Win32/Patched.CH

In 2010, the world was subjected to the release of Win32/Patched.CH, a worm software that violates the hosting computer in various undesirable ways.  As a worm, it has many different ways of spreading itself and does not necessarily shout to the world that it's on your hard drive.  Due to its highly infectious nature, as well as the threat it can pose to the information on your system, Win32/Patched.CH should be removed as soon as possible once you spot it.

Stepping Back and Inspecting the Win32/Patched.CH Worm

Win32/Patched.CH's Russian Federation origin is common enough among malware, as are many of the symptoms of its presence. Its most standout aspect is simply the legion of ways it can access your system. Here are some of the many ways Win32/Patched.CH has been reported to infect a system:

• Through intentionally malicious websites with misleading interfaces.
• Through files shared on P2P networks, particularly files with adult content.
• Through misuse of scripts, such as JavaScript.
• Through unsolicited email (aka spam).
• Through fake software update packs.

If successful at infiltrating a system, Win32/Patched.CH will manhandle your settings and your registry until it has the ability to hitch a ride with the Windows startup process and boot with it every time. At that point, there are immediate symptoms that should clue you in that something is wrong with your computer, if not necessarily what.

Life with the Win32/Patched.CH Worm

Removing the Win32/Patched.CH worm should be of particular concern to players of online games, as the infection has been said to record and steal game account information. Besides this rather specific risk, there are many more general problems that will arise on a system hosting Win32/Patched.CH. While it does not directly attack your computer, the side effects of its activities make it difficult to continue with one's day to day tasks.

• Drastic slowdown in system performance is a primary symptom. This slowdown is caused in part by the worm's installation of programs and transmission of information without your knowledge or consent!
• Supplementing the unwanted installations, Win32/Patched.CH may alter your desktop, various icons, or other parts of your computer to draw attention to the new programs, which are inevitably malicious in nature.
• Win32/Patched.CH is also a browser hijacker and will frequently redirect you towards malicious websites.
• Marketing pop-ups may suddenly appear for no reason, even if your machine isn't currently online.
• As a final insult, Win32/Patched.CH takes a page from the rogue handbook and displays fake error messages. Be careful to avoid mistaking them for the real thing, as following the recommendations of Win32/Patched.CH may result in further infections or other damage to your poor computer.

What to Do About Win32/Patched.CH

Restoring your computer to its original condition will take some effort. To delete Win32/Patched.CH, one must shut down all the worm's processes and then scour the registry and all hard drives completely clean of its influence. Win32/Patched.CH can take numerous appearances, such as a supposedly critical DLL file, or even a seemingly harmless browser plugin file. Given the relatively discreet nature of this worm, Win32/Patched.CH may be most safely disposed of via official anti-malware software.