61 replies to this topic

[dwang0725]

I am a total newbie with computers, so please forgive me if I sound ignorant... I think my computer has been infected by a virus or malware. Everytime I try to launch an .exe application, I get the error message in the title. I am only able to open Firefox. I have tried to DL and install hijackthis to create a log, but I am unable to open the .exe file. The same message appears. Something is affecting Window's ability to launch .exe files. I am running Windows XP Pro and I do not have my back up discs. I lost them in a recent move.

My problem is eerily similar to that of the user in this post. http://www.lavasofts...showtopic=26442

Could someone help me out?


Thanks,
Dave

[dwang0725]

Can anyone help me out? I'm at wits end trying to fix this bug. Thanks in advance.


Dave

[Blade81]

Hi,

Please download xp_exe_fix.zip archive attached to this message and extract it to your desktop. Double-click fix.vbs and let it run.

Note: Fix is meant to be used in this specific case only. Using it in some other computer or operating system is strictly prohibited and may render your system inoperable.


Download DDS and save it to your desktop from here or here or here.
Disable any script blocker, and then double click dds.scr to run the tool.

• When done, DDS will open two (2) logs:
  • DDS.txt
  • Attach.txt
• Save both reports to your desktop. Post them back to your topic.

Download GMER and save it your desktop:

• Extract it to your desktop and double-click GMER.exe
• Click rootkit-tab and then scan.
• Don't check
  Show All
  box while scanning in progress!
• When scanning is ready, click Copy.
• This copies log to clipboard
• Post log in your reply.

[dwang0725]

Blade,
First of all, thanks for the reply. I DLed the zip file and extracted fix.vbs to the desktop, but when I tried to double click it and run it, the computer tells me that "windows cannot open this file: to open this file, windows needs to know what program created it." It then gives me 2 options. Use the web service to find the appropriate program or select the program from a list. I have no idea what program is used to open up vbs files... Please advise. Thanks.


Dave

[Blade81]

Hi,

Try to use c:\windows\system32\wscript.exe to open the file. Let me know how it goes.

[dwang0725]

When I did that and used windows script host, I got "There is no script engine for file extension ".vbs"

[Blade81]

Hi,

Open "My computer". Click Tools->Folder options->activate file types -tab. Is the list empty or do you have some types listed there?

[dwang0725]

When I click on the file types tab, I get a list of registered file types. I didn't see vbs extensions, so I then manually entered VBS as an extension and manually changed the details for vbs using windows script as the program to open vbs extensions. But still the program does not open and I get the same result. Should I be doing something different?

[Blade81]

Hi,

See if you're able to download and run DDS. When it asks for download location place it to root of your c: drive and name as firefox.exe.

[dwang0725]

I was able to DL and save the file to the root directory in the C: drive and changed the name to firefox.exe. When I tried to run it, it said: "cmd, this application has failed to start because the application configuration is incorrect", same as before...

[Blade81]

Hi,

Please try same renaming trick with GMER and see if you can run it.

• Download random's system information tool (RSIT) by random/random from here and save it to your desktop as firefox.exe.
• Double click on renamed file to run RSIT.
• Click Continue at the disclaimer screen.
• Once it has finished, two logs will open. Please post the contents of both log.txt (<<will be maximized) and info.txt (<<will be minimized, if not you'll find it in c:\rsit folder)

Also, please see if you can find folder with nothing but pure digits in its name (i.e. 4298219) in C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data folder. If you find such folder move it to your desktop.

[dwang0725]

I DL and saved both the GMER and RSIT file, but could not run either one. Same error as with all the other exe files.

I also looked in C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\, but I do not have an application data folder? Could my XP be totally wacked?

This is truly frustrating...

[Blade81]

It's hidden by default.

Show hidden files
-----------------
* Click Start.
* Open My Computer.
* Select the Tools menu and click Folder Options.
* Select the View Tab.
* Under the Hidden files and folders heading select Show hidden files and folders.
* Uncheck the Hide protected operating system files (recommended) option.
* Click Yes to confirm.
* Click OK.

[dwang0725]

OK, accessed the hidden files, but there isn't a file folder with just pure digits. Actually, there isn't a folder with a single number in it...

Now what?

[Blade81]

• Download OTL (name it as dave.com while selecting destination location) 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.
• 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. You may need two posts to fit them all in.

[dwang0725]

DLed and renamed OTL, but I cannot run the program. Everytime I try to run an exe program, the message comes up regardless of what I name it. DL and renaming is not a problem, it's when I go to launch the program. There has to be something else.


Dave

[Blade81]

DLed and renamed OTL, but I cannot run the program.

Did you download it first before changing the name? It has to be renamed before its saved to your hard drive. Use name svchost.exe and place the file to your c: root (c:\)

After that, here are steps to follow (print/save these and above listed OTL related instructions since you won't be able to access them while in safe mode):
Press F8 before Windows' loading screen and select safe mode with command prompt -option.
Then write following commands (I assume you have OTL with name svchost.exe in c:\):

• c:
• cd\
• svchost.exe

[dwang0725]

OK, I changed the name after the DL. That's where I went wrong. But I have another problem. I'm using FF and there's a DL manager that pops up and it automatically saves the file for me without asking for a name or where to save it to. Where can I change this option so that I can DL and save the file as something else?


Dave

[Blade81]

Goto tools. On downloads section of main tab there's an option "Always ask me where to save files". Have it enabled.

[dwang0725]

Blade,
I followed your instructions and was able to run OTL, but after the scan completed I did not get OTL.txt and extras.txt files that you had mentioned. The program ran fine and when it finished there was a message at the bottom saying "scan completed". Is there something else I need to do to get the files? BTW, this was all done in windows and not safe mode. I was not able to boot into safe mode.