Can't change homepage, no CTRL+ALT+DELETE, no msconfig--help!

Discussion in 'Malware Help (A Specialist Will Reply)' started by Manpurse, May 16, 2006.

  1. Manpurse

    Manpurse Private E-2

    Hello! My computer is acting strange; I hope you can help!

    I use Firefox to browse. While I'm online, I keep having IE pop-ups appear--most from PartyPoker. I tried to change the IE homepage, but the option is greyed out. It's like the option to change it has been locked away. The page is currently set for: whatsfind.com/route.html. It redirects to a site called "Qwest" something or other.

    I've also noticed that my computer has slowed down--especially the Internet. Maybe my resources are being drained? I can't even check my processes--when I try to press CTRL+ALT+DELETE, nothing happens. I tried to go into "msconfig" from the Run menu in order to go to Safe Mode, but I just got an error that read: "Windows cannot find 'msconfig'."

    Last night it worked fine; this morning was when the problems began. I read through and completed the tasks in the initial README sticky thread. I couldn't boot in Safe Mode, so I unplugged the network for the first few scans.

    I did most of the scans and found nothing. I couldn't use PandaScan. It wouldn't download. I also used HouseCall earlier, before I found this board.

    Attached is my HijackThis scan. I hope you can help. Save me Major Geeks, you're my only hope!
     

    Attached Files:

  2. chaslang

    chaslang MajorGeeks Admin - Master Malware Expert Staff Member

    Welcome to Majorgeeks!

    Please attach the log that was requested in step 6 of the READ ME for the Bitdefender scan.

    Let's get an installed programs list from HijackThis!
    • Run HijackThis, click Open the Misc Tools section
    • Click Open Uninstall Manager
    • Click Save List (generates uninstall_list.txt)
    • Click Save, to save it to a file where you can find it.
    • Attach the uninstall_list.txt file to your next message.
    Do you really want to run the below program to check for updates from HP all the time? I'm not even sure what the heck it is for but most of the time stuff like this should be removed. It is normally a waste of system resource and sometime it is mild malware.
    O4 - Global Startup: Updates from HP.lnk = C:\Program Files\Updates from HP\309731\Program\Updates from HP.exe

    You have you registry locked and that is why you cannot change your home page. This may have happen because you are using all the AOL antispyware junk.


    Make sure viewing of hidden files is enabled (per the tutorial).

    Please run HijackThis and click on the Open the Misc Tools Section button on the open page. Then select Open process manager on the left-hand side. Look for the following process (or processes) and one at a time kill them by selecting it and then click Kill process. Then click yes.
    C:\Program Files\winupdates\Setup.exe

    After killing all the above processes, click Back.
    Then please click Scan and select the following lines but DO NOT CLICK FIX until you exit all browser sessions including the one you are reading in right now:
    R1 - HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Default_Page_URL = http://ie.redirect.hp.com/svs/rdr?TYPE=3&tp=iehome&locale=EN_US&c=Q105&bd=pavilion&pf=desktop
    R1 - HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Default_Search_URL = http://ie.redirect.hp.com/svs/rdr?TYPE=3&tp=iesearch&locale=EN_US&c=Q105&bd=pavilion&pf=desktop
    R0 - HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Start Page = http://www.whatsfind.com/route.html
    R1 - HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Default_Page_URL = http://ie.redirect.hp.com/svs/rdr?TYPE=3&tp=iehome&locale=EN_US&c=Q105&bd=pavilion&pf=desktop
    R1 - HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Default_Search_URL = http://ie.redirect.hp.com/svs/rdr?TYPE=3&tp=iesearch&locale=EN_US&c=Q105&bd=pavilion&pf=desktop
    R1 - HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Search Bar = http://ie.redirect.hp.com/svs/rdr?TYPE=3&tp=iesearch&locale=EN_US&c=Q105&bd=pavilion&pf=desktop
    R1 - HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Search Page = http://ie.redirect.hp.com/svs/rdr?TYPE=3&tp=iesearch&locale=EN_US&c=Q105&bd=pavilion&pf=desktop
    R0 - HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Start Page = http://ie.redirect.hp.com/svs/rdr?TYPE=3&tp=iehome&locale=EN_US&c=Q105&bd=pavilion&pf=desktop
    R1 - HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Internet Connection Wizard,ShellNext = http://media125.fastclick.net/w/safepop.cgi?mid=57167&sid=10213&id=101638&len=74&c=37&nfcp=1&fp=2
    O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [rmalt] C:\Program Files\winupdates\Setup.exe
    O6 - HKCU\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Control Panel present
    O7 - HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\System, DisableRegedit=1

    After clicking Fix, exit HJT.
    Boot into safe mode and use Windows Explorer to delete
    :
    C:\Program Files\winupdates <--- the whole folder

    If you get an error when deleting a file. Right click on the file and check to see if the read only attribute is checked. If it is, uncheck it and try again. Other wise open Task Manager and kill the process if running then delete the file.

    Now if running Win XP goto c:\windows\Prefetch and delete all files in this folder.
    Now run Ccleaner (installed while running the READ ME FIRST)
    .

    Now we need to Reset Web Settings:
    1. If you have an Internet Explorer icon on your Desktop, goto step 2. If not, skip to step 3.
    2. Now right click on your desktop Internet Explorer icon and select Properties. Then click the Programs tab and then click "Reset Web Settings". Now go back to the General tab and set your home page address to something useful like www.majorgeeks.com. Click Apply. Click Delete Cookies, Click Delete Files and select Delete all Offline content too, Click OK. When it finishes Click OK. Then skip step 3.
    3. If you do not have an Internet Explorer icon on your Desktop, click Start, Control Panel (for some systems it may be Start, Settings, Control Panel), Internet Options, Programs tab and then click "Reset Web Settings". Now go back to the General tab and set your home page address to something useful like www.majorgeeks.com. Click Apply. Click Delete Cookies, Click Delete Files and select Delete all Offline content too, Click OK. When it finishes Click OK.
     
    Last edited: May 17, 2006

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