Nation Zoom

[idun]

Just a warning that there is an awful trojan called Nation Zoom. Our other puter has been got by nation zoom and is proving difficult to eliminate, even by those that know about these things.

[Lehaut]

Thanks for the heads up. I am having a real difficulty with a vbc.exe application which is hogging the CPU to 100%. Any help would be appreciated.

Had a nasty bitminer too which kept crashing my GPU every time I started playing BF4!

[Pierre ZFP]

This is Visual Basic Compilier.

Seems you're not the only one to have this issue

Some explaination and possible solutions here

http://linustechtips.com/main/topic/20780-vbcexe/

 

[Lehaut]

Thanks for the reply. Tried all of these, tried the higher level msconfig, could not stop it running (it did not run in safe mode, but then could not find it to delete it). It did not appear in the programme list so could not uninstall it. Tried the MS malware removal tool which removed something alright, crashed the computer and made it un reparable from the W7 installation disk (all drivers gone!) Done a clean install of W7 and am now reinstallling all the programmes.... The only programme I noticed that needed the 2005 c++ programme was Autoroute 2013.

I don't know what I did one day, but my son found the C drive was full. It was in the process of downloading Google Earth, but not the programme, but all the data for the Earth!

. How I did that I have no idea!

[AnOther]

Nation Zoom is not particularly 'awful' in the scheme of things, it's not even classified a malicious and you have to install it voluntarily. Read those EULA's !

http://malwaretips.com/blogs/nation-zoom-removal

Google Earth filling hard drives is also a well known phenomenon.

http://productforums.google.com/forum/#!topic/earth/vJcVK2M9g7U[1-25-false]

[Lehaut]

Read those EULAs is excellent advice.

I am surprised by how many of the regular free but useful programmes I had to re-download had crafty accept boxes built in now that had nothing to do with the programme I was after but were for bloatware eg programmes that take over your task bar. So easy to just click on the accept without reading the full info.

Experience is the best teacher, for me its no big deal now to reinstall. I begin to understand why many people are afraid to do anything but surf and email. One click in the wrong place and they are in a mysterious world with a computer they don't recognise!

[AnOther]

This is what imaging is so useful for, along with an up to date anti virus programmekeep by keeping regular backup images of your C drive you will be virtually immune from anything, go where you like, install what you like, be as cavalier as you like, because in a matter of minutes you can restore from a back up image and be 100% EXACTLY where you were when you made it [:D]

NOT to be confused with backing up files or System Restore, imaging is a far more useful and complete backup strategy.

[mooreY]

Post content removed by a Mod.

[Lehaut]

Or to put it another way;

The YAC virus (also found as YAC Search virus, YAC Cleaner, Yet Another Cleaner virus, Elex do Brasil Participações Ltda, YAC computer virus, and more) is dangerous malware categorized as scareware that is promoted as an unregistered (free) and registered (full) Microsoft Windows cleaner and optimizer tool; however, YAC is essentially considered a non-beneficial rogue Windows Optimizer and Antivirus program that participates in unethical marketing practices and performs fraudulent, non-beneficial computer scans with highly misleading results in order to create customers and collect user information using scare tactics.

As always, the choice is yours!

[YCCMB]

Be nice if the post before last was removed before someone reads it without carrying on to the end of the thread. It's just that sort of spam that's forever turning up in searches when people are looking for a fix. The less savvy don't necessarily take all the indications of lack of familiarity with English as a first language as any reason to be wary......

[Clair]

[quote user="AnOther"]This is what imaging is so useful for, along with an up to date anti virus programme, by keeping regular backup images of your C drive you will be virtually immune from anything... [/quote]

And in case someone is interested, Acronis True Image Premium is only €50 (instead of €80) until Dec 31st...

(I have no link with them, commercial or otherwise.)

[Lehaut]

+1 for Clairs post. I use it too. Also very useful tool in it is a "clone" app. If you are in the process of changing your HDD, you can make an exact bootable copy of your old one onto the new one and just swap them over and your machine does not know the difference. Useful if you think your HDD is on its way out (old or ticking), you are installing one with bigger capacity or installing your current OS on an SSD.

Saves re-installing windows, all the updates and your other software. (also no commercial interest in the company).

[basquesteve]

Quote

Nation Zoom is not particularly 'awful' in the scheme of things, it's not even classified a malicious and you have to install it voluntarily.

I had this little devil, AdwCleaner v3.016 was a great help, killed it in under 30 seconds

[viandy]

To get rid of Nation Zoom malware manually you need to clean the Desktop shortcuts of your browsers, as well as the Start menu items related to your browser which got infected with Nation Zoom virus. Right-click these Desktop icons, then click "Properties" and make sure that there's nothing associated to this Nation Zoom hijacker, simply the destination path to your browser.

I found that it is possible to remove this Nation Zoom virus automatically as explained in this article - http://www.deletevirus.net/remove-nation-zoom-browser-hijacker-for-free/  This program gives a full 15-day free trial, so it can remove all infections, including Nation Zoom, for free. However, scanning and removing infections (even for free) will not be enough. It is also necessary to click "Tools" and "Reset browser settings", but you need to do it with all your browsers shut down. Hope this helps.

[idun]

thankyou,  we have tried something like that too, in fact tried everything we could find and a friend who knows how to rid puters of these things could not get rid of it either. So we are in a bit of limbo at the moment with intermittent computer access.

[Lehaut]

I think admin needs to get rid of this post from viandy, see my previous one in this section.

A quick google shows this to be a possible "false postive" malware ad.

[idun]

Lehaut, I am cautious with recommendations and wouldn't just use a link that from someone new or who had hardly posted, even if it was 'good advice'.

For whatever reason, nationzoom is being very sneaky in my computer.

[suein56]

[quote user="idun"]Lehaut, I am cautious with recommendations and wouldn't just use a link that from someone new or who had hardly posted ... [/quote]

As you have known me for years will you trust me when I say that BasqueSteve is not talking rubbish when he says AdWcleaner is pretty good at eliminating such pesky blighters. I have used it before and can vouch for it.

http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/download/adwcleaner/

If you need any help, just shout.

Sue

[idun]

 Thanks, but alternatives are being made at the moment and I'll probably back to having my own puter in the New Year.

[basquesteve]

Thank you Sue

I tried to remove that pesky browser from my computer just before Christmas I think it came in a possible scam Adobe update, I used half a dozen programs with no avail AdW did the trick it also dealt with another bug flying around which makes Windows media player a default program for everything fortunately only on, one user account

Steve

[NickP]

Steve I passed your link (Adw) onto someone with the Nationzoom problem on their PC, instant success and so quick. Well done great advice. [B]

[basquesteve]

Thank you, I do not know why, but I end up with a lot of weird programmes even with a load of supposed super-duper anti this and that protections , adw always sorts it out