Zeus Virus Removal – May 2017

Zeus just keeps popping up and you cannot remove it?

The Zeus infection is a foe, we’ve already tackled. We’ve faced the infection on quite a few occasions. Oftentimes, it disguised itself with different names. But it was the same Zeus at its core. And, as you go against one variant, a new one pops up. Zeus somehow always manages to sprout back up again, and make waves. One would argue that only makes the name more appropriate. It’s tough to kill Zeus. But not impossible! The Zeus infection falls under the Trojan umbrella. And, it’s quite the burden on your PC. It slows down your performance, causes frequent crashes. It makes a mess. What’s more, it can overrun your PC with malware. It can go along with the installment of as many malicious programs as it wishes. It doesn’t have to seek permission, or bother to inform you. It goes through with them, and leaves you to discover the consequences yourself. And, then, suffer from them. One potential outcome is facing the dreaded blue. Yes, you can end up with The Blue Screen of Death. That is, if you prolong Zeus’ stay. The more it remains, the more the odds of the blue grow. They may be minor. But minor is not the same as non-existent. Take that into account. Also, Zeus can be a tool, used by ransomware. And, ransomware threats are always bad news. Don’t build illusions around the notion Zeus is a good thing. It’s not useful, helpful or reliable. It’s a menace. You have anything to gain from Zeus. Nothing positives comes from is stay on your computer. It only brings grievances and issues. And, with time, they multiply and worsen. Until they get so out of hand, you have no way out. Don’t let your situation reach that point. Don’t allow it to escalate that way. Avoid that dreaded outcome by taking action ASAP. Once you realize the infection lurks on your PC find its exact hiding place. Then, delete it on discovery! The sooner Zeus is gone, the better!

How did I get infected with?

Zeus isn’t particularly inventive when it comes to invasion. It turns to the same old but gold means of infiltration. More often than not, spam email attachments. Say you receive an email from a sender, you don’t recognize. Or, one from a famous company, like PayPal. But something seems off. And, apart from its seeming suspicion, it contains an attachment. It can be a PDF or DOC file. That’s how the malicious executable makes its way into your system. If you open and download the suspicious attachments, you end up with an infection. So, don’t. Take every email, you receive, with a grain of salt. Make sure it’s from a reputable, reliable source. Remember that even a little extra attention goes a long way. So, always do your due diligence. After all, it cannot hurt. But it can sure help. Vigilance is crucial in the fight against cyber threats. They rely on it to slither in undetected. If you don’t provide it, you increase your chances of keeping an infection-free PC. Other common methods of invasion include freeware, and corrupted links. And, of course, supposed updates, like Java and Adobe Flash Player.

Why is this dangerous?

The latest version of Zeus gets spread around via the RIG Exploit Kit. It’s recognized under the Chthonic name. Bear in mind, that’s not a new threat. It surfaced a couple of years back, when around 150 banks got burned by it. Once Zeus slithers its way in, it doesn’t waste time. The tool wreaks havoc. It corrupts it more and more each day. The Trojan spreads its clutches throughout your system. And, you start to notice its influences not long after invasion. It starts to slow down, and crash all the time. Not to mention, the reshuffles. The tool reshuffles various settings, forcing unwanted changes on you. As was already stated, it also opens your PC to more unwanted malware. And, even with only that in mind, you must take immediate actions against it. A tool, which can flood your computer with infections, does NOT deserve a place on it. If that’s not enough to persuade you, know that Zeus also steals data from you. Yes, on top of everything else, it also threatens your privacy. The tool spies on your browsing, gathering information on your activities. It records every online move you make. Then, when it decides it has enough, sends it. Yes, it hands it over to the third parties that published it. That means strangers with agendas. And, these strangers, then have access to your personal and financial details. The question is, are you going to stand for that? Or, will you act to prevent it? The choice is yours. But you better make it fast. Before it’s too late.

Manual Zeus Removal Instructions

STEP 1: Windows 8 Removal

STEP 2: Windows 7/XP/Vista Removal

STEP 1: Start Your Computer into Safe Mode with Networking in Windows 8

• Make sure you do not have any floppy disks, CDs, and DVDs inserted in your computer
• Move the mouse to the upper right corner until the windows 8 charm menu appears
  
• Click on the magnifying glass

• select Settings
• in the search box type Advanced
• On the left the following should appear

• Click on Advanced Startup Options
• Scroll down a little bit and click on Restart Now

• Click on Troubleshoot

• Then Advanced options

• Then Startup settings

• Then Restart

• When you see this screen press F5 – Enable Safe Mode with Networking

 

STEP 2: Start Your Computer into Safe Mode with Networking in Windows 7/XP/Vista

• Make sure you do not have any floppy disks, CDs, and DVDs inserted in your computer
• Restart the computer
  
• When you see a table, start tapping the F8 key every second until you enter the Advanced Boot Options

• in the Advanced Boot Options screen, use the arrow keys to highlight Safe Mode with Networking , and then press ENTER.

STEP 3: Locate the startup location

• Once the operating system loads press simultaneously the Windows Logo Button and the R key.

• A dialog box should open. Type “Regedit”

 

Depending on your OS (x86 or x64) navigate to:

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run] or
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run] or
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run]

• and delete the display Name: backgroundcontainer

 

• Then open your explorer and navigate to:

%LocalAppData%\uqgtmedia

where %LocalAppData% refers to:

C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Local

• delete the whole folder

Double check with any antimalware program for any leftovers. Keep your software up-to date.