MalWare forcing system restore, blocking cleanup attempts

palinuro · Apr 18, 2009

Hi,

After years of protecting my machines well and never having a problem I couldn't solve, I now have something that seems to block even following your cleanup instructions, and appears to be getting steadily worse.

A couple of days ago I downloaded a Vista update onto my notebook. I continued to work on the computer, then in the evening I watched a downloaded (non-porn) AVI film. I shut off the machine, and when I rebooted the next day, everything went fine until I logged in, when I got a black screen, where only cursor movement showed, while the HDD churned away for several minutes. (I've found reference to this on the internet, regarding a driver problem, but only from a year ago.) When nothing worked, I rebooted in safe mode and used system restore to go back a few days. This worked, but Norman AntiVirus began giving warning messages about a trojan that could not be removed:

File: C:\Windows\Explorer.exe
Trojan: TDSSServ.Q

I scanned using SpyBot, and then the online Norton, but neither found anything. I rebooted the machine, and again had a black screen after login.

I then began to follow your procedures, but when I disable SpyBot's teatime and Vista's User Protection, the reboot is followed by a black screen, so I have to use System Restore again, which returns the computer to its inital state - with teatimer running, UP enabled, and none of the newly installed cleanup software. This time when I tried to run SpyBot the program appears to run, but I can't get the window to appear on the desktop, so can't even disable teatimer.

Norman now quarantines the trojan sometimes (see attached), but not as often as I get the warnings, and of course it does no good.

I'm not sure that the black screen is related to the trojan, but it seems too much of a coincidence, and a very effective way of preventing changes followed by a reboot. I'm leaving the computer on now, because it seems otherwise I'll just have to keep going back in System Restore.

Your instructions don't say anything about cleanups that can be done in safe mode - is there something that I could use?

Thanks very much for whatever help you can offer.

chaslang · Apr 20, 2009

Welcome to Major Geeks!

Please follow the instructions in the READ & RUN ME FIRST link given futher 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

After completing the READ & RUN ME and attaching your logs, make sure that you tell us what problems still remain ( if any still do )!

Helpful Notes:

If you run into problems trying to run the READ & RUN ME or any of the scans in normal boot mode, you can run the 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

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.

To avoid additional delay in getting a response, it is strongly advised that after completing the READ & RUN ME you also read this sticky:

Don't Bump! It Only Hurts You!!!

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.

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MalWare forcing system restore, blocking cleanup attempts

palinuro Private E-2

chaslang MajorGeeks Admin - Master Malware Expert Staff Member