What Is the Antispyware 2012 Virus and How Can I Remove It?

Table of Contents:

1. What is Antispyware 2012?
2. Automated Repair for Infected Systems
3. Manual Repair if Automated Repair Fails

This article includes information about the Antispyware 2012 malware that is affecting new, unprotected systems, along with automated and manual repair options.

Topic 1: What is Antispyware 2012?

The Antispyware 2012 malware is another in a long line of rogue software offerings that infest unprotected computers and cause slowness and interrupt normal use of the computer. This malicious software, or malware, goes by many names, below is a partial list:

• XP Antispyware 2012
• Vista Antispyware 2012
• Win 7 Antispyware 2012
• XP Antivirus 2012
• Vista Antivirus 2012
• Win 7 Antivirus 2012
• XP Security 2012
• Vista Security 2012
• Win 7 Security 2012
• XP Home Security 2012
• Vista Home Security 2012
• Win 7 Home Security 2012
• XP Internet Security 2012
• Vista Internet Security 2012
• Win 7 Internet Security 2012

This malware updates itself from time to time with new version dates, and was first identified in 2007. The 2012 version is relatively new and may not be supported by all antivirus products or definition packages. Uninfected customers should be sure to update their antivirus software or acquire software if they do not have it yet.

For more information on obtaining antivirus offerings, refer to Knowledge Base article "Protect Your Computer or Remove Virus, Spyware or Other Malware in Microsoft Windows"

Topic 2: Automated Repair for Infected Systems

Microsoft is aware of this malware and has added support for its removal in the Microsoft Safety Scanner and in Microsoft Security Essentials, a free real-time protection package against viruses, spyware and other malicious software.

Visit the Microsoft Safety Scanner website to download the tool and remove the Antispyware 2012 threat.

Topic 3: Manual Repair if Automated Repair Fails

In the event that the Microsoft Safety Scanner is unable to remove the threat, there are two possible manual methods to remove the virus:

Solution 1

1. Boot the computer into Safe Mode (without networking) by restarting the computer and, after the Dell logo screen has disappeared, repeatedly tapping the F8 key to bring up the Advanced Options menu. Select Safe Mode to load a minimal version of Windows without the virus active.
2. Create another User Account with Administrator access. To do this, perform these steps:
   1. Click Start, then Control Panel, then User Accounts and Family Safety, and click User Accounts.
   2. Click Manage another account.
   3. Click Create a new account.
   4. Type the name you want to give the user account, click the Administrator account type, and then click Create Account.
3. Reboot the computer to normal mode.
4. Log in to the newly created account.
5. Activate the pre-installed antivirus software (Click here for more information).
6. Initiate a full system scan to detect and remove the malware.
7. Once the system scan is complete, reboot the computer again.

Solution 2 (To be performed if Solution 1 fails)

1. Restart the computer, and at the Dell logo screen tap the F2 key repeatedly to enter System Setup. Change the system date to 5th Jan 2012. Save the settings and restart the computer again.
2. In Windows, activate the pre-installed antivirus software (Click here for more information).
3. Initiate a full system scan to detect and remove the malware.
4. Once the system scan is complete, reboot the computer again.
5. At the Dell logo screen, tap the F2 key repeatedly again to re-enter System Setup. Change the system date back to the current date. Save the settings and restart the computer one final time to complete the process.