Conduit Virus Not Stopped and Cannot Purge?? HELP!!

[Normpo]

I have been infected by the insidious Conduit Virus -- though everything I read about it says it is harmful, (1) How did it get past Avast in the first place and (2) I cannot rid myself of it. I have tried all the suggestions from every blog and help source and it is STILL on my computer. It also has as part of its "instigating nuisance" a program that it installed in users sub-folders called "SearchProtect" which doesn't even show up anymore in my Control Panel Programs to delete (I already purged it) but there is no way to delete it because it "says" file cannot be removed because it is in use by Conduit. I don't know how this outfit (Conduit.com) has not been jailed yet? Why can't anyone destroy these guys? The only browser they have not invaded on my computer is Chrome.

I am on a new Surface Pro II Windows 8.1 (and love it, by the way).

So what can be done about this. I question really (and I am a big fan of Avast) how this thing got and remains on my computer?

Please advise if anyone knows the solution?

Thanks in advance -- and hoping the folks at Avast are reading this.

Norm

[Eddy]

Read this topic, and attach the logs
http://forum.avast.com/index.php?topic=53253.0

[Pondus]

I have been infected by the insidious Conduit Virus -- though everything I read about it says it is harmful,

Conduit is not a virus ... it is a browser hijacker adware/toolbar crap classed as PUP
usually comes bundled with free programs you download
PUP = not virus / Possible Unwanted Program...... avast PUP scan is default off in all scans exept bootscan

follow the link Eddy gave you ... Malwarebytes should remove it, but there may be additional files that need to be removed
if so, they will show in OTL log .... and a removal expert will then help you remove these