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After allowing a friend to use my computer, I came back to find it with antivirus pro 2009 on it.
Woohoo!

After finding fixes for it, they all seem to point to using Malwarebyte's anti-malware, but upon launching the installer, nothing happens, the "Loading" cursor pops up for a while then goes away, forcing me to kill the process. I can't open any av programs, except for avg which comes up with an error upon scanning.

Help is greatly appreciated.

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Dani AI

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Notes for and others who see a fake-AV that prevents security tools from running: the problem you describe (an installer that briefly shows activity then dies, and scanners failing with errors) is common behavior for rogue antivirus/locker malware. The safest approach is an ordered cleanup plan that avoids making things worse, preserves personal files, and falls back to a full reinstall only if needed.

  1. Try Safe Mode with Networking (press F8 during boot, choose "Safe Mode with Networking") and run scanners there.
  2. If the normal Malwarebytes installer is blocked, use Malwarebytes' anti-malware bypass methods (the "chameleon" helpers) or download the installer on a clean PC and copy it to the infected machine on USB. Run a process-killer tool (RKill) first to stop known rogue processes before scanning.
  3. Disable System Restore temporarily before cleaning (System Properties -> System Restore) so the malware cannot hide in restore points; re-enable it only after a verified clean. If scans fail or AVG reports errors, run an offline rescue scanner (bootable rescue ISO from a reputable vendor) to scan without Windows running.
  4. Backup only personal files (documents, photos). Do not back up executables or system folders. Validate backups by scanning them on a known-clean machine before restoring.
  5. If infections persist or core files are damaged, perform a clean OS reinstall, then immediately patch Windows, install a reputable antivirus, and change all passwords from a different, clean device.

Do not pay the rogue or provide financial info. After cleanup, run full updates and change online credentials from a clean PC to be safe.

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Anyone?

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Ah, sorry, I didn't see the virus subforum.

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