webroot spyware

WinFixer, WinAntiVirus and ErrorSafe are identical computer programs available on the internet that claim to repair computer system problems. They are forcibly installed on the victim's computer by the SysProtect vector. They display false information with regards to a user's computer, thereby confusing said user into believing their PC is infected with viruses, spyware and/or other forms of malware. Blocks Popups & more. The adverts pop up a display with notifications to convince the user that something may be amiss with the computer, or run a false diagnostic.

Due to these problems, WinFixer and its sister applications are reputed to be spyware or malware. However, its misleading popups and forced downloads mirror the "marketing" strategies of many spyware programs. Some computers infected with this program exhibit sluggish performance.

Symantec's Report on Winfixer: [1] McAfee's Report on Winfixer: [2] Kaspersky also has it listed as mal-ware: [3] Sophos' Report: [4]

A possible fix?: [5]

WinFixer's claim:

WinFixer 2005 is a useful utility to scan and fix any system, registry and hard drive errors. Webroot Spy Sweeper-Smart Spyware Removal free download. It ensures system stability and performance, frees wasted hard drive space and recovers damaged Word, Excel, music and video files.

In truth, WinFixer does none of these things.

How it infects

There are several ways in which WinFixer can infect a computer. Users using Internet Explorer are most susceptible, although users of other browsers, such as Firefox and Opera can also be infected, but are more resistant to the program. As well, it could stop your optical drive from working. Info Security Products Guide has awarded the 2006 BestDeployment Scenario to Webroot Software in the.

Typical Infection

The infection usually occurs during a visit to a distributing web site (not necessarily winfixer.