Questions about damage from spyware and worm

[mike]

A friend asked me to come and look at his laptop because it was "acting
strange".
Well I went and looked at it, taking my tools of virus and spyware removal.
The machine had a ton of worm infected files with at least 4 different type
of worms and a ton of spyware/ad-ware. I was able to remove it all.....but
something are corrupted or tweaked and I don't know how to fix them.

He's running WinXP SP2. Here are some of the odd behaviors that I don't
know how to fix

a. The windows installer doesn't work. I can't install Office or uninstall
Norton because it says the machine doesn't "have access" to the windows
installer. I found an MSDN article about reinstalling and/or re-registering
the windows installer and I went through those steps and it didn't help.
Anyone have any ideas?

b. When you minimize an app it does not show up on the task bar. Instead the
background apps show up as little toolbars above the taskbar. Huh?

c. Cut-n-Paste doesn't work in Office applications anymore. Again. Huh?

d. all files, including desktop files are "underlined" link links. Is this
some setting someplace I can't find?

thanks....the cut-n-paste problem is the BIG one as he has a paper due soon,
so any help appreciated

mike

PS Remove the x in my email address if you want to reply directly...thanks

 

[wayne]

Cut and paste is the sign of another virus. Make sure everything is up to
date and ALWAYS run your scans in safe mode

Wayne

 

[Morituri-|-Max]

A friend asked me to come and look at his laptop because it was
"acting strange".
Well I went and looked at it, taking my tools of virus and spyware
removal. The machine had a ton of worm infected files with at least 4
different type of worms and a ton of spyware/ad-ware. I was able to
remove it all.....but something are corrupted or tweaked and I don't
know how to fix them.
He's running WinXP SP2. Here are some of the odd behaviors that I
don't know how to fix

If it was that bad, you're best bet is to save anything you can that you
don't want to lose, and wipe it clean and reinstall windows.. that way you
leave no room for worry...

.. . . then . . . ! ! ! ! install and maintain and USE the latest
anti-virus, anti-spyware software you can find.