blocked out!

My daughter spends a lot of time on Social Networking sites and I think she picked up something like an STD of the internet! She can't get her desk top to open. there is a page that says the computer is infected with spyware and when we click the link to remove it we're taken to a pay site for a removal tool.

I tried to put Spybot S&D on the computer but when I try to install it it keeps telling me that it can't find the server at 127.0.0.1, which I think is the loop-back add. for the computer.

I then tried to get on here and kept getting the error that the page couldn't be opened. I can't use the "READ AND RUN ME FIRST" if I can't get anywhere.

 

http://www.majorgeeks.com/images/grenade.gifWelcome! to MajorGeeks.com!http://www.majorgeeks.com/images/grenade.gif

Please follow the instructions in the READ & RUN ME FIRST link given further down and attach the requested logs when you finish these instructions.

• If you have problems where no tools seem to run, please try following the steps given in the below and then continue on no matter what you find. You only need to try the TDSSserv steps if having problems getting scans in the Read & Run Me First.
  • TDSSserv Non-Plug & Play Driver Disable
• 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.

READ & RUN ME FIRST. Malware Removal Guide


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 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, Malwarebytes and Spybot ( 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. To avoid additional delay in getting a response, it is advised that after completing the READ & RUN ME you also read this sticky:
   • Don't Bump! It Only Hurts You!
4. 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.

 

Thanks, I tried to download CCleaner, but I don't have a desktop so I don't know were it went. I found the file in C:\Windows, but it's a .dat file there and I can't open/run it. I tried using safe mode but that only gives me a blk. screen with "safe mode" in all 4 corners and now when I try to start the computer it loops between the compaq/windows/and recovery console screen. No matter what I select it keeps looping.

 

Skip CCleaner and try to run the tools. You will have to rename the tools as stated in the READ ME. Read closely and post any problems you run into.

 

Well, I was going to try using a disk to run the cleaners but I've upgraded(??) to SP3 on XP and now my other computer can't find my cd drive to write the disk. I just did a destructive recovery and started over.I've run SAS/SpybotS&D/Mbam and Avast, all came back with nothing found except Avast which found two Win32 items and deleted them.Thanks for your time and assistance, hopefully she's learned not to download things without checking them out first.

 

What do you mean by this exactly? Did you reinstall Windows?

 

In the system recovery tool (F-10) under the advanced tab it list "destructive recovery". I guess it is reinstalling windows. It says it returns the computer to factory shipped settings and removes anything installed, updated or files created since the computer was new.
I did this because I couldn't get the computer to do anything. It would let me into the recovery console but I couldn't get anywhere from there.No matter what I selected all it would do is cycle between the Compac/XP/and recovery screens. I couldn't even get a start button to shut it down.

 

Okay! If you did this then you have a fresh install so there is no need to continue this thread.

You should see this article on How to Protect yourself from malware!