Several Weird Malware (?) Symptoms

Looking at an XP Pro PC for a friend.

1. It won't boot into safe mode. Pressing the F8 keys does nothing
2. When I run MSConfig, there is no Boot.INI tab (so I can't initiate safe mode that way), which could be related to
3. The hard disk is not on C: - instead it's on the I: drive. I cannot change it to C: with Disk Management. And a registry change was disastrous. Thankfully I created a restore point beforehand
4. I've installed MalwareBytes, and when I click on it it brings up a box that the database is outdated by 33 days, giving me a 'Yes' or 'No' box to update. However, clicking Y ends the malwarebytes process. Clicking N brings up the normal screen, and I can click on Qick or Full scan, but as soon as I select Scan the process terminates. Renaming mbam.exe to something else did nothing
5. I have downloaded ComboFix (the PC does have good and fast internet access) and after I disable real-time scanning from Security Essentials, CF creates a new restore point, and tells me that for 'times badly infected machines may easily double'.... and it just stays there. At least an hour now without a 'stage 1'. Taskmgr does show that CF31997.exe is running, along with rmbr.exe. Is that second process normal?

I have run RKill prior to both MB and CF, without any change.

Any help would be appreciated.

 

Hello boweasel,

Yes

http://img805.imageshack.us/img805/9659/rktigzy.gif Please download RogueKiller to your desktop.

Double-click RogueKiller.exe to run. (Vista/7 right-click and select Run as Administrator)
When it opens, press the Scan button
When it is finished, there will be a log on your desktop called: RKreport[1].txt
Attach RKreport[1].txt to your next message. (How to attach)

Now complete as many steps as possible in this thread: Fixing Google Redirection/hijacking and other redirection problems

 

Sorry.... No can do...

I'd already had the PC for a day, and had fixed it so it was at least running decently and would connect to the internet.

But my friend needed it back - his son had schoolwork that required the PC. I guess I was naive in thinking I'd get some help with this in under 24 hours, but he just picked up the tower about a half hour ago.

I don't know if the problems I listed are likely to cause grief to a casual user, but I just couldn't keep it any longer.

And BTW, there seemed to be no problem with any sort of search redirection.

 

No problem and thanks for letting me know.

The anti-malware forums have been very busy lately. We try our best to address your problems as soon as possible but with so many people ahead of you, it can take a while.