"Security Tool" Advice Needed Please!!

Hi everyone

I've never posted here before but have used the wonderful advice given here numerous times before! Last week my Dad managed to install the security tool virus on his PC. I don't live near to my parents so I can't go round and sort his PC myself so have been trying to advise over the phone.

To start with, I sent him links and asked him to download some standard decent software in order to rid the machine of the virus - MBAM, AVG, Spyware Blaster and C Cleaner (Slim). Unfortunately, the virus (I assume) is preventing his browsers from working so on the rare occasion that the links opened the websites, clicking "download" did not result in the files downloading.

I got round this by getting my Mum to download the softwares directly onto a new USB stick on her laptop and they plugged the USB stick into the PC and tried to install the softwares from there - double clicking, right clicking to open, extract, explore etc.... does nothing, the 'egg timer' flashes up for a split second and then nothing. I found a webpage with instructions on how to remove security tool (on bleeping computer . com) but the rkill file that they tell you to download doesn't do anything either. msconfig won't open, add/remove programs won't open and there are no icons on the desktop at all. Nothing. Zilch. Dragging the install files from the USB stick onto the desktop via windows explorer and double clicking them from there also does nothing.

I know that there used to be an antivirus program on the PC as I installed one on there myself many moons ago, but it seems (having asked my Dad to read off every program in the 'all programs' list on the phone to me) that there is not an AV program there anymore so he can't even run a not-so-good scan to rid of the minor threats!

I am not sure what to try next....so this is where you come in, if you are able to help without having access to any logfiles?!! Will the softwares install if we boot the machine into safe mode or will the virus have infiltrated that area as well as the "normal" desktop? Will there be a restore point on a Windows XP machine with no AV software? (I can't believe there is nothing, they know how important it is....I wonder if the virus has overridden whatever was there or something? hmmm)

Apologies for waffle, I've tried to remember everything that we've tried so far, I'm normally (thanks to reading this forum!!!) pretty snappy at getting rid of these sort of viruses but I'm wondering if there is more than this security tool virus present....I've had a similar virus myself before and it didn't affect my machine as much as this one has affected my Dad's! Thank you in advance for any help/advice you can offer.

Sally Lou

 

Thanks for your advice, I'll get him to try that.

(It is Windows XP, I did say that, it's just hidden within a bunch of questions!)

Sally Lou