MalwareBytes

polobradaigh

Installed and ran MalwareBytes when my laptop was running at a snail's pace. It detected no viruses and the system ran quite well for the rest of the session. Next day, back to crawlsville, comatose, so I ran MwB again. Once again, no viruses found and the system ran reasonably well. Is there something menacing lurking in there somewhere. What do professionals use to clean up an infected drive?

mikg

hi polobradaigh,

did you update MalwareBytes before you ran a scan?

can you run task manager and sort processes by %CPU utilisation - which process(es) are 'hogging' CPU/memory?

Also, check out CCleaner (www.piriform.com/ccleaner) - great tool for decluttering your hard drive and cleaning out obsolete registry entries

Feel free to post back with more detail about your performance issue and we can try and troubleshoot it further

polobradaigh

Thanks Mikg, greatly appreciate the help. I'm afraid I'm on a level even lower than a beginner, so the info in your 2nd paragraph is over my head. I didn't update MalwareBytes but will do so now and also try ccleaner. The strange thing is (which I can't fathom) is the system is running reasonably normally even though the scan reported no viruses. Thanks again.;)

Malware/viruses can easily go undetected because of locked files, system restore and 100 other reasons.
Follow the procedure below and you can be 100% sure its not malware that is causing the problem.
http://hardforum.com/showthread.php?t=1426658

ASJ112

Its not malware, and having user run all those programs in that link is insane, needless, and dangerous.

polo do this

Please download DDS and save it to your desktop.

• Disable any script blocking protection
• Double click dds.pif to run the tool.
• When done, two DDS.txts will open.
• Save both reports to your desktop.

---

Please include the contents of the following in your next reply:

DDS.txt
Attach.txt.

mikg

alternatively, download Trend Micro Hijackthis from here and save to your desktop.

Double-click icon and select 'Do a system scan and save a logfile'

Post back here and attach the logfile so we can analyse what exactly is running on your laptop and advise you properly

Note, Hijackthis is a very popular utility from a reputable antivirus company (Trend Micro)
Running a system scan will not make any changes to your laptop - it simply analyses your operating environment and produces a technical report.

Let us know how you get on ..

ASJ112

ASJ112 wrote: »

Its not malware, and having user run all those programs in that link is insane, needless, and dangerous.

polo do this

Please download DDS and save it to your desktop.

• Disable any script blocking protection
• Double click dds.pif to run the tool.
• When done, two DDS.txts will open.
• Save both reports to your desktop.

---

Please include the contents of the following in your next reply:

DDS.txt
Attach.txt.

You dont know its not malware.
Running all those (3) programs rules out the possibility it is malware.
Running them is insane? No, just methodical.
Needless? No, malware is the number one cause of system slowdown.
Dangerous? Get real.

polobradaigh

I feel like a blind person without a cane. They say a little knowledge is dangerous. On that basis I'm a menace. I appreciate all the suggestions, here's the report:

Logfile of Trend Micro HijackThis v2.0.4
Scan saved at 18:08:00, on 07/08/2010
Platform: Windows XP SP3 (WinNT 5.01.2600)
MSIE: Internet Explorer v8.00 (8.00.6001.18702)
Boot mode: Normal

Running processes:
C:\WINDOWS\System32\smss.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\winlogon.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\services.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\lsass.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\svchost.exe
C:\WINDOWS\System32\svchost.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\svchost.exe
C:\WINDOWS\Explorer.EXE
C:\WINDOWS\system32\spoolsv.exe
C:\Program Files\Avira\AntiVir Desktop\sched.exe
C:\Program Files\Common Files\Java\Java Update\jusched.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\VTTimer.exe
C:\Program Files\Avira\AntiVir Desktop\avguard.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\VTtrayp.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\CTSvcCDA.EXE
C:\WINDOWS\sm56hlpr.exe
C:\Program Files\Common Files\Real\Update_OB\realsched.exe
C:\Program Files\Avira\AntiVir Desktop\avgnt.exe
C:\Program Files\Common Files\Nokia\MPlatform\NokiaMServer.exe
C:\Program Files\Java\jre6\bin\jqs.exe
C:\Program Files\HP\HP Software Update\HPWuSchd2.exe
C:\Program Files\DivX\DivX Update\DivXUpdate.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\ctfmon.exe
C:\WINDOWS\System32\svchost.exe
C:\WINDOWS\System32\svchost.exe
C:\Program Files\HP\Digital Imaging\bin\hpqtra08.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\svchost.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\MsPMSPSv.exe
C:\Program Files\HP\Digital Imaging\bin\hpqSTE08.exe
C:\Program Files\Mozilla Firefox\firefox.exe
C:\Program Files\Mozilla Firefox\plugin-container.exe
C:\Documents and Settings\Owner\My Documents\Downloads\HijackThis.exe

R0 - HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Start Page = http://www.google.ie/
R1 - HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Default_Page_URL = http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=69157
R1 - HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Default_Search_URL = http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=54896
R1 - HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Search Page = http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=54896
R0 - HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Start Page = http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=69157
O2 - BHO: AcroIEHelperStub - {18DF081C-E8AD-4283-A596-FA578C2EBDC3} - C:\Program Files\Common Files\Adobe\Acrobat\ActiveX\AcroIEHelperShim.dll
O2 - BHO: RealPlayer Download and Record Plugin for Internet Explorer - {3049C3E9-B461-4BC5-8870-4C09146192CA} - C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Real\RealPlayer\BrowserRecordPlugin\IE\rpbrowserrecordplugin.dll
O2 - BHO: Google Toolbar Helper - {AA58ED58-01DD-4d91-8333-CF10577473F7} - C:\Program Files\Google\Google Toolbar\GoogleToolbar_32.dll
O2 - BHO: Google Toolbar Notifier BHO - {AF69DE43-7D58-4638-B6FA-CE66B5AD205D} - C:\Program Files\Google\GoogleToolbarNotifier\5.0.926.3450\swg.dll
O2 - BHO: Java(tm) Plug-In 2 SSV Helper - {DBC80044-A445-435b-BC74-9C25C1C588A9} - C:\Program Files\Java\jre6\bin\jp2ssv.dll
O2 - BHO: JQSIEStartDetectorImpl - {E7E6F031-17CE-4C07-BC86-EABFE594F69C} - C:\Program Files\Java\jre6\lib\deploy\jqs\ie\jqs_plugin.dll
O3 - Toolbar: Google Toolbar - {2318C2B1-4965-11d4-9B18-009027A5CD4F} - C:\Program Files\Google\Google Toolbar\GoogleToolbar_32.dll
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [SunJavaUpdateSched] "C:\Program Files\Common Files\Java\Java Update\jusched.exe"
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [VTTimer] VTTimer.exe
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [VTTrayp] VTtrayp.exe
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [SMSERIAL] sm56hlpr.exe
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [TkBellExe] "C:\Program Files\Common Files\Real\Update_OB\realsched.exe" -osboot
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: [avgnt] "C:\Program Files\Avira\AntiVir Desktop\avgnt.exe" /min
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [NokiaMServer] C:\Program Files\Common Files\Nokia\MPlatform\NokiaMServer /watchfiles startup
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [Nokia FastStart] "C:\Program Files\Nokia\Nokia Music\NokiaMusic.exe" /command:faststart
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [HP Software Update] C:\Program Files\HP\HP Software Update\HPWuSchd2.exe
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [DivXUpdate] "C:\Program Files\DivX\DivX Update\DivXUpdate.exe" /CHECKNOW
O4 - HKCU\..\Run: [CTFMON.EXE] C:\WINDOWS\system32\ctfmon.exe
O4 - HKUS\S-1-5-19\..\Run: [CTFMON.EXE] C:\WINDOWS\system32\CTFMON.EXE (User 'LOCAL SERVICE')
O4 - HKUS\S-1-5-20\..\Run: [CTFMON.EXE] C:\WINDOWS\system32\CTFMON.EXE (User 'NETWORK SERVICE')
O4 - HKUS\S-1-5-18\..\Run: [CTFMON.EXE] C:\WINDOWS\system32\CTFMON.EXE (User 'SYSTEM')
O4 - HKUS\.DEFAULT\..\Run: [CTFMON.EXE] C:\WINDOWS\system32\CTFMON.EXE (User 'Default user')
O4 - Global Startup: HP Digital Imaging Monitor.lnk = C:\Program Files\HP\Digital Imaging\bin\hpqtra08.exe
O9 - Extra button: Research - {92780B25-18CC-41C8-B9BE-3C9C571A8263} - C:\PROGRA~1\MICROS~3\OFFICE11\REFIEBAR.DLL
O9 - Extra button: (no name) - {e2e2dd38-d088-4134-82b7-f2ba38496583} - C:\WINDOWS\Network Diagnostic\xpnetdiag.exe
O9 - Extra 'Tools' menuitem: @xpsp3res.dll,-20001 - {e2e2dd38-d088-4134-82b7-f2ba38496583} - C:\WINDOWS\Network Diagnostic\xpnetdiag.exe
O9 - Extra button: Messenger - {FB5F1910-F110-11d2-BB9E-00C04F795683} - C:\Program Files\Messenger\msmsgs.exe
O9 - Extra 'Tools' menuitem: Windows Messenger - {FB5F1910-F110-11d2-BB9E-00C04F795683} - C:\Program Files\Messenger\msmsgs.exe
O16 - DPF: {6414512B-B978-451D-A0D8-FCFDF33E833C} (WUWebControl Class) - http://update.microsoft.com/windowsupdate/v6/V5Controls/en/x86/client/wuweb_site.cab?1266848562817
O16 - DPF: {6E32070A-766D-4EE6-879C-DC1FA91D2FC3} (MUWebControl Class) - http://www.update.microsoft.com/microsoftupdate/v6/V5Controls/en/x86/client/muweb_site.cab?1270140648988
O16 - DPF: {E2883E8F-472F-4FB0-9522-AC9BF37916A7} - http://platformdl.adobe.com/NOS/getPlusPlus/1.6/gp.cab
O22 - SharedTaskScheduler: Browseui preloader - {438755C2-A8BA-11D1-B96B-00A0C90312E1} - C:\WINDOWS\system32\browseui.dll
O22 - SharedTaskScheduler: Component Categories cache daemon - {8C7461EF-2B13-11d2-BE35-3078302C2030} - C:\WINDOWS\system32\browseui.dll
O23 - Service: Avira AntiVir Scheduler (AntiVirSchedulerService) - Avira GmbH - C:\Program Files\Avira\AntiVir Desktop\sched.exe
O23 - Service: Avira AntiVir Guard (AntiVirService) - Avira GmbH - C:\Program Files\Avira\AntiVir Desktop\avguard.exe
O23 - Service: Creative Service for CDROM Access - Creative Technology Ltd - C:\WINDOWS\system32\CTSvcCDA.EXE
O23 - Service: Google Update Service (gupdate) (gupdate) - Google Inc. - C:\Program Files\Google\Update\GoogleUpdate.exe
O23 - Service: Google Updater Service (gusvc) - Google - C:\Program Files\Google\Common\Google Updater\GoogleUpdaterService.exe
O23 - Service: InstallDriver Table Manager (IDriverT) - Macrovision Corporation - C:\Program Files\Common Files\InstallShield\Driver\1050\Intel 32\IDriverT.exe
O23 - Service: Java Quick Starter (JavaQuickStarterService) - Sun Microsystems, Inc. - C:\Program Files\Java\jre6\bin\jqs.exe
O23 - Service: RoxMediaDB9 - Sonic Solutions - C:\Program Files\Common Files\Roxio Shared\9.0\SharedCOM\RoxMediaDB9.exe
O23 - Service: ServiceLayer - Nokia - C:\Program Files\PC Connectivity Solution\ServiceLayer.exe
O23 - Service: TwonkyMedia - PacketVideo - C:\Program Files\Nokia\Nokia Home Media Server\Media Server\TwonkyMedia.exe

--
End of file - 7315 bytes

ASJ112

songok linking to a topic that tells people to run 4+ anti-spyware scanners, two anti-viruses, Combofix ( always potentially dangerous ), Avira AntiVir System Rescure CD ( very complicated ), and Anti-rootkit programs ( potentially dangerous ), is extreme overkill for a user who seemingly isn't an expert when it comes to things like this. How is Avira Rescue CD of any use to him, or installing two AVs....

Throw in the fact that it would clearly slow down his PC even more, which is going against his original issue, and which also tells him to turn off system restore ( dangerous and needless ), and the fact that it isn't even malware in the first place, makes it a real head scratcher recommending that link.

Am not going to waste any more space in this topic arguing over it.


polo, run DDS like I said in my previous post, and do the following


Download TFC to your desktop

• Open the file and close any other windows.
• It will close all programs itself when run, make sure to let it run uninterrupted.
• Click the Start button to begin the process. The program should not take long to finish its job
• Once its finished it should reboot your machine, if not, do this yourself to ensure a complete clean

1. Please re-open HiJackThis and choose do a system scan only. Check the boxes next to ONLY the entries listed below(if present):

O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [SunJavaUpdateSched] "C:\Program Files\Common Files\Java\Java Update\jusched.exe"
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [TkBellExe] "C:\Program Files\Common Files\Real\Update_OB\realsched.exe" -osboot
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: [DivXUpdate] "C:\Program Files\DivX\DivX Update\DivXUpdate.exe" /CHECKNOW
O4 - HKCU\..\Run: [CTFMON.EXE] C:\WINDOWS\system32\ctfmon.exe
O4 - HKUS\S-1-5-19\..\Run: [CTFMON.EXE] C:\WINDOWS\system32\CTFMON.EXE (User 'LOCAL SERVICE')
O4 - HKUS\S-1-5-20\..\Run: [CTFMON.EXE] C:\WINDOWS\system32\CTFMON.EXE (User 'NETWORK SERVICE')
O4 - HKUS\S-1-5-18\..\Run: [CTFMON.EXE] C:\WINDOWS\system32\CTFMON.EXE (User 'SYSTEM')
O4 - HKUS\.DEFAULT\..\Run: [CTFMON.EXE] C:\WINDOWS\system32\CTFMON.EXE (User 'Default user')
O23 - Service: Java Quick Starter (JavaQuickStarterService) - Sun Microsystems, Inc. - C:\Program Files\Java\jre6\bin\jqs.exe


2. Now close all windows other than HiJackThis, including browsers, so that nothing other than HijackThis is open, then click Fix Checked. A box will pop up asking you if you wish to fix the selected items. Please choose YES. Once it has fixed them, please exit/close HijackThis.

polobradaigh

Followed instructions re TFC. ASJ112, your explicit directions were easy to follow, particularly for someone like me. Normality seems to have returned. I presume I can re-run the same programmes in the future if things start slowing down again. So much of the internet is fascinating, but this forum is one of the best developments ever to have taken place. I'm very grateful to all who have contributed. Muchas gratias.