IE runs at 99%

[Ron]

A couple days ago I turned my computer on and had more spam and crap than
I've ever seen. I've been working for two days now to try to return to
normal. I have Zone Alarm Security Suite, SpyBot, Adware, Norton but nothing
works. I got rid of the one worm I found, 22 spywares, and 283 ad's. This
happened overnight or in one day of use. I have used all the utilities in
normal mode, Safe Mode, etc but no luck. System Restore won't work for any
date chosen. Everytime I turn the computer on Task Manager reports
explorer.exe running at 99% and won't let me shut it down or delete it and
explorer is not even open. OK, I'm off point. What I want to do is slow
explorer down so I can reformat and rein-stall. Anyone have any suggestions?

 

[Ken Blake, MVP]

What I want to do is slow
explorer down so I can reformat and rein-stall. Anyone have any suggestions?

You don't need to "slow explorer down" to reformat and reinstall. In
fact, to reformat and reinstall, you don't use explorer at all. You
don't do it from within Windows.

Just boot from the Windows XP CD (change the BIOS boot order if
necessary to accomplish this) and follow the prompts for a clean
installation (delete the existing partition by pressing "D" when
prompted, then create a new one).

You can find detailed instructions here:
http://michaelstevenstech.com/cleanxpinstall.html

or here
http://xphelpandsupport.mvps.org/how_do_i_install_windows_xp.htm

or here http://windowsxp.mvps.org/XPClean.htm

or here http://www.webtree.ca/windowsxp/clean_install.htm

 

[PA Bear]

Unexplained computer behavior may be caused by deceptive software
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/827315

Run a /thorough/ check for hijackware, including posting your hijackthis log
to an appropriate forum.

Checking for/Help with Hijackware
http://aumha.org/a/parasite.htm
http://aumha.org/a/quickfix.htm
http://aumha.net/viewtopic.php?t=5878
http://wiki.castlecops.com/Malware_Removal_and_Prevention:_Introduction
http://mvps.org/winhelp2002/unwanted.htm
http://inetexplorer.mvps.org/data/prevention.htm
http://inetexplorer.mvps.org/tshoot.html
http://www.mvps.org/sramesh2k/Malware_Defence.htm
http://defendingyourmachine2.blogspot.com/
http://www.elephantboycomputers.com/page2.html#Removing_Malware

When all else fails, HijackThis v2.0.2
(http://aumha.org/downloads/hijackthis.exe) is the preferred tool to use.
It will help you to both identify and remove any hijackware/spyware with
assistance from an expert. **Post your log to
http://forums.spybot.info/forumdisplay.php?f=22,
http://castlecops.com/forum67.html,
http://forums.subratam.org/index.php?showforum=7,
http://aumha.net/viewforum.php?f=30, or other appropriate forums for expert
analysis, not here.**

If the procedures look too complex - and there is no shame in admitting this
isn't your cup of tea - take the machine to a local, reputable and
independent (i.e., not BigBoxStoreUSA) computer repair shop.

 

[Patrick Keenan]

A couple days ago I turned my computer on and had more spam and crap than
I've ever seen. I've been working for two days now

Way too much time spent.

to try to return to normal. I have Zone Alarm Security Suite, SpyBot,
Adware, Norton but nothing works. I got rid of the one worm I found, 22
spywares, and 283 ad's. This happened overnight or in one day of use. I
have used all the utilities in normal mode, Safe Mode, etc but no luck.
System Restore won't work for any date chosen.

The restore points are likely infected, so when you restart the system, the
first thing to do is delete them by turning System Restore OFF. Then turn
it back on.

Everytime I turn the computer on Task Manager reports explorer.exe running
at 99% and won't let me shut it down or delete it and explorer is not even
open.

Actually, it is. What you see as the desktop *is* Explorer.

Task Manager doesn't show you nearly enough detail. Try Process Explorer
instead.

OK, I'm off point. What I want to do is slow explorer down so I can
reformat and rein-stall. Anyone have any suggestions?

No, that is not what you want to do. What you want is not to slow explorer
down, but to disable the malware that's running.

First, shut the system down, remove the drive, attach it to another system,
and scan it for malware *there*, after first locating and clearing all the
temp folders and the content.ie5 folders. Locate and clear these folders
for all accounts. Empty the recycle bin. Chances are high that the
running malware is actually in one or more of these folders.

I would suggest that you scan that drive using the installed A/V app on the
host system, and also the online Trend Micro Housecall site.

Also, afterwards, do a manual search of the Windows and System32 folders for
files that just shouldn't be there. A preliminary view using a command
prompt and "dir /ah" is often useful, as some malware hides itself with the
hidden attribute. You may need to use the attrib command to take these
files out of hidden *and* system status to rename or delete them.

After you have done these things, put the drive back in and restart, without
a network connection, in Safe Mode. Run MSCONFIG, and disable or delete
any suspect entries. Then install and run HiJack This, and use it to
locate and remove other malware references.

Finally, restart in regular mode, still not connected to networks.
Rescan the system, but consider that the A/V install is possibly damaged.
Run Process Explorer as you reconnect to the internet and watch carefully as
the system responds.

HTH
-pk

 

[Daave]

A couple days ago I turned my computer on and had more spam and crap
than I've ever seen. I've been working for two days now to try to
return to normal. I have Zone Alarm Security Suite, SpyBot, Adware,
Norton but nothing works. I got rid of the one worm I found, 22
spywares, and 283 ad's. This happened overnight or in one day of use.
I have used all the utilities in normal mode, Safe Mode, etc but no
luck. System Restore won't work for any date chosen. Everytime I turn
the computer on Task Manager reports explorer.exe running at 99% and
won't let me shut it down or delete it and explorer is not even open.
OK, I'm off point. What I want to do is slow explorer down so I can
reformat and rein-stall. Anyone have any suggestions?

FWIW, Explorer and Internet Explorer are two different (albeit related)
things.