Can Anyone Please Possibly Tell Me What This Is?

Hi grc123,

Did you remember to reboot your computer after you disabled UAC and before you double-clicked on GetLogs.bat to run it?

abri

 

ooops .... I'll try again - Thanks!

 

No, it keeps coming back "Invalid File" when I try to upload it. And I ran it via Admin, with UAC disabled, AND after reboot.

I can also tell you this: every time this scan runs, I get multiple messages (it seems in every phase/stage/check) "System cannot find the specified file". So I'm not sure if it's doing what it's meant to do anyway.

Another other ideas/suggestions/advice?

Thanks abri ...

 

Hi grc123,
I'm going to see if the Master of the Tools will take a look if he can see what is not working. I think he might be around. Thanks for your patience!
abri

 

Thank you very much - you are an extremely patient individual!

Oh, one other thing, I'm wondering if anything in my FF Browser, such as the "No Script" program (or any of my other various security programs) could be causing us problems here? I don't really know that much about it (obviously), I'm just asking ... trying to figure things out.

 

I don't think so. I think if the superman icon MGTools.exe is sitting under Local Drive C: then the tools are where they need to be. What is preventing you from going into the MGTools folder (yellow) under C and running GetLogs.bat, I'm not sure. Chaslang might be able to see something I've missed there.

 

I just found something that looks different (date/time/size) - a zip file - thought I'd send it just to see if this is what we want (?).

 

YES! That's it!

 

Hi grc123,

Here is what I see. You have all kinds of antivirus programs installed on your computer and some signs of antivirus programs which are active, even though they aren't showing up in your add/remove programs. This, of course, makes it hard to remove them, but it is necessary to have one and only one antivirus program on your computer at any one time. I would like to advise you at this time to keep Avira (also called Avast (editing comment - No! Alwil is Avast, not Avira!) and to get rid of everything that has to do with Nortons and AVG. How to do this will require several steps.

First of all, do you know what software you might have on your computer left over from Symantec / Norton? The following tool can be used to remove any of their software back to 2003. It's possible that what you have is older than this. It might be something from 2001. If so, the below tool will not help you and we will need to remove this program a different way. Do you know which Norton program is on your computer? Go to the below website and see if any of the products is what you may have had on your computer. Please note, that there is a language button on this website in the lower left hand corner of the page, which offers some different language options.

Norton Removal Tool & Instructins from Symantec


Please let me know how you get on with this.


Whether you complete this or not, I would like to ask you additionally to please look in the following folders (open the folders but do not click on any of the files in them) and tell me what kinds of files you find. If there are a lot of files, you do NOT have to list them. Just tell me how many files and if you find any files which end with .exe, please tell me the names of these files. Thank you.

In C:\Users\1g\AppData\Roaming\ the following folders:

AVG7(254)"
AVG7(90)
Grisoft


In C:\ProgramData\ the following folders:

avg7(195)"
Avg7(76)"
Avg8"
Grisoft"
Grisoft(77)"
Grisoft(196)"



I will not post again until tomorrow. Let me know how you get on with the Nortons and how you get on with these folders.

abri

 

WOW!!! Well, just a quick reply myself for now - this PC was delivered to me, DIRECTLY from Dell - supposedly "NEW", the last week of January of this year (2008). It came pre-installed with the McAfee Security Suite, which I got rid of because it seemed to be causing freezes/crashes. I originally replaced it with Grisoft's AVG Free 7.5, which I've used for years (on other PC's) with success - I liked it, but just recently (in the last week or so), when I tried to update to 8.0 (for a "trial", I believe it was), it caused problems (freezes/crashes - this time by AVG), so I un-installed that (so I thought) and couldn't seem to rollback or find the 7.5 again, so I got Avira (Antivir - and you say it's also known as "Avast"?) via MG's - here.

Where in the heck this Norton (Symantec?) stuff came from - and to be that old - is news to me??? I haven't a clue, but it seems to me that Dell may have some explaining to do (?). I understand very well from learning "the hard way" a few years ago that running two AV's simultaneously is a "no-no" (almost lost a hard drive due to trying that trick!).

Thank you very much, and I will proceed with your instructions - and post back a.s.a.p.

PS - I just looked at the Norton Removal Tool web-page, and wouldn't have a clue which one to pick - again, this Dell - supposedly - is "new" - just over three months out of the box!

 

Hi grc123,

I think we have to take a break. I am tired and that's when all kinds of mistakes can happen. No, Avira is AntiVir PersonalEdition. Sorry!

AVG's switch to 8.0 seems to be causing some problems.

This is what I found in your computer ... for what it's worth. It won't do to simply go through and delete everything. It has to be removed correctly. I post it here for information. Please be so kind as to wait until I can get back to you tomorrow.

abri

 

Thank you abri, thank you very much. Take as long as you need, I'll chat with you when you're able.

Thanks again ...

PS - After thinking about it for awhile, I'm thinking that perhaps the "Symantec" stuff may have possibly been an Anti-SPY program I may have tried. I'm was thinking that maybe it was the Yahoo! AS that I tried for awhile (which, by the way, kept reporting some sort of worm or Trojan/hijacker or bug of some sort ["caldux"?, or something like that] that I couldn't seem to get rid of!?!), but now, on second thought, I think that (Yahoo! AS) is provided by "CA" ("Computer Associates"?).

Well, we'll get to it when we get to it ... thanks.

 

Hi grc123,

In Post 9 I asked you to make a backup of your registry using the tool called Erunt. Before you proceed with the following, please be sure you have a backup. It will probably be on your desktop, a green cube. If you don't see it, double click on the Erunt icon on your desktop and have it make a backup now. Let me know if you find the one you made or if you're able to make a new one.

abri

 

Hi abri,

hmmmm, green cube, let's see, we sent one icon to the recycle bin ("NTREGOPT" - 735 bytes), and then there is "FixME.reg" - 104 bytes, on my desktop (that will allow a "Merge", but not an "Open") ... also, an "ERUNT" icon (size ?), and "erunt-setup.exe" - 772 KB - is it one of those?

Thanks.

 

You can throw the erunt-setup.exe into the trash along with the FixME.reg.

Then double-click on the Erunt icon and follow the instructions.

abri

 

Ok, thank you. I may have to run out for a few hours, so it may be later today or tomorrow before I get back to you again - thanks abri.

oooops - I just tried to start it, and it said; "unable to create a file" - ?? Also; "Registry backup will continue, but no restore info. for the ERNDT program will be saved", and 'the only way to restore later will be manually with another OS' - ??

 

It might be necessary to reinstall it over the old one. Here's the link for that:

Download and install Erunt. Use it to create a backup of your registry.

 

Ok, looks like it took this time. I await your next instruct.

Thanks

 

Hi grc123,

Please go to Start / Explore and look for the following folders and follow the instructions here for each of the folders:

In the AVG and Grifsoft folders, please make a note of the name and its location (like Roaming AVG 90) and look inside the folder for AVG icons with four colors - yellow, black, red and green. Wherever you see this icon, write down the name of the file. If you don't see any of these icons or if the folder is empty, make a note of this for that folder.

For the Avira folders, you have one in Program Files and one in Programdata. Please tell me what is in each of these? It should be enough if you tell me which .exe files are in each one. Is the Avira icon in both of these folders? Can you see if they were installed on different dates?

Finally, what is in the McAfee folders and the Site Advisor folders? Look for .exe files. Right-click on these files and look for the date of installation.

If it's easiest, just copy the above into a Notepad file and add your notes there. If you do this, when you save the file at the end, call it FolderNotes.txt and attach it with your next post.

Thanks.
abri

 

Hi abri.

I'm sorry I get so lost so fast.

When I go to start>explore>C: (in my case it's "OS (C: )", I see down on the left-side pane, folders named "AVG7(115)" & "AVG7(291)".

When I open them (AVG7(115) first), in the right-side pane I get (files?) such as "l_000101.log" thru "l_000106.log", and one named "log.idx" in the first folder, and the same thing in the AVG7(291) folder except it only goes up to l_000105.log

When I click on the Grisoft folder, it shows to be the AntiSpy program 7.5?

And is chaslang saying to "not" do anything with the Avira folders?

I'm sorry that I am not following this, but I seem to be lost right from the start?

Thanks.

 

Hi grc123,

Yes, what Chaslang was saying is that Avira will have two locations in your computer because you have Vista and this is normal for Vista. I wasn't thinking about this.

I would like for you to open Windows Explorer as you have been by right-clicking onthe start button and then clicking on Explore. When it opens it may have Start Menu- highlighted. If you glance upwards you'll see that Start Menu is under your user name which is under Documents and Settings which is under C:\ (Yours may be slightly different if you are using Vista). Click on the little - sign next to Documents and Settings. Then you'll have a list of the folders which are directly under C: Go down until you come to the Windows folder and click on the + sign next to it. Then go down until you see Downloaded Program Files and click on Downloaded Program Files (not the + sign). This will give you a list of the files which are located in Downloaded Program Files and you will see these over on the right side of the window. There you should find the below files: Please find them and delete them. To delete them, right-click on each file and in the small menu that opens up,select delete.

Let me know how this goes?

abri

 

Hi abri, thanks.

I get an error message stating: "Location is not available C:\Documents and Settings is not accessible Access Denied" when I click on Documents & Settings (I get the same message when I click on the little sign next to it and the + to the left of it as well).

 

Hi grc123,
You'll probably have to help me a bit here. Are you using an adminstrator account?
abri

 

~*UPDATE*~ - I tried the admin account and I get the same result??
Hi abri,

no, I was not - but I certainly can. I'll switch over in the interim, try that, and see how it goes. If I should use the admin account for this, no need for you to reply yet until I post back with next results.

Thanks ..

 

Ok, thank you. Should I go into command prompt, or search out these special tools? I don't know, that's why I'm asking. My PC is running slower and slower, and not shutting-down or starting up properly more and more often.

Thanks ...

 

Ok, thank you. I have un-installed all except McAfee Site Advisor (I am hoping to be able to hold on to that one - I rely on it rather heavily - however if you are certain that I must lose it - I will - please advise one last time on that please).

Otherwise, all seemed to go well, with two exceptions:

1. I had already un-installed the Roxio Software before I remembered that you said to disable UAC (and reboot) FIRST - which I then did do to complete the remaining recommended un-installs (removals).

2. a-squared Free said that it did not un-install completely, but that I could manually remove the remainder. I suppose I can figure that out (?).

The PC (performance) does seem to be better now (thank you very much). I will now post a new reply with the new MGlogs.zip file as you instructed - thank you again ...

 

New MGlogs.zip file

 

Thank you, I am as certain as I know how to be that I followed instructions exactly, and I did notice after posting it here and looking at it myself that only one portion of the file ("procdll.txt") had the current date/time from when I ran it - so I will try again - thanks again ...

 

Latest MGlogs.zip

 

I apologize, but I have two questions:

1. I'm assuming this all needs to be done from admin (as 1st attempt was from my UA and not able to do what you instructed)?

2. Should UAC continue to be disabled (throughout the ENTIRE process - until you specifically tell me I can turn it back on)?

Thanks ...

 

**Please see my reply placed below in red - thank you

 

I actually ran everything from the administrator account - but I suppose I'm understanding that I didn't additionally right-click, and choose "Run as Administrator" as well as having run it from admin (?).

I will try again that way - thank you ...

 

?? ... ?

1g is the admin account (and the "name", I suppose, of the PC?).

I did not have any realization whatsoever that it mattered, in other words - my "understanding" has always been that the admin is the "master" account, and everything done there could or would "over-rule' (for lack of a better word), or effect, "all users"? Sort of a "Global" approach - I thought??

I'm sorry, I have NO formal training in computers - whatsoever. That's why I am here - to try to learn how to maintain my machine, and to hopefully pass-along what I learn to others who happen to know even less (if any such creature, besides my 68 yr-old mom, exists??).

 

having local tornado's - shutting down ............

 

Yes!!!

No, but I had minor flooding (water damage) in the basement (where the PC is), and about 100 homes in the area were hit/destroyed by wind. Even though I have this thing DOUBLE surge-protected, there was simply too much lightning to leave my PC plugged in. As it was, the power flickered, causing an improper shut-down just before I last messaged you.

So .... unfortunately, I am still not clear on the whole "admin" thing - but do I really need to be, to finish our process here?

Certainly I need to learn a whole lot more, but if we can possibly finish this I would then be clear to move on, and then (hopefully!) learn some (all) of these things from a starting point rather than diving in to the middle, as I had done a few years ago.

Unfortunately I am not exactly clear what my next move would be here (?). Last evening before I had to cut this off, I got a Vista warning (from the Windows Security Center) that my Avira AV was 'Off' or 'Disabled'. I went in a turned it on.

Thanks in advance ...

 

Thank you.

If I remember correctly (though it's been a while now), "they" (the Software Forum folks) sent me here, to Malware. So as you say, 'sound communication' becomes as vital - perhaps even more so - than the actual technicalities or 'perceived' technicalities. I'm not arguing - on the contrary - I'm agreeing with you 100%. I figured it might take 10, 20 maybe even 30 or so "back-and-forth" posts (between me and one, perhaps two others - at the most). Don't get me wrong - I appreciate all the help - I really do - GREATLY. But the fact is between the two forums, I've "communicated" with perhaps 3, 4, (6?) different people - I think. Hence - my confusion.

I will go back to post #85 and continue to try my best, to work on my issue(s).

Thank you very much as always.

PS - Lastly, can you possibly tell me how to be certain that "my" account (which I don't think is "1g", but rather what has always been named, "Net"??), but to make absolutely certain that the "account I'm trying to fix", as you said, DOES have administrator privileges - (and not simply "permissions" ... or does that mean the same thing?!?) or do I need to flip back over to software to figure that out?

 

WOW! Thank you very much - this helps clear-up (helps my understanding) an IMMENSE AMOUNT!!

I think I just learned things that I've wondered about for quite some time, and never seemed able to get clear understanding about reading elsewhere.

Thank you again very much - I believe I may finally be able to "finish", and finally put this thread to rest!!!

This, I think, really "gets at" the root of my security concerns and questions!