We have observed a change of tack by the creators of fake antivirus software (like Trojan.FakeAV). Since the latter parts of October, we have seen a move into the creation of fake hard disk scanners and defragmentation tools. What started as a trickle has now become a steady outpouring, with new clones being released almost daily.
So far we have seen the following names being used by the clones (all detected by Symantec as Trojan.FakeAV, UltraDefragger, or Trojan.FakeAV!gen28):
· Ultra Defragger
· Smart Defragmenter
· HDD Defragmenter
· System Defragmenter
· Disk Defragmenter
· Quick Defragmenter
· Check Disk
· Scan Disk
All the versions behave and look the same way—as it installs, it performs a scan looking for problems.
After the scan, it reports a whole host of errors and warnings. The user is prompted to run the defragmentation process, which then boots into a black “safe mode” (which is fake) and proceeds to “fix” some of the issues.
As one would expect, some serious issues remain, which requires the application to be activated for a fee before they can be resolved.
Windows comes equipped with a wide range of tools, including ones for disk defragmentation and general disk clean up. Users are best advised to try to use these tools to improve any performance issues they may be experiencing before resorting to third-party tools. For those who wish to try it, Symantec has Norton Utilities and Norton 360which include many different functions, such as a disk cleaner, registry cleaner, and defragmenter, among other things.
For further information on improving performance of Windows installations, please visit the following page:
5 ways to speed up your PC