[MissErin]

I am writing from my laptop because I don't have internet access on my PC. It apparently crashed last night. Symptoms include:

- not detecting speakers
- tabs on the taskbar that will min or max windows but won't close them (there is no right-click option to close them)
- open user accounts section and window is blank except for the top corner which shows a back, forward, and home button
- cannot drag icons on desptop; cannot remove from recycle bin
- hijack this was previously installed but error message occurs when try to open (only once could I initialize a scan, which provided me nothing).
- no internet access (error meassage occurs in firefox)
- can't seem to startup in safe-mode, though the aethetic properties of the windows appear similar to those in safe-mode
- cannot access other user account on computer
- USELESS


What can I do? Anything?

Thanks so much for taking a look

[emeraldnzl]

Hello MissErin,

Have you tried last known good configuration?

Try and see whether last known good configuration will get you into Windows.

1) Restart your computer
2) After hearing your computer beep once during startup, but before the Windows icon appears, tap the F8 key continually;
3) Instead of Windows loading as normal, the Advanced Options Menu should appear;
4) Select Last Known Good Configuration and proceed.

If that gets things moving do this:

• Download OTL to your desktop.
• Double click on the icon to run it. Make sure all other windows are closed and to let it run uninterrupted.
• When the window appears, underneath Output at the top change it to Minimal Output.
• Under the Standard Registry box change it to All.
• Check the boxes beside LOP Check and Purity Check.
• Click the Run Scan button. Do not change any settings unless otherwise told to do so. The scan wont take long.
  • When the scan completes, it will open two notepad windows. OTL.Txt and Extras.Txt. These are saved in the same location as OTL.
  • Please copy (Edit->Select All, Edit->Copy) the contents of these files, one at a time, and post it with your next reply.

Note: Unless otherwise instructed always post the logs in the forum. If reports don't fit on one post. It might be necessary to break the logs up to get them on the forum. Just use as many posts as you need, that's fine.

[MissErin]

I appreciate your fast reply

Unfortunately, when I chose "last...configuration" it did nothing. I cannot access anything related to internet, security, user accounts, plug and plays, etc. It's totally mangled. Hijack this will not open.

It's as though this thing attacked every component of my computer that could help me get rid of it.

Anything else? Is there something I could attempt to add via USB portal?

Thanks

[emeraldnzl]

Two questions MissErin:

1. Do you have your Windows Installation Disk?

2. Can you use the computer you are communicating with us to burn CDs?

[MissErin]

1. I'm not sure. (should I have one?)

2. Indeed I can

Thanks!!

[emeraldnzl]

Hello MissErin,

I'm not sure. (should I have one?)

You may or may not have one. Initially PCs were delivered with an installation disk when you purchased them from the retailer. More recently some outlets have stopped doing this and instead include a recovery option in a separate partition on the computer or you can purchase an installation CD from them if you need it at a later date. Usually for a reasonable price. I have seen retailers charge $35 for example.

Now

I can think of a couple of options:

Option 1

Will only work if you have the Installation disk or if you can access a recovery partition. We could carry out a repair installation.

If we were using the Windows CD we would need know what sort of operating system you have so that I could direct you to the relevant instructions.

If you don't have the installation disk because your machine was delivered with a recovery partition we can look at another way of doing this. Again we would need further details.

Option 2

We can use a rescue disk based on Linux operation system which will allow an anti-virus program to access your computer and clean sufficiently for booting up and finishing the process.

This option is a good one if you don't have the Windows CD. The only drawback is that with some machines the necessary download and burning of a rescue CD doesn't work very well and the rescue disk won't do it's job. On others though it works like a charm. Bit of trial and error I'm afraid.

In any event here are the instructions for Option 2 if you want to run with that:

The Avira AntiVir Rescue System.

This is a linux-based application that allows accessing computers that cannot be booted anymore. Thus it is possible to repair a damaged system, to rescue data or to scan the system for virus infections.

Note: you will need to download and burn this CD on another machine that is not infected.

Download the Avira AntiVir Rescue System from here: http://www.free-av.com/en/products/1...ue_system.html

• Run rescue_system-common-en.exe, and insert a blank CD into your CD Writeable drive.
• Select your CD Writable drive and press the Burn CD button. The burning process should be pretty quick.
  
  Next
  
• Insert your newly burned CD into your infected computer, and restart. Once you’ve booted up your computer with Avira Rescue System, you get a boot option to either boot from hard drive or AntiVir Rescue System. Press the number 2 your keyboard to boot into AntiVir Rescue System. It will start loading linux and you get to select either deutsch or english. Next, drivers will be loaded, and when it completes, the Rescue System main menu will show.
  • To scan a computer, select the second option “Scan” and hit enter.
  • Scan all files.
  • Select the option to try to repair infected files.
  • If Rescue System is unable to repair infected files, select the option to rename the files.
  The open command at the main menu will launch Linux console, not DOS command prompt. Unless you’re familiar with Linux commands, I wouldn’t recommend you selecting that option. If you’ve accidentally got into the linux console, press CTRL+F1 simultaneously to go back to Rescue System Main Menu.
  
  Note: If when you insert the newly burned CD your computer is not set to boot first from your CD drive then nothing will happen. Let me know if this happens and I will give you some more instructions.
  
  If able to boot after this, attempt to run malwarebytes and OTL. See instructions below:

If you do not have Malwarebytes please download from Here

Double Click mbam-setup.exe to install the application.

• Make sure a checkmark is placed next to Update Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware and Launch Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware, then click Finish.
• If an update is found, it will download and install the latest version.
• Once the program has loaded, select "Perform Quick Scan", then click Scan.
• The scan may take some time to finish,so please be patient.
• When the scan is complete, click OK, then Show Results to view the results.
• Make sure that everything is checked, and click Remove Selected.
• When disinfection is completed, a log will open in Notepad and you may be prompted to Restart.(See Extra Note)
• The log is automatically saved by MBAM and can be viewed by clicking the Logs tab in MBAM.
• Copy&Paste the entire report in your next reply.

Extra Note:
If MBAM encounters a file that is difficult to remove, you will be presented with 1 of 2 prompts,click OK to either and let MBAM proceed with the disinfection process,if asked to restart the computer,please do so immediatly.

Next

• Download OTL to your desktop.
• Double click on the icon to run it. Make sure all other windows are closed and to let it run uninterrupted.
• When the window appears, underneath Output at the top change it to Minimal Output.
• Under the Standard Registry box change it to All.
• Check the boxes beside LOP Check and Purity Check.
• Click the Run Scan button. Do not change any settings unless otherwise told to do so. The scan wont take long.
  • When the scan completes, it will open two notepad windows. OTL.Txt and Extras.Txt. These are saved in the same location as OTL.
  • Please copy (Edit->Select All, Edit->Copy) the contents of these files, one at a time, and post it with your next reply.

So when you return please post

• MBAM log
• the two OTL logs - OTL.txt and Extras.txt

Note: Unless otherwise instructed always post the logs in the forum. If reports don't fit on one post. It might be necessary to break the logs up to get them on the forum. Just use as many posts as you need, that's fine.

[MissErin]

I just wanted to let you know I still need to work on this problem, but I'm doing my finals in University right now, so things are busy. I will respond with the info you requested when I can.

Thanks so much for your help. It really is appreciated. Happy Hoidays

[emeraldnzl]

Okie dokie