G
Guest
Recently, I accidentally installed the TV Media adware, which is apparently
particularly troublesome because it interferes with Windows Update in Windows
XP. (This is the reason for critical update KB885523, issued this October.)
Microsoft also issued a removal tool:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/886590
However, I was not aware of that and tried to delete the adware manually.
In the process, I deleted winupdt.exe (Is that Windows Update? If so, it was
apparently modified by the adware download.) and possibly some other Windows
system files, with the result being that Windows Explorer and Internet
Explorer (and quite possibly other programs) didn't work. (I'd get a message
saying, "_____ has encountered a problem and needs to close.)
At this point, I used the system restore feature to restore to before I
installed the adware. Now there is no obvious evidence that it was ever on
my computer, but I can no longer connect to the internet. I have verified
that my internet connection is good (works for my other computer) and in fact
shows that I am connected with data transfer on the affected computer, but
every page gives me a "Cannot find server" error; setting up the internet
connection over again did not help. I think there is a problem with Windows,
but a system diagnostic shows that all Windows files are where expected.
At this point I am not sure if my problem is being caused by the adware
download having some effect that was not erased by the restore or by the
restore itself.
I notice there is a similar problem that was fixed in SP2 (which I don't
have; I have SP1):
http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=329441
However, I don't have the same symptoms; I can see the network connections
and supposedly make new ones; they just don't work. (However, I can get ping
to work.)
I wonder if there could be some problem with my registry. Anyone have any
idea what I could do now?? Go back to before the restore? (If there are
missing Windows system files, will there be a way to fix that without
reinstalling Windows?)Try to use the TV Media deletion utility now? I don't
know if I can even successfully do updates now since I don't have an internet
connection, but I really hesitate to go back to before the restore since at
least now the adware is gone, and the computer seems to be working completely
normally except for the lack of internet access. Any other ideas?
particularly troublesome because it interferes with Windows Update in Windows
XP. (This is the reason for critical update KB885523, issued this October.)
Microsoft also issued a removal tool:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/886590
However, I was not aware of that and tried to delete the adware manually.
In the process, I deleted winupdt.exe (Is that Windows Update? If so, it was
apparently modified by the adware download.) and possibly some other Windows
system files, with the result being that Windows Explorer and Internet
Explorer (and quite possibly other programs) didn't work. (I'd get a message
saying, "_____ has encountered a problem and needs to close.)
At this point, I used the system restore feature to restore to before I
installed the adware. Now there is no obvious evidence that it was ever on
my computer, but I can no longer connect to the internet. I have verified
that my internet connection is good (works for my other computer) and in fact
shows that I am connected with data transfer on the affected computer, but
every page gives me a "Cannot find server" error; setting up the internet
connection over again did not help. I think there is a problem with Windows,
but a system diagnostic shows that all Windows files are where expected.
At this point I am not sure if my problem is being caused by the adware
download having some effect that was not erased by the restore or by the
restore itself.
I notice there is a similar problem that was fixed in SP2 (which I don't
have; I have SP1):
http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=329441
However, I don't have the same symptoms; I can see the network connections
and supposedly make new ones; they just don't work. (However, I can get ping
to work.)
I wonder if there could be some problem with my registry. Anyone have any
idea what I could do now?? Go back to before the restore? (If there are
missing Windows system files, will there be a way to fix that without
reinstalling Windows?)Try to use the TV Media deletion utility now? I don't
know if I can even successfully do updates now since I don't have an internet
connection, but I really hesitate to go back to before the restore since at
least now the adware is gone, and the computer seems to be working completely
normally except for the lack of internet access. Any other ideas?