I never thought I would come to FP for a computer virus, but I guess this is more preliminary work so that I don't go unprepared.
So, a lawyer I know has hired me to fix his PC. He downloaded one of those nasty viruses that screw with your desktop and make it impossible to access your control panel and has even mucked up his OS in safe mode. So I come to you asking what kind of programs should I come armed with to get rid of these pests, or would my best bet be to recover as much of his data as possible and reinstall windows. I should note that both AVG free and Avast! have failed to remove the virus
-What kind of programs should I use to get rid of this?
-At this point should I just reinstall windows?
-Should I choose to reinstall windows, should I go through a linux OS saved on a jump drive to collect any data?
This is one of those viruses that you literally have to be an idiot to get. Its one of those programs that you obtain from the banner ads that say "Your computer may be at risk!". The guy is relatively old so he is not the savviest with computers.
mbam
Yeah, Malware Bytes Anti Malware. If the virus is particularly nasty, it may not even let you install it or run it on his computer. You can try installing it on a thumbdrive, or you can put his hard drive in another computer and scan from there.
You can also try using Microsofts Malicious Software Removal Tool. It's really only for getting rid of the more common malware, but it might help.
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