Windows XP Windows cannot find c:/windows/svchost.exe

[Mephistopheles]

Please help me.

Whenever I start my windows, the following error keeps popping up.
"windows cannot find c:/windows/svchost.exe. Make sure you typed the name correctly and then try again."

How am I gonna settle this problem?

Here is my HijackThis log:

Logfile of Trend Micro HijackThis v2.0.2
Scan saved at 4:23:33 PM, on 2/23/2008
Platform: Windows XP SP2 (WinNT 5.01.2600)
MSIE: Internet Explorer v6.00 SP2 (6.00.2900.2180)
Boot mode: Normal

Running processes:
C:\WINDOWS\System32\smss.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\winlogon.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\services.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\lsass.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\svchost.exe
C:\WINDOWS\System32\svchost.exe
C:\WINDOWS\Explorer.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\spoolsv.exe
C:\Program Files\Avira\AntiVir PersonalEdition Classic\avguard.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\hkcmd.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\igfxpers.exe
C:\Program Files\Yahoo!\Search Protection\SearchProtection.exe
C:\Program Files\Winamp\winampa.exe
C:\Program Files\Common Files\Ahead\Lib\NMBgMonitor.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\ctfmon.exe
C:\Program Files\Common Files\Ahead\Lib\NMIndexStoreSvr.exe
C:\Program Files\Avira\AntiVir PersonalEdition Classic\sched.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\svchost.exe
C:\WINDOWS\System32\svchost.exe
C:\Program Files\Internet Explorer\iexplore.exe
C:\Program Files\Avira\AntiVir PersonalEdition Classic\avgnt.exe
C:\PROGRA~1\MOZILL~2\FIREFOX.EXE
C:\WINDOWS\system32\igfxsrvc.exe
C:\PROGRA~1\Yahoo!\MESSEN~1\YAHOOM~1.EXE
C:\WINDOWS\Explorer.exe
C:\Program Files\Trend Micro\HijackThis\HijackThis.exe

R1 - HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Default_Page_URL = http://www.yahoo.com
R1 - HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Search Bar = http://us.rd.yahoo.com/customize/ie/defaults/sb/msgr8/*http://www.yahoo.com/ext/search/search.html
R1 - HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Search Page = http://us.rd.yahoo.com/customize/ie/defaults/sp/msgr8/*http://www.yahoo.com
R0 - HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Start Page = http://www.yahoo.com
R0 - HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Local Page =
R0 - HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Local Page =
R1 - HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Window Title = Microsoft Internet Explorer
R0 - HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Toolbar,LinksFolderName =
R3 - URLSearchHook: Yahoo! Toolbar - {EF99BD32-C1FB-11D2-892F-0090271D4F88} - C:\Program Files\Yahoo!\Companion\Installs\cpn0\yt.dll
F2 - REG:system.ini: Shell=Explorer.exe scvshosts.exe
O2 - BHO: &Yahoo! Toolbar Helper - {02478D38-C3F9-4efb-9B51-7695ECA05670} - C:\Program Files\Yahoo!\Companion\Installs\cpn0\yt.dll
O2 - BHO: Yahoo! IE Services Button - {5BAB4B5B-68BC-4B02-94D6-2FC0DE4A7897} - C:\Program Files\Yahoo!\Common\yiesrvc.dll
O3 - Toolbar: Yahoo! Toolbar - {EF99BD32-C1FB-11D2-892F-0090271D4F88} - C:\Program Files\Yahoo!\Companion\Installs\cpn0\yt.dll
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [igfxtray] C:\WINDOWS\system32\igfxtray.exe
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [igfxhkcmd] C:\WINDOWS\system32\hkcmd.exe
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [igfxpers] C:\WINDOWS\system32\igfxpers.exe
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [IMJPMIG8.1] "C:\WINDOWS\IME\imjp8_1\IMJPMIG.EXE" /Spoil /RemAdvDef /Migration32
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [MSPY2002] C:\WINDOWS\system32\IME\PINTLGNT\ImScInst.exe /SYNC
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [PHIME2002ASync] C:\WINDOWS\system32\IME\TINTLGNT\TINTSETP.EXE /SYNC
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [PHIME2002A] C:\WINDOWS\system32\IME\TINTLGNT\TINTSETP.EXE /IMEName
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [NeroFilterCheck] C:\Program Files\Common Files\Ahead\Lib\NeroCheck.exe
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [avgnt] "C:\Program Files\Avira\AntiVir PersonalEdition Classic\avgnt.exe" /min
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [YSearchProtection] "C:\Program Files\Yahoo!\Search Protection\SearchProtection.exe"
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [WinampAgent] C:\Program Files\Winamp\winampa.exe
O4 - HKCU\..\Run: [TaskSwitchXP] C:\Program Files\TaskSwitchXP\TaskSwitchXP.exe
O4 - HKCU\..\Run: [BgMonitor_{79662E04-7C6C-4d9f-84C7-88D8A56B10AA}] "C:\Program Files\Common Files\Ahead\Lib\NMBgMonitor.exe"
O4 - HKCU\..\Run: [ctfmon.exe] C:\WINDOWS\system32\ctfmon.exe
O4 - HKCU\..\Run: [Yahoo! Pager] "C:\PROGRA~1\Yahoo!\MESSEN~1\YAHOOM~1.EXE" -quiet
O4 - HKCU\..\Run: [YSearchProtection] C:\Program Files\Yahoo!\Search Protection\SearchProtection.exe
O4 - HKCU\..\Run: [Active Desktop Calendar] C:\Program Files\XemiComputers\Active Desktop Calendar\ADC.exe
O4 - HKUS\S-1-5-19\..\Run: [TaskSwitchXP] C:\Program Files\TaskSwitchXP\TaskSwitchXP.exe (User 'LOCAL SERVICE')
O4 - HKUS\S-1-5-19\..\Run: [Free Download Manager] C:\Program Files\Free Download Manager\fdm.exe -autorun (User 'LOCAL SERVICE')
O4 - HKUS\S-1-5-19\..\RunOnce: [nlsf] cmd.exe /C move /Y "%SystemRoot%\System32\syssetub.dll" "%SystemRoot%\System32\syssetup.dll" (User 'LOCAL SERVICE')
O4 - HKUS\S-1-5-20\..\Run: [TaskSwitchXP] C:\Program Files\TaskSwitchXP\TaskSwitchXP.exe (User 'NETWORK SERVICE')
O4 - HKUS\S-1-5-20\..\RunOnce: [nlsf] cmd.exe /C move /Y "%SystemRoot%\System32\syssetub.dll" "%SystemRoot%\System32\syssetup.dll" (User 'NETWORK SERVICE')
O4 - HKUS\S-1-5-18\..\Run: [TaskSwitchXP] C:\Program Files\TaskSwitchXP\TaskSwitchXP.exe (User 'SYSTEM')
O4 - HKUS\S-1-5-18\..\RunOnce: [nlsf] cmd.exe /C move /Y "%SystemRoot%\System32\syssetub.dll" "%SystemRoot%\System32\syssetup.dll" (User 'SYSTEM')
O4 - HKUS\.DEFAULT\..\Run: [TaskSwitchXP] C:\Program Files\TaskSwitchXP\TaskSwitchXP.exe (User 'Default user')
O4 - HKUS\.DEFAULT\..\RunOnce: [nlsf] cmd.exe /C move /Y "%SystemRoot%\System32\syssetub.dll" "%SystemRoot%\System32\syssetup.dll" (User 'Default user')
O4 - Global Startup: Adobe Gamma Loader.lnk = C:\Program Files\Common Files\Adobe\Calibration\Adobe Gamma Loader.exe
O6 - HKLM\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Restrictions present
O8 - Extra context menu item: E&xport to Microsoft Excel - res://C:\PROGRA~1\MICROS~1\OFFICE11\EXCEL.EXE/3000
O9 - Extra button: Yahoo! Services - {5BAB4B5B-68BC-4B02-94D6-2FC0DE4A7897} - C:\Program Files\Yahoo!\Common\yiesrvc.dll
O9 - Extra button: Research - {92780B25-18CC-41C8-B9BE-3C9C571A8263} - C:\PROGRA~1\MICROS~1\OFFICE11\REFIEBAR.DLL
O16 - DPF: {30528230-99f7-4bb4-88d8-fa1d4f56a2ab} (Installation Support) - C:\Program Files\Yahoo!\Common\Yinsthelper.dll
O23 - Service: AntiVir PersonalEdition Classic Scheduler (AntiVirScheduler) - Avira GmbH - C:\Program Files\Avira\AntiVir PersonalEdition Classic\sched.exe
O23 - Service: AntiVir PersonalEdition Classic Guard (AntiVirService) - Avira GmbH - C:\Program Files\Avira\AntiVir PersonalEdition Classic\avguard.exe
O23 - Service: NBService - Nero AG - C:\Program Files\Nero\Nero 7\Nero BackItUp\NBService.exe

--
End of file - 6428 bytes

Any help would be HIGHLY appreciated..

 

[guest_9323wk]

Sorry

Hi,


We are no longer to offer help with HJT log files. Please try links below. That are for HJT Logs.


http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/forums/forum22.html

http://www.castlecops.com/forum67.html



Good Luck in fixing the problem.




wizkid

 

[Jason.369]

It could be a virus? ...some viruses are known to say the svchost.exe is missing. Run the boot scan on avast! after making sure the virus definitions are up-to-date.

Failing that, you could restore to a point when you didn't get this error. (Just in case you don't know: restore is meant to be ran in safemode.)

Failing both of them, you can do this:

If you deleted svchost.exe from your system32 folder follow these steps:

Boot from your Windows XP disk and use recovery console, follow the onscreen stuff and put the admin password in that you setup when you installed windows, you should now be at a prompt EXAMPLE: C:\WINDOWS>

At the end of the prompt type: cd F:\I386
F is the letter of the drive where your XP disk is so you will need to change it to your drive letter. The prompt should now be F:\I386>

After the prompt type: Expand svchost.ex_ C:\windows\system32
C is the letter of you HD were windows XP is installed, needs to be changed accordingly. At the prompt type: exit
Your sytem will re-boot and you will now have a copy of svchost.exe in your system32 folder again.

...copied/pasted from pcvsconsole.com.