# Norton Can't Cure My Computer's Virus **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 7, 2002, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/norton-cant-cure-my-computers-virus/122788 "2002-08-07T15:59:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![vibrotronica](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/a9a28c/32.png) [@vibrotronica](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vibrotronica)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2002, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/norton-cant-cure-my-computers-virus/122788/1 "2002-08-07T15:59:51Z")
My Norton Antivirus has detected not one but FOUR copies of a virus (identified as "backdoor autoupdater"IIRC) on my beloved home computer. When Norton attempts to repair, delete or quarrantine the files I get an error message. I’m getting three or four copies of the Klez virus a day, but Norton heads them off at the Inbox pass pretty effectively. Why can’t Norton seem to handle these viruses? WTF do I do now? On a scale of 1 to 10, how screwed am I? Thank you in advance for your support. ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2002, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/norton-cant-cure-my-computers-virus/122788/2 "2002-08-07T16:36:30Z")
What does the error message say? Have you tried McAfee? ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2002, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/norton-cant-cure-my-computers-virus/122788/3 "2002-08-07T16:59:13Z")
The virus is probably running on your computer; it can’t be removed then. Go to [http://www.sarc.com/avcenter/venc/data/w32.klez.removal.tool.html](http://www.sarc.com/avcenter/venc/data/w32.klez.removal.tool.html) and download the removal tool. Run it, restart your computer, and run it again. That should do it. ---
**Author:** ![Nametag](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nametag/32/406_2.png) [@Nametag](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nametag)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2002, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/norton-cant-cure-my-computers-virus/122788/4 "2002-08-07T17:03:26Z")
Well, it helps to look at the [Symantec Website](http://securityresponse.symantec.com/avcenter/venc/data/backdoor.easyserv.html)I am guessing that what you’ve picked up is the “backdoor.easyserv” Trojan horse. It’s present as a file, in infected files and in the registry keys; Norton can’t repair all of this on its own. ---
**Author:** ![EmbarrassingDad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/embarrassingdad/32/5441_2.png) [@EmbarrassingDad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EmbarrassingDad)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2002, 5:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/norton-cant-cure-my-computers-virus/122788/5 "2002-08-08T05:20:45Z")
Try [SwatIt](http://www.lockdowncorp.com/bots/downloadswatit.html). It’s better at detecting and removing trojans than the traditional virus suites. ---
**Author:** ![js\_africanus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/87869e/32.png) [@js\_africanus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/js_africanus)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2004, 1:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/norton-cant-cure-my-computers-virus/122788/6 "2004-03-24T01:19:17Z")
Symantec has removal tools for a whole bunch of viruses. Will Norton detect these even though it can’t remove them? Or do I have to do something special to see if they’re there? ---
**Author:** ![ComeToTheDarkSideWeHaveCookies](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e9bcb4/32.png) [@ComeToTheDarkSideWeHaveCookies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ComeToTheDarkSideWeHaveCookies)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2004, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/norton-cant-cure-my-computers-virus/122788/7 "2004-03-24T02:15:39Z")
> [@js\_africanus](#): > > Symantec has removal tools for a whole bunch of viruses. Will Norton detect these even though it can’t remove them? Or do I have to do something special to see if they’re there? Most AV suites _try_ to protect against most (if not all) of the virus definitions that they also have removal tools for. The removal tools are your next layer of AV protection. Many viruses come programmed with code to try and derail or bypass AV software. This can cause, as was mentioned already, active infections complicating the detection and removal process. ---
**Author:** ![Philster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/13edae/32.png) [@Philster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Philster)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2004, 3:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/norton-cant-cure-my-computers-virus/122788/8 "2004-03-24T03:31:08Z")
It’s the ol’ \*“an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure” \*philosophy. ---
**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:** [March 24, 2004, 3:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/norton-cant-cure-my-computers-virus/122788/9 "2004-03-24T03:33:41Z")
If you are using Windows ME or WIndows XP, you have to turn off System Restore before scanning, because anti-virus programs cannot clean or delete files in the Restore folder. [http://vil.nai.com/vil/SystemHelpDocs/DisableSysRestore.htm](http://vil.nai.com/vil/SystemHelpDocs/DisableSysRestore.htm) ---
**Author:** ![js\_africanus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/87869e/32.png) [@js\_africanus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/js_africanus)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2004, 1:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/norton-cant-cure-my-computers-virus/122788/10 "2004-03-24T13:46:39Z")
> [@Fear Itself](#): > > If you are using Windows ME or WIndows XP, you have to turn off System Restore before scanning, because anti-virus programs cannot clean or delete files in the Restore folder. Cool, thanks. My main worry is that there is a list of myriad viruses with all these removal tools. If I knew about one, then killing it is easy enough with the tools, help from Dopers, etc. So if I can count on Norton to detect them, even if it can’t get rid of them, then I figure I’ve got _two_ ounces of prevention—the Norton email proxy server & my computer scans. What has been nagging at me is the thought that one could be lurking on the machine without Norton picking it up. It appears that concern is unfounded, and that I can stop ruminating on that. Thanks! ---
**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:** [March 24, 2004, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/norton-cant-cure-my-computers-virus/122788/11 "2004-03-24T14:41:45Z")
If you want to really put your mind at ease, there are several free online virus scanners that you can use to double-check the effectiveness of your Norton program. Try these: [Housecall from Trend Micro](http://housecall.trendmicro.com/housecall/start_corp.asp) [Panda ActiveScan](http://www.pandasoftware.com/activescan/) [Mcafee FreeScan](http://us.mcafee.com/root/mfs/default.asp) Note that these scanners use ActiveX, so it must be enable in your browser security settings. Housecall and Panda will fix any viruses they find; Mcafee will not.