Windows Vista Blog

Vista Internet Security 2010, also known as Vista Internet Security, is a fake anti-spyware program that is specific to the Windows Vista operating system. This rogue software will change its appearance according to the operating system it is installed on. Vista Internet Security 2010 reaches the user’s computer through Trojans that get downloaded via infected Facebook or MySpace advertisements or along with fake video codecs. Once established on the user’s system, Vista Internet Security 2010 proceeds to show endless fake pop-ups from the Windows taskbar claiming that the system is seriously infected. These warnings are completely fake and should be disregarded. The rogue software also claims that the user needs to purchase a license to the ‘full’ version of Vista Internet Security 2010, as the currently installed ‘trial’ version is inadequate to remove the detected ‘threats’. These notifications should be ignored as no version of Vista Internet Security 2010 is capable of scanning or cleaning any system.

The process of Vista Internet Security 2010 removal requires you to stop processes, delete files and folders and remove registry entries.

File Removal Procedures

The first step in Vista Internet Security 2010 removal is to kill the following process:

av.exe

Now you are ready to delete the following files and folders:

%Documents and Settings%\[UserName]\Application Data\av.exe
%Documents and Settings%\[UserName]\Application Data\WRblt8464P

Once these steps have been completed, Vista Internet Security 2010 no longer resides on your hard disk.

Registry Removal Procedures

Removing files and folders is not sufficient to completely get rid of Vista Internet Security 2010. The following registry entries should also be removed:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Classes\.exe\shell\open\command “(Default)” = “av.exe” /START “%1? %*
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Classes\secfile\shell\open\command “(Default)” = “av.exe” /START “%1? %*
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\.exe\shell\open\command “(Default)” = “av.exe” /START “%1? %*
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\secfile\shell\open\command “(Default)” = “av.exe” /START “%1? %*
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Clients\StartMenuInternet\FIREFOX.EXE\shell\open\command “(Default)” = “av.exe” /START “firefox.exe”
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Clients\StartMenuInternet\FIREFOX.EXE\shell\safemode\command “(Default)” = “av.exe” /START “firefox.exe” -safe-mode
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Clients\StartMenuInternet\IEXPLORE.EXE\shell\open\command “(Default)” = “av.exe” /START “iexplore.exe”
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Security Center “AntiVirusOverride” = “1?
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Security Center “FirewallOverride” = “1?

Once these keys and settings have been removed, your computer is completely safe from Vista Internet Security 2010. It would be prudent to perform a registry scan using a well-known antivirus software such as Spyware Doctor with Antivirus in order to make sure that no further malicious files are left behind on the computer.

Conclusion

Manual Vista Internet Security 2010 removal is not recommended for users who have less experience in using computing systems, as any wrong move made during removal could cause damage to your operating system. Instead, inexperienced users should use a web-based repair service such as www.onlinecomputerrepair.org.