ujhlaurel said:
Recently running Advanced SystemCare PRO 3.3.4, System Analyzer line
suggested submitting a lengthy log file to a HijackThis analyzer or
Hijackthis forum. The file was saved to Note Pad, but I don't know
where to go from there for analysis. My computer: Dell Dimension
E521, WinXP Home, SP3. I originally considered a forum, but didn't
like the way I was being directed. I'm wide open to assistance.
Although I like HijackThis! and have found it useful in the past - it has
been a *LONG* time since I have seen a need for it. Seems products like
MalwareBytes and SuperAntiSpyware in conjunction with a little manual
scrubbing can do everything it could have pointed you towards fairly easily.
My suggestion for cleaning up a Windows XP system (which I assume you have)
is the following:
Fix your file/registry permissions...
Ignore the title and follow the sub-section under "Advanced Troubleshooting"
titled, "Method 1: Reset the registry and the file permissions"
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/949377
*will take time
(** Ignore the last step - especially if you already have SP3.)
Reboot and ...
Reboot and ...
Download/install this:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/290301
After installing, do the following:
Start button --> RUN --> type in:
"%ProgramFiles%\Windows Installer Clean Up\msizap.exe" g!
--> Click OK.
(The quotation marks and percentage signs and spacing should be exact.)
Download, install, run, update and perform a full scan (separately) with the
following two applications (freeware versions are the ones to use for this):
SuperAntiSpyware
http://www.superantispyware.com/
MalwareBytes
http://www.malwarebytes.com/
After performing a full scan with one and then the other and removing
whatever they both find completely, you may uninstall these products,
if you wish.
Download and run the MSRT manually:
http://www.microsoft.com/security/malwareremove/default.mspx
Reboot and ...
Download/Install the latest Windows Installer (for your OS):
( Windows XP 32-bit : WindowsXP-KB942288-v3-x86.exe )
http://www.microsoft.com/downloadS/...6F-60B6-4412-95B9-54D056D6F9F4&displaylang=en
Reboot and ...
Download the latest version of the Windows Update agent from here (x86):
http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=91237
.... and save it to the root of your C:\ drive. After saving it to the root
of the C:\ drive, do the following:
Close all Internet Explorer windows and other applications.
Start button --> RUN and type in:
%SystemDrive%\windowsupdateagent30-x86.exe /WUFORCE
--> Click OK.
(If asked, select "Run.) --> Click on NEXT --> Select "I agree" and click on
NEXT --> When it finishes installing, click on "Finish"...
Reboot and ...
Then follow the instructions here:
How do I reset Windows Update components?
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/971058
Reboot and ...
CHKDSK
How to scan your disks for errors
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/315265
* will take time and a reboot
Defragment
How to Defragment your hard drives
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/314848
* will take time
Ensure your hardware drivers are up to date (from the hardware
manufacturer's respective web pages.) Never get hardware drivers
for hardware that was not created/sold by Microsoft from Microsoft.
Reboot and ...
Log on as an user with administrative rights and open Internet Explorer
and visit
http://windowsupdate.microsoft.com/ and select to do a
CUSTOM scan...
Every time you are about to click on something while at these web pages -
first press and hold down the CTRL key while you click on it. You can
release the CTRL key after clicking each time.
Once the scan is done, select just _ONE_ of the high priority updates
(deselect any others) and install it.
Reboot again.
If it did work - try the web page again - selecting no more than 3-5 at a
time. Rebooting as needed.
The Optional Software updates are generally safe - although I recommend
against the "Windows Search" one and any of the "Office Live" ones or
"Windows Live" ones for now. I would completely avoid the
Optional Hardware updates. Also - I do not see any urgent need to install
Internet Explorer 8 at this time.
Seriously - do all that. This is like antibiotics - don't skip a single
step, don't quit because you think things will be okay now - go through
until the end, until you have done everything given in the order given. If
you have a problem with a step come ask and let someone here get you
through that step. If you don't understand how to do a step, come back and
ask here about that step and let someone walk you through it.
Then - when done - let everyone here know if it worked for you - or if you
have more issues.
