Is this a scam?

So I’m getting a red X in my system tray that keeps bringing up one of those yellow bubbles telling me my computer is infected with spyware. I updated and ran both Ad-Aware and AVG multiple times, including full scans and alternate data stream scans. While they did find and fix spyware and viruses, that red x icon won’t go away, and keeps bringing up that annoying bubble text every 5 to 15 seconds.

Next time (this time) I go online, an automatic download pops up and starts downloading WinFixer 2006. After downloading, it runs a search, finds 20,000+ errors in the registry, and warns of imminent apocalypse if I don’t register now. Without registering, it will not clean the 20,000+ errors.

So like your average dutiful sheaple, I start filling out the registration form. But then, after the place to enter and verify my email address, it asks for my password. Immediately after the email fields, and grouped with them. With no explanation.

Basically, it appears to be asking for both my email address and my email password. My gut reaction is “go fuck yourself.” So I stopped to compose this OP.

What say you? Is this a scam? Anybody use Winfixer 2006 and can vouch for them? Am I misreading this form, and it’s actually asking me to make up a new password for this registration process? (Why would it do that; the next field is a credit card number. That should be as secure as any password, right?)

Please don’t tell me I have to live with the annoying bubble text every 10 seconds; it’s the most annoying thing I’ve ever seen. Far worse than popups, which go away when I’m offline.

Why in the world do they have any business asking for my email password? It is, sadly, a required field.

Winfixer is spyware. You don’t want it on your computer, although it sounds like you’re already infected. Do a search on this forum for WinFixer, it’s been discussed here before.

Symantec seems to think that WinFixer is, indeed, a scam.

http://www.symantec.com/avcenter/venc/data/winfixer.html

I wouldn’t register for it. I’d make sure my AVG was updated, and then run a full system scan. If that doesn’t work, do some googling to try to find a remover for winfixer. They are out there, and you should be able to find a free one.

Good luck!

How to remove Winfixer

Thanks all. I don’t have the energy or desire to tackle the cleaning process just now, but I will in the next couple days. Assuming all goes well, I’ll post a “thanks, all set” update to this thread.

Annoying spyware. grumbles