Computer ticking memory...?

You did not install the version of Spybot given in the READ ME. You have Spybot - Search & Destroy 1.3 installed which has no been used for about 3 years. Uninstall this, reboot, and then install the proper version per the directions in the READ ME.

Now let's remove a left over service from an incomplete uninstall of Symantec Antivirus.

• Click on Start, then Run ... type services.msc into the box that opens up, and press 'OK'.
• On the page that opens, scroll down to SymWMI Service
• then right click the entry, select Properties and press Stop Service.
• When it shows that it is stopped, next please set the Start-up Type to 'Disabled'.
• Click OK until you get back to Windows.

• Next, run HJT, but instead of scanning, click on the None of the above, just start the program button at the bottom of the choices.
• At the lower right, click on the Config button
• Then click the Misc tools button
• Select Delete an NT Service
• Copy/pasteSymWSC into the box that opens, and press OK
• If you receive any error messages just ignore them and continue.
• Now exit HJT but do not reboot when it tells you it needs to. We will do that further down after running HJT again to fix some other items.

Run this Disable/Remove Windows Messenger to remove Windows Messenger.

Uninstall the Sunbelt CounterSpy trial since we are finished with it now! Then delete the below two folders which may be left behind by the uninstall:
C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Sunbelt Software
C:\Program Files\Sunbelt Software

Also uninstall the below software:
Java 2 Runtime Environment, SE v1.4.2_05
Mozilla Firefox (2.0)"
Norton WMI Update
RelevantKnowledge <-- should have been uninstalled in step 0 of the READ ME

Make sure you reboot after uninstalling the above!


After reboot, now install the current version of Sun Java from: Sun Java Runtime Environment

Then install the current version of FireFox from: Mozilla Firefox


Empty the below Quarantine folder as requested in the READ ME:
C:\Program Files\Eset\infected


Run HijackThis 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:
O2 - BHO: (no name) - {7E853D72-626A-48EC-A868-BA8D5E23E045} - (no file)
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [QuickTime Task] "C:\Program Files\QuickTime\qttask.exe" -atboottime
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [TkBellExe] "C:\Program Files\Common Files\Real\Update_OB\realsched.exe" -osboot
O9 - Extra button: (no name) - {CD67F990-D8E9-11d2-98FE-00C0F0318AFE} - (no file)
O16 - DPF: {CA034DCC-A580-4333-B52F-15F98C42E04C} (Downloader Class) - https://www.stopzilla.com/_download/Auto_Installer/dwnldr.cab
O16 - DPF: {DF780F87-FF2B-4DF8-92D0-73DB16A1543A} (PopCapLoader Object) - http://www.gamehouse.com/games/zuma/popcaploader.cab

After clicking Fix, exit HJT.
Boot into safe mode and use Windows Explorer to delete:
C:\WINDOWS\ss3unstl.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\comet.inf
C:\Program Files\Norton AntiVirus <--- the whole folder

Now run Ccleaner

Now reboot in normal mode
Now Copy the bold text below to notepad. Save it as fixME.reg to your desktop. Be sure the "Save as" type is set to "all files" Once you have saved it double click it and allow it to merge with the registry.

Now attach the below new logs and tell me how the above steps went.

1. GetRunKey
2. ShowNew
3. HJT

Make sure you tell me how things are working now!
Reminder Note: Once we have determined you are malware free you will need to disable System Restore, reboot, and re-enable system restore per step 1 of the READ & RUN ME. This only applies to if using WinXP or WinMe.

 

Your logs are clean now!

Are you referring to an audible tick? If not, exact what do you mean. I doubt whatever you are referring too is malware related.

Not in this forum. Try the Software Forum. It sounds like you have used some software to remap a keypress to do that. Pressing the Windows+E key combo would normally do this. (The Windows key is the graphical Windows key to the right of the CTRL key).

Sorry about that and thanks for telling me. It used to be there. Must have been edited out by mistake at some point. It is back in now. Thanks!

 

I doubt it is malware.

Does it happen in safe boot mode?

If you try disabling various startups & services using MSconfig, do you find that any of them relate to this.

The more harddisk activity you have, obviously the more wear and tear.

 

Then look at which items are disable in Diagnostic mode and slowly work on enabling 1 or 2 at a time until you find which one causes the problem.

 

Not an issue for this forum. I suggest you check the below out though.

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/...B6-E8FA-45C4-A171-1B389CFACDAD&displaylang=en

 

And what was the cause of the ticking.


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

1. If we used Pocket Killbox during your cleanup, do the below
   • Run Pocket Killbox and select File, Cleanup, Delete All Backups
2. If we used ComboFix, you can delete the ComboFix.exe file, C:\ComboFix folder, C:\QooBox folder, and the C:\combofix.txt log that was created.
3. If we user SDFix you can delete all the SDFix related files and folders from your Desktop or whereever you installed it.
4. If we used VundoFix, you can delete the VundoFix.exe file and the C:\VundoFix Backups folder and C:\vundofix.txt log that was created.
5. If we had your run FixWareOut, you can delete the Fixwareout.exe file and the C:\fixwareout folder.
6. If we had you run Avenger, you can delete all files related to Avenger now.
7. If we had you download any registry patches like fixme.reg or fixWLK.reg (or any others), you can delete these files now.
8. You can delete the ShowNew.Zip and GetRunkey.Zip files and the files that you extracted from the ZIP files. You can also delete the C:\newfiles.txt and C:\runkeys.txt logs that were created
9. If you are running Windows XP or Windows ME, do the below:
   • go back to step 8 of the READ & RUN ME 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!

 

You're welcome. Surf safely!