# Got a virus lurking in registry. Wanna help? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [August 24, 2012, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/got-a-virus-lurking-in-registry-wanna-help/632434 "2012-08-24T00:28:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![billfish678](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7bcc69/32.png) [@billfish678](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/billfish678)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2012, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/got-a-virus-lurking-in-registry-wanna-help/632434/1 "2012-08-24T00:28:03Z")
Hi all. Apparently got a virus lurking in my computer registry. Its a virus/trojan/whatever that fakes being an antivirus program (that asks for your credit card number to “buy” the program to fix the “problem” of course). Name is Live Security Platinum. I did manage to beat it down so that it doesn’t block normal computer operation or show up as a running program. But its down there somewhere lurking because I can’t properly install my new antivirus program to ferret it out. AVG seemed to know about this program, but their “free” support is going to take days. That’s better than nothing and I can wait if I have to, but I am not adverse to getting in the trenches and totally hosing up my computer with a little “guidance” 🙂 thanks for any input! ---
**Author:** ![Askance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/askance/32/8281_2.png) [@Askance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Askance)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2012, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/got-a-virus-lurking-in-registry-wanna-help/632434/2 "2012-08-24T00:30:03Z")
Before we give possibly redundant advice, have you read and acted on all that [in the sticky thread here on that topic](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=538187)? ---
**Author:** ![billfish678](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7bcc69/32.png) [@billfish678](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/billfish678)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2012, 12:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/got-a-virus-lurking-in-registry-wanna-help/632434/3 "2012-08-24T00:36:31Z")
I’d forgot about that. I’ll give it a look. Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![I\_Know\_Nothing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/f04885/32.png) [@I\_Know\_Nothing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/I_Know_Nothing)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2012, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/got-a-virus-lurking-in-registry-wanna-help/632434/4 "2012-08-24T01:20:05Z")
So the malware is still preventing you from installing AVG? I had something similar about a year ago, from another one of those fake antivirus programs trying to extort credit card info out of you. I forget exactly what I did, but the general strategy was to download Spybot on another computer and change the name of the setup file to iexplore.exe or some other name of a file that is essential for the malware to leave alone. Save that file to a disk and install on your infected computer. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2012, 3:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/got-a-virus-lurking-in-registry-wanna-help/632434/5 "2012-08-24T03:32:33Z")
I’ve always found the removal guides at [bleepingcomputer.com](http://bleepingcomputer.com) to be the most effective: [Remove Live Security Platinum (Uninstall Guide)](http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/virus-removal/remove-live-security-platinum) ---
**Author:** ![Projammer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/projammer/32/559_2.png) [@Projammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Projammer)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2012, 4:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/got-a-virus-lurking-in-registry-wanna-help/632434/6 "2012-08-24T04:31:29Z")
Download the free [MalwareBytes]([Cyber Security Software & Anti-Malware | Malwarebytes](http://www.malwarebytes.org/%5C)) and run it. If whatever you’ve picked up is blocking downloads, use another computer and put it on a flash drive. If you are prevented from installing or running it, copy the installer to your desktop and then reboot in safe mode to install and run. It tends to get tricky beyond that so you might want to enlist the aid of a local geek friend. Most of us work for beer. I’ve been at it long enough that I generally demand single malt scotch though so YMMV.