Okay guys. I'll be the first to admit that when it comes to computers, I'm no rocket surgeon. But I can't help the feeling that Mr. Boots and his MS buddies don't fully understand what happens with this program, so I'll walk you through my experience:
1. First, I ended up with exactly the same displays and dialogue boxes that you can see if you log into Windows Live and search for "antivirus 2009."
2. In the main Live OneCare dialogue box, I was suddenly confronted with red bars and boldface warnings telling me that my antivirus system was disabled; any attempts to turn it back on resulted in a new dialogue box telling me how OneCare failed, and referring me to the OneCare website for help. I'd click on the links and arrived at webpages that looked like authentic Windows help pages. However, I would also be sent to webpages that had a plain-looking warning message about unprotected surfing, with two hotlinks on it, giving the appearance of an option to either a) go to the Windows Antivirus 2009 website and purchase this malware program; or, b) proceed directly to my destination page - "(not recommended)" [sic]. Any attempt to choose the latter resulted in...nothing. There was no way to get off the page except to go to the A2009 website or to hit the back button.
3. I went back. After turning some command line prompt "on" and "off", downloading a OneCare "anti-malware" program to my desktop [more on this below], then downloading two more apparent repair programs (neither of which produced a typical MS-type icon on the desktop) - and all of which failed, I finally bit...and uninstalled OneCare, with the intent of reinstalling it, as per the instructions on these web pages that my original copy of OneCare had linked me to.
4. I reinstalled OneCare using the "90-day Free Trial" download per these instructions; but now, according to my new copy, I have only 15 days remaining in my subscription - despite the fact that my subscription wasn't due to expire until July 2009.
5. Here's where the fun starts: After the reinstall, I signed into Windows Live, using "enhanced security," and saw the little padlock in the address bar. I surfed around MS/Windows webpages, looking for help on recapturing my original subscription, to avoid having to pay 50 bucks for the program that didn't catch the malware that seems to have told me to uninstall it in the first place. That's when I noticed it: Despite being in the "enhanced security" mode, whenever I tried to link to a "contact support" webpage, I would end up on a page that had the same font and general layout of the previous page, but: a) would lose the banner, across the top of the page, where the "Windows Live" or MS logos usually appear; and, b) would take me out of enhanced security [the padlock would go away]. I discovered that for some of these links, I could get around this by right-clicking over the (seemingly) authentic MS link, copying the shortcut, then opening a new tab and pasting it in the address bar. Eventually, however, I'd end up in the same place, with a webpage having no enhanced security and no MS or Windows logos, but telling me to do other things to my computer that I can only imagine will end up costing me more money.
6. This is why I clicked on the "not helpful" link for the response to this problem. Nothing against Mr. Boots, but despite having a) downloaded and run another malware program [MBAM?], that managed to find and - so it said - remove A2009; b) uninstalled MBAM; c) reinstalled OneCare and run a complete tune up; and d) read about two thousand unhelpful FAQs and webpages, I still can't <<"contact support">> and find the answers to these questions:
i) How do I know if I've really removed all of this program?
ii) Why does my 50 dollar OneCare program need a separate malware program, anyway?
iii) And why was I told to download it only after my computer was so thoroughly infected with a virus that punished my 50 dollar program so badly that it now can't even get out of bed, much less make it to the toilet?
iv) If I download ANY MS/Windows applet/diagnostic/patch program/troubleshooter/whatever, and install it, only to find that its icon is not really an icon, but rather that icon-like thing that looks like a dry erase board, can I be assured that it's really an authentic piece of gear from the boys in Redmon?
v) Is there any reason why, while navigating around in the vaunted "enhanced security" presidential suite of the MS/Windows Virtual Hotel/Webspace, I should expect to be linked to a webpage without padlocks ("Our apologies, sir, but there are some rooms available at the local YMCA....")
vi) Are there any webpages in MS/Windows space that don't have the MS or Windows logos/links across the topmost banner?
vii) Are you really going to make me pay - again - for a new subscription to WindowsLive "CareOnce (Then Rollover and Die While Spyware/Malware/Anyware Has Its Way With My Computer)"?
viii) Is this a genuine MS/Windows forum, or are the losers who wrote this fluid-filled and still-sticky Trojan sitting at home, reading this rant, and laughing their stinkin' asses off at how clever they are?
ix) "And what kind of a name is 'Poon,' anyway?" ["Comanche Indian."] - from the movie Fletch
Would really appreciate some varsity help with this.
Antivirus 2009
installed it on my laptop and I can't get rid i've tried add/remove and it just stays there so any help would be great
