Mulitiple Search/Find boxes open all by itself...

Hi Everyone,

About 3 weeks ago my laptop started acting weird. Multiple instances of the Windows Search box will open all by themselves...anywhere from 5 to 20 instances will open at a time. The only way I can close them is to open Task Manager and end the tasks that way. Otherwise, if I try to use the red X they will re-open as fast as I can close them.

This also happens with individual program's find/search. For example if I have Firefox open or Windows Mail, the programs search/find box will open by itself and I can't close it or do anything with the program until I close the program using Task Manager and then re-open the program.

The "work around" I have have found to work (most of the time)...if I leave the Task Manager open, the search/find boxes seem to subside for a while. eventually though, I have to close the Task Manager (at this point a bunch of Windows Search boxes open up), open the Task Manager, close the search boxes that just opened, then I am good again for a while.

I am running Windows 7 Ultimate 64 bit.

I have posted this problem on Tech Support Guy about 2 weeks ago but haven't received any help.

Here are the SuperAntiSpyware, MalwareBytes, ComboFix and the MGTools logs (running 64 bit windows so didn't run the RootRepeal).

 

Hi and welcome to Major Geeks!

I will be reviewing your logs. Please be patient as there is a lot of information to review

 

Hi Zavs,

There's no malware in your logs. Please visit the Software forum for additional help.

A few questions you may want to answer up front there would be:

• Does it happen after a reboot if you do not open any browsers or other programs at all and just let your PC sit there.
• Does it happen in safe mode?
• Does it happen if the PC has the cable to the internet unplugged?
• Is there a chance that something is underneath the CTRL and F keys of your keyboard?

 

Also you want to view this link (thanks chaslang):

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;321186&Product=winx

 

Thanks thisisu, I was afraid you were going to say that.
1) Yes it happens after a reboot and also when the laptop is just sitting there...at boot I get about 15 windows open, while sitting there, only 1 or two windows open.
2) Yes it happens in safe mode
3) Yes it still does it when the wireless card is disabled
4) Always a chance...I have three young kids...but it isn't acting how I would expect it to act if there was something stuck under the keys...it isn't predictable enough.

I'll head over to the software forum to see where I can get over there. Thanks for your help.

I tried this already, one of the first things I tried when this started happening....good ol Google.

 

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

1. We recommend you keep SUPERAntiSpyware and Malwarebytes Anti-Malware for scanning/removal of malware. Unless you purchase them, they provide no protection. They do not use any significant amount of resources ( except a little disk space ) until you run a scan.
2. If we had you use ComboFix, uninstall ComboFix (This uninstall will only work as written if you installed ComboFix on your Desktop like we requested.)
   • Click START then RUN and enter the below into the run box and then click OK. Note the quotes are required
   • "%userprofile%\Desktop\combofix" /uninstall
     • Notes: The space between the combofix" and the /uninstall, it must be there.
     • This will uninstall ComboFix and also reset hidden files and folders settings back to Windows defaults.
3. Go back to step 6 oof the READ ME and renable your Disk Emulation software with Defogger if you had disabled it.
4. Any other miscellaneous tools we may have had you install or download can be uninstalled and deleted.
5. If we had you download any registry patches like fixme.reg or fixWLK.reg (or any others), you can delete these files now.
6. If running Vista, it is time to make sure you have reenabled UAC by double clicking on the C:\MGtools\enableUAC.reg file and allowing it to be added to the registry.
7. Go to add/remove programs and uninstall HijackThis if it present
8. Goto the C:\MGtools folder and find the MGclean.bat file. Double click on this file to run this cleanup program that will remove files and folders
   related to MGtools and some other items from our cleaning procedures.
9. If you are running Win 7, Vista, Windows XP or Windows ME, do the below:
   • Refer to the cleaning procedures pointed to by step 7 of the READ ME
     for your Window version and see the instructions to Disable System Restore which will flush your Restore Points.
   • Then reboot and Enable System Restore to create a new clean Restore Point.
10. After doing the above, you should work thru the below link:
    • How to Protect yourself from malware!