Foolestroupe -

There are ways, and the malware type is (or was) pretty will known 'mongst old timers, perhaps. 'NIX users may or may not be aware of it. The problem is that no existing Windows programs make it easy to detect and/or get rid of them.

The methods for getting rid of them were routine "way back when" but people aren't used to working that hard now, and quite a few of the kinds of programs we used to keep handy for editing/replacing root sectors aren't around and/or don't work the same with Windows. The geniuses that work for Mickey have worked very hard at making the "root" files, now longer just in a single sector, "invulnerable," so that now it's very difficult to get into them except with the built in Windows tools, and if they've been fooled, you're in trouble.

One or two "Windows cleaners" have already appeared for the rootkit thing(s), but to date they're pretty expensive and aimed at server markets where people can afford them(?). Cheap ones will come, one hopes, if and when enough people need them. It's not a panic situation - - yet.

John