Antivir is rogue software that mimics the functionality of a legitimate anti-spyware program
. The program works by trying to fool the user into thinking that his or her computer is infected with malware. After the Antivir rogue software has installed itself, it will perform fake scans of the computer and alert the user to the many problems that it found. The software then informs the user that it cannot fix any of the problems unless the user pays for the full version of the software.
Ignoring Antivir is not an option either. When it installs, it configures Window's to start the program every time the computer is turned on. This will allow Antivir to keep popping up, and attempting to get the user to pay for software that they do not need. Antvir may also suggest removal of several files that are essential to the Windows operating system.
Antivir is spread amongst computers in two main ways: using a trojan horse, or through fake online malware scanners. Fake online scanners pop up a warning message that the computer is infected and the user needs to install the Antivir software immediately to remove any and all malware.
While running Antivir will display security messages in an attempt to scare the user. One example is "Trojan:W32/Inject is a large family of malware that secretly makes changes to the Windows Registry." Antivir may also pop up warnings about a non-existant threat off identity theft. Antivir can also hijack Internet Explorer and display fake warnings about different sites that claim they are attempting to harm the users computer. Again these messages should be ignored as they are only used to scam users out of money.
There are two ways to successfully remove Antivir from a computer. The first way involves using a tool that is specifically created to remove the program. This is the easiest way to remove the software and can be found on any security related website. The other way is slightly more complex, but can be used if the automatic tool does not remove the software. It involves following a step by step guide that shows all the files that need to be deleted in order to remove the software. Antivir only purpose is to trick users into paying for software that has no practical purpose.