Pc only works in safe mode - Help!

[Bshell]

I have no clue what to do now. I have windows xp sp3.
Pc was freezing up, couldn't log on. The only way out was to turn off the pc.
I was able to start in safe mode. I run AVG scan in safe mode, it found 2
trojan horses. Still, It wouldn't work in normal mode.
Still in safe mode, I run the onecare.live clean up, protection, tune up and
full scan.
I also removed the last windows update (Nov.3).
If I start in normal mode now (it takes forever), I have no Icons. I can
see my background pic, but nothing else. Is my desktop gone? I don't know
what to do.

 

[Pegasus [MVP]]

I have no clue what to do now. I have windows xp sp3.
Pc was freezing up, couldn't log on. The only way out was to turn off the
pc.
I was able to start in safe mode. I run AVG scan in safe mode, it found 2
trojan horses. Still, It wouldn't work in normal mode.
Still in safe mode, I run the onecare.live clean up, protection, tune up
and
full scan.
I also removed the last windows update (Nov.3).
If I start in normal mode now (it takes forever), I have no Icons. I can
see my background pic, but nothing else. Is my desktop gone? I don't
know
what to do.

Your safest course of action is to save all your documents (including your
EMail files) to an external device while in Safe Mode, then reload Windows
from scratch, allowing the disk to be formatted when prompted. You should
also ask yourself how the viruses got onto your machine. Was your virus
scanner up-to-date? To you practise safe hex?

 

[Elmo]

I have no clue what to do now. I have Windows XP sp3.
PC was freezing up, couldn't log on. The only way out was to turn off the PC.
I was able to start in Safe Mode. I ran AVG scan in Safe Mode, it found 2
Trojan horses. Still, it wouldn't work in normal mode.
Still in Safe Mode, I ran the onecare.live clean up, protection, tune up and
full scan.
I also removed the last Windows update (Nov.3).
If I start in normal mode now (it takes forever), I have no Icons. I can
see my background pic, but nothing else. Is my desktop gone? I don'tknow
what to do.

Burn BitDefender, or another program listed at the link below, to a CD
(using a working machine) and test the infected machine with it.
BitDefender also has a Rootkit checker on the Linux Desktop; run it if
you think that's the problem:

http://www.techmixer.com/free-bootable-antivirus-rescue-cds-download-list/

Download the executable rather than the .iso image, if one is
available.. it prompts you to insert a CD and burns the file, no problem.

Then run these:

Malwarebytes© Corporation
http://www.malwarebytes.org/mbam/program/mbam-setup.exe

SuperAntispyware
http://www.superantispyware.com/superantispywarefreevspro.html

 

[John Wunderlich]

I have no clue what to do now. I have windows xp sp3.
Pc was freezing up, couldn't log on. The only way out was to turn
off the pc. I was able to start in safe mode. I run AVG scan in
safe mode, it found 2 trojan horses. Still, It wouldn't work in
normal mode. Still in safe mode, I run the onecare.live clean up,
protection, tune up and full scan.
I also removed the last windows update (Nov.3).
If I start in normal mode now (it takes forever), I have no
Icons. I can see my background pic, but nothing else. Is my
desktop gone? I don't know what to do.

In general, I agree with Pegasus in that you should save and restore
Windows.

But if you insist on getting what you have to work, you can use
"msconfig.exe" to selectively turn off some of the things that run when
you start your computer so that you can determine which of them is
causing your problems. The procedure for doing this is here:

"How to troubleshoot configuration errors by using the System
Configuration utility in Windows XP"
<http://support.microsoft.com/kb/310560>

"Autoruns" is another utility that does about the same thing as
msconfig.
<http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/bb963902.aspx>

HTH,
-- John

 

[Bshell]

I have no clue how it got the infected. I had Avast installed, it was up to
date too.
I did changed to AVG about 2 weeks ago, and now this.
Tonight I'll start backing up everything, just in case. My computer skills
are not the best, so everything takes forever. Thanks for the reply.