very slow startup - Malware?

Discussion in 'Malware Help (A Specialist Will Reply)' started by spitman, Aug 26, 2010.

  1. spitman

    spitman Private E-2

    I'm trying to speed up my Ex wifes(!) desktop. Communication isn't great(!) so don't have all the history but this is where I'm at:

    Machine is an HP Pavilion 2.93GHz Pentium 4. Running XP SP3. It had 512M RAM and she was complaining at the time it took to start up. I upgraded the RAM to 2.5GB expecting it to fly. It didn't.

    Went through the Malware clean up guidelines and found lots of stuff all of which appeared to clear out OK. Logs attached.

    Machine is fine once its started up and settled but the start up itself is over 6mins from hitting the on button to having a settled desktop from which programmes can be launched.

    At the moment they just leave the PC on to eliminate the frustration which is a solution of sorts. Any guidance is very much appreciated
     

    Attached Files:

  2. spitman

    spitman Private E-2

    And the final log.

    Once again any help is very much appreciated.
     

    Attached Files:

    Last edited: Aug 26, 2010
  3. chaslang

    chaslang MajorGeeks Admin - Master Malware Expert Staff Member

    Welcome to Major Geeks!

    If your only problem is slow startup, then you will have stop loading all the stuff that you are loading at startup. Your startup issues are not due to malware but I do have one minor dead driver to cleanout that may have been from previous malware.


    Now we need to use ComboFix
    • Make sure that combofix.exe that you downloaded while doing the READ & RUN ME is on your Desktop but Do not run it!
      • If it is not on your Desktop, the below will not work.
    • Also make sure you have shut down all protection software (antivirus, antispyware...etc) or they may get in the way of allowing ComboFix to run properly.
    • If ComboFix tells you it has expired or need to be updated to a new version, make sure you allow it to update.
    • Open Notepad and copy/paste the text in the below quote box into it:
    • Save the above as CFscript.txt and make sure you save it to the same location (should be on your Desktop) as ComboFix.exe
    • At this point, you MUST EXIT ALL BROWSERS NOW before continuing!
    • You should have both the ComboFix.exe and CFScript.txt icons on your Desktop.
    • Now use your mouse to drag CFscript.txt on top of ComboFix.exe
    • Follow the prompts.
    • When it finishes, a log will be produced named c:\combofix.txt
    • I will ask for this log below
    Note:

    Do not mouseclick combofix's window while it is running. That may cause it to stall.



    Your main causes for slow startup are:
    • Norton Internet Security and all the baggage that came with it.
    • And then you need to reconsider how much of the below you really need to have load at startup, many of these are not needed (but you need to determine your needs) and the torrent ones should never be loaded at startup.
    O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [WINREMOTE] "C:\Program Files\InterVideo\Common\Bin\WinRemote.exe"
    O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [nmctxth] "C:\Program Files\Common Files\Pure Networks Shared\Platform\nmctxth.exe"
    O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [nmapp] "C:\Program Files\Pure Networks\Network Magic\nmapp.exe" -autorun -nosplash
    O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [LSBWatcher] c:\hp\drivers\hplsbwatcher\lsburnwatcher.exe
    O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [LogitechQuickCamRibbon] "C:\Program Files\Logitech\QuickCam\Quickcam.exe" /hide
    O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [LogitechCommunicationsManager] "C:\Program Files\Common Files\LogiShrd\LComMgr\Communications_Helper.exe"
    O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [KBD] C:\HP\KBD\KBD.EXE
    O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [iTunesHelper] "C:\Program Files\iTunes\iTunesHelper.exe"
    O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [ISUSScheduler] "C:\Program Files\Common Files\InstallShield\UpdateService\issch.exe" -start
    O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [ISUSPM Startup] C:\PROGRA~1\COMMON~1\INSTAL~1\UPDATE~1\ISUSPM.exe -startup
    O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [IgfxTray] C:\WINDOWS\system32\igfxtray.exe
    O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [hpsysdrv] c:\windows\system\hpsysdrv.exe
    O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [HPHUPD06] c:\Program Files\HP\{AAC4FC36-8F89-4587-8DD3-EBC57C83374D}\hphupd06.exe
    O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [HPHmon06] C:\WINDOWS\system32\hphmon06.exe
    O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [HP Software Update] "C:\Program Files\HP\HP Software Update\HPWuSchd2.exe"
    O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [HotKeysCmds] C:\WINDOWS\system32\hkcmd.exe
    O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [Home Theater SchSvr] "C:\Program Files\Common Files\InterVideo\SchSvr\SchSvr.exe"
    O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [High Definition Audio Property Page Shortcut] HDAudPropShortcut.exe
    O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [AlcWzrd] ALCWZRD.EXE
    O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [Adobe Reader Speed Launcher] "C:\Program Files\Adobe\Reader 9.0\Reader\Reader_sl.exe"
    O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [Adobe ARM] "C:\Program Files\Common Files\Adobe\ARM\1.0\AdobeARM.exe"
    O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [SunJavaUpdateSched] "C:\Program Files\Common Files\Java\Java Update\jusched.exe"
    O4 - HKCU\..\Run: [swg] "C:\Program Files\Google\GoogleToolbarNotifier\GoogleToolbarNotifier.exe"
    O4 - HKCU\..\Run: [Creative Detector] C:\Program Files\Creative\MediaSource\Detector\CTDetect.exe /R
    O4 - HKCU\..\Run: [BitTorrent DNA] "C:\Program Files\DNA\btdna.exe"
    O4 - .DEFAULT User Startup: AutoTBar.exe (User 'Default user')
    O4 - Global Startup: HP Digital Imaging Monitor.lnk = C:\Program Files\HP\Digital Imaging\bin\hpqtra08.exe
    O4 - Global Startup: NkbMonitor.exe.lnk = C:\Program Files\Nikon\PictureProject\NkbMonitor.exe
     
  4. spitman

    spitman Private E-2

    All done - sorry for the long delay between posts but access to the PC is limited.

    Basically disabled everything from startup which took about a minute off the start up time. Can't get the Ex off of Norton so can't progress that one.

    Upshot is that the PC is now working to everyone's satisfaction so once again many thanks for the help
     
  5. chaslang

    chaslang MajorGeeks Admin - Master Malware Expert Staff Member

    You're welcome.



    If you are not having any other malware problems, it is time to do our final steps:
    1. We recommend you keep SUPERAntiSpyware and Malwarebytes Anti-Malware for scanning/removal of malware. Unless you purchase them, they provide no protection. They do not use any significant amount of resources ( except a little disk space ) until you run a scan.
    2. If we had you use ComboFix, uninstall ComboFix (This uninstall will only work as written if you installed ComboFix on your Desktop like we requested.)
      • Click START then RUN and enter the below into the run box and then click OK. Note the quotes are required
      • "%userprofile%\Desktop\combofix" /uninstall
        • Notes: The space between the combofix" and the /uninstall, it must be there.
        • This will uninstall ComboFix and also reset hidden files and folders settings back to Windows defaults.
    3. Go back to step 6 oof the READ ME and renable your Disk Emulation software with Defogger if you had disabled it.
    4. Any other miscellaneous tools we may have had you install or download can be uninstalled and deleted.
    5. If we had you download any registry patches like fixme.reg or fixWLK.reg (or any others), you can delete these files now.
    6. If running Vista, it is time to make sure you have reenabled UAC by double clicking on the C:\MGtools\enableUAC.reg file and allowing it to be added to the registry.
    7. Go to add/remove programs and uninstall HijackThis.
    8. Goto the C:\MGtools folder and find the MGclean.bat file. Double click on this file to run this cleanup program that will remove files and folders
      related to MGtools and some other items from our cleaning procedures.
    9. If you are running Win 7, Vista, Windows XP or Windows ME, do the below:
      • Refer to the cleaning procedures pointed to by step 7 of the READ ME
        for your Window version and see the instructions 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:
     

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