Keep getting asked to remove incompatible software

[Tribal Cash]

When I installed Kaspersky a popup said something like "Please remove incompatible software". Then a few hours later, again. Each time it said that I clicked 'delete' and it said 'restart your computer'. Then a few hours later, again.

Now, after a few days, I have to ask how to stop this.

I've never had Norton though it may have been pre installed. I searched through the Windows folder and registry and deleted anything that might trigger that but still it pops up.

Windows 10 version 21H1
Kaspersky version 21.3.10.391 

Any suggestions?

[Berny]

@Tribal Cash Welcome.

Please try this ! remove only ! + reboot.

[Tribal Cash]

Thanks

[Berny]

@Maya

Please run the tool as ADMIN + reboot ?

[Tribal Cash]

The removal tool uses the usual commercial sneakiness to try to convince you to not quite fully remove it.

You have to read the dialog boxes on each window and specify that you want to completely remove it.

[Tribal Cash]

One point to add. There are two pathways for a person without the 'Norton Removal tool' who is installing Kaspersky.

Pathway 1

a) Download Kaspersky and click install.

b) As it is installing, a popup says 'incompatible software' etc.

c) Click 'remove'.

d) Kaspersky dialog says "restart computer'. 

e) After restart Kaspersky has not installed, so go back to b through d.

f) Go back to b through d.

g) Go back to b through d.

 

A lot of people will move on at this point because they do not want incompatible security software. The alternative is to not restart your computer, but by now you are warned that you have incompatible software so security is less than perfect.

Pathway 2

a) Go through Pathway 1

b) Don't restart your computer but install Kaspersky with the understanding that the Kaspersky program mistakenly believes that the Norton program has been removed.

c) Continue with Kaspersky warning daily about incompatible software until you find the Norton tool referenced above.

I was using Comodo but saw signs my computer was hacked. One previous time several years ago my computer was hacked and Kaspersky was the first company to find the malware, I learned much later.

So a few weeks ago, while observing odd behavior that leads me to believe my computer is hacked, I downloaded Kaspersky.

So far Kaspersky has not detected the malware, nor has Comodo, nor Windows Defender nor Microsoft Emergency Support tool.

At this point I'm just watching to see how it develops. My computer has a series of odd behaviors that pretty obviously are not intended by the manufacturer, and more odd things are popping up. A little while ago I tried to paste something from the main disk to another disk with plenty of space. After a bit Windows said 'you need x amount more space', so I made more than enough by deleting, then again the same thing at least two more times before the paste was finished.

It does not even look like a brilliant hacker, but I'm hoping it does not end up too expensive for me before some antivirus will detect it. Or I may just clean install if my curiousity runs out.

My best guess so far is that the malware originated in either the electrum litecoin wallet or in some images of a border patrol agent who was grazed by a bullet, images with odd extensions which do not behave in some cases as normal images.

 

 

 

[Berny]

@Tribal Cash 
 

Did you consider SFC ?

[Tribal Cash]

10 hours ago, Berny said:

@Tribal Cash 
 

Did you consider SFC ?

There are other issues that lead me to believe the computer is hacked. For example one thing I have only seen two times in 20+ years of using computers is small rectangular black boxes in the lower left of a browser window. I saw that when I was hacked last time and this current time, no other time.

Here is something that might or might not be related. You can try it on your computer. The black boxes I cannot create at will but will screenshot the next one, but here are three pictures of Kaspersky which were taken June 29 shortly after installation. In this case I had restarted the DWM desktop windows manager because it used a lot of memory, and when it started up Kaspersky was a small black box. I could drag the box around but could not get Kaspersky to appear. The first two pictures are all that were visible of Kaspersky as a black box and the third picture is when I got a Kaspersky window to open and the window is now full size with a heading but still a black box.

These Kaspersky black boxes might have been caused by restarting DWM so I don't consider them a problem, unless that doesn't happen to you when you restart it.

[Tribal Cash]

11 hours ago, Berny said:

@Tribal Cash 
 

Did you consider SFC ?

Wow, you were right, possibly. I'll wait and see if the black boxes reappear.