Many Problems With XP Home SP1 After Removing Spyware (Hang/Delay/Startup)

  • Thread starter Thread starter PXA
  • Start date Start date
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PXA

Hey all. Yesterday, I went to a client who runs XP Home
SP1 on a fairly new Dell system. Their system was
infested with tons of Spyware. I get calls to remove
this all the time. I ran Ad-Aware and Spybot and cleaned
it all out. However, since then, the system takes
forever to boot (hangs for 2-3 minutes at the Welcome
screen) and its lost a lot of functionality. Network
connections don't show up anymore and you can't access
any Properties page in MMC (i.e. I can't view the
properties for services or anything in Device Manager.)
I tried doing a repair, but these same delays occur many
times during the start of the XP install (when it says 39
minutes remaining) and again multiple times during the
Configuring Network and Registering Components phase.
After the repair finally completed, nothing changed. A
wipe & reload here isn't really an option as my client
can't afford it and has dozens of programs installed.
Does anyone know what I can do about this? I've never
seen this problem before and have no idea what to do with
it. Thanks!
 
How to perform advanced clean-boot troubleshooting in Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;316434&Product=winxp

Windows XP Startup Tracker v3.8
http://www.dougknox.com/xp/utils/xp_starttrack.htm

[Courtesy of MS-MVP Doug Knox]

How To Verify Unsigned Device Drivers in Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;308514&Product=winxp

--
Carey Frisch
Microsoft MVP
Windows XP - Shell/User

Be Smart! Protect your PC!
http://www.microsoft.com/security/protect/

--------------------------------------------------------------------

:

| Hey all. Yesterday, I went to a client who runs XP Home
| SP1 on a fairly new Dell system. Their system was
| infested with tons of Spyware. I get calls to remove
| this all the time. I ran Ad-Aware and Spybot and cleaned
| it all out. However, since then, the system takes
| forever to boot (hangs for 2-3 minutes at the Welcome
| screen) and its lost a lot of functionality. Network
| connections don't show up anymore and you can't access
| any Properties page in MMC (i.e. I can't view the
| properties for services or anything in Device Manager.)
| I tried doing a repair, but these same delays occur many
| times during the start of the XP install (when it says 39
| minutes remaining) and again multiple times during the
| Configuring Network and Registering Components phase.
| After the repair finally completed, nothing changed. A
| wipe & reload here isn't really an option as my client
| can't afford it and has dozens of programs installed.
| Does anyone know what I can do about this? I've never
| seen this problem before and have no idea what to do with
| it. Thanks!
 
PXA said:
Hey all. Yesterday, I went to a client who runs XP Home
SP1 on a fairly new Dell system. Their system was
infested with tons of Spyware. I get calls to remove
this all the time. I ran Ad-Aware and Spybot and cleaned
it all out. However, since then, the system takes
forever to boot (hangs for 2-3 minutes at the Welcome
screen) and its lost a lot of functionality. Network
connections don't show up anymore and you can't access
any Properties page in MMC (i.e. I can't view the
properties for services or anything in Device Manager.)
I tried doing a repair, but these same delays occur many
times during the start of the XP install (when it says 39
minutes remaining) and again multiple times during the
Configuring Network and Registering Components phase.
After the repair finally completed, nothing changed. A
wipe & reload here isn't really an option as my client
can't afford it and has dozens of programs installed.
Does anyone know what I can do about this? I've never
seen this problem before and have no idea what to do with
it. Thanks!
Click to expand...

In addition to the other advice you should use some other cleaners to
check for nasties and run McAfee stinger and other online virus scans.
Part of the problem is that it might not be clean yet.

Cwshredder
http://209.133.47.200/~merijn/files/CWShredder.exe

Bazooka Adware and Spyware Scanner
http://download.com.com/3000-2144-10247783.html

HijackThis
http://www.majorgeeks.com/download.php?det=3155

For help interpreting all that HijackThis comes up with post a log to
one of the specialty forums, _NOT_ this one.

Forums to Intrepret HijackThis Logs:

http://www.spywareinfo.com/forums/
http://forum.aumha.org/viewforum.php?f=30
http://forums.tomcoyote.org/
http://www.wilderssecurity.com/

After your system is clean use these programs to help keep it clean:

Spywareblaster
www.javacoolsoftware.com/sbdownload.html

Spywareguard
http://www.javacoolsoftware.com/sgdownload.html

IE-SPYAD
http://www.staff.uiuc.edu/~ehowes/resource.htm

For viruses:

Online and Downloadable Virus Scanning:

Bit Defender Online Virus Scan:
http://www.bitdefender.com/scan/license.php

Symantec Online Virus and Security Scan:
http://security.symantec.com/ssc/home.asp

TrendMicro:
http://housecall.trendmicro.com/housecall/start_corp.asp

McAfee Online Virus Scan:
http://www.mcafee.com/myapps/mfs/default.asp

Panda ActiveScan
http://www.pandasoftware.com/activescan/com/activescan_principal.htm

RAV AntiVirus - Scan Online
http://www.ravantivirus.com/scan/

McAfee Stinger, Downloadable Virus Scanner:
http://us.mcafee.com/virusInfo/default.asp?id=stinger
 
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