- 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.
- 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.
Step#1 - 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 All of these programs are either outdated, malware/adware, have a bad reputation or are not recommended.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.
Ask Shopping Toolbar
SpywareBlaster 4.6 (I suggest uninstalling until your machine is functioning. Then if you wish to re-install, version 5.0 is available). I personally don't think this software is necessary however.
Step#2 - Antivirus
I noticed that you have
Microsoft Security Essentials installed which is good. I also noticed that you have
Norton 360 installed on your machine. Having more than one antivirus on the machine is not a good idea as it can cause performance issues, conflicts and unexpected behavior. I suggest that you
uninstall Norton 360. If you want to use Norton 360 and not Microsoft Security Essentials, I would suggest you wait until your machine is all fixed and then you can install this one and disable Microsoft Security Essentials.
After you uninstall the program and reboot if prompted, please run Norton's
removal tool to ensure all the remnants are gone.
Step#3 - 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,
FRST64 and
fixlist.txt are in the same location or the fix will not work (in this case...the desktop).
2. Run
FRST64 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 FRST64 will generate a log on the Desktop (
Fixlog.txt). Please post the contents of it in your reply.
Note: You have many startup programs that are disabled through msconfig. I'm re-enabling these so that we can remove some of the errant ones. Please don't disable any until we are clean.
Step#4 - 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#5 - Fresh Set of Logs
1.
Right click on
FRST64.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. New FRST and Addition logs