"Privacy center" virus

[Paul Wozniak]

How did you get, if you know? I would like to avoid it. obtw What virus protection software are you guys running?

Good question. Best to avoid whatever Woz is using.

I have traditionally used AVG Free anti-virus, but have recently started using 'Microsoft Security Essentials' on my Windows 7 machines. It seems a little less intrusive and lightweight.

We were using AVG, needless to say, not anymore. Scrubbed the computer completely, and reinstalled all the software, and installed McAfee. All's well now. Major pain in the you know what though. Couldn't get rid of the "privacy center" thing any other way.

 

[Paul Wozniak]

It has nothing to do with porn. I consider Paul a friend and valued contributor to this board, and was offended at how you called him out. That post was intended to embarrass him and to make you look clever.

Thank you for that. I can guarantee you that wasn't anything porn related, see as neither myself or my wife have any interest in that sort of thing at our ages. (I have no problem with porn, just seems a little useless at my age.). I have no idea how this thing got in, but since we spend most of our time at Facebook playing their silly games, I suspect them. This is the only other site I spend time at, besides my home page, Yahoo.

 

[Paul Wozniak]

Thanks to all who tried to help. Let me tell you though, we tried quite a few things, and this was impossible to kill, and in a few days it totally corrupted our computer.

 

[Scott Greczkowski]

A number of people at work have been hit with this one.

All of them got it from rogue ads being displayed on the yahoo homepage.

 

[Paul Wozniak]

In my case I can say it wasn't Yahoo. I wasn't on my home page for a couple of weeks prior to catching this bug, and I ignore those ads like the plague as does my wife. She's on a computer all day at work, and only visits Facebook at home. Thanks Scott for the input.

 

[jayn_j]

Thanks to all who tried to help. Let me tell you though, we tried quite a few things, and this was impossible to kill, and in a few days it totally corrupted our computer.

I have a pretty strong feeling that this wasn't Privacy Center, or not entirely. Seems like a pretty typical trick to stuff a second virus into theirs that blasts itself around and makes a nuisance. That way, nobody ever looks for the real one.

According to the Symantic page, Privacy Center is easily detected and removed. It is also old enough that most AV programs catch it.