SpyWare & Broken Internet Access

Discussion in 'Malware Help - MG (A Specialist Will Reply)' started by bjgarrick, Dec 9, 2004.

  1. bjgarrick

    bjgarrick MajorGeeks Admin - Malware Expert

    Hello Everyone, I own a computer repair shop and I have been running into this problem for quite a while now. I have had numerous pc's come in with thousands of traces of spyware and many have broken internet access as a result from this. Is there really a easy way to get internet access back without doing reinstalls or replacing winsock keys? What I am asking, is there a tool or anything available that will assist in getting internet access back. I have used LSPFix & WinsockxpFix and it has fixed only 1 of I'd say 15 pc's with this problem. Can anyone help me a little better with this?
     
    bjgarrick, Dec 9, 2004
    #1
  2. PhilliePhan

    PhilliePhan Guest

    PhilliePhan, Dec 9, 2004
    #2
  3. bjgarrick

    bjgarrick MajorGeeks Admin - Malware Expert

    Yes, I have seen the tools and they have worked on 1 machine. The tool from Lavasoft I just recieved and havnt tested yet. If you know of anything else please let me know. Thanks for your reply.
     
    bjgarrick, Dec 9, 2004
    #3
  4. Matacumbie

    Matacumbie Rocky Top

    If you have systems with Windows Service Pack 2 it comes with a built-in WinSock Fix that you might try:

    at a command prompt, type: netsh winsock reset

    Press Enter. Wait for it to finish and reboot.

    Also, are you sure these are winsock issues?

    Steve
     
    Matacumbie, Dec 9, 2004
    #4
  5. bjgarrick

    bjgarrick MajorGeeks Admin - Malware Expert

    According to HiJack This, some of the machines in the log it will say broken internet access due to *file name.exe* and a pop up saying use LSPfix to repair this. Well it has worked on one machine. I have one right now that has broken internet access due to spyware. SpySweeper removed 15,000+ traces so Im pretty sure its something related to that. I have repaired WinSock in that machine as well as Reinstall Repair with SP2 and nothing so I dont know.
     
    bjgarrick, Dec 9, 2004
    #5
  6. chaslang

    chaslang MajorGeeks Admin - Master Malware Expert Staff Member

    There are so many different ways that internet access can get broken via the tens of thousands of malware programs that it make this a difficult question to answer. The obvious two you have mentioned:
    - broken winsock
    - broken LSP chain

    Malware can screw with many things making internet access difficult or impossible:
    - hosts file
    - BHO's
    - IP configuration settings like DNS servers, Subnet Masks, completely disable DHCP
    - adding programs that eatup all your CPU time
    - add programs that run (even hidden from view) that can shutdown whatever they choose to
    - the list can go on & on...

    We have fixed thousands of PC here! The number that actually required the use of WinSock Fix or LSP-Fix is small. Not that they don't occur. But it is a small percentage relative to the total we have fixed. There is no easy answer. You have to look at each case and see what is needed for that case. We have rarely required a system reinstall to fix a problem. They typically only occur if a user winds up breaking something during the cleaning process (normal occurs from not following instructions properly) that is not repairable (at least not my a message forum). Sometimes they get frustrated with trying to fix stubborn malware and decide a re-install would be easier. For us helpers (as is the case for you too) it would be much easier and faster for us to fix the problem ourselves if we had the PC right in front of us. Sorry I'm starting to rant...

    Again I summarize, there is no easy one step answer but a great starting point is the kind of stuff we do in READ ME FIRST BEFORE ASKING FOR SUPPORT: Basic Spyware, Trojan And Virus Removal It does not 100% fix all malware issues, but it reduces what we have to fix manually and gets the PCs into a somewhat know state for manual intervention to begin.
     
    chaslang, Dec 10, 2004
    #6
  7. bjgarrick

    bjgarrick MajorGeeks Admin - Malware Expert

    Ok, I have a issue I cant figure out. I have a Dell Dimension here, 512 RAM, P4 2.0 GHz CPU, will get on the internet in SAFE MODE with Networking but will not get online in normal mode. System had around 6,000 traces of spyware per SpySweeper so im sure thats why. But any suggestions about resolving this issue?
     
    bjgarrick, Dec 10, 2004
    #7
  8. Matacumbie

    Matacumbie Rocky Top

    Just a start, disable the firewall and try it.

    What kind of anti-virus and firewall does it have? Check and see if it has had Norton's installed.

    Steve
     
    Matacumbie, Dec 10, 2004
    #8
  9. bjgarrick

    bjgarrick MajorGeeks Admin - Malware Expert

    Hey, when you said check to see if Norton was installed it reminded me of another issue I had. Yes this machine did have Norton Internet Security and AntiVirus 2003. It was corrupted to due a virus and I removed it via Rnav and Rnis tools. My problem is fixed!!! Thanks
     
    bjgarrick, Dec 10, 2004
    #9
  10. Matacumbie

    Matacumbie Rocky Top

    Glad you got it working. :)

    Steve
     
    Matacumbie, Dec 10, 2004
    #10

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