Another Point of Singularity

I finally got this off my work computer using these steps:

(source: CNET)

How I got rid of Winfixer

I have been struggling and trying to get rid of Winfixer 2005 for about a month. I had arranged to live with it for about three weeks. As a result of some simple incremental steps, it is now off my Windows 2000 computer. Hooray!

Here are the things I did in the order in which I did them.
1. I found the Winfixer subdirectory and renamed all the .exe files .ex2 instead. This had the effect of making Winfixer try to reinstall itself every time I rebooted. A little window would pop up and tell me that Winfixer was already installed, and did I want to reinstall it. I clicked NO, and this kept Winfixer from giving me any trouble until the next time I rebooted.

2. I ran Norton AntiVirus. It found a number of Winfixer registry entries which it said seemed to be wrong, since, of course, it couldn't find any of the files the registry entries were supposed to call. I told Norton AntiVirus to eliminate those registry entries. Unfortunately, this did not stop the little window from appearing on reboot requiring me to reply NO as in number 1 above.

3. Today, I delivered the "coup de grace" to Winfixer. Here's what I did:
a. I disconnected my computer from the Internet.
b. I rebooted in Safe Mode. (I am not sure that this was absolutely necessary.)
c. I ran the unins000.exe file in the Program Files\Winfixer subdirectory.
d. I rebooted. This time a little window came up telling me it was downloading Winfixer from the Internet and reporting how many seconds it was taking. Of course, nothing was being downloaded from the Internet since I had taken my computer offline. I closed the little window.
e. A Winfixer icon also came up on the desktop. HERE IS THE REAL TRICK!!! I right-clicked on that icon, and it gave me a screen identifying the "target" of the desktop shortcut. The target on my machine was the file C:WINNT\Downloaded Program Files\CONFLICT.4\UWFX5LP_0001_0715NetInstaller.exe.
f. I tried to Delete that file, C:WINNT\Downloaded Program Files\CONFLICT.4\UWFX5LP_0001_0715NetInstaller.exe. I was told I did not have authorization to delete that file. So, I renamed it instead, removing the first six or seven characters in its name.
g. I rebooted in regular mode. No little window, no Winfixer subdirectory, and no C:WINNT\Downloaded Program Files\CONFLICT.4\UWFX5LP_0001_0715NetInstaller.exe. In fact the CONFLICT.4 subdirectory is gone as well. I am back on the Internet, with no sign of Winfixer.

Good luck. I hope this works as well for all who are trying to get rid of this pest.

More information about WINFIXER here