Suspicious script in Help and Support

  • Thread starter Thread starter Renny Bosch
  • Start date Start date
R

Renny Bosch

When I click Start | Help and Support, a McAfee warning window comes up
saying "A Suspicious Script Has Been Detected! The file
C:\WINDOWS\pchealth\helpctr\binaries\HelpCtr.exe contains suspicious
scripting activity and has been stopped."

If I then click "Allow entire script this time", it comes up with a second
similar warning in C:\Documents and Settings\HP_Owner\Local
Settings\Temp\$$.JS. After I click "Allow entire script this time" again,
the warning goes away but nothing else happens (no Help and Support).

This is a brand-new computer with XP Home, and all the latest security
patches, and McAfee shows no viruses. What is wrong with it?
 
Hi Renny,

Right click on the HelpCtr.exe file and select properties.

This is the size I see, on WinXP Pro SP2
750 KB (768,512 bytes)

And version: 5.1.2600.2180

File version: (xpsp_sp2_rtm.040803-2158)

Do you have the same?

Also, delete the contents of the temp folder:
C:\Documents and Settings\HP_Owner\Local Settings\Temp
 
My HelpCtr.exe has exactly the same info as you stated. When I tried to
delete the contents of the Temp folder, two files remained: IadHide5.dll
and JETC464.tmp. After deleting the rest I retried Start | Help and
Support, and got the same Suspicious Script warning as before.

I have had plenty of other, less obvious anomalies, such as Quicken no
longer scrolls in response to the wheel mouse, Quicken cannot access the
site for registration, once I got a "Virtual memory is running low" warning
(I have 512 MB RAM and 80 GB disk, and was running no more than 4 or 5
programs), etc.

Note: The system originally came with Norton Security Center on it. I
deleted it and installed McAfee instead.

Is it time to do a full system restore?
 
Hi Renny,

If when you say restore, you refer to a clean install, that fix all
the errors. And insure that Norton is removed completely. I would also
suggest not installing McAfee either. Make sure to backup anything you
do not want to loose. Here are some suggestions for virus and malware
removal and prevention.
http://bertk.mvps.org/html/spyware.html
 
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