Solved Have Safesear.ch & unwanted search engine, error in Oxc0000142

[Tom C]

Need help in getting rid of malware that is causing unwanted search engine. Also need to know how to fix error message about Oxc0000142?
Thanks, Tom

 

[TwinHeadedEagle]

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.

Scan with ZOEK

Please download ZOEK by Smeenk and save it to your desktop (preferred version is the *.exe one)
Temporary disable your AntiVirus and AntiSpyware protection - instructions here.

• Right-click on
  
  icon and select
  
  Run as Administrator to start the tool.
• Wait patiently until the main console will appear, it may take a minute or two.
• In the main box please paste in the following script:
  

  createsrpoint;
  autoclean;
  emptyalltemp;
  ipconfig /flushdns;b

• Make sure that Scan All Users option is checked.
• Push Run Script and wait patiently. The scan may take a couple of minutes.
• When the scan completes, a zoek-results logfile should open in notepad.
• If a reboot is needed, it will be opened after it. You may also find it at your main drive (usually C:\ drive)

Post its content into your next reply.

 

[Tom C]

I turned off all antivirus software - (AVI, AVAST, Privatefirewall 7.0), tried to download Zoek.exe. & got Error message - " The application was unable to start correctly (Ox000042). Right before this message, I got a pop up message from User Account Control asking if the Zoek program was ok to run. I tired to go through control panel to disable UAC but it would not let me - nothing happened when I clicked on it.

 

[TwinHeadedEagle]

Try downloading again.

 

[Tom C]

I downloaded again & ran as Administrator & got same messages - 1st message is from User Account Control saying Do you want to allow this program to run from unknown publisher (Zoek.exe). I said yes but then go the Oxc0000142 message (did a print screen & attached).

 

[TwinHeadedEagle]

No problem, we will skip it:

Scan with Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware

Please download Malwarebytes Anti-Malware and save it to your desktop.

• Install the progam and select update.
• Once updated, click the Settings tab, in the left panel choose Detctions & protection and tick Scan for rootkits.
• Click the Scan tab, choose Threat Scan is checked and click Scan Now.
• If threats are detected, click the Apply Actions button. You will now be prompted to reboot. Click Yes.
• Upon completion of the scan (or after the reboot), click the History tab.
• Click Application Logs and double-click the Scan Log.
• At the bottom click Export and choose Text file.

Save the file to your desktop and include its content in your next reply.

Fix with AdwCleaner

Please download AdwCleaner by Xplode and save the file to your desktop.

• Right-click on
  
  icon and select
  
  Run as Administrator to start the tool.
• Follow the prompts and click Scan.
• When finished, please click Clean.
• Upon completion, click Report. A log (AdwCleaner[S*].txt) will open.

Please include the contents of that file in your reply.

Scan with Farbar Recovery Scan Tool

Please re-run Farbar Recovery Scan Tool to give me a fresh look at your system.

• Right-click on
  
  icon and select
  
  Run as Administrator to start the tool.
  (XP users click run after receipt of Windows Security Warning - Open File).
• Make sure that Addition option is checked.
• Press Scan button and wait.
• The tool will produce two logfiles on your desktop: FRST.txt and Addition.txt.

Please include their content into your next reply.

 

[Tom C]

Ok - performed all that you listed - still getting "Oxc0000142 error message from time to time - I just hit ok & the program or scan continued.
Thanks for your help to-date...........

 

[TwinHeadedEagle]

Run MalwareBytes again, but now quarantine all found items.

Scan with Farbar Recovery Scan Tool

Please re-run Farbar Recovery Scan Tool to give me a fresh look at your system.

• Right-click on
  
  icon and select
  
  Run as Administrator to start the tool.
  (XP users click run after receipt of Windows Security Warning - Open File).
• Make sure that Addition option is checked.
• Press Scan button and wait.
• The tool will produce two logfiles on your desktop: FRST.txt and Addition.txt.

Please include their content into your next reply.

 

[Tom C]

Ran Malwarebytes again & quarantined all it found. Ran FRST again. All logs attached. I also included that error message I keep getting when doing various things on the computer. I got it when I started to run FRST & then it popped up during the FRST scan around 4 or 5 times. It didn't appear when I ran the Malwarebytes scan? Thanks

 

[TwinHeadedEagle]

Multiple Resident Protection warning!

Always have one (and no more than one!) AntiVirus program! In this case having more of them will not provide you with better protection - instead they may cause slowness, lock-ups and even mark another ones as harmful, leading to leave your system unstable and even damaged. Please choose only one from the listed below to stay with and uninstall the others:

• avast Free Antivirus
• AVG AntiVirus Free Edition 2014

Uninstallation procedure:

• Press the
  
  + R on your keyboard at the same time. Type appwiz.cpl and click OK.
• Search for each uninstalled entry, right-click it and select Uninstall.

This should be done until any other steps will be taken.

Fix with Farbar Recovery Scan Tool

This fix was created for this user for use on that particular machine.

Running it on another one may cause damage and render the system unstable.

​

Download attached fixlist.txt file and save it to the Desktop:

Both files, FRST and fixlist.txt have to be in the same location or the fix will not work!

• Right-click on
  
  icon and select
  
  Run as Administrator to start the tool.
  (XP users click run after receipt of Windows Security Warning - Open File).
• Press the Fix button just once and wait.
• If for some reason the tool needs a restart, please make sure you let the system restart normally. After that let the tool complete its run.
• When finished FRST will generate a log on the Desktop, called Fixlog.txt.

Please attach it to your reply.

 

[Tom C]

Finally was able to delete AVG Free. I have not been able to change my UAC for a while - just would not open up. Now it does. Before that, AVG kept saying I did not have enough rights (administrator) to uninstall. I temporarily changed my UAC to no control & the uninstall worked. I ran FRST again with your fix & attached the FixLog it created. Thanks for all your help to-date!

 

[TwinHeadedEagle]

Good. How is the situation now?

 

[Tom C]

Well, it was really GREAT - even the "Oxc0000142" error messages have gone away. HOWEVER, when I just signed on to reply to you, I noticed that the unwanted search engine page is back (http://www.safesear.ch/?type=20141029-uz-ie-sr)!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!. The nly thing that I have done that I can think of since your last post is that I uninstalled AVG Free (it asked me if I wanted to delete it's quarantine folder of files & I said yes?). I also upgrade the AVast Free to Premier (as I had a 3 pc license that I used). I also uninstalled "Privatefirewall 7.0" as I thought it might be in conflict with AVast Premier. Tell me what to do (even start over) & I'll do it. Thanks for your help & patience.

 

[Tom C]

Can't we just get a 357 magnum & shoot the guy(s) that create/cause these headaches?!

 

[TwinHeadedEagle]

Haha, I would do it too

Scan with Farbar Recovery Scan Tool

Please re-run Farbar Recovery Scan Tool to give me a fresh look at your system.

• Right-click on
  
  icon and select
  
  Run as Administrator to start the tool.
  (XP users click run after receipt of Windows Security Warning - Open File).
• Make sure that Addition option is checked.
• Press Scan button and wait.
• The tool will produce two logfiles on your desktop: FRST.txt and Addition.txt.

Please include their content into your next reply.

 

[Tom C]

Here they are - just ran

 

[TwinHeadedEagle]

Fix with Farbar Recovery Scan Tool

This fix was created for this user for use on that particular machine.

Running it on another one may cause damage and render the system unstable.

​

Download attached fixlist.txt file and save it to the Desktop:

Both files, FRST and fixlist.txt have to be in the same location or the fix will not work!

• Right-click on
  
  icon and select
  
  Run as Administrator to start the tool.
  (XP users click run after receipt of Windows Security Warning - Open File).
• Press the Fix button just once and wait.
• If for some reason the tool needs a restart, please make sure you let the system restart normally. After that let the tool complete its run.
• When finished FRST will generate a log on the Desktop, called Fixlog.txt.

Please attach it to your reply.

 

[Tom C]

Ok ran FRST fix & then it wanted PC to reboot, so I let it. After rebooting, I tried to go out in explorer & saw that "safesear.ch was still the default - then got error message I had scene previously saying that my search engine file was corrupt & it gave me a list to choose from - the only one listed was google - so I selected that. The search engine is still "safesear.ch" I attached the fixlog, a fresh FRST & addition just now

 

[TwinHeadedEagle]

Can you reinstall your browser?

 

[Tom C]

I tried to uninstall Internet Explorer 10 - I first downloaded Internet Explorer 11. I then uninstalled IE 10 & it left me with IE9. I then uninstalled IE9 & I can't tell what version I have now. I tried to load IE 11 & not sure if that is what I have now - Can't find on program list, software upgrade list, & can't find how to see what version I have when it's loaded? I have in the meantime loaded latest version of FireFox & it's start scene takes me to Google page. I could just switch to Firefox but I really don't want that other crap on in my IE or PC. Suggestions?