220-1002 · Question #277
A home user reports the PC is running slow, and pop-up advertisements are appearing on screen. The user can access the Internet and performs an antivirus scan. A technician is now troubleshooting…
The correct answer is B. Utilize a different antivirus program and scan method. The inability to update the antivirus or reach the vendor's website is a strong indicator that the malware is actively blocking security tools-a common self-defense mechanism of sophisticated adware and malware. The best next step is to use a different tool (e.g., Malwarebytes…
Question
A home user reports the PC is running slow, and pop-up advertisements are appearing on screen. The user can access the Internet and performs an antivirus scan. A technician is now troubleshooting the problem and cannot update the antivirus to the latest definitions or navigate to the vendor's support website. Which of the following is the BEST next step to resolve this issue?
Options
- AUninstall the antivirus program and apply operating system patches
- BUtilize a different antivirus program and scan method
- CFormat and reinstall
- DReinstall the antivirus program from a shared executable
How the community answered
(41 responses)- A7% (3)
- B71% (29)
- C17% (7)
- D5% (2)
Explanation
The inability to update the antivirus or reach the vendor's website is a strong indicator that the malware is actively blocking security tools-a common self-defense mechanism of sophisticated adware and malware. The best next step is to use a different tool (e.g., Malwarebytes, a bootable rescue scanner) that the malware has not been programmed to block. Uninstalling the current antivirus and applying OS patches would leave the system unprotected during that window. A full format and reinstall is a last resort. Reinstalling the same antivirus from a shared executable would likely result in the same blocked behavior.
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