Friday
2011-10-19, 14:43
The following instructions have been created to help you to get rid of "Fraud.Codec.x3" 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:
malware
Description:
Fraud.Codec.x3 is a malware that pretends to be a revolutionary media codec. This fake codec is made to transport advertising only. It is completely useless.
Removal Instructions:
Quicklaunch area:
Please remove the following items from your start quick launch area text to the "Start" button in the taskbar at the bottom.
To check where they are pointing to, right-click them and choose "Properties" from the context menu appearing.
Quicklaunch symbols named "x3_Codec.lnk" and pointing to "<$PROGRAMFILES>\x3_Codec\x3_codec.exe".
Installed Software List:
You can try to uninstall products with the names listed below; for items identified by other properties or to avoid malware getting active again on uninstallation, use Spybot-S&D (http://www.safer-networking.org/index.php?page=spybotsd) or RunAlyzer (http://www.safer-networking.org/index.php?page=runalyzer) to locate and get rid of these entries.
Products that have a key or property named "x3_Codec".
Files:
Please use Windows Explorer or another file manager of your choice to locate and delete these files.
The file at "<$DESKTOP>\x3_Codec.lnk".
The file at "<$PROGRAMFILES>\x3_Codec\x3_codec.exe".
Make sure you set your file manager to display hidden and system files. If Fraud.Codec.x3 uses rootkit technologies, use our RootAlyzer (http://forums.spybot.info/downloads.php?id=8) or our Total Commander anti-rootkit plugins (http://forums.spybot.info/downloads.php?id=3).
You will have to use a global search for files without a name specified. Be extra careful, because just the name might not be enough to identify files!
Important: There are more files that cannot be safely described in simple words. Please use Spybot-S&D (http://www.safer-networking.org/index.php?page=spybotsd) to remove them.
Folders:
Please use Windows Explorer or another file manager of your choice to locate and delete these folders.
The directory at "<$PROGRAMFILES>\x3_Codec".
Make sure you set your file manager to display hidden and system files. If Fraud.Codec.x3 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!
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.
Registry:
You can use regedit.exe (included in Windows) to locate and delete these registry entries.
Delete the registry key "grooveshark.com" at "HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\DOMStorage\".
Delete the registry key "x3_Codec.exe" at "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\App Paths\".
If Fraud.Codec.x3 uses rootkit technologies, use our RegAlyzer (http://www.safer-networking.org/index.php?page=regalyzer), RootAlyzer (http://forums.spybot.info/downloads.php?id=8) or our Total Commander anti-rootkit plugins (http://forums.spybot.info/downloads.php?id=3).
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:
malware
Description:
Fraud.Codec.x3 is a malware that pretends to be a revolutionary media codec. This fake codec is made to transport advertising only. It is completely useless.
Removal Instructions:
Quicklaunch area:
Please remove the following items from your start quick launch area text to the "Start" button in the taskbar at the bottom.
To check where they are pointing to, right-click them and choose "Properties" from the context menu appearing.
Quicklaunch symbols named "x3_Codec.lnk" and pointing to "<$PROGRAMFILES>\x3_Codec\x3_codec.exe".
Installed Software List:
You can try to uninstall products with the names listed below; for items identified by other properties or to avoid malware getting active again on uninstallation, use Spybot-S&D (http://www.safer-networking.org/index.php?page=spybotsd) or RunAlyzer (http://www.safer-networking.org/index.php?page=runalyzer) to locate and get rid of these entries.
Products that have a key or property named "x3_Codec".
Files:
Please use Windows Explorer or another file manager of your choice to locate and delete these files.
The file at "<$DESKTOP>\x3_Codec.lnk".
The file at "<$PROGRAMFILES>\x3_Codec\x3_codec.exe".
Make sure you set your file manager to display hidden and system files. If Fraud.Codec.x3 uses rootkit technologies, use our RootAlyzer (http://forums.spybot.info/downloads.php?id=8) or our Total Commander anti-rootkit plugins (http://forums.spybot.info/downloads.php?id=3).
You will have to use a global search for files without a name specified. Be extra careful, because just the name might not be enough to identify files!
Important: There are more files that cannot be safely described in simple words. Please use Spybot-S&D (http://www.safer-networking.org/index.php?page=spybotsd) to remove them.
Folders:
Please use Windows Explorer or another file manager of your choice to locate and delete these folders.
The directory at "<$PROGRAMFILES>\x3_Codec".
Make sure you set your file manager to display hidden and system files. If Fraud.Codec.x3 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!
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.
Registry:
You can use regedit.exe (included in Windows) to locate and delete these registry entries.
Delete the registry key "grooveshark.com" at "HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\DOMStorage\".
Delete the registry key "x3_Codec.exe" at "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\App Paths\".
If Fraud.Codec.x3 uses rootkit technologies, use our RegAlyzer (http://www.safer-networking.org/index.php?page=regalyzer), RootAlyzer (http://forums.spybot.info/downloads.php?id=8) or our Total Commander anti-rootkit plugins (http://forums.spybot.info/downloads.php?id=3).
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.