Lucky me! – 3773 days old

[meekocmere]

The ladies on my parenting message now know how much I know about computers, so I'm helping literally no less than ten women clean up their machines! My question pertains to one girl in particular who uses AOL and McAffee. She needs to uninstall McAffee but there is no uninstall option for it! I'm sending her to add/remove programs, but in the meantime is there something more thorough she can do to remove it? She wants to put Pc-cillin on, but it won't let her until she completely removes McAffee.

TIA!

[meekocmere]

She just told me that she's infected with the polyboot-b* virus. Does this have anything to do with why she can't find not only the uninstall for McAffee, but now cannot find the program itself? I will need the simplest possible explanation of how to remove the virus as she isn't the most computer literate person. Thank you guys SO much for helping me - and for helping me look like I know wtf I'm talking about! :joy:

[Tuffie]

Liz,They are the worst SOB I ever had to remove,or find the instructions as the complete manual removal is the only way.It's the last thing they want you to find,here is the link,click on the dropdown menu and near the bottom are the removal instructions for the different versions.She should be prepared to print out about 10 or more pages.Then take the one hour process of ridding the system completely of what I call a virus itself...McCrappee...Good luck,I had the paid version and dumped it for the free AVG,thank God for that

http://www.mcafeehelp.com/


Edit: If she believes she has a virus,use one of the free online scans to find and remove it,then do the uninstall of Crappy,and install the free AVG...she willl be a Happy Camper !!!

[James]

http://www.srnmicro.com/virusinfo/wyx.htm

[Darcy]

if u email McAffee tech support and advise them what version ur using, they will email u back in-depth and easy to follow instructions to remove all of it, including reg entries.

[whipat]

http://www.trendmicro.com/search/goo...olyboot%2Db%2A

more info..

might want to send her thru Trend Micros free scan.. often they can help get rid of it

http://housecall.antivirus.com/housecall/start_corp.asp

[Tuffie]

That used to be true DB,but I have heard since they sold out,you may or may not hear back.The person waited a month and did it manually as I did,they are the worst.....JMHOOC

[Darcy]

thanx for the headsup, TP. sounds like this is really a bytch to get rid of. lotta other links here for u, liz, one of them should do it for u. manually, ouch.

[meekocmere]

As usual, you guys are lifesavers! Maybe one day I'll know enough to be able to help someone out instead of always asking questions!!

[meekocmere]

I'm talking to her now...this is our IM:

Kaelyn: ya..I can't find the uninstall for it anywhere.
Kaelyn: that very first link was just like the encycolpedia version of what the virus is...and a different online fix
Kaelyn: none of the links said anything about McAfee
buzzjunkie28: ok then just let the online virus checker do it's thang
buzzjunkie28: you're on dialup
buzzjunkie28: it'll take a little while
Kaelyn: I think i'll just have to take everything apart and take the hardrive into someone who knows what they are doing!! Cause i'm lost!
buzzjunkie28: no you dno't have to do that
buzzjunkie28: I'll help you
Kaelyn: that's the thing..i've found it..and pc cillan house call says that if they can't clean it..to just delete it..so i tried to delete it... but cause it's in "use" god knows where.. I can't delete it!
buzzjunkie28: hm

Help??

[Tuffie]

They are not called McCafee any more,if she does what I said on the link I posted,it loads fast on dialiup (I'm on it here) and gives the uninstall for each version.Could this possibly be all just a dream,or for you maybe closer to a nightmare Been there and done that on phone.....HELP !!!

[poqal]

Hi Liz

Is your IM referring to the fix for the virus, or the uninstall for McAfee?

If it's for McAfee, have her go to control/alt/delete and see if she can turn off any McAfee files that might be there.

But looking more carefully, it appears that she found the file that is infected and can't remove it because it's in use. Same thing - is it mentioned in c/a/d,?

These things are absolutely horrible I know. And frustrating to both of you trying to do this over an IM.

[meekocmere]

:goog:

[meekocmere]

Thanks, poqal!! I just now found out that she "didn't do that part"! ARGH!

[poqal]

Glad I could offer some help, Liz.

How's it going? Hopefully the gal finally understood what you were telling her and you could finish solving her problem.

[meekocmere]

She logged off! Growl, hiss, bitch, whine! I have OFF tomorrow, dammit, and I have a feeling I know how I'll be spending my day lol.

[meekocmere]

I was afraid that's what it was going to come down to, haha. I just found out that the machine's a pII with 64mb ram. No wonder it's running slow!!

[poqal]

Originally posted by meekocmere
I was afraid that's what it was going to come down to, haha. I just found out that the machine's a pII with 64mb ram. No wonder it's running slow!!

And it probably has at least 25 things in the startup folder! Last one I did like this even had First Aid. Now, if you think McAffee virus is bad, you ain't seen nothing yet!

Just keep taking deep breaths Liz. It will work out somehow - just because it has to.

You might want to have her call you on the phone, though to take that part of frustration out of the equation.

Have a great day and stay warm.

[meekocmere]

I thought about having her call me but am hesitant to suggest it because she's in Canada and I'm in Pennsylvania, and what a phone bill that would be!!!! It may be my last resort, though.

[Cool Canuck]

Originally posted by meekocmere
I thought about having her call me but am hesitant to suggest it because she's in Canada and I'm in Pennsylvania, and what a phone bill that would be!!!! It may be my last resort, though.

Tell her to buy a new computer with XP Pro installed. Then Remote Assist. Saves me lots of milage.