Startup error with squares: Windows cannot find or load a specified file in the registry.

[Guest]

To ANYONE who may be able to help me. I ran Ad-Aware6.0 (adware software by Lavasoft) and found that a free virus scan website (which by the way is eAnthology-A.K.A Stop-Sign or eAcceleration) that I had installed a couple months ago had TONS of spyware, etc., so I deleted these files, knowing that the company themselves always had pop-ups popping up even when I was off-line to advertise their online service, scan results, and so forth . I shut down for the day and when I booted up that night I got the following error DURING bootup before my pop-up blocker and antivirus program loaded

Windows cannot find ' L '. Make sure you typed the name correctly and then try again. To search for a file, click the start button and click Search. O
***Please note that in the ' ' above is 17 squares before the L and then 3 squares after.**

From there I click OK, and the nest box reads: <title bar>Desktop Could not load or run ' the 17 squares mentioned above, the letter L, and three squares after ' specified in the registry. Make sure the file exists on your computer or remove the reference to it in the registry. OK
When I click OK the first box reappears and I click OK and then the second box reappears and I click OK and the computer finishes booting up. My computer seems to be working well but I can't stand the fact that it could be a small error that turns out to be huge. BUT--it is annoying and if I have a worm, virus, etc., I definitely want to know about it--and why hasn't my Anti-Virus software detected anything? ****Also, I have noticed that these squares belong to two files in my Startup tab in the System Configuration Utilty. The locations are: HKCU\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\Current Version\Windows:Run and HKCU\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\Current Version\Windows:Load .***** I can't search for them because my keyboard, unfortunately, came without squares. >:-{ Ha Ha! I'm quite worn-out after trying to figure it out and I can say that the error still appears after hitting F8 at startup and selecting "startup with the last registry that worked" (I don't know the exact wording)! I know my message is long, but I want to inform whoever can help me WELL! I appreciate any response to my issue and hope someone has one. Please let me know.
Thanks so much
SLS

 

[roger]

Hi SLS,

To ANYONE who may be able to help me. I ran Ad-Aware6.0 (adware software by Lavasoft) and found that a free virus scan website (which by the way is eAnthology-A.K.A Stop-Sign or eAcceleration) that I had installed a couple months ago had TONS of spyware, etc., so I deleted these files, knowing that the company themselves always had pop-ups popping up even when I was off-line to advertise their online service, scan results, and so forth . I shut down for the day and when I booted up that night I got the following error DURING bootup before my pop-up blocker and antivirus program loaded:

Windows cannot find ' L '. Make sure you typed the name correctly and then try again. To search for a file, click the start button and click Search. OK

[...]

I would suggest scanning with Hijack This saving the log and posting
to the appropriate forums, although you can try with the other
programs as well.

More info about parasites:
http://www.aumha.org/a/parasite.htm

Download the utility CWshredder:
http://www.spywareinfo.com/~merijn/files/cwshredder.zip

Unzip - close *all* instances of IE & OE, hit the executable and
follow
the prompts.

You can also download Hijack This from here:

http://www.mjc1.com/files/merijn/hijackthis.exe

Go here:
http://mjc1.com/mirror/hjt/

For instructions on how to use it; you have to post the log it
produces here:
http://www.spywareinfo.com/forums/
so experts tell you what is good and what is malware


Try downloading, installing and updating the
spyware removers from the links below. Run both of them.

Ad-aware
http://www.lavasoftusa.com/support/download/

Spybot S&D
http://www.safer-networking.org/index.php?lang=en&page=download


If these don't correct the problem, then get yourself a copy of
BHODemon, available at
http://www.definitivesolutions.com/bhodemon.htm .

It does not need installing - simply unzip and run the EXE program. It
is easy to use. It will find the hijackware DLL files, and give you
the ability to disable them.

Hope this helps.