Can Spybot remove Spycrush 3.2

[hokiewolf]

I'm visiting my sister and noticed an icon for SpyCrush 3.2 in her tray. She says she keeps getting pop ups etc you know the rest. Anyway, after I got back to my hotel and a clean computer I did some research on Spycrush and see that I need to help her get rid of it. If she downloads Spybot from Download.com, will it be able to remove Spycrush from her system?

The reason I ask is that a lot of Googled sites mention that Spybot doesn't detect or remove Spycrush and that a program named smitfraud.exe needs to be used. Also, from searching these forums, most of the comments about Spycrush say something similar, but they were mostly posts from June and July of 2007 when it first surfaced. I'm assuming that back then if Spybot would have taken care of the problem, they would have told the person to run Spybot.

To summarize, does the current version of Spybot at download.com remove Spycrush 3.2? Or does a program like smitfraud.exe need to be used?
After reading so many conflicting instructions about how to get rid of Spycrush, my head is spinning.

Also, does it help to run Spybot in safe mode?

Thanks for all your help! I've used Spybot on my home computers for five plus years and have remained malware(except for cookies) free.

Danny in Yorktown, VA

[drragostea]

Hi hokiewolf. After reading your thread... there is a problem .In my perspective... SpyCrush is a rogue anti-malware program. If I am correct, it will require you to purchase it's product in order to remove what it has found. The rogue program will find false positives... I would highly recommend you to run Spybot-SD first, although I'm not sure if it has Spycrush in its database. Smitfraud.exe or SmitfraudFix will fix the Smitfraud trojan, which changes Internet Explorer settings/homepage and displays numerous pop-ups. You haven't told me if you experienced any pop-ups. I do not think that Smitfraud.exe will correct the Spycrush problem.

>Remove Spycrush as a priority first. Open the Add/Remove program window from the Control Panel and if there is a icon... Remove it immediately. I'll look forward to your results.

[Zenobia]

I would highly recommend you to run Spybot-SD first, although I'm not sure if it has Spycrush in its database.

I see Spycrush listed in Spybot's ignore products,so Spybot should have Spycrush in it's database.

Also, does it help to run Spybot in safe mode?

Yes,it may help to run Spybot in safe mode.
If,after running Spybot,there are still problems,you(or your sister)could ask for help in malware removal,if you would like.That way,a helper could walk you through using smitfraudfix,etc. if it is needed,or help with any other infections,if any are present.

The instructions are here:
http://forums.spybot.info/showthread.php?t=288

Malware removal:
http://forums.spybot.info/forumdisplay.php?f=22

[drragostea]

Yup, Zenobia confirmed it. I just didn't check because I'm not a big user of the advanced settings. Safe mode (Press F8 on reboot) disables many of the services in normal boot and runs only the required ones for booting.