How to Stop a Fake Anti-Virus Pop-Up
Many computer viruses that infect operating systems are actually disguised as anti-virus programs or utilities. These viruses plague the user with repeated pop-ups warning them that their computer has become infected. In most cases the user is then prompted to purchase an anti-virus program, which turns out to be useless. The endless circle of pop-ups, restarting the computer and inability to use your computer properly can be very frustrating. Fortunately, there is a process for getting rid of these fake anti-virus pop-ups.
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Instructions
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Restart your computer in Safe Mode. This can be done by watching the startup process carefully, and then pressing F2 on your keyboard when prompted. Select "Safe Mode with networking" when presented with choices, so that you may access the Internet.
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Log on to the Internet and go to the Rkill download website (See Resources). Download the file Rkill file there. It is free, and it will serve to stop the pop-ups and other program termination effects of the virus so that you can remove the virus.
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Double-click on the Rkill file, and start it immediately after download. The program will open an MS DOS box. Be patient and allow the program to do its work. It may take a few minutes. Move on to the next step once the MS DOS box closes.
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Go back to the Internet, and download anti-virus software from a reputable source. This can be confusing since many viruses are disguised as anti-virus software. In addition, most viruses are written specifically to foil the two top-selling programs from Norton and McAfee. For one reliable product, go to the Avast website (See Resources). Download the free anti-virus software there. Follow the easy on-screen instructions to install Avast.
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Launch the Avast program once it is installed. Click on the icon that looks like a computer hard drive, thereby having the program scan all removable media and drives.
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Click on the "Play" button to start the program. Once the infected file is found, follow the recommended course of action, which usually is simply clicking a button to "move the infected file to chest." Your annoying fake anti-virus pop-ups will be gone.
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