You are seeing the effects of a hijackware infection.
Back-up any personal data (none of which should be considered 100%
trustworthy at this point) then format the HDD & do a clean install of
Windows. Please note that a Repair Install (AKA in-place upgrade) will NOT
fix this!
HOW TO do a clean install of WinXP: See
http://michaelstevenstech.com/cleanxpinstall.html#steps and/or Method 1 in
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/978307
After the clean install, you'll have the equivalent of a "new computer" so
take care of everything on the following page before otherwise connecting
the machine to the internet or a local network (i.e., other computers) and
before using a flash drive or SDCard that isn't brand-new or hasn't been
freshly formatted:
4 steps to help protect your new computer before you go online
http://www.microsoft.com/security/pypc.aspx
Other helpful references include:
HOW TO get a computer running WinXP Gold (no Service Packs) fully patched
(after a clean install)
http://groups.google.com/group/microsoft.public.windowsupdate/msg/3f5afa8ed33e121c
HOW TO get a computer running WinXP SP1(a) or SP2 fully patched (after a
clean install)
http://groups.google.com/group/microsoft.public.windowsxp.general/msg/a066ae41add7dd2b
Tip: After getting the computer fully-patched, download/install KB971029
manually:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/971029
NB: Any Norton or McAfee free-trial that came preinstalled on the computer
when you bought it will be reinstalled (but invalid) when Windows is
reinstalled. You MUST uninstall the free-trial and download/run the
appropriate removal tool before installing any updates, Windows Service
Packs or IE upgrades and before installing your new anti-virus application
(which will require WinXP SP3 to be installed).
Norton Removal Tool
ftp://ftp.symantec.com/public/english_us_canada/removal_tools/Norton_Removal_Tool.exe
McAfee Consumer Products Removal Tool
http://download.mcafee.com/products/licensed/cust_support_patches/MCPR.exe
Also see:
Risks & Benefits of P2P file sharing
http://www.microsoft.com/protect/data/downloadfileshare/filesharing.aspx
http://blogs.technet.com/mmpc/archive/2008/10/06/the-cost-of-free-software.aspx
Steps To Help Prevent Spyware
http://www.microsoft.com/security/spyware/prevent.aspx
Steps to Help Prevent Computer Worms
http://www.microsoft.com/security/worms/prevent.aspx
Avoid Rogue Security Software!
http://www.microsoft.com/security/antivirus/rogue.aspx
If these procedures look too complex - and there is no shame in admitting
this isn't your cup of tea - take the machine to a local, reputable and
independent (i.e., not BigBoxStoreUSA or Geek Squad) computer repair shop.
Nothing happens, everything stays as is, no messages at all.
I tried the steps at link which return "The application or DLL
c:windows\ie8\spuninst\UPDSPAPI.dll in not a valid Windows image. Please
check this against your installation diskette."
PA Bear said:
can't uninstall IE8 via clicking on the REMOVE button.
What happens when you try to uninstall IE8 that way?
See if you can uninstall IE8 per the section "Alternative steps for
Windows XP or for Windows Server 2003" here:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/957700
Yes still SP2.
can't uninstall IE8 via clicking on the REMOVE button.
yes i format the HDD. But i format to FAT32 but when restore the image
it
was back to NTFS.
Format to FAT32 coz i think my system keeps on crashing on NTFS which
never
runs scandisk at system startup on improper shutdown due to power
failure
(which is very common here).
Farhan
Also FYI IE is not uninstalling via Add/Remove.
Are you still running WinXP SP2?
Is "Windows Internet Explorer 8" not listed in Add/Remove Programs, is
it
listed but there's not a REMOVE button, or can't you uninstall IE8 via
clicking on the REMOVE button?
Did you format the HDD prior to restoring the WinXP SP2 image?
Farhan wrote:
I was using SP3 but my system crashed badly (series of BSODs -
refering
to
system core and than no ntldr message at boot, ultimately C: was
declared
curropted). But now i have restored may drive image. Most recent were
unable
to restore and an old one that worked is still with sp2 IE6.
AV - Avast (Free), up to date.
Spyware - Malewarebytes
Firewall - Builtin
Firewall was running at the time of installation. At first attempt AV
was
also running than i tried after disabling it.
No Norton but i was using McAfee Site Advisor before system crash.
Also FYI IE is not uninstalling via Add/Remove.
Thx for response
Farhan
[Crosspost to IE General]
Why hasn't WinXP SP3 been installed by now? [Extended Support for
WinXP
(x86) SP2 ends on 13 July 2010. After that date, computers running
WinXP
(x86) SP2 will NOT be offered any further critical security updates,
Automatic Updates will not work, and Windows Update website will not
be
accessible until SP3 is installed.]
What anti-virus application or security suite is installed and is
your
subscription current? What anti-spyware applications (other than
Defender)?
What third-party firewall (if any)? Were any of these applications
running
in the background when you installed IE8?
Has a(another) Norton or McAfee application ever been installed on
the
computer (e.g., a free-trial version that came preinstalled when you
bought
it)?
--
~Robear Dyer (PA Bear)
MS MVP-IE, Mail, Security, Windows Client - since 2002
Farhan wrote:
I have upgraded IE 8 from IE 6 on XP PRO SP2. It starts and open
some
websites but when i try to download a file or some other web site
like
youtube it starts giving "Internet Explorer has encountered a
problem
and
needs to close. if you are in a middle of .................. " the
error
leads to:
Error Signature:
AppName: iexplore.exe
AppVer: 8.0.6001.18702
ModName: mshtml.dll
ModVer: 8.0.6001.18702
Offset: 0029d1b2
Whats wrong and how can i resolve this?
Farhan
