Cannot enable firewall!

[Calum]

I cannot enable the firewall on my PC. Whenever I log on I get a re
balloon in the taskbar telling me that the firewall is not enabled
When I try to enable it, I get the message "Windows cannot start th
Windows Firewall/Internet Connection Sharing (ICS) service".

I have also noticed that the task manager is unavailable at start-up
as is the Registry Editor and the command prompt. I have managed t
rectify these problems, and have installed and run th
WinsockXPFix.exe tool.

However, when I reboot after doing all this, I am back to square on
again - no task manager, no Registry Editor etc. and the firewall i
still not enabled

Can anyone tell me what to do now

Thanks
Calu

 

[JR]

Sound like your PC is infected with malware/virus etc.
If you had to run winsock tools, you were very likely hit with crap like
newdot.net
Save your critical data, zero write, reinstall.
JR

 

[Malke]

I cannot enable the firewall on my PC. Whenever I log on I get a red
balloon in the taskbar telling me that the firewall is not enabled.
When I try to enable it, I get the message "Windows cannot start the
Windows Firewall/Internet Connection Sharing (ICS) service".

I have also noticed that the task manager is unavailable at start-up,
as is the Registry Editor and the command prompt. I have managed to
rectify these problems, and have installed and run the
WinsockXPFix.exe tool.

However, when I reboot after doing all this, I am back to square one
again - no task manager, no Registry Editor etc. and the firewall is
still not enabled!

These are all symptoms of an infected computer. Remove malware as
follows, using updated tools and scanning in Safe Mode:

1) Scan in Safe Mode with current version (not earlier than 2004)
antivirus using updated definitions. If you do not have a full-featured
av installed on your computer, first get and scan with TrendMicro's
Sysclean (instructions follow malware removal links). After scanning
with Sysclean, make sure you get a full-featured av, install it, update
it, and do a complete scan in Safe Mode.

Before you remove malware, get LSPFix (or WinSockFix for XP which you
can get from MajorGeeks) - see links below.

2) Remove spyware with Spybot Search & Destroy and Ad-aware. These
programs are free, so use them both since they complement each other.
There is a new version of CWShredder from Intermute. I would not
install the other Intermute programs, however. Alternately, there are
CoolWebSearch malware removal steps at SilentRunners.

Be sure to update these programs before running, and it is a good idea
to do virus/spyware scans in Safe Mode. Make sure you are able to see
all hidden files and extensions (View tab in Folder Options).

If the malware remains even after you used Ad-aware and Spybot, you can
scan with HijackThis. HijackThis is an excellent tool to discover and
disable hijackers, but it requires expert skill. See below for
HijackThis links, including sites where you can post your HJT logs. A
combination of HijackThis and About:Buster works well in removing the
About:Blank homepage hijacker. Again, this is an expert tool and
novices should get help with it.

3) If you are running Windows ME or XP, you should disable/enable System
Restore after the system is clean because malware will be in the
Restore Points. With ME, you must disable System Restore completely.
With XP, you can delete all but the most recent (presumably clean)
System Restore point from the More Options section of Disk Cleanup
(Run>cleanmgr).

4) Make sure you've visited Windows Update and applied all security
patches. Do not install driver updates from Windows Update.

5) Run a firewall.

Links to help with malware:

Software/Methods:
http://www.safer-networking.org - Spybot Search & Destroy
http://www.lavasoftusa.com - Ad-aware
http://www.majorgeeks.com - good download site
http://www.intermute.com/spysubtract/cwshredder_download.html
http://www.silentrunners.org/sr_cwsremoval.html. - SilentRunners
http://www.cexx.org/lspfix.htm - Repair Winsock 2 settings after
removing spyware
http://www.spychecker.com/program/winsockxpfix.html - WinsockXPFix.exe

HijackThis:
http://www.aumha.org/a/hjttutor.htm - HijackThis tutorial by Jim
Eshelman
http://aumha.net - forums
http://spywarewarrior.com/viewforum.php?f=5 - Spyware Warrior HijackThis
forum
http://www.wilderssecurity.com/
http://forums.tomcoyote.org/

General:
http://aumha.net - look under "Security" for various forums
http://rgharper.mvps.org/cleanit.htm
http://mvps.org/winhelp2002/unwanted.htm
http://www.aumha.org/a/parasite.htm - The Parasite Fight
http://www.spywarewarrior.com/rogue_anti-spyware.htm

TrendMicro's Sysclean is an extensive antivirus tool which has the
advantage of not needing to be installed. It requires two parts - the
scanning engine and the virus pattern files.

1. Create a new folder on your Desktop or the C: drive named something
useful like "Sysclean".
2. Go here and download the two parts of the program to that folder:

http://www.trendmicro.com/download/dcs.asp - Sysclean
http://www.trendmicro.com/download/pattern.asp - virus pattern files

The pattern files will be zipped - extract them with your unzipper (like
WinZip) or if you have XP, you can just open the folder. You need to
put the extracted files in the Sysclean folder you made.

3. Restart your computer in Safe Mode. Get into Safe Mode by repeatedly
tapping the F8 key as the computer is starting up to get to the proper
menu.
4. Go to the Sysclean folder you made and double-click on sysclean.com.
Start the scan. After the scan is finished, look at the log. You may
need to make a note of where any viruses were found if they were not
able to be removed so you can manually delete them.

Malke

 

[Calum]

I have followed all the steps above and the problem is still there
Task mangager is still disabled when I log on, and the firewal
cannot be enabled!

I don't know what else I can do...please help

 

[Malke]

I have followed all the steps above and the problem is still there!
Task mangager is still disabled when I log on, and the firewall
cannot be enabled!

I don't know what else I can do...please help!

You are completely sure that your computer is 100% spyware and
virus-free? What antivirus program did you use? Do you have the MS
AntiSpyware beta program installed?

Malke

 

[Calum]

I think the problem is to do with a file called mypic.scr I was sen
via MSN Messenger. I accepted it before knowing what it was and thi
must have caused all the trouble

I have done a bit of research and this mypic.scr is linked to th
W32.Yaha worm. So I downloaded the tool to fix it but it failed t
find the worm on my computer. I don't know what to do now as all th
symptoms of this worm are there (XP firewall, Task Manager, regedit
System Restore, command prompt all disabled), but it says that
don't have this worm

Can anyone suggest what else I can do??

 

[Malke]

I think the problem is to do with a file called mypic.scr I was sent
via MSN Messenger. I accepted it before knowing what it was and this
must have caused all the trouble.

I have done a bit of research and this mypic.scr is linked to the
W32.Yaha worm. So I downloaded the tool to fix it but it failed to
find the worm on my computer. I don't know what to do now as all the
symptoms of this worm are there (XP firewall, Task Manager, regedit,
System Restore, command prompt all disabled), but it says that I
don't have this worm!

Can anyone suggest what else I can do???

Don't you have a full-featured antivirus installed? Apparently not, or
if you do perhaps it is an older version and the subscription has
expired. The W32.Yaha worm is old and there are many new worms out,
including the MSN messenger worm. The tool you downloaded is specific
and won't clean anything but the old worm it was written to remove.

If my assumptions about your antivirus status are correct, start
cleaning up with TrendMicro's Sysclean after deleting all Temporary and
Temporary Internet files:

TrendMicro's Sysclean is an extensive antivirus tool which has the
advantage of not needing to be installed. It requires two parts - the
scanning engine and the virus pattern files.

1. Create a new folder on your Desktop or the C: drive named something
useful like "Sysclean".
2. Go here and download the two parts of the program to that folder:

http://www.trendmicro.com/download/dcs.asp - Sysclean
http://www.trendmicro.com/download/pattern.asp - virus pattern files

The pattern files will be zipped - extract them with your unzipper (like
WinZip) or if you have XP, you can just open the folder. You need to
put the extracted files in the Sysclean folder you made.

3. Restart your computer in Safe Mode. Get into Safe Mode by repeatedly
tapping the F8 key as the computer is starting up to get to the proper
menu.
4. Go to the Sysclean folder you made and double-click on sysclean.com.
Start the scan. After the scan is finished, look at the log. You may
need to make a note of where any viruses were found if they were not
able to be removed so you can manually delete them.

After your scan with Sysclean, get a full-featured av, install it,
update it, and do a thorough scan in Safe Mode. And practice Safe Hex
in the future.

Malke

 

[NotMe]

I've seen the windows firewall disabled after removing spyware using either
the MS Antispyware tool or Adaware, Spybot or others. It seems some spyware
messes with the Winsock files to redirect you to their affiliate sites.
Until you fix the Winsock settings, it will redirect you every time you open
IE and reinstall the spyware.
The Windows Firewall error message goes something like this...
The windows firewall can not start because the underlying service is not
running, do you want to start it now?
The Internet connection Sharing/Windows firewall could not be started.

To repair the winsock problem and re-enable the firewall the steps are as
follows:
start
run
type: cmd.exe
in the next window...spaces and all type: netsh winsock reset
you will have to reboot for the changes to take effect