Combating Smitfraud

If your computer continuously flashes advertisements that your PC is insecure and that you need to buy xyz software to get rid of it, you have been most probably infected by Smitfraud. It is a collection of many types and varieties of infections, like rogue scanners, desktop and homepage hijackers, trojan horses and codecs. Surprisingly, most of the usual antivirus and antispyware software that we use on our computer can't get rid of these infections! However there are some free tools available online that will rid your computer of Smitfraud.








1.Do ensure that you indeed have a Smitfraud infection. The warnings may be just your security software alerting something. It could also be some other kind of adware (which can be easily be removed by most antispyware software). The usual symptoms of a Smitfraud infection are:
a.Slow computer
b.Repeated advertisements about some software in the System Tray, that can't be shut down by mouse or keyboard

2.Visit THIS page and see if any of the products or warnings being flashed on your monitor are listed there. If you do receive such warnings, download the free RogueFix tool available there and run it on your computer. Go through the detailed removal procedures given in the page thoroughly. There is an alternate tool available to remove Smitfraud - SmitfraudFix - which may be tried by you in case RogueFix fails.

3.After the infection is removed, download the free version of Super antispyware. Keep it regularly updated and scan your computer every 10-15 days (or at least when it starts behaving weirdly). Super antispyware can combat traces of Smitfraud before they have completely infected your computer. As such, you needn't download the Smitfraud removal tools mentioned above or follow the rigorous procedure. The more popular SpyBot Search and Destroy also removes some forms of Smitfraud infection.

4.Last and most important of all, don't download unknown software. You can use the free McAfee Site Advisor plug-in in your Internet Explorer and Mozilla Firefox web browsers to be warned of dangerous and malicious sites. Here are some very safe sites, where you will find almost every software in the world - free or non-free:
Download.com
Softpedia
FileHippo
Freeware Fiesta - PC Ton!c

:)