A virus or two, some malware and SpyBot Cannot Remove Drive Cleaner 2006

This is a friend's computer I volunteered to fix because she "lost her browser". Well, when I booted up her laptop and saw the familiar comet cursor flapping it's angelic wings I knew this was destined to be a long fix.

I have run the suggested applications in the Read Me and Run Me First thread. Spybot was unable to remove Drive Cleaner 2006 whether in safe or normal mode. The application said it was most likely in use by another program.

I am aware that there is no anti-virus on this computer at the moment. I will install another one later. Probably Avast!

At least I was able to stop the popups and pop-unders but it takes the system an unusually long time to boot and shut down. This lag began after I uninstalled several malware applications from Add/Remove Programs. Hotbar, Incredimail, Freeze, Smilies etc.

Please help.

 

Here are the remaining log files.

 

First, please rename HJT to something else such as "analyzethis.exe". Currently you have it named HijackThis.exe, this needs to be changed so some of the new infections will be displayed.

Once you have renamed HJT, please follow the below.

1. Download this file - combofix.exe
2. Double click combofix.exe & follow the prompts.
3. When finished, it will produce a log for you. Attach this log to your next reply

Note:

Do not mouseclick combofix's window while it is running. That may cause it to stall.

Once you have completed the above, reboot and attach the following new logs.

• New HijackThis Log
• New ShowNew Log
• New GetRunKey Log
• ComboFix Log

 

Here are the requested new scans

 

...and the ShowNew Log

 

First, please disable any antivirus and/or antispy programs you have installed so they will not block this fix.

Pre-Instructions:
Please print out these instructions so that you can operate with All Browser Windows CLOSED.

Step 1:
Now scan with HijackThis and check the boxes for the following entries:
( Make sure ALL browser windows are closed when you click FIX )

Again, make sure ALL browser windows are closed when you click FIX.

Step 2:
Next Reset Web Settings & Default Security Settings

Note for IE 6 users:
To Reset Web Settings:
Right click on your desktop Internet Explorer icon and select Properties. Then click the Programs tab and then click "Reset Web Settings". Now go back to the General tab and set your home page address to something useful like www.majorgeeks.com. Click Apply. Click Delete Cookies, Click Delete Files and select Delete all Offline content too, Click OK. When it finishes Click OK.

If you do not have an Internet Explorer icon on your Desktop, click Start, Control Panel (for some systems it may be Start, Settings, Control Panel), Internet Options, Programs tab and then click "Reset Web Settings". Now go back to the General tab and set your home page address to something useful like www.majorgeeks.com. Click Apply. Click Delete Cookies, Click Delete Files and select Delete all Offline content too, Click OK. When it finishes Click OK

To Default Security Settings:
Right click on your desktop Internet Explorer icon and select Properties. Then click the Security Tab and click Default Level for Internet, Local Intranet, Trusted Sites, and Restricted Sites. For IE 7 users, simply click the "Reset all zones to default level" button.

Note for IE 7 users:
Select Internet Options, then the Advanced Tab and then the Reset button under Reset Internet Explorer Settings.


Step 3:
Please download ATF Cleaner by Atribune. This program does not require an installation. The executable actually runs the program.

NOTE: This program is for Windows XP and Windows 2000 only. ATF Cleaner will remove all files from the items that are checked so if you have some cookies you'd like to save. Please move them to a different directory first.

• Double-click ATF-Cleaner.exe to run the program.
• Under Main choose: Select All
• Click the Empty Selected button.

If you use Firefox browser

• Click Firefox at the top and choose: Select All
• Click the Empty Selected button.
  • NOTE: If you would like to keep your saved passwords, please click No at the prompt.

If you use Opera browser

• Click Opera at the top and choose: Select All
• Click the Empty Selected button.
  • NOTE: If you would like to keep your saved passwords, please click No at the prompt.

Click Exit on the Main ATF Cleaner menu to close the program.


Step 4:
After you have completed ALL of the above in the correct order, please attach the following logs.

• HijackThis Log
• ShowNew Log
• GetRunKey Log

Let me know of any problems you may have encountered with the above instructions and also let me know how things are running now.

 

It still took a long time for the computer to shut down, approximately 3 minutes. I suppose it could be due to the fact the hard drive on this laptop is only 5.5 GB and had the last time I looked 5% free space. The OS is Windows XP Pro and I think it is really a miracle that the darn thing did not completely crash. I don't know how she was able to run all of the junk she was running without it crashing.

Anyway, the only other issue I have at this point is the garbage files from the malware that I still see in explorer. Also, when I was resetting the web defaults I noticed there is still an option in the drop down menu for mail for Incredimail.

 

Copy the contents of the below Quote Box to Notepad. Then click File and then Save As. Change the Save as Type to All Files. Name the file fixme.reg and then click save. (make sure you save it somewhere you can find it. Saving it to your Desktop may make that easy.) Then double-click on the fixme.reg file on your desktop (or locate it with Windows Explorer and double click on it if not saved to the Desktop) and when it prompts to Add in to the registry, say yes.

Now download The Avenger by Swandog46, and save it to your Desktop.

• Extract avenger.exe from the Zip file and save it to your desktop
• Run avenger.exe by double-clicking on it.
• Check the 'Input script manually' box.
• Click on the magnifying glass icon.
• Copy everything in the Quote box below, and paste it in the box that opens:

• Now click the 'Done' button.
• Click on the traffic light icon and OK the prompt.
• You will be prompted to restart, OK the prompt and your PC should reboot, if not, reboot it yourself.
• A log file from Avenger will be produced at C:\avenger.txt

After you have completed ALL of the above in the correct order, please attach the following logs.

• HijackThis Log
• ShowNew Log
• GetRunKey Log
• Avenger Log

 

Here are three logs

 

avenger log

 

Your logs are clean. If you are not having any other malware problems, it is time to do our final steps:

1. If we used Pocket Killbox during your cleanup, do the below
   • Run Pocket Killbox and select File, Cleanup, Delete All Backups
2. If we used ComboFix, you can delete the ComboFix.exe file, C:\ComboFix folder, C:\QooBox folder, C:\WINDOWS\nircmd.exe, and the C:\combofix.txt log that was created.
3. If we used SDFix you can delete all the SDFix related files and folders from your Desktop or whereever you installed it.
4. If we used SmitFraudFix, you can delete all files and folders related to it now including the c:\rapport.txt log.
5. If we used VundoFix, you can delete the VundoFix.exe file and the C:\VundoFix Backups folder and C:\vundofix.txt log that was created.
6. If we had your run FixWareOut, you can delete the Fixwareout.exe file and the C:\fixwareout folder.
7. If we had you run Avenger, you can delete all files related to Avenger, the log (avenger.txt) and C:\avenger.
8. If we had you download any registry patches like fixme.reg, fixme1.reg or fixWLK.reg (or any others), you can delete these files now.
9. You can delete the ShowNew.Zip and GetRunkey.Zip files and the files that you extracted from the ZIP files. You can also delete the C:\newfiles.txt and C:\runkeys.txt logs that were created
10. If you are running Windows XP or Windows ME, do the below:
    • go back to step 8 of the READ & RUN ME to Disable System Restore which will flush your Restore Points.
    • Then reboot and Enable System Restore to create a new clean Restore Point.
11. After doing the above, you should work thru the below link:
    • How to Protect yourself from malware!

 

bjgarrick,

Sorry it took me so long to get back to you. Yes, everything is working wonderfully now on that laptop.

Thank you for all of your help.

Now it is MY computer's turn for some work. rolleyes

If I need help I will post a request.

Thanks again. :wave

 

Your Welcome!

Surf Safely!:major