- General Instructions -
- Please read all instructions and fixes thoroughly. Read the ENTIRE post BEFORE performing any steps so you understand all that needs to be done.
- I would advise printing any instructions for easy reference as some of the fixes may require you to boot in Safe mode. Access to these instructions may not be available in Safe Mode.
- Any fixes provided by myself are for this log file only and should not be used on any other systems.
- Do not run any other removal software or perform updates other than the ones I provide, as it will complicate the cleaning process.
- It's very likely that part of our cleanup will include emptying your recycle bin. If you use your recycle bin as an archive and do not wish this to be emptied, please let me know.
- You have 4 days to reply to each post or the topic will be closed.
- Please feel free to ask any questions, especially if you are having problems with my instructions.
- Save ALL Tools to your Desktop-
All tools that I have you download should be placed on the
desktop unless otherwise stated.
- Finally Before We Start-
Removing malware is a complicated multiple step process, Please stay with me until I have declared your system clean.
I strongly recommend you backup your personal files and folders. Although rare, attempting to remove malware can render your machine unbootable or cause data loss. Having backups of your data is your responsibility. Your security programs may give warnings for some of the tools I will ask you to use. Be assured, any links I give are safe.
OK, let's get started.
Step#1 - Warnings
The Dangers of P2P Programs
IMPORTANT: I noticed that you have a
P2P (Peer to Peer) file sharing program on your computer. I cannot stress highly enough the
danger in using these types of programs. P2P programs are one of the major avenues of infection these days. The files downloaded with these programs are more than likely infected with trojans, malware, rootkits, etc.
You run the risk of getting an infection that can compromise your sensitive data, such as financial records, personal information, etc. That is just the infection aspect of using P2P programs. You also run the risk of possible arrest, fines, or in severe cases, jail time for illegal downloading of copyrighted material.
Here are some information sources about the dangers of P2P programs:
FBI - Peer to Peer Scams
USA Today Artticle on P2P Programs
File Sharing Infects 500,000 Computers
I very much
recommend you
uninstall this program from your machine. If not, you will likely be back needing help with your machine again. The risks of infections from content downloaded with P2P programs far outweigh any benefit of using them.
It is, of course,
your choice as to whether or not you remove the program from your machine. It is my duty though, to point out how dangerous it is to use these programs. However, I must request that you do not use it while we are cleaning your machine.
Please
uninstall (or at the very least don't use while we fix your machine) the following Peer-to-Peer program(s):
uTorrent
CCleaner
I see that you have CCleaner installed. This is indeed a good product but I wanted to caution you on running the registry cleaning functionality of the tool. Please avoid this as it can do more harm than good. Following are a couple informative links on why not to use them.
Answers to common security questions - Best Practices - Anti-Virus and Anti-Malware Software
miekiemoes' Blog: Registry Cleaners and System Tweaking Tools
Step#2 - Uninstalls
Please
uninstall the following programs one at a time. Instructions for doing so are
here.
If any of the programs give you an error during the uninstall,
notate it and
move on to the next one. Just
let me know which ones had issues. If you are asked to reboot, answer No until all the programs have been uninstalled and then you can reboot. All of these programs are either outdated, malware/adware, have a bad reputation or are not recommended. If you absolutely must have one of them I suggest that you wait until you are declared clean before reinstalling.
Driver Booster 2.3 <---- (Optional however the vendor is untrustworthy and deemed a
rogue within the Anti-Malware community as a whole.
Kaspersky Internet Security - Since we are having issues with this and BSOD please uninstall.
Speccy - It's a good program but currently causing issues. I would uninstall until we fix all issues. If you want to re-install after that, it's fine.
Step#3 - Install MSE
After you have uninstalled Kaspersky Internet Security, it's important that we also run the manual removal tool to ensure all remnants are gone. Otherwise we may still get the BSOD issues.
1.
Download the tool from
here and save to your
desktop.
2. Go ahead and run the tool to ensure everything is removed.
3. Once this is done, please
install Microsoft Security Essentials from
here. We don't want to leave the machine unprotected.
Step#4 - FRST Fix
NOTICE: This script was written specifically for this user, for use on that particular machine. Running this on another machine may cause damage to your operating system
1. Download attached file and save it to the
Desktop.
Note. It's important that both files,
FRST and
fixlist.txt are in the same location or the fix will not work (in this case...the desktop).
2. Run
FRST by
Right-Clicking on the file and choosing
Run as administrator.
3. Press the
Fix button just once and wait. If for some reason the tool needs a restart, please make sure you let the system restart normally. After that let the tool complete its run.
4. When finished FRST will generate a log on the Desktop (
Fixlog.txt). Please post the contents of it in your reply.
Step#5 - AdWCleaner
1. Please download
AdwCleaner by Xplode onto your
desktop.
2. Close all open programs and internet browsers.
3. Right-click on
AdwCleaner.exe and select
Run as administrator to run the tool.
4. Click on
Scan.
5. After the scan is complete click on "
Clean"
6. Confirm each time with
Ok.
7. Your computer will be rebooted automatically. A text file will open after the restart.
8. Please post the content of that logfile with your next answer.
9. If need be, you can also find the logfile at
C:\AdwCleaner\AdwCleaner[S0].txt as well.
Step#6 - Fresh Set of Logs
1.
Right click on
FRST.exe and select
Run as administrator. When the tool opens click
Yes to disclaimer.
2.
Please ensure you place a check mark in the Addition.txt check box at the bottom of the form before running.
3. Press
Scan button.
4. It will produce a log called
FRST.txt in the same directory the tool is run from (which should now be the desktop)
5. Please copy and paste log back here.
6. Because you selected the
Addition.txt check box this log will be created as well. Please copy and paste this log as well.
Items for your next post
1. FRST Fix Log
2. AdwCleaner Log
3. Fresh FRST and Addition logs