Prefetch Trojan Virus?

[crobert]

Please recommend a remedy:

I'm on Windows XP. I have had unbearably long start up, logoff and run times for a while now. I recently discovered through Program Manger that iexplore.exe was burning through my CPU usage while operating. I did a file search in my C: and found these three files with that name: iexplore; IEXPLORE.EXE-2D97EBE6.pf; iexplore.exe.mui.

I recently installed Ccleaner and Secunia to help with the operating speed of the computer. Ccleaner keeps referencing .mui files in it's cleanups. I didn't recognize them. After I installed Ccleaner and Secunia I started getting these errors:

SysFader: iexplore.exe – Application Error
The instruction at “0x01f02cd8” referenced memory at “0x01f02cd8”. The memory could not be “read”.
Click on OK to terminate the program
Click on CANCEL to debug the program

and

Internet Explorer

Internet Explorer has encountered a problem and needs to close. We are sorry for the inconvenience.

If you were in the middle of something, the information you were working on might be lost.

Please tell Microsoft about this problem.
We have created an error report that you can send to help us improve Internet Explorer. We will treat this report as confidential and anonymous.

To see what date this error report contains, click here.

Debug Send Error Report Don’t Send

and

Windows Internet Explorer: iexplore.exe – Application Error

The exception Single Step
A single step or trace operation has just been completed.
(0x80000004) occurred in the application at location 0x755c8057.

Click OK to terminate the program

I'm running ZoneAlarm for my antivirus/antispyware and I've been happy with the protection but not with the background CPU usage especially with the long-standing slowdown of operations. There was a brief time my subscription lapsed and perhaps that is when I received the Virus.

Does anyone have a recommendation for a remedy for my computer?

-crobert

[TimW]

Welcome to Major Geeks!

Please read ALL of this message including the notes before doing anything.

Pleases follow the instructions in the below link:

READ & RUN ME FIRST. Malware Removal Guide


and attach the requested logs when you finish these instructions.

• **** If something does not run, write down the info to explain to us later but keep on going. ****
• Do not assume that because one step does not work that they all will not. MGtools will frequently run even when all other tools will not.

• After completing the READ & RUN ME and attaching your logs, make sure that you tell us what problems still remain ( if any still do )!

Helpful Notes:

1. If you run into problems trying to run the READ & RUN ME or any of the scans in normal boot mode, you can run the steps in safe boot mode but make sure you tell us what you did later when you post logs. See the below if you do not know how to boot in safe mode:
   
   • Starting your computer in Safe mode
2. If you have problems downloading on the problem PC, download the tools and the manual updates for SUPERAntiSpyware and Malwarebytes ( links are given in the READ & RUN ME) onto another PC and then burn to a CD. Then copy them to the problem PC. You will have to skip getting updates if (and only if) your internet connection does not work. Yes you could use a flash drive too but flash drives are writeable and infections can spread to them.
3. If you cannot seem to login to an infected user account, try using a different user account (if you have one) in either normal or safe boot mode and running only SUPERAntiSpyware and Malwarebytes while logged into this other user account. Then reboot and see if you can log into the problem user account. If you can then run SUPERAntiSpyware, Malwarebytes, ComboFix and MGtools on the infected account as requested in the instructions.
4. To avoid additional delay in getting a response, it is strongly advised that after completing the READ & RUN ME you also read this sticky:
   
   • Don't Bump! It Only Hurts You!!!

Any additional post is a bump which will add more delay. Once you attach the logs, your thread will be in the work queue and as stated our system works the oldest threads FIRST.