Smart HDD malware. How to uninstall Smart HDD fake system optimizer

[javajolt]

The team of GridinSoft Software Developers, take this opportunity to draw your attention on recent introduction of new virus. This time it bears the name of Smart HDD (aks SmartHDD). It is a continuation of series of fake system optimizers that are convincingly targeting many computers at this time. Its performance on users’ systems is really destructive, its aims are deceptive and the outcome of its availability on your system can be really unexpected, especially when you postpone its successful deletion. Thus, please have due diligence in taking heed to our story of this malware and the results of its fraudulent activity.

Smart HDD comes to PCs by means of various system gaps. Its goal for PC interference is reached by means of Trojans and other malfunctions and vulnerabilities in the computer security that allow its intrusion. After its successful installation Smart HDD virus initiates series of PC scans, so that you would be indeed frightened with the quantity of fictitious infections and threats claimed to be detected by it. However, please bear in mind that all such scan results are just the malicious methods of Smart HDD. The infections and problems supposedly revealed by it are far away from reality. They have nothing to do with the real condition of your PC. On the contrary, Smart HDD is a virus that needs to be dealt with.

In addition, Smart HDD amends your control and registry settings in such a way that it will be started together with every Windows launching. And you will be quite tired of the quantity of popups shown by it. Their only aim would be to suggest to you to purchase the full version of this malware. At the same time, we are now confident that after reading this article you will be clever enough not to follow these tricks. Get aid from a well-established ant-virus tool or, as an alternative, apply the manual removal instructions given below.

Smart HDD automatic remover:




Smart HDD manual removal guide:

Delete Smart HDD files:
%TempDir%\[random]
%TempDir%\[random].exe
%TempDir%\[random].dll
%TempDir%\dfrg
%TempDir%\dfrgr
%TempDir%\Windows Update.exe
%Desktop%\Smart HDD.lnk
%Programs%\Smart HDD
%Programs%\Smart HDD\Smart HDD.lnk
%Programs%\Smart HDD\Uninstall Smart HDD.lnk
Delete Smart HDD registry entries:
HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run “[random]”
HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run “[random].exe”

[javajolt]

If you haven’t paid much attention to the Smart HDD virus until now, you may want to do just that.

The virus last month attacked a PC that was built in the CRN Test Center lab, running Windows 7 Ultimate, and provided a quick lesson on how refined its developers have made this piece of malware.

Viruses can generally be avoided by running any of the industry’s top anti-virus applications and won’t become a problem. But if the Smart HDD gets through it can ruin an entire afternoon.

As it happened, in the middle of switching from a Trend Micro A/V application to a Panda A/V application -- a span of about 10 minutes -- a reboot caused a nasty error message to pop up on the screen: “Hard disk error. Drive cannot be found.”

Clicking out of the error message didn’t help. Attempts to open most applications on the PC didn’t work. Browsers including Chrome or Firefox failed to open, and the hard drive error messages persisted -- including one that advised that the hard drive was in danger of failing.

(Among the “features” of Smart HDD is that it blocks almost all applications from launching. However, we were able to run Internet Explorer 8 even with Smart HDD keeping the other browsers from opening up.)

Additional messages began to inform that a PC performance analysis found a number of errors and defragmentation would be required. Clicking those messages led to another one that was a nice indication that it was malware: it told us that the drive could be saved by cleaning up “bad sectors” after clicking on a link registering the Windows system performance application.

All of the error messages were designed to look like actual Windows error messages, and they came pretty close.

Smart HDD was removed from the system by rebooting, installing Panda Antivirus Pro 2011, and doing a system scan and clean. Problem solved.

Viruses hit PCs every day, but the takeaway from Smart HDD is that their developers continue to improve their methods and even their art work. The error messages were much closer to authentic than others we’ve seen in memory.