can't update antivirus or load avg

Discussion in 'Malware Help - MG (A Specialist Will Reply)' started by abri, Dec 18, 2006.

  1. abri

    abri MajorGeek

    Sorry to bother you yet again!

    I did Windows updates ona new harddrive and after one of them, I got an ad on my IE6 start page which is set for google. The ad is to install the google search toolbar or something. It didn't look like something I wanted and I didn't try to close it, except with Alt F4. I tried an early system restore point to get rid of it and I deinstalled IE6 from Windows Components, and put in a new version from I think ZDNet. The same problem is there, the ad, but since then additionally, I can no longer update my AVG or Bitdefender online updates.

    For AVG I get: "Could not install AVG Anti-virus kernel interface. Application cannot run."
    I deinstalled AVG and restalled it without effect.

    When I tried to run BitDefender I got: BitDefender failed to update the virus definitions. Although it might be useful..."

    After that, I decided to come here. I was not able to run Panda. Counter Spy found nothing. I didn't run BitDefender without the new definitions.
    I'm attaching logs for CounterSpy, ShowNew, RunKey, and HJT.

    So sorry to be asking for help again!
    abri
     

    Attached Files:

    abri, Dec 18, 2006
    #1
  2. abri

    abri MajorGeek

    CounterSpy log
     

    Attached Files:

    abri, Dec 18, 2006
    #2
  3. abri

    abri MajorGeek

    I wanted to add, that I just got a further error message:

    "Firewall status is unknown. 0.-1.208994489 is deactivated."

    Thanks for your help!
    :)
    abri
     
    abri, Dec 18, 2006
    #3
  4. chaslang

    chaslang MajorGeeks Admin - Master Malware Expert Staff Member

    You took a long and incorrect procedure for no reason at all. Google will sometimes popup an ad like that for you to install their tools. Typically if you don't remove their cookies (another reason we tell people not to worry about them) then you will not get the ad again. This is not malware and all you had to do was say no. Doing as System Restore was not necessary or desired. Uninstalling IE and downloading an new one from ZDnet....???????? What were you thinking???? This was totally uncalled for and the combinations of these actions may be the reason for your current issues. Since they are not malware, I recommend you continue in the Software Forum. Also I suggest that you try to not over react to things like this in the future. Especially for something that is a valid product and you even use them (google) for your home page.
     
    Last edited: Dec 19, 2006
    chaslang, Dec 18, 2006
    #4
  5. abri

    abri MajorGeek

    It's not possible for me to know what a valid ad for a valid product is. The ad didn't offer the possibility of saying no. It wasn't placed like a normal ad on the screen. I've seen Googls's ads for their toolbar and they sit towards the bottom of the screen. They're clearly from Google. This one didn't even sit correctly on the screen. When I went to replace IE6 at Majorgeeks, there wasn't one to download, so I put IE6 into Google and went to the download site that had it. Since the problem started with my security update of IE6, it seemed like a good idea just to go back prior to the update. After I spoke with one of the MajorGeeks who looked through my logs, he said I had SmitFraud. I couldn't find this. This morning ZAPro said it had found a new network and that I should run their assistent for this newly found network. I turned it off and started ZA manually. I don't know how to tell if the assistant that popped up real was or not.
    I think in trying to deal with this myself, I applied everything I learned at this forum, one of those things being, not to click on any part of an ad that looks like it doesn't belong where it is. Another being to put in a restore point before making any changes so I can go back to that restore point. I'm a bit frustrated to hear after spending so much time here trying to learn how to do things in a better way, I seem to have simply increased the possibilities I have for doing them wrong. This is why I asked a very long time ago if there couldn't be a subforum for beginners.
    If you think there is nothing malware affecting my computer, I will work on it and figure it out.
    Thanks for taking so much time.
    abri
     
    abri, Dec 19, 2006
    #5
  6. DavidGP

    DavidGP MajorGeeks Forum Administrator - Grand Pooh-Bah Staff Member

    The Google popup was legit I gained the same one in work, whereas they are normally below the searchbox, like all things Google have adapted and changed their popups as this one was in the top right corner and had an arrow pointing to the address bar of IE, saying something like "do yo uwish to add the google toolbar here" ... their was an X in the corner like a folder to exit out and close the toolbar popup.

    If you have turned off/restarted the router or disconnected your network from that PC then many a time you will have ZoneAlarm prompt that a new network has been found.
     
    DavidGP, Dec 19, 2006
    #6
  7. abri

    abri MajorGeek

    Thanks Chas and Halo,
    I agree I bring more problems on myself than are created by any outside influence. I appreciate your kind words.
    abri
     
    abri, Dec 19, 2006
    #7
  8. chaslang

    chaslang MajorGeeks Admin - Master Malware Expert Staff Member

    It is good that you try to apply what you have learned here! What we are simply saying is that sometimes you have to be careful not to over react. There are many things that happen on a PC that are valid and all to often people assume they are malware issues. For two examples, your Google popup and ZoneAlarms message about a new network. Neither are malware problems and both are valid as Halo & I described and there were simple solutions. There is rarely a reason for uninstalling and reinstalling IE. In fact on the 40 or so PCs that I use all the time, I have never had to uninstall or reinstall IE. (and this includes from Windows 95 thru Win XP SP2 timeframes and OS's)

    If you ever get a popup that you don't see how to close down and are afraid that it could be malware, have ZoneAlarm shutdown/lock the internet connection. Now manually close all browser sessions you have open and that give you the ability (the top right X button) to close. Then for any remaining windows, run Task Manager and kill the open window (the remaining iexplore.exe process or other browser process name). After doing this you can unlock ZoneAlarm and start surfing again as you like. As any added precaution (not necessary but it you are really worried about what just happened). Shut your PC down (Not restart! Do an actual power down.) after killing the process with Task Manager.
     
    chaslang, Dec 19, 2006
    #8
  9. abri

    abri MajorGeek

    Thanks Chaslang!
    I do tend to push one button after another when I decide to correct something. Before I updated IE with a security update, it was different, like a pristine clean old version. I couldn't imagine an update causing such a difference.
    In each case where I've had big problems with my computer, they resulted from not one, but a series of one-after-the-other wrong decisions, like dominos.
    Hope you have a great holiday season!
    Thanks so much!
    abri
     
    abri, Dec 20, 2006
    #9
  10. chaslang

    chaslang MajorGeeks Admin - Master Malware Expert Staff Member

    You're welcome! Enjoy your Holiday Season too!
     
    chaslang, Dec 20, 2006
    #10

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