Antivirus XP 2008 Removal Guide

July 1, 2008 by Allen 13 Comments

Do you know what Antivirus XP 2008 is?

Antivirus XP 2008 sometimes called AntivirusXP 2008, is a rogue anti-spyware program designed by hackers to take your money in return for a useless program. We have noticed that the creators of rogue anti-spyware programs such as Antivirus XP 2008 and Antivirus 2008 are using the year "2008" in the name of their deceiving programs. As if we did not know what year this is. We have found that many of the programs that end with "2008" in the name just like Antivirus XP 2008, may be related to one another in that they perform the same malicious actions.

Antivirus XP 2008 is very dangerous to have installed on your computer. Antivirus XP 2008 may install other files or programs that pose a serious threat to the security of your system. Antivirus XP 2008 may ultimately allow your personal information to be sent to a remote user who has access to your system through a security hole. Antivirus XP 2008 may come from a Trojan such as Zlob or even the Antivirusxp2008.com website which promotes the Antivirus XP 2008 rogue anti-spyware program.

In non-techie terms: Antivirus XP 2008 is not much different from a car sales person who sells you a previously wrecked car but assures you that it is brand new. Antivirus XP 2008 pretends to remove spyware or rid your computer of parasites. Antivirus XP 2008 does neither. You must remove Antivirus XP 2008 and avoid download or installing Antivirus XP 2008.

Research Updates:

Through further investigative research we have discovered that the support address of XP Antivirus 2008 which is support@xpantivirus.com, comes back as "user unknown" if used. The actual producer, Innovagest 2000, may have a contact address of support@innovagest2000.com. After using this address we do not get a response. This supports the fact that XP Antivirus 2008 is not legitimate.
The site antivirxp08.com was found to be a malicious web page that could install or sell the Antivirus XP 2008 program. We strongly advise you to avoid visiting this page. If you find that you were redirected to this page then you must remove the Antivirus XP 2008 program or Trojan infection that is causing this issue. When you search for antivirxp08.com through Google you may get an obscured result that has a message under the title that says "This site may harm your computer".

Antivirus XP 2008 screen shot image:

AntivirusXP2008.com website image:

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There are other things that this malware will do to your computer but are not mentioned by this guide. Antivirus XP 2008 will install the Sysinternal Bluescreen of Death screensaver on your computer or replace your existing screensaver with it. It basically makes your computer appeared to have crashed and the system is trying to prevent damage by doing a memory dump. This screen will switch to the windows bootup screen after the bluescreen has been displayed for a while. Luckily it is only a screensaver that tries to mimic the look of a system crash to drive users into panic and paying for their fake software. In my case the screensaver is in the C:\Windows\System32 directory with some random string of
alphabets as its name and ending in the usual .scr. There is also a bitmap file installed in the same directory. It is basically the picture of the message that malware, virus has been detected on your computer and you should use some antivirus to clean up. This bitmap file is flashed on the screen for a few seconds before the windows login screen is shown on bootup. It is just another tricks in their arsenal of scare tactics. Most of these are put into the windows registry to replace your screensaver, window background picture. One must clean up these entries in the registry as well as those already mentioned in this guide.
reza

hi and thank yuo.
that was very very helpful.
Jamie

Thank you so much for this information. I thought my daughter's computer was beyond help. You saved me a lot of money!
This also installed a boot screen on my computer, along with the desktop bitmap and the screensaver. It was also in the system32 folder.

Again, thanks!!
Chau

I have this problem too. Thanks for this helpful !!
kalskee

thanks man! it really removes that annoying spyware
Claude R

Thanks what a great help! there is goodand bad hackers Caught it opening a link in a CNN fake-email
Jordan

I thought i was dead when that antivirus thing popped up. after some searching, i was pleased to find this guide to help me remove it. i did run into some preoblems however:

after step 5, smitfraud didn't automatically look into wininet.dll. actually when i clicked it, it turned red and said something was missing. i'm guessing there was nothing to be found in tha first place, so i guess it's fixed? let me know if i did something wrong plz
Josiah

Thank You so much... i was about to go buy a new copy of windows xp and start with a new computer... you saved me! Thank you once again
xoowe

Thanks sooo much!!! Very effective and easy!!

Removed the virus completely!! thankssssssssssssss
Blackthorn

I had already run some anti-spyware software and it was not successful, I found this and attempted to follow the instructions but I was able to find only a few of the files listed. I am still waiting for my anti-virus to finish scanning to see if the issue is resolved. I hope it works
Joy

I just spent the entire day getting this thing off the computer at the orphanage where I work. I THINK I have succeeded. He must be changing the name because it wasn't under any of the program file names listed on any of the sites I looked at. It was under 3.exe
Hope that saves some others some time.
j

Good advice. I had to get on another computer to find these instructions because every effort to go to a website with info of how to remove the "antivirus 2008" by Innovagest was thwarted by my browser being redirected to some gambling/porn/advertisement webpage.

In addition to this "trojan piggyback" redirecting your web browser, it also does not allow access to the "add/remove programs" in the control panel.
So the directions on this website for the "techie" are not all possible, since access to "add/remove programs" is impossible.

Also, this webpage's "techie" advice on using the "search" capability in the start menu also is not possible, because upon opening the search box, the computer crashes and restarts.

In addition to this, in control panel, "display" options can be accessed, but all the options in the display "folder" are not all accessible. "Antivirus 2008" also changes your desktop background, and once it does, the option to change it under the display folder is not accessible.

I have a computer tech. degree and the A+ certifications, and take pride in my computer skills, but am STILL having problems removing this "virus." It is by far the worst I have ever accidentally gotten.

Good luck to all who have it. I honestly can't believe that anyone would actually PAY this company for their "antivirus 2008" program. These people should be found and tortured....
Geoff Thompson

This program is horrible. I hate it so much. Thank god there is a solution to get rid of it.