Viruses and Undeleteable files

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Guest

I had some programs, install themselves last night on my computer, attained 9
viruses of which 7 were removed with virus scan. I cannot connect to
internet, and the files cannot be stopped from opening in MSconfig startup. I
change the setting, but they recheck themselves. I tried to delete the files
and uninstall. Uninstall says I have to connect to IE to finish. Message box
says files in use and won't let me delete. Main file is Surf Sidekick. My
email is (e-mail address removed) as I'm not sure if I can get back to this page
on my old computer. How do I delte the files if it won't let me?
 
:I had some programs, install themselves last night on my computer, attained
9
: viruses of which 7 were removed with virus scan. I cannot connect to
: internet, and the files cannot be stopped from opening in MSconfig
startup. I
: change the setting, but they recheck themselves. I tried to delete the
files
: and uninstall. Uninstall says I have to connect to IE to finish. Message
box
: says files in use and won't let me delete. Main file is Surf Sidekick. My
: email is (e-mail address removed) as I'm not sure if I can get back to this
page
: on my old computer. How do I delte the files if it won't let me?
: --
: milkman

Try running your AV in Safe Mode. Run AdAware and Spybot in Safe Mode as
well.

Alias
 
Eliminate any scumware.
CAUTION!!!!! Before you try to remove spyware using any of these programs ,
download a copy of LSPFIX from any of the following sites:
http://www.cexx.org/lspfix.htm
http://www.spychecker.com/program/winsockxpfix.html
(if your OS is Win2k or XP) The process of removing certain malware may kill
your internet connection. If this should occur, this program, LSPFIX, will
enable you to regain your connection.

See
Dealing with Unwanted Malware, Parasites, Toolbars and Search Engines
http://mvps.org/winhelp2002/unwanted.htm

Note that AdAware and SpyBot S & D will each catch some things the other
won't. Also, each needs to be updated with the program's update function
before every use, even when just downloaded. There's also a lot more to do
than just those two programs. CWShredder is also available here:
http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/regs_edits/cwshredder.zip
**Post your HijackThis log to
http://forums.spywareinfo.com/ or the Spyware forum at
http://forum.aumha.org/ for expert analysis, not here.**
Alternative download pages for Ad-Aware, Spybot, HijackThis and CWShredder
may be found on this page:
http://aumha.org/a/parasite.htm.


See this link for information about malware:
http://arstechnica.com/articles/paedia/malware.ars

If nothing there helps, please post back to this thread.

--
Frank Saunders, MS-MVP, IE/OE
Please respond in Newsgroup. Do not send email
http://www.fjsmjs.com
Protect your PC
http://www.microsoft.com/security/protect/
 
milkman2283 said:
I had some programs, install themselves last night on my computer, attained 9
viruses of which 7 were removed with virus scan. I cannot connect to
internet, and the files cannot be stopped from opening in MSconfig startup. I
change the setting, but they recheck themselves. I tried to delete the files
and uninstall. Uninstall says I have to connect to IE to finish. Message box
says files in use and won't let me delete. Main file is Surf Sidekick. My
email is (e-mail address removed) as I'm not sure if I can get back to this page
on my old computer. How do I delte the files if it won't let me?
Click to expand...

See:

http://securityresponse.symantec.com/avcenter/venc/data/adware.surfsidekick.html

The end of step 3 and step 4 seem to apply in your case.

Steve
 
Alias said:
:I had some programs, install themselves last night on my computer,
:attained
9
: viruses of which 7 were removed with virus scan. I cannot connect to
: internet, and the files cannot be stopped from opening in MSconfig
startup. I
: change the setting, but they recheck themselves. I tried to delete
: the
files
: and uninstall. Uninstall says I have to connect to IE to finish.
: Message
box
: says files in use and won't let me delete. Main file is Surf
: Sidekick. My email is (e-mail address removed) as I'm not sure if I can
: get back to this
page
: on my old computer. How do I delte the files if it won't let me?
: --
: milkman

Try running your AV in Safe Mode. Run AdAware and Spybot in Safe Mode
as well.

Alias
Click to expand...

You have malware on your computer. To expand upon Alias's good advice,
below are specific removal steps. It is crucial you do them in Safe
Mode with updated tools. It is wisest to get all the tools you need
from a completely different computer, known clean, with a good Internet
connection and a cd burner. Burn all tools and updates to cd-r and
bring it to your sick computer. A lot of malware will try to take you
to their website during the "uninstall" process - and I use the term
"uninstall" that way because the malware lies to you. It is really not
removing all traces of itself. Do not connect the sick computer to the
Internet again until is 100% spyware and virus-free and do not connect
without a firewall in place.

1) Scan in Safe Mode with current version (not earlier than 2003)
antivirus using updated definitions.

2) Remove spyware with Spybot Search & Destroy and Ad-aware. These
programs are free, so use them both since they complement each other.
There is a new version of CWShredder from Intermute. I would not
install the other Intermute programs, however. Alternately, there are
CoolWebSearch malware removal steps at SilentRunners.

Be sure to update these programs before running, and it is a good idea
to do virus/spyware scans in Safe Mode. Make sure you are able to see
all hidden files and extensions (View tab in Folder Options).

HijackThis is an excellent tool to discover and disable hijackers, but
it requires expert skill. See below for HijackThis links. A combination
of HijackThis and About:Buster works well in removing the About:Blank
homepage hijacker. Again, this is an expert tool and novices should get
help with it.

3) If you are running Windows ME or XP, you should disable/enable System
Restore because malware will be in the Restore Points. With ME, you
must disable System Restore completely. With XP, you can delete all but
the most recent (presumably clean) System Restore point from the More
Options section of Disk Cleanup (Run>cleanmgr).

4) Make sure you've visited Windows Update and applied all security
patches. Do not install driver updates from Windows Update.

5) Run a firewall.

Links to help with malware:

Software/Methods:
http://www.safer-networking.org - Spybot Search & Destroy
http://www.lavasoftusa.com - Ad-aware
http://www.majorgeeks.com - good download site
http://www.intermute.com/spysubtract/cwshredder_download.html
http://www.silentrunners.org/sr_cwsremoval.html. - SilentRunners

HijackThis:
http://www.aumha.org/a/hjttutor.htm - HijackThis tutorial by Jim
Eshelman
http://spywarewarrior.com/viewforum.php?f=5 - Spyware Warrior HijackThis
forum
http://www.wilderssecurity.com/
http://forums.tomcoyote.org/
http://www.spywareinfo.com/forums/

General:
http://forum.aumha.org/ - look under "Security" for various forums
http://rgharper.mvps.org/cleanit.htm
http://mvps.org/winhelp2002/unwanted.htm
http://www.aumha.org/a/parasite.htm - The Parasite Fight
http://www.spywarewarrior.com/rogue_anti-spyware.htm

Malke
 
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