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Article Last Reviewed February 2005
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How To Get Rid Of Bytever

Description

Java.Bytever.A uses vulnerabilities in older versions of Microsoft Internet Explorer and Microsoft Java Virtual Machine to change Windows Registry and browser settings, including your home and default search Web pages. The virus can also give a cracker access to run any code on your PC. A computer can become infected by running an email attachment or downloading an infected file from a Web site. This malware is also known as Java.Byteverify.

How To Tell If Java.Bytever.A Is On Your PC

By itself, this program doesn't harm the computer. Instead, it works together with other malware, providing a stepping stone for those other programs' dirty work. When you access a program on an infected Web site, that program can use your copy of Java.Bytever.A to take control of your PC. The most likely symptom is that your Internet Explorer home page and default search page are changed without your permission.

Because it requires other malware to do its work, Java.Bytever.A alone doesn't do anything, so for many users, there are no symptoms at all. Instead, the first indication is when an antivirus program warns of the infection.

WARNING: The following section includes step-by-step information on how to edit the Windows Registry, a large database containing system and program settings that are essential to how the OS (operating system) operates. Follow Registry-editing instructions to the letter and be sure to make a backup of your Registry before you begin (Registry errors can render your computer inoperable if you don't have a backup). This procedure differs depending on the OS you use. For more information on backing up and editing the Registry, see these articles: "Protect Yourself" and "Register Here."



How To Get Rid Of Java.Bytever.A

If you use the System Restore feature of Windows Me/XP, a copy of Java.Bytever.A could be stored in System Restore's backup folder. To remove the backup, you'll need to disable System Restore.

To do this in WinXP, click Start and Control Panel, double-click the System icon, select the System Restore tab, check the Turn Off System Restore checkbox, and click Apply. Confirm that you want to disable System Restore, and the infected backups will be deleted. To remove the System Restore feature's backup files in WinMe, right-click the My Computer icon on the Desktop, select Properties, and select the Performance tab. Click File System and Troubleshooting. Select Disable System Restore and click OK. The infected backups will be deleted. Restart your computer.

Now you can remove Java.Bytever.A and its associated files. Start Windows in Safe Mode by pressing the F8 key as Windows begins to boot. Start your Web browser and point it to Trend Micro HouseCall, a free online virus scanner, at housecall.trendmicro.com. Click the Scan Now button and follow the on-screen instructions. When it finds a virus, click the Clean button to remove it. (Let HouseCall check your entire system; because Java.Bytever.A works in tandem with other malware, there could be several infected files.) When it is done, restart your computer and return to the System Restore window to re-enable that feature.

If the Java Plug-In Control Panel is installed on your computer (to find out, click Start and Control Panel and look for a Java Plug-in icon), you may be able to remove Java.Bytever.A manually by deleting the Java Runtime Environment cache files. In the Java Plug-In Control Panel window, select the Cache tab and click the Clear button. (In later versions of the Control Panel, look for the Temporary Internet Files pane and click the Delete Files button; select all three checkboxes, and click OK.) Close the Control Panel window.

After using either method to remove Java.Bytever.A, you'll want to restore any of the Internet settings the malware changed. To reset Internet Explorer's home and search Web pages, launch Internet Explorer, select Internet Options from the Tools menu, select the Programs tab, click the Reset Web Settings button, and click OK.

Some of Java.Bytever.A's helper programs can add unwanted email signature files, so you should also remove these. Open Outlook Express, select Options from the Tools menu, and select the Signatures tab. If any signature files are listed that you didn't add yourself, highlight them and click Remove.

To prevent future infections, visit Microsoft Windows Update site at windowsupdate.micro
soft.com and upgrade to the latest versions of Java Virtual Machine and Internet Explorer.

by Kevin Savetz









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