Best registry cleaner?

[Jeff Strouse]

Help...I have the "redirect" virus! Each time I click on a suggested link in a search engine, it redirects me to an ad page, or some page of bogus nonsense. If I reclick the link, it eventually takes me to the link I wanted to go to. But any link clicked, always redirects to the ad page first.

I tried running Kapersky, Malware bytes, SpyBot, Panda, a TDSS cleaner, and Webroot, but nothing gets rid of it. I called a local PC shop, and was told I need to bring it in to have the registry cleaned, and to reload the operating system (for $99).

However, I see lots of registry cleaners online (many for $30). Would one of these do the trick? Or, if I restore the computer to an earlier time, would that fix it for free?

Thanks!

[Jack Stoner]

Registry Cleaners, repairers, computer speed ups (e.g. the "My Clean PC") or whatever they call them are primarily "snake oil" and the most that they do is lighten your wallet and the worst that they can do is cause more problems. I've repaired computers that had registry programs run.

Short of a complete reinstall, there are ways of getting rid of the Google redirect problem. Wiz probably has a procedure for that.

Update: I found this Happili redirect removal procedure from a "fixed" post about this on the Windows 7 forum:

http://deletemalware.blogspot.com/2012/ ... stall.html

[Wiz Feinberg]

Jeff;
Your PC may be infected with the DNS Changer malware. Please go to this page and see if it tells you that you are infected. Let me know the outcome.

Note: if the results show you are infected with the DNS Changer, you have only a few weeks to disinfect your PC, or reinstall the operating system. On July 9, the interim servers supporting victims of this malware will be turned off and all infected PCs will lose the ability to connect to websites, until repaired.

[Jeff Strouse]

I got the "green screen" on that website Wiz, so it looks like I'm okay.

I downloaded a few more programs and ran them, but nothing has gotten rid of the virus. IE is definitely slower, too.

Looks like I'll take it up to get it wiped. It's kind of scary that all these big named programs haven't been able to detect and delete it.

After it's wiped, I'll still use it as a PC back up, but I think I'm ready to take the Apple plunge...I've had more PC problems in these past four years than I can count. They just don't make them like they used to.

Thanks for the replies!

[Johan Jansen]

Microsoft security essentials, a free antivirus program from Microsoft, I use it for a year now, and never had a virus or a worm again. It cleans up and updates almost every day. I guess it's the free Microsoft answer to Apple...

[Wiz Feinberg]

Jeff;
Have you tried using a different browser, other than Internet Explorer? Many redirect malwares are specifically written to infect IE browsers only, via ActiveX controls.

[Dave Potter]

After it's wiped, I'll still use it as a PC back up, but I think I'm ready to take the Apple plunge...I've had more PC problems in these past four years than I can count. They just don't make them like they used to.

The reality is, "they" make malware a lot better than they used to.

How is your PC connected to the internet? If you're just connecting from the source into the back of your PC, you're pretty vulnerable. Get behind a NAT router and malware sources on the net won't even know your PC is there.

Oh, and BTW, there are registry cleaners, and there are registry cleaners/tools, meaning, they're not all equal in terms of quality, safety of use, and capabilities. Some are solid and safe performers, some aren't. I've been using PV16 Power Tools for years and recommend it to anyone who knows how to use this sort of thing properly. PV16 makes backups of any/all changes which can easily be restored if a change ever results in an issue, although I've never had that happen. It's not free, but quality software rarely is. Programmers aren't in the charity business, and you normally get what you pay for. Regarding the allegation that registry cleaners do more harm than good, there may be some truth to that, in instances involving user error and inferior software. But a good one won't, and there are always users out there who will find a way to screw up a PC, registry cleaner or not.

Having said all that, I'd just add that a registry cleaner isn't ususally the right tool to deal with malware - you need anti-virus/anti-malware software for that. But registry tools can be invaluable for cleaning garbage entries accumulated from poorly coded installs/uninstalls, as well as a host of other garbage that usually builds up in the registry over time.