Spyware has taken over!

[Serephino]

I've got something nasty that pulls up the Windows security window, then 'scans' and tells me the computer is infected, and if I install (and probably pay) for some anti-virus the problem will be solved.  It is blocking every other program.  I can't run my virus scanner, get into msconfig, or do a system restore.

The infected computer is my laptop, and it's running Windows XP

[Serephino]

Okay, I think it's gone.  My boyfriend was somehow able to outsmart it in safe mode and did a system restore.  I had to reinstall Malewarebytes and I'm scanning again.  *crosses fingers*

[SinClaire]

Ah, yes. Nasty little bug... kudos to your boyfriend for being able to kick it out :-) Just make sure to have all your protection (antivirus, anti-malware, anti-spyware, firewall, etc...) up-to-date. Those little critters sometimes find their way back in after the first intrusion, but if you're careful and everything is up to date on your computer, browsers included, you should be fine.

[Serephino]

Now he has something on his pc he can't get rid of *grumbles*  It messed with his video driver and kept making his computer crash. 

[SinClaire]

Crash as in, blue screen of death, or freezing and such?

[Serephino]

Yep, he had to reinstall