Friday
2008-11-30, 15:55
The following instructions have been created to help you to get rid of "AdwareSheriff" manually.
Use this guide at your own risk; software should usually be better suited to remove malware, since it is able to look deeper.
If this guide was helpful to you, please consider donating towards this site (http://www.safer-networking.org/index.php?page=donate).
Threat Details:
Categories:
pups
Description:
AdwareSheriff claims to be an antivirus solution and is spread by very aggressiv advertisment. If the program finds any problems on the system the user has to buy a licence of AdwareSheriff to fix these. Additionally it is very difficult to remove AdwareSheriff if it is installed on the computer.
Removal Instructions:
Installed Software List:
You can try to uninstall products with the names listed below; for items identified by other properties or to avoid malware getting active again on uninstallation, use Spybot-S&D (http://www.safer-networking.org/index.php?page=spybotsd) or RunAlyzer (http://www.safer-networking.org/index.php?page=runalyzer) to locate and get rid of these entries.
Products that have a key or property named "AdwareSheriff_is1".
Files:
Please use Windows Explorer or another file manager of your choice to locate and delete these files.
The file at "<$COMMONPROGRAMS>\AdwareSheriff\AdwareSheriff on the Web.lnk".
The file at "<$COMMONPROGRAMS>\AdwareSheriff\AdwareSheriff.lnk".
The file at "<$COMMONPROGRAMS>\AdwareSheriff\Uninstall AdwareSheriff.lnk".
The file at "<$LOCALAPPDATA>\AdwareSheriff\DB\adesktop_dg.list".
The file at "<$LOCALAPPDATA>\AdwareSheriff\DB\explorer_dg.list".
The file at "<$LOCALAPPDATA>\AdwareSheriff\DB\fg_files.list".
The file at "<$LOCALAPPDATA>\AdwareSheriff\DB\fg_folders.list".
The file at "<$LOCALAPPDATA>\AdwareSheriff\DB\hijack.patterns".
The file at "<$LOCALAPPDATA>\AdwareSheriff\DB\hijack.places".
The file at "<$LOCALAPPDATA>\AdwareSheriff\DB\ie_dg.list".
The file at "<$LOCALAPPDATA>\AdwareSheriff\DB\ie_rg.list".
The file at "<$LOCALAPPDATA>\AdwareSheriff\DB\known.db".
The file at "<$LOCALAPPDATA>\AdwareSheriff\DB\rgexplorer_rg.list".
The file at "<$LOCALAPPDATA>\AdwareSheriff\DB\rgmisc_rg.list".
The file at "<$LOCALAPPDATA>\AdwareSheriff\DB\runcu_sg.list".
The file at "<$LOCALAPPDATA>\AdwareSheriff\DB\runlm_sg.list".
The file at "<$LOCALAPPDATA>\AdwareSheriff\DB\spyware.db".
The file at "<$LOCALAPPDATA>\AdwareSheriff\DB\system_dg.list".
The file at "<$LOCALAPPDATA>\AdwareSheriff\DB\tracks.db".
The file at "<$LOCALAPPDATA>\AdwareSheriff\Settings\settings.txt".
The file at "<$PROGRAMFILES>\AdwareSheriff\asheriff.exe".
The file at "<$PROGRAMFILES>\AdwareSheriff\asheriff.url".
The file at "<$PROGRAMFILES>\AdwareSheriff\bz.dll".
The file at "<$PROGRAMFILES>\AdwareSheriff\pkill.exe".
The file at "<$PROGRAMFILES>\AdwareSheriff\interface\English.lng".
The file at "<$PROGRAMFILES>\AdwareSheriff\interface\Italiano.lng".
The file at "<$PROGRAMFILES>\AdwareSheriff\sounds\crit.wav".
The file at "<$DESKTOP>\AdwareSheriff.lnk".
The file at "<$STARTUP>\asheriff.lnk".
Make sure you set your file manager to display hidden and system files. If AdwareSheriff uses rootkit technologies, use our RootAlyzer (http://forums.spybot.info/downloads.php?id=8) or our Total Commander anti-rootkit plugins (http://forums.spybot.info/downloads.php?id=3).
You will have to use a global search for files without a name specified. Be extra careful, because just the name might not be enough to identify files!
Important: There are more files that cannot be safely described in simple words. Please use Spybot-S&D (http://www.safer-networking.org/index.php?page=spybotsd) to remove them.
Folders:
Please use Windows Explorer or another file manager of your choice to locate and delete these folders.
The directory at "<$COMMONPROGRAMS>\AdwareSheriff".
The directory at "<$LOCALAPPDATA>\AdwareSheriff".
The directory at "<$LOCALAPPDATA>\AdwareSheriff\DB".
The directory at "<$LOCALAPPDATA>\AdwareSheriff\DB\run_backup".
The directory at "<$LOCALAPPDATA>\AdwareSheriff\DB\snapshots".
The directory at "<$LOCALAPPDATA>\AdwareSheriff\Logs".
The directory at "<$LOCALAPPDATA>\AdwareSheriff\Quarantine".
The directory at "<$LOCALAPPDATA>\AdwareSheriff\Settings".
The directory at "<$PROGRAMFILES>\AdwareSheriff".
The directory at "<$PROGRAMFILES>\AdwareSheriff\interface".
The directory at "<$PROGRAMFILES>\AdwareSheriff\sounds".
Make sure you set your file manager to display hidden and system files. If AdwareSheriff uses rootkit technologies, use our RootAlyzer (http://forums.spybot.info/downloads.php?id=8) or our Total Commander anti-rootkit plugins (http://forums.spybot.info/downloads.php?id=3).
You will have to use a global search for files without a name specified. Be extra careful, because just the name might not be enough to identify folders!
Final Words:
If neither Spybot-S&D nor self help did resolve the issue or you would prefer one on one help,
Please read these instructions (http://forums.spybot.info/showthread.php?t=288) before requesting assistance,
Then start your own thread in the Malware Removal Forum (http://forums.spybot.info/forumdisplay.php?f=22) where a volunteer analyst will advise you as soon as available.
Use this guide at your own risk; software should usually be better suited to remove malware, since it is able to look deeper.
If this guide was helpful to you, please consider donating towards this site (http://www.safer-networking.org/index.php?page=donate).
Threat Details:
Categories:
pups
Description:
AdwareSheriff claims to be an antivirus solution and is spread by very aggressiv advertisment. If the program finds any problems on the system the user has to buy a licence of AdwareSheriff to fix these. Additionally it is very difficult to remove AdwareSheriff if it is installed on the computer.
Removal Instructions:
Installed Software List:
You can try to uninstall products with the names listed below; for items identified by other properties or to avoid malware getting active again on uninstallation, use Spybot-S&D (http://www.safer-networking.org/index.php?page=spybotsd) or RunAlyzer (http://www.safer-networking.org/index.php?page=runalyzer) to locate and get rid of these entries.
Products that have a key or property named "AdwareSheriff_is1".
Files:
Please use Windows Explorer or another file manager of your choice to locate and delete these files.
The file at "<$COMMONPROGRAMS>\AdwareSheriff\AdwareSheriff on the Web.lnk".
The file at "<$COMMONPROGRAMS>\AdwareSheriff\AdwareSheriff.lnk".
The file at "<$COMMONPROGRAMS>\AdwareSheriff\Uninstall AdwareSheriff.lnk".
The file at "<$LOCALAPPDATA>\AdwareSheriff\DB\adesktop_dg.list".
The file at "<$LOCALAPPDATA>\AdwareSheriff\DB\explorer_dg.list".
The file at "<$LOCALAPPDATA>\AdwareSheriff\DB\fg_files.list".
The file at "<$LOCALAPPDATA>\AdwareSheriff\DB\fg_folders.list".
The file at "<$LOCALAPPDATA>\AdwareSheriff\DB\hijack.patterns".
The file at "<$LOCALAPPDATA>\AdwareSheriff\DB\hijack.places".
The file at "<$LOCALAPPDATA>\AdwareSheriff\DB\ie_dg.list".
The file at "<$LOCALAPPDATA>\AdwareSheriff\DB\ie_rg.list".
The file at "<$LOCALAPPDATA>\AdwareSheriff\DB\known.db".
The file at "<$LOCALAPPDATA>\AdwareSheriff\DB\rgexplorer_rg.list".
The file at "<$LOCALAPPDATA>\AdwareSheriff\DB\rgmisc_rg.list".
The file at "<$LOCALAPPDATA>\AdwareSheriff\DB\runcu_sg.list".
The file at "<$LOCALAPPDATA>\AdwareSheriff\DB\runlm_sg.list".
The file at "<$LOCALAPPDATA>\AdwareSheriff\DB\spyware.db".
The file at "<$LOCALAPPDATA>\AdwareSheriff\DB\system_dg.list".
The file at "<$LOCALAPPDATA>\AdwareSheriff\DB\tracks.db".
The file at "<$LOCALAPPDATA>\AdwareSheriff\Settings\settings.txt".
The file at "<$PROGRAMFILES>\AdwareSheriff\asheriff.exe".
The file at "<$PROGRAMFILES>\AdwareSheriff\asheriff.url".
The file at "<$PROGRAMFILES>\AdwareSheriff\bz.dll".
The file at "<$PROGRAMFILES>\AdwareSheriff\pkill.exe".
The file at "<$PROGRAMFILES>\AdwareSheriff\interface\English.lng".
The file at "<$PROGRAMFILES>\AdwareSheriff\interface\Italiano.lng".
The file at "<$PROGRAMFILES>\AdwareSheriff\sounds\crit.wav".
The file at "<$DESKTOP>\AdwareSheriff.lnk".
The file at "<$STARTUP>\asheriff.lnk".
Make sure you set your file manager to display hidden and system files. If AdwareSheriff uses rootkit technologies, use our RootAlyzer (http://forums.spybot.info/downloads.php?id=8) or our Total Commander anti-rootkit plugins (http://forums.spybot.info/downloads.php?id=3).
You will have to use a global search for files without a name specified. Be extra careful, because just the name might not be enough to identify files!
Important: There are more files that cannot be safely described in simple words. Please use Spybot-S&D (http://www.safer-networking.org/index.php?page=spybotsd) to remove them.
Folders:
Please use Windows Explorer or another file manager of your choice to locate and delete these folders.
The directory at "<$COMMONPROGRAMS>\AdwareSheriff".
The directory at "<$LOCALAPPDATA>\AdwareSheriff".
The directory at "<$LOCALAPPDATA>\AdwareSheriff\DB".
The directory at "<$LOCALAPPDATA>\AdwareSheriff\DB\run_backup".
The directory at "<$LOCALAPPDATA>\AdwareSheriff\DB\snapshots".
The directory at "<$LOCALAPPDATA>\AdwareSheriff\Logs".
The directory at "<$LOCALAPPDATA>\AdwareSheriff\Quarantine".
The directory at "<$LOCALAPPDATA>\AdwareSheriff\Settings".
The directory at "<$PROGRAMFILES>\AdwareSheriff".
The directory at "<$PROGRAMFILES>\AdwareSheriff\interface".
The directory at "<$PROGRAMFILES>\AdwareSheriff\sounds".
Make sure you set your file manager to display hidden and system files. If AdwareSheriff uses rootkit technologies, use our RootAlyzer (http://forums.spybot.info/downloads.php?id=8) or our Total Commander anti-rootkit plugins (http://forums.spybot.info/downloads.php?id=3).
You will have to use a global search for files without a name specified. Be extra careful, because just the name might not be enough to identify folders!
Final Words:
If neither Spybot-S&D nor self help did resolve the issue or you would prefer one on one help,
Please read these instructions (http://forums.spybot.info/showthread.php?t=288) before requesting assistance,
Then start your own thread in the Malware Removal Forum (http://forums.spybot.info/forumdisplay.php?f=22) where a volunteer analyst will advise you as soon as available.