Trouble after Removing Xp Guardian Hoax

[Gogero]

Microsoft Essentials after an update apparently did remove the XPGuardian
hoax/infection. However there seems to be some damage left behind..I cannot
access many of my programs like I used to. eg clicking on ADD OR REMOVE
PROGRAMs I get this center screen saying...

C:\Windows\System32\rundll\\32.exe
Application Not Found.

Other programs like Word and Access. message appears App NoT Found.

Other programs ask What program do you want to open this file and give 15
options..have tried a couple dont know which to click on ...to no avail. eg.
my canon zoombrowser wont open . Same with Super anti Spware ...dont know
which option to open with...this never happened before...I would just click
and it would open.
How serious and what to do...Do I need to do a system restore or Hijack this
or what....Please help...Thanks .

 

[Jose]

Microsoft Essentials after an update apparently did remove the XPGuardian
hoax/infection. However there seems to be some damage left behind..I cannot
access many of my programs like I used to. eg clicking on ADD OR REMOVE
PROGRAMs I get this center screen saying...

C:\Windows\System32\rundll\\32.exe
Application Not Found.

Other programs like Word and Access. message appears App NoT Found.

Other programs ask What program do you want to open this file and give 15
options..have tried a couple dont know which to click on ...to no avail. eg.
my canon zoombrowser wont open . Same with Super anti Spware ...dont know
which option to open with...this never happened before...I would just click
and it would open.
How serious and what to do...Do I need to do a system restore or Hijack this
or what....Please help...Thanks .

First run some other scans, then fix what sounds like a common
annoying malware leftover:

Perform some scans for malicious software, then fix any remaining
issues:

Download, install, update and do a full scan with these free malware
detection programs:

Malwarebytes (MBAM): http://malwarebytes.org/
SUPERAntiSpyware: (SAS): http://www.superantispyware.com/

They can be uninstalled later if desired.

If the scans won't run, fix your file associations, then run the
scans:

Navigate to:

http://www.dougknox.com/

Win XP Fixes

File Association Fixes

Read, understand and follow the instructions on the top of the page.
You need the:

EXE File Association Fix (download and save to desktop).

Unzip the .reg file, follow the instructions at the top of the page.

Reboot, test, then run MBAM and SAS if they did not run before.

 

[Bernd]

-------- Original-Nachricht --------

Microsoft Essentials after an update apparently did remove the XPGuardian
hoax/infection. However there seems to be some damage left behind..I cannot
access many of my programs like I used to. eg clicking on ADD OR REMOVE
PROGRAMs I get this center screen saying...

C:\Windows\System32\rundll\\32.exe
Application Not Found.

Other programs like Word and Access. message appears App NoT Found.

Other programs ask What program do you want to open this file and give 15
options..have tried a couple dont know which to click on ...to no avail. eg.
my canon zoombrowser wont open . Same with Super anti Spware ...dont know
which option to open with...this never happened before...I would just click
and it would open.
How serious and what to do...Do I need to do a system restore or Hijack this
or what....Please help...Thanks .

Look for EXE and LNK associations:

http://www.dougknox.com/xp/file_assoc.htm

Bernd

 

[Gogero]

Jose,
Thank You so Much. You made my day...It worked Great!!!
2 Quick Qs.
When running Malwarebytes it asks is you want to scan C and D I just chose C
drive. Should I also scan D?
You mention uninstalling MBAm. Why? Why not leave the program on./
Anyway Many Many Thanks What a Relief!

 

[PA Bear [MS MVP]]

When (approx. date) did you install Microsoft Security Essentials (MSE)?

What anti-virus application was installed before you installed MSE, was your
subscription still current, and did you uninstall it before you installed
MSE?

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)?

Can I install MSE to clean up my already-infected computer?
http://social.answers.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/msescan/thread/87058857-d181-4019-a723-efd9a49d9275

 

[Jose]

Jose,
Thank You so Much. You made my day...It worked Great!!!
2 Quick Qs.
When running Malwarebytes it asks is you want to scan C and D I just chose C
drive. Should I also scan D?
You mention uninstalling MBAm. Why? Why not leave the program on./
Anyway Many Many Thanks What  a Relief!

Good job.

This issue seems to come in cycles and is showing up more frequently
in these past couple weeks. As you can see, it is not hard to fix
when you do the right things.

Your scanners may remove the infection, but sometimes you have to undo
some other changes that were made in an effort to trick you into
thinking you need to reinstall Windows - and you don't. If you do
finally give up and reinstall, the malware people have outsmarted
you.

You can leave the free MBAM and SAS installed and update/run them
whenever you feel like it. The free versions do not install any real
time scanning (this is fine for me). I alternate back and forth a
couple times a week even if I don't suspect a problem and usually just
do my C drive. Sometimes I will scan my other drives which are mostly
storage and backups and things. If your D drive is a recovery
partition, it is probably small and won't take too long to scan.

You need more than one good scanner since no single one seems to know
about everything. The MBAM and SAS definitions are updated several
times a day it seems, so I always start with them first. I mention
uninstalling since sometimes people seem worried about it, so what you
see is my standard copy paste instructions so I will never have to
respond to the "should I uninstall it" questions.

 

[glee]

Microsoft Essentials after an update apparently did remove the
XPGuardian
hoax/infection. However there seems to be some damage left behind..I
cannot
access many of my programs like I used to. eg clicking on ADD OR
REMOVE
PROGRAMs I get this center screen saying...

C:\Windows\System32\rundll\\32.exe
Application Not Found.

Other programs like Word and Access. message appears App NoT Found.

Other programs ask What program do you want to open this file and give
15
options..have tried a couple dont know which to click on ...to no
avail. eg.
my canon zoombrowser wont open . Same with Super anti Spware ...dont
know
which option to open with...this never happened before...I would just
click
and it would open.
How serious and what to do...Do I need to do a system restore or
Hijack this
or what....Please help...Thanks .

Is there some reaon you started this new thread when you already had one
in this group with the same issue, where I already gave you a procedure
to follow...which you ignored?