When do you think it’s a good time to reformat?

August 13, 2009

I heard you should reformat your PC atleast once a year because of all the crap you’ve uninstalled and reinstalled and etc. Is this true? My PC is still running in tip top shape, very fast, no problems, responsive.. I only have 23 processes boot up and I keep everything tight and clean with registry cleaners, spyware/malware scans and nod32 for virus protection.

Do you think it’s worth a reformat?

Honestly, what would I be benefitting from with the current condition of my machine?
(Asking now because this week, I do have the time and effort to get it done)

Thanks in advance,

Dom

Really bad computer virus problem?

August 7, 2009

I thought I’d solved the problem but it turned out I hadn’t. I got a couple of trojan viruses on my computer the other day, even with NOD32 and Malwarebytes’ AntiMalware, Ad-aware, and Spybot Search and Destroy, which I know are all very good. I scanned with Malwarebytes,and it found two trojans. Here’s the log:

Memory Processes Infected: 0
Memory Modules Infected: 0
Registry Keys Infected: 2
Registry Values Infected: 0
Registry Data Items Infected: 0
Folders Infected: 0
Files Infected: 0

Memory Processes Infected:
(No malicious items detected)

Memory Modules Infected:
(No malicious items detected)

Registry Keys Infected:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\tdssdata (Trojan.Agent) -> Quarantined and deleted successfully.
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\tdss (Trojan.Agent) -> Quarantined and deleted successfully.

Registry Values Infected:
(No malicious items detected)

Registry Data Items Infected:
(No malicious items detected)

Folders Infected:
(No malicious items detected)

Files Infected:
(No malicious items detected)

I deleted the two trojans, so everything was working again (I wasn’t being redirected to other sites on the internet anymore). However, this morning, the same problem has come back. I’m assuming that there is a rootkit installed somewhere, but nothing can find it. I’ve also scanned with VundoFix and RogueRemover, which didn’t find anything either. I scanned with SmitFraudFix, and the log after that came up with a HUGE list of random websites, and then this (sorry for the long question):

Run from C:\Documents and Settings\User\Desktop\SmitfraudFix
OS: Microsoft Windows XP [Version 5.1.2600] – Windows_NT
The filesystem type is
Fix run in normal mode

»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»» SharedTaskScheduler Before SmitFraudFix
!!!Attention, following keys are not inevitably infected!!!

SrchSTS.exe by S!Ri
Search SharedTaskScheduler’s .dll

»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»» Killing process

»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»» hosts

”'(The list of lots of websites fits in here)”’

»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»» VACFix

VACFix
Credits: Malware Analysis & Diagnostic
Code: S!Ri

»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»» Winsock2 Fix

S!Ri’s WS2Fix: LSP not Found.

»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»» Generic Renos Fix

GenericRenosFix by S!Ri

»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»» Deleting infected files

»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»» IEDFix

IEDFix
Credits: Malware Analysis & Diagnostic
Code: S!Ri

»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»» 404Fix

404Fix
Credits: Malware Analysis & Diagnostic
Code: S!Ri

»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»» AntiXPVSTFix

»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»» RK

»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»» DNS

Description: 3Com 3C920 Integrated Fast Ethernet Controller (3C905C-TX Compatible) – Packet Scheduler Miniport
DNS Server Search Order: 10.0.0.2

HKLM\SYSTEM\CCS\Services\Tcpip\..\{A94E023C-3A73-4B59-B35B-7AB609AC87BD}: DhcpNameServer=10.0.0.2
HKLM\SYSTEM\CS1\Services\Tcpip\..\{A94E023C-3A73-4B59-B35B-7AB609AC87BD}: DhcpNameServer=10.0.0.2
HKLM\SYSTEM\CS2\Services\Tcpip\..\{A94E023C-3A73-4B59-B35B-7AB609AC87BD}: DhcpNameServer=10.0.0.2
HKLM\SYSTEM\CCS\Services\Tcpip\Parameters: DhcpNameServer=10.0.0.2
HKLM\SYSTEM\CS1\Services\Tcpip\Parameters: DhcpNameServer=10.0.0.2
HKLM\SYSTEM\CS2\Services\Tcpip\Parameters: DhcpNameServer=10.0.0.2

»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»» Deleting Temp Files

»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»» Winlogon.System
!!!Attention, following keys are not inevitably infected!!!

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon]

»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»» Registry Cleaning

Registry Cleaning done.

»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»» SharedTaskScheduler After SmitFraudFix
!!!Attention, following keys are not inevitably infected!!!

SrchSTS.exe by S!Ri
Search SharedTaskScheduler’s .dll

»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»» End

I’ve tried deleting what SmitFraudFix has found, but it doesn’t seem to work. If I do the scan again on SFF straight afterwards, it finds the same things, but doesn’t delete them.

So, what else is there to do? Haven’t I tried everything? Please don’t recommend programs like AVG, Norton, McAffee and Avast because they are not as good as the ones I am using, and are unlikely to find the rootkit if they better antiviruses can’t.

Thanks!

Need help with cleaning malware?

July 7, 2009

Hi… i am having problem with malware… whenever i open a website, the browser will automatically redirect to another website (x.cruze3.cn) then the internet security will prompt and say the website is malicius and it will stop connecting to the server. Basically i cannot connect and surf the net using my laptop. It happens to both IE and Google Chrome. I tried to reset the IE setting, clean up all file, run anti virus, clean and fix the registry, do the hijackthis. But any of this cannot make things right, Anti-virus and anti-spyware can’t even dectect it. But the problem still exist. I have no idea what else can i do. Have any of you guys experience this proble,. Plase let me know any anti virus software that. I have tried AVGpro, Norton, Nod32 , spybot, Ad-aware, .. .

Thanks in advance….