Hello,
They call me
TwinHeadedEagle around here, and I'll be working with you.
Before we start please read and note the following:
- At the top of your post, please click on the "Watch thread" button and make sure to check Watch this thread...and receive email notifications. This will send an email to you as soon as I reply to your topic, allowing me to solve your problem faster.
- Please do not install any new software during the cleaning process other than the tools I provide for you. This can hinder the cleaning process. Please do not perform System Restore or any other restore.
- Instructions I give to you are very simple and made for complete beginner to follow. That's why you need to read through my instructions carefully and completely before executing them.
- Please do not run any tools other than the ones I ask you to, when I ask you to. Some of these tools can be very dangerous if used improperly. Also, if you use a tool that I have not requested you use, it can cause false positives, thereby delaying the complete cleaning of your machine.
- All tools we use here are completely clean and do not contain any malware. If your antivirus detects them as malicious, please disable your antivirus and then continue.
- If during the process you run across anything that is not in my instructions, please stop and ask. If any tool is running too much time (few hours), please stop and inform me.
- I visit forum several times at day, making sure to respond to everyone's topic as fast as possible. But bear in mind that I have private life like everyone and I cannot be here 24/7. So please be patient with me. Also, some infections require less, and some more time to be removed completely, so bear this in mind and be patient.
- Please stay with me until the end of all steps and procedures and I declare your system clean. Just because there is a lack of symptoms does not indicate a clean machine. If you solved your problem yourself, set aside two minutes to let me know.
- Please attach all report using
button below. Doing this, you make it easier for me to analyze and fix your problem.
- Do not ask for help for your business PC. Companies are making revenue via computers, so it is good thing to pay someone to repair it.
- If I don't hear from you within 3 days from this initial or any subsequent post, then this thread will be closed.
Download
Malwarebytes Anti-Rootkit to your desktop.
- Double-click the icon to start the tool.
- It will ask you where to extract it, then it will start.
- Warning! Malwarebytes Anti-Rootkit needs to be run from an account with administrator rights.
- Click in the introduction screen "next" to continue.
- Click in the following screen "Update" to obtain the latest malware definitions.
- Once the update is complete select "Next" and click "Scan".
- When the scan is finished and no malware has been found select "Exit".
- If malware was detected, make sure to check all the items and click "Cleanup". Reboot your computer.
- Open the MBAR folder and paste the content of the following files in your next reply:
- "mbar-log-{date} (xx-xx-xx).txt"
- "system-log.txt"
Scan with Farbar Recovery Scan Tool
Please download
Farbar Recovery Scan Tool and save it to your desktop.
Note: You need to run the version compatibale with your system. If you are not sure which version applies to your system download both of them and try to run them.
Only one of them will run on your system, that will be the right version.
- Double-click to run it. When the tool opens click Yes to disclaimer.
- Press Scan button.
- It will make a log (FRST.txt) in the same directory the tool is run. Please attach it to your reply.
- The first time the tool is run, it makes also another log (Addition.txt). Please attach it to your reply.
THE, thanks for helping but, as I stated in my post, I cannot log on to my computer. The last time my computer had this problem (yesterday), I did a Windows restore (before I posted a "help" message on this forum) that gave me temporary access but has now reverted to its original infected state. Yesterday, I could log on in Safe Mode (before I did the Windows restore) but immediately got a message "Windows Explorer has encountered an error and must shut down." When I attempt to close that message box, I can click on something and it may or may not allow me to proceed for just a second or two but then I get the same message popping up again. That's when I decided to do the Windows restore, updated my AV and Malware programs, ran scans and thought I had the problem beat. Later, I went back to that computer and found it in the original infected state. So, now I'm back to the point where I can, if I wish, boot into Safe Mode but with unpredictable results thereafter.
I do have another computer that is not infected (the one with which I'm using to write this post). So, I can download programs, copy to USB drive and boot from it - if that helps.
Also, fyi, it seems that there is another thread on this forum with the same title as mine. Not sure how that happened. Anyway, thought you should be made aware of it.
Lastly, before I read your post this morning, I powered down my infected computer. It is still down. I understand that, with a computer in an infected state, even something as simple as a power cycling can create problems but, again, I did that before reading your reply. I will follow your instructions carefully. Please read my responses carefully as I try to communicate effectively, the first time. I await your next instruction.
In your instructions, please keep in mind that I know more than the average layperson about computers/Windows OS, but nothing close to what someone like you knows. What would you have me do next?