click end task. That way you won't download anything.

Daddy Day Care · 14-09-2009, 06:06 PM

Originally Posted by sarah707

Thank you for letting us all know!

Sorry your system has been infected, it's not nice.

I use Comodo security - it is free and very well respected. Otherwise AVG is good

I use avg, martin lewis i think reccomended it but it slows my computer down soooooooo much.

Dont use it for much nowadays except the forum, faceboook and e-mail but wouldnt be able to download anytihng or play games on it now if I wnated to

**sarah707** · 14-09-2009, 06:12 PM

Originally Posted by Daddy Day Care

I use avg, martin lewis i think reccomended it but it slows my computer down soooooooo much.

Dont use it for much nowadays except the forum, faceboook and e-mail but wouldnt be able to download anytihng or play games on it now if I wnated to

AVG shouldn't slow it down too much tbh it's not that big or clumsy.

I wonder if there's something else going on?

What else do you run? There's a firewall that I remember from years ago used to react to AVG... Zone Alarm. We had to take it off.

**bubbly** · 14-09-2009, 06:34 PM

I use AVG too. It makes my laptop run VERY slowly whilst scanning but otherwise it's ok. However, it DIDN'T prevent my laptop being infected by the Personal Antivirus virus. It didn't even detect it on my laptop when I initiated a full system scan.

**Zoomie** · 14-09-2009, 07:30 PM

Originally Posted by bubbly

I use AVG too. It makes my laptop run VERY slowly whilst scanning but otherwise it's ok. However, it DIDN'T prevent my laptop being infected by the Personal Antivirus virus. It didn't even detect it on my laptop when I initiated a full system scan.

that is because your computer wasn't infected. Personal Antivirus gives you false virus infection warnings ... it says you have been infected but you haven't.

**bubbly** · 15-09-2009, 07:01 PM

Originally Posted by Zoomie

that is because your computer wasn't infected. Personal Antivirus gives you false virus infection warnings ... it says you have been infected but you haven't.

^ Not true! Bullguard picked up the infection on my laptop but AVG didn't. There's no question that my laptop WAS infected - you should've seen the state it was in and the 3 days time & effort spent removing the files it created!

**sarah707** · 15-09-2009, 07:47 PM

Originally Posted by bubbly

^ Not true! Bullguard picked up the infection on my laptop but AVG didn't. There's no question that my laptop WAS infected - you should've seen the state it was in and the 3 days time & effort spent removing the files it created!

I've not heard of bullguard... would you recommend it?

I'm using comodo just now but they are only good if they pick up a problem aren't they?