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XP logs in then logs out: Missing userinit.exe file!


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#1
bohsocks

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Background:
Someone on my computer downloaded a sketchy exe off Limewire... which was a dumb idea in the first place. After scolding this person, I noticed that Limewire wouldn't stay closed and the Task Manager would not open. I researched the problem, and found a site that suggested I download and run AVG Anti-Virus software. I downloaded it and ran it in safe mode.

The scan found almost 600 "problems" and claimed to "fix" them. It even claimed there were problems with files like my browser (Maxthon) and other normal files I see often. I was impressed. After the scan finished, I went to restart in Un-Safe mode. When I did, I found that my normal Welcome Screen (with pictures and happiness) was replaced with the bland user+pass form box. I thought that was odd. I use StyleXP to change my Welcome Screen picture to a different picture than the blue thing and figured that the scan reverted what StyleXP had done... or possibly that StyleXP was hiding a virus.

ANYWAY... I go to login... and it logs me out. Fun.

So I pop in my Recovery CD and 2 hours later get to the repair password prompt. Once I'm at the DOS prompt... I didn't know what to do. I found a thread on this site that eventually led to Gerry's thing with replacing wsaup blah blah with userinit.exe in SYSTEM32. I went to do this.. and found that I had neither file. I was depressed.

So I check out "missing userinit.exe" on google and found that sometimes C:\WINDOWS\System32\dllcache has a copy of userinit.exe in it. No dice. My next step is to copy it from the Recovery CD. That leads me back to here.... how do I navigate the Recovery CD to grab userinit.exe and pop it into System32?

Also... a lesser problem I hope to soon have... how do I format my command to do copy from the CD to the folder?

copy E;\blahblah\userinit.exe C:\WINDOWS\system32\wsaupdater.exe ?

Which gets the full path... the location or the destination?

Please help!
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#2
bohsocks

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Okay... I was able to get a copy of userinit.exe from the computer downstairs... I used my phone's flashdrive sd card and transferred it manually.... I will never used AVG AGAIN

Sure it knocked out the virus (I think anyway...) but it's like a laxitive... sure you take a nice, cleansing [bleep], but you take out half your intestines with it... ALL OF MY PROGRAMS ARE GONE! It seems I'll have to do the same Phone SD-Card thing to transfer a browser's install file.... I can't even navigate to websites and half my programs are gone... it's ridiculous!
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#3
anzenketh

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I suggest you go to the Malware Forum and run all the steps located in the START HERE. These self-help tools will help you clean up 70% of problems on your own. If you are still having problems after doing the steps, then please post a HiJackThis Log in THAT forum. If you are unable to run and/or post a HJT log, then post that in your initial post in the topic you create in that forum.

If you are still having problems after being given a clean bill of health from the malware expert, then please return to THIS thread and we will pursue other options to help you solve your current problem(s).
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#4
Slayze

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Heya, A friend of mine was explaning that same thing to me. I had him bring his laptop over and sure enough he is missing the userinit.exe. I checked for it in recovery console same as you did. I copied it onto a cd from my pc but how to do I get it to install on his laptop using the cd drive if i cant get into windows? Is there a way to extract it using recovery console?

Edited by Slayze, 09 March 2009 - 08:50 PM.

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#5
Slayze

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O.K. Heres what I did. I burned the USERINIT.EXE as a data cd off of my desktop. I put it in the laptop that is missing the USERINIT.EXE and boot to the recovery console. I then Typed COPY E: [C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32]
I get the message that went something like wildcards or directory changes are not allowed or something in that nature.

I have it on the CD im just not sure how to get the USERINIT.EXE off the cd and back into C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32 . Do I have to specify something else to get it off teh location or is the E: sufficient?
maybe like E:\USERINIT.EXE [C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32] ???

Im pretty new to all this and have been doing alot of research on this problem and have been trying to learn from what I have read so any help would be greatly appreciated. :)
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