no drag/drop, et al. for me too

Do you have any firefox add-ons installed that have disabled Javascript (NoScript or some ad blocking softwares might do it)? Those may be the source of your problem. To make sure you haven't accidentally disabled it on your own, click on Tools > Options, click on Content, and be sure that there are checkmarks in the boxes labeled Enable JavaScript and Enable Java.

On the malware front, you're clean!

We have a couple last things to take care of and then you're good to go.

Uninstall ComboFix from your computer:

• Click on Start > Run
• Type Combofix /u in the run box and click Ok. Note the space between the x and the /u, it needs to be there.
  

Over the course of the fix you've used a variety of special tools to help with the cleaning process - none of these are of any use to you now that you're clean, and it's best not to have them hanging around on your computer. OTC is a small program that removes all the leftover tools and logs from cleanup of malware.

Please download OTC to your desktop.

• Double-click OTC to run it. (Vista users, please right click on OTC and select "Run as an Administrator")
• Click on the CleanUp! button and follow the prompts.
• You will be asked to reboot the machine to finish the Cleanup process, choose Yes.
• After the reboot all the tools we used should be gone.

Note: Some more recently created tools may not yet be removed by OTC. Feel free to manually delete any tools it leaves behind.

Here are some tips to reduce the potential for malware infection in the future; I strongly that you read them and take them to heart so that you don't have to endure the process of cleaning your computer again.

Make proper use of your antivirus and firewall

Antivirus and Firewall programs are integral to your computer security. However, just having them installed isn't enough. The definitions of these programs are frequently updated to detect the latest malware, and if you don't keep up with these updates then you'll be vulnerable to infection. Many antivirus and firewall programs have automatic update features, make use of those if you can. If your program doesn't, then get in the habit of routinely performing manual updates, because it's important.

You should keep your antivirus and firewall guard enabled at all times, don't shut them off unless there's a specific reason to do so. Also, regularly performing a full system scan with your antivirus program is a good idea to make sure you're still clean. Once a week works well for many people. You can set the scan to run during a time when you don't plan to use the computer and just leave it to complete on its own.

If you don't have a firewall, some great free options you can test out are: Online Armor, Outpost, and Sunbelt. I'd highly recommend that you install one of those. If you do decide to use a 3rd party firewall program, please be sure to disable the Windows firewall as per these instructions so they don't conflict:

• Please click on Start -> Control Panel
• Double click Windows Firewall
• Click Change Settings
• Choose Off to disable Windows Firewall.

Finally, for a great tutorial on how to get the best protection out of your firewall, take a look at this guide.

Use a safer web browser

Internet Explorer is not the most secure tool for browsing the web. It has been known to be very susceptible to infection, and there are a few good free alternatives: Firefox, Opera, and Google Chrome. All of these are excellent faster, safer, more powerful and functional free alternatives to Internet Explorer. It's definitely worth the short period of adjustment to start using one of these. If you wish to continue using Internet Explorer, it would be a good idea to follow the tutorial here which will help you to make IE much safer.

These browser add-ons will help to make your browser safer:

Web of Trust warns you about risky websites that try to scam visitors, deliver malware or send spam. WOT's color-coded icons show you ratings for 21 million websites, helping you avoid the dangerous ones: Green to go, Yellow for caution, and Red to stop. Available for Firefox and Internet Explorer.

NoScript helps to block malicious scripts and in general gives you much better control over what types of things webpages can do to your computer while you're browsing. Available for Firefox only.

These are just a couple of the most popular add-ons, if you're interested in more, take a look at this article.

Exercise common sense

Having security programs installed is very helpful to you, but none of them have the gift of human thought. The best way to make sure you don't get infected is to look before you leap. Be careful of what websites you visit - if a site looks suspicious, trust your instincts and get out of there. Be careful of what attachments you open in emails and files you download from websites - check them over carefully and look at the file extensions to make sure that you know what you're getting. Using peer-to-peer file sharing programs or downloading cracks and keygens is something else to avoid - the files you will be downloading are infected in the vast majority of cases, and the benefits simply aren't worth the risk to your computer.

Keep up on Windows updates

Along with keeping all of the security programs that you choose to use updated, it is also important to keep up on system updates from Microsoft, as these patch critical security vulnerabilities and help to keep you safe. Typically the windows update icon will appear in your taskbar when new updates are available, whenever you see it you should open the menu up and install the updates that are available. Although it may be an annoyance, that little bit of extra time it takes to stay updated is very well worth it instead of getting infected from an exploit and having to clean your PC again.

Slow computer?

If your computer begins to slow down again in the future for no particular reason, your first step should not be to come back to the malware forum. As your computer ages and is used, its parts wear, files and programs accumulate, and its performance speed can decrease. To restore your computer's performance to its best possible level, follow the steps in this guide written by tech expert Artellos.

Go ahead with those steps and let me know what's happening with the IE and Java issues.

Cheers,
Dave

I think I may have had some damage to FF. I uninstalled it, then reinstalled it and at least have the IE tabs back, so I have Kaspersky running now and will post the results if it ever gets done downloading updates. Still unable to see anything (using standard FF)that should be displayed in javascript. I checked Tools-content-options, and java and javascript are checked.
Still not sure what's going on with the pop-up window asking me to "insert the disk with the status.msi file". I seem to have lost my printer as well. It's part of an installer, I believe. I'll peruse the forums and see if there's another area in which to address that issue.
Thanks for the help Dave

Still not sure what's going on with the pop-up window asking me to "insert the disk with the status.msi file"

Kaspersky may help us find the source of this, let me know when you have the results.

Once Kaspersky's done, try a manual flush and reinstall for Java. First go into your Add/Remove programs and manually uninstall all versions of Java, then download and install the new one like this:

• Download the appropriate version of the update installer file from here and save it to your desktop.
• Disable all your protection programs (antivirus, firewall, antipsyware), if you need specific instructions for a program they can be found here.
• Doubleclick the file to run it on XP, or on Vista right click it and select Run as Administrator
• Follow the prompts and allow the installation to complete.

Edited by Transience, 12 October 2009 - 05:19 PM.

Re-ran MBAM and Kaspersky.
Kaspersky has nothing listed in the report- just blank space.
Here's the MBAM: (it reports no problems)  mbam_log_2009_11_29__16_38_23_.txt   835bytes   92 downloads
I ran TFC last night and caught about 300M of temp files.
Computer is running correctly for web browsing and most other things. The issue with Java (did a full removal and re-installation) was caused by NoScript. It had somehow faded to the background and was no longer issuing alerts, notifications, et al. That was solved by removal of all add-ons and re-installation. It now operates as it should.
Known issues remaining:
IE8- When selected from 'all programs' the screen kinda blinks at me and nada. It just won't open, but I'm Okay with that because I use only FF.
There is no desktop icon for IE8 at this time, but even that did the same thing.

"My Computer" will open and function correctly in safe mode, but in normal mode it hangs up and just displays the flashlight waving around.

P.S. Ran Kaspersky a second time and still have a "no threat, nothing suspicious" report.

Edited by twinoaks, 29 November 2009 - 10:37 PM.