Root kits must be studied and stopped. I’m seeing 90% of my severely BUGGED computers with hundreds of root kits. Microsoft is Responsible for a few but most are from Spy ware programs like Weather bug etc. As a Field Tech the proliferation of these Root Kits is Scary. None of the anti virus vendors check for them, and Root kit Revealer is the only program I trust to at least find these things, so I can manually delete them...

 Microsoft, Computer Associates, Norton, McAffe, You must step up to the plate. Norton, Instead of crying over lost Market Share should be actively pursuing a fix. I’m not sure what the root kits do, but many were Java Scripts that can be vary dangerous. Hopefully Vista attacks the problem. ( Vista does have some RootKit defeating properties) If Vista does solve the problem, then I’d have to recommend people upgrade ASAP.

 A computer in my shop for repair last Wednesday was carrying an E-Mailer Trojan spewing out thousands of spam e-mails. After Debugging failed, A Format was the ONLY Alternative.

 It appears that the same sites that spewed spy ware & viruses are behind the root kits. Casinos, Porn Sites, Organized Crime, You Betcha….There’s big money in getting your Credit Card and Banking Information. Why pull an armed robbery when you can steal people’s identities, and ultimately there cash?

      Since I first wrote this, Microsoft has bought SysInternals ( I Think). The Rootkit Revealer is now available at the Microsoft site http://www.Microsoft.com   and type in RootKit Revealer. It appears Vista is poised to stop this spread and put rootkits out of business quickly.

 Right now http://www.sysinternals.com/Utilities/RootkitRevealer.html

Has a FREE scanner. If you can’t manually delete them, Format your drive and reinstall your OS. (This is a reprint of my blog: http://computerrepairstpete.spaces.live.com/PersonalSpace.aspx?_c01_blogpart=myspace&_c02_owner=1&_c=blogpart I will continue adding to this page and the blogs.)

Many articles are out, the most recent is right on RootKits:http://www.eweek.com/article2/0,1895,2040760,00.asp?kc=EWEWEMNL102306EP16A  This is one of the best.