Mark Schuster
Posts: 732
Location: Welwyn Garden City, United Kingdom
Registered: 25 Jan 2006
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Warning about flash downloads
Posted: 11 Aug 2008 at 23:58 GMT
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Just got a very light 12" Aceer laptop with preloaded Vista Home Premium to take on a trip to far off places
Having spent a day loading software I decided to download the latest Adobe offers, Flash Player and swf
Unfortunately - and I realize it now, too late - the download wasn't from Adobe's official site and I got some malicious software with loads of popups telling me my computer is infected and urging me to get some security software - some hope! It has also taken over IE although it has left Safari alone.
I think the programme concerned is
ie-av.exe
So please be warned. Whatever you do don't simply Google for Flash downloads, make sure it's from Adobe.
Another thing that happens is the usual Vista dialogue box asking permission to download a programme, in this case Flash from the Adobe something or other Corporation. Looks genuine but fortunately Visa warns against the action.
As you can imagine, I am terribly upset as you can probably tell by my not terribly coherent ramblings. If anyone has a DIY solution i will be most grateful. But the rest of you BE WARNED
Mark 
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Bob Stone
Posts: 41
Location: Rochester, NY, United States
Registered: 20 Oct 2007
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Re: Warning about flash downloads
Posted: 12 Aug 2008 at 4:49 GMT
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Mark, Try "hijackthis"... Run it and make a log file. Then post it to the forums below (you will need to join the forums) at:
www.bleepingcomputer.com/forums/
They will tell you what to delete. DON'T try to delete stuff on your own since you can damage good programs!
Make sure you get "hijackthis" from a reputable download service like download.com (link below).
www.download.com/
Do a search for "hijackthis"
Also, from the same site get "ad-aware 2008" and "spybot - search & destroy" All free(and good)programs I believe.
Hope they all work with Vista. I'm still using XP so I'm not sure.
Best of luck!
Bob
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Thomas Krueger
Posts: 73
Location: Genoa, Italy
Registered: 3 Mar 2006
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Vilmer
Posts: 156
Location: Argentina
Registered: 23 May 2007
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Mark Schuster
Posts: 732
Location: Welwyn Garden City, United Kingdom
Registered: 25 Jan 2006
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Re: Warning about flash downloads
Posted: 12 Aug 2008 at 20:59 GMT
updated: 12 Aug 2008 at 21:09 GMT
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Thanks for all your replies, guys.
In the meantime I downloaded Spybot and it seemed to do the trick by removing malicious software. 
However I still get a pop-up asking for permision to install Flash 9-point-something. Well that is how it all started. It was that application I wanted so now I don't know if it is genuine or a some more nasties.
Mark
PS Asks permission to instal
Name: Adobe Flash Player
Publisher: Adobe Systems Incorporated
Detaills: ...\System32\Macromed\Flash\FlashUtil9b.exe
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fiero
Posts: 258
Location: La Rioja, Spain
Registered: 6 Jul 2005
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Mark Schuster
Posts: 732
Location: Welwyn Garden City, United Kingdom
Registered: 25 Jan 2006
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Re: Warning about flash downloads
Posted: 13 Aug 2008 at 17:56 GMT
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Fiero,
I've done all that. Installed McAfee security software as soon as I got the notebook. Yesterday, after my last posting, I downloaded the latest Flash Player and swf from Adobe.com, and as mentioned, PC Tool's Spybot removed malicious software, but this hasn't stopped a frequently recurring pop-up asking permission to install 'Flash', but evidently this is just a way to try to get me to install more dangerous software. I just don't know how to remove the source of the pop-up. Neither do I know how to remove the error message at start-up, 'C:\Users\Sumi\AppData\Roaming\Adobe\Manager.exe' which I think might be something leftover from the Spybot cleanup.
And a last word before someone complains that this is no place for this discussion, the well known programme, Driver Detector, seems to be involved. For instance I can't revert to a recovery point earlier than its download.
A positive point. The little Acer Aspire 2920 is a delightful notebook with a very clear 12" LCD. A bit slow compared with my desktop, but wonderfully portable, and just the job for those long trips in foreign parts.
Mark
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Thomas Krueger
Posts: 73
Location: Genoa, Italy
Registered: 3 Mar 2006
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