spyware

[A.J.]

When I tried to go to the internet from my computer, it went straight to
spywarewarning.mht. Running windows xp. My Norton Anti-Virus shows nothing,
my Windows Defender showed some things, had removed a couple, left many. I
started up my computer in safe mode, ran both again, both show clean, but the
problem remains if I try to connect, and an icon will appear in my tray.
What do I do? I have no home internet access since my computer is infected,
but could download and burn from a friends computer if needed.

 

[Malke]

A.J. wrote:

> When I tried to go to the internet from my computer, it went straight to
> spywarewarning.mht. Running windows xp. My Norton Anti-Virus shows
> nothing,
> my Windows Defender showed some things, had removed a couple, left many.
> I started up my computer in safe mode, ran both again, both show clean,
> but the problem remains if I try to connect, and an icon will appear in my
> tray.
> What do I do? I have no home internet access since my computer is
> infected, but could download and burn from a friends computer if needed.

You've apparently picked up a rogue somewhere along the line. You can't fix
this without being able to get to the Internet from some computer. You
don't want to connect the infected computer to the Internet anyway.

Go through these general malware removal steps systematically -
http://www.elephantboycomputers.com/page2.html#Removing_Malware

Include scanning with David Lipman's Multi_AV and follow instructions to do
all scans in Safe Mode. Please see the special Notes regarding using
Multi_AV in Vista.

http://www.elephantboycomputers.com/page2.html#Multi-AV - instructions
http://tinyurl.com/yoeru3 - download link and more instructions

You can also check to see if there are targeted removal steps for your
malware here:
Bleeping Computer removal how-to's -
http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/forums/forum55.html

When all else fails, get guided help. Choose one of the specialty forums
listed at the first link. Register and read its posting FAQ. DO NOT POST
LOGS IN THE MS NEWSGROUPS.

Standard disclaimer: I can't see and test your computer myself, so these are
just suggestions based on many years of being a professional computer tech
suggestions based on what you've written. You should not take my
suggestions as a definitive diagnosis. If you can't do the work yourself
(and there is no shame in admitting this isn't your cup of tea), take the
machine to a professional computer repair shop (not your local equivalent
of BigComputerStore/GeekSquad). Please be aware that not all local shops
are skilled at removing malware and even if they are, your computer may be
so infested that Windows will need to be clean-installed. If possible, have
all your data backed up before you take the machine into a shop.

Malke
--
MS-MVP
Elephant Boy Computers
www.elephantboycomputers.com
Don't Panic!