MS Anti-Spyware - hijacked by SetupWD.exe ?

[Guest]

Hi, over the past couple of days, whenever I double-click on my MS
AntiSpyware icon (which runs "C:\Program Files\Microsoft
AntiSpyware\GIANTAntiSpywareMain.exe"), it first starts Windows Installer
(twice I think) which puts a "Sign up to Tiscali" icon SetupWd.exe which
links to SetupWD.exe.

Is this a virus? Has MS AntiSpyware itself been hijacked ? I haven't
tried running the SetupWD.exe -- it seemed such weird behaviour that I assume
it's bad!

Can this be fixed ? Please advise. Thanks, Gerry

 

[Frank Saunders, MS-MVP OE]

Hi, over the past couple of days, whenever I double-click on my MS
AntiSpyware icon (which runs "C:\Program Files\Microsoft
AntiSpyware\GIANTAntiSpywareMain.exe"), it first starts Windows
Installer (twice I think) which puts a "Sign up to Tiscali" icon
SetupWd.exe which links to SetupWD.exe.

Is this a virus? Has MS AntiSpyware itself been hijacked ? I
haven't tried running the SetupWD.exe -- it seemed such weird
behaviour that I assume it's bad!

Can this be fixed ? Please advise. Thanks, Gerry

How to resolve Common "Windows Installer" Problems
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;555175

Windows Installer CleanUp Utility
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/290301

--
Frank Saunders, MS-MVP OE/WM
Please respond in Newsgroup. Do not send email
http://www.fjsmjs.com
Protect your PC
http://www.microsoft.com/security/protect/

 

[Guest]

While I`m not disagreeing with Frank S. I think you may be infected with
free6. Do you have a file `vbsys.dll` on your HD - Start>Search>All Files and
Folders>Lookin C:\

Stu



the

 

[Bill Sanderson]

I like Frank Saunders advice very much--sounds exactly right to me.

You might want to consider removing Microsoft Antispyware, and installing
Windows Defender, beta2 of Microsoft Antispyware:

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/...e7-da2b-4a6a-afa4-f7f14e605a0d&displaylang=en

It is quite different--some of the differences folks may find jarring:

1) no tray icon if no input is needed--this may change with a later version.
Also, no desktop icon.
2) updates via Windows Update or Autoupdate--WSUS in corporate networks.
3) a number of the advanced tools are missing, although those remaining are
improved.

 

[Guest]

Hi Frank, thanks for those. Sorry for slow reply (been on stage all last
week).

I've downloaded the Windows Installer Cleanup Util and was going to run that
but today I've had a note from the Windows Auto-update to say there's a new
version so I guess I should try that first (?) since it's installed it anyway.
btw, I wasn't trying to install anything myself at the time - something
was making it do that itself - that's why I wondered if it was a virus etc.

I'll add to this post if/when there's any more news. Thanks, Gerry )

 

[Guest]

PS: I've since found that exactly the same thing happens (now) when I double
click on Spyware Blaster and on something else too so it's not limited to
MSanti.

Does that mean some fundamental part of XP has got corrupted (eg
Explorer.exe) ? Gulp!

I tried to check the "Modified" dates on the exe's that I'm trying to run
and none of them seem to have been changed so I guess it must be some
mechanism that happens when i activate a program ?

 

[Guest]

Hi Bill, thanks for that too. I'm trying the cleanup thing that Frank
suggested but what worries me most is that I haven't tried to install
anything. It's activating itself which makes me think it's a virus or
something nasty.
I've also found that it's not just MSanti; when I activate other progs,
the same thing happens - so it's more widespread than I first realised.

I've been keeping MSanti up-to-date. Thanks for info on Defender -- have
you tried it ? Is it better ? I'm a bit concerned about losing the
advanced tools; I'd grown quite fond of them -- why are they taking away
functionality ?

Any further thoughts on my SetupWD problem ? Thanks, Gerry

 

[Guest]

Hi Stu,
I've done a full Search and cannot find VBSYS.DLL anywhere on my system.
Any idea if it might be something else ?
I've since found that exactly the same thing happens when I try to activate
other progs too - so it seems a more widespread problem.
Any idea exactly what happens when I double click a desktop icon ? I'm
worried that something fundamental (like explorer.exe) may be corrupt !
Thanks, Gerry )

 

[Bill Sanderson]

I don't believe this indicates serious corruption--just a glitch in the
Windows installer. Please follow the links Frank Saunders gave--doing
repair installs of affected apps should take care of this, too.

 

[Bill Sanderson MVP]

You may be able to fix this for Microsoft Antispyware, by:

start, control panel, add or remove programs, Microsoft Antispyware, change,
update.

That should do a repair install which may correct the problem you have
getting it started.

Let's see if that works.