[scottportraits]

May 13, 2008 5.45pm est

Hello Again,

Some quirky problems with my PC....ran many scans and tests to determine if I'm infected....but no infections found.

First, the symptoms. I use Firefox as default browser, and have IE7 installed for occasional use. Launched IE7 last night and noticed the home page was different. Usually it is Google, but it had changed to www.FINDERG.com.
I tried to switch it back to Google by going to Tools > Internet Options, but this window pops saying:

RESTRICTIONS.
X (red X) This operation has been canceled due to restrictions in effect on this PC. Contact System Administrator.

I have administrative rights, or used to, so it should not be blocking me. Cannot open Tools > Internet Options window.

When I launched SUPER Anti-Spyware to do an update and scan, I ran into this pesky window:

SUPER Anti-Spyware ALERT:
Home page changed - to: www.finderg.com.
If you did not make this change, (I didn't) then you may have spyware or adware on your PC.

However, the Super Anti-Spyware scan completed and found no traces of malware. No Infections.

When I tried to do Panda's ActiveScan 2.0 online, I ran into an update error : updating incomplete due to error. Try Again. Over and over, but no update or online scan will run.

And neither will Symantec's online virus scan. It hits a brick wall and proclaims my browser (IE7) is not sufficient.

And when I surf around with IE7 I notice in the lower left hand corner a note that page is loaded, but with errors, or a little yellow triangle with an exclamation point ! inside it. Almost all sites do this.

Finally, when I try to shut down the PC, going to Start > Turn off Computer, it freezes up, stuck, with the little hourglass icon, and won't shut down. I have to open Task Manager (Ctrl + Alt + Delete) to get it to 'Shut Down' and 'Turn off'.

Also ran Norton SystemWorks 2003 'One Button Check-up', but found no errors to fix.


The scans/tests I ran are:

1. AVG Anti-virus, Home Ed. (My subscription A/V service); no infections found.

2. Kaspersky Online Scanner; no infections found.

3. Spybot S&D - Free Ed.; no infections found.

4. A-Squared, Trojan Scanner; Free Ed., & online scan - no infections found.

5. SUPER Anti-Spyware, Free Ed.; - no infections found.

6. Ad-Aware Lavasoft, Free Ed.; - no infections found.

7. I also have SpywareGuard & SpywareBlaster installed and running in the background....

8. Symantec Online Security Test Scan; after downloading the ActiveX controls, and the installation & definition updates, as it begins the scan....it stops and says it cannot proceed because you need higher than IE 5 (I have IE 7). Stopped cold.

9. Panda Online Scan - Refuses to run or update the definitions (already have it installed on PC). Stopped cold.

So I am at a loss regarding what to do next. Since the logs show no infections, I have not included them. However, I append here the HiJackThis log which I just ran.

Any help or suggestions ??

Thanks,

-scottportraits

Logfile of Trend Micro HijackThis v2.0.2
Scan saved at 5:41:53 PM, on 5/13/2008
Platform: Windows XP SP2 (WinNT 5.01.2600)
MSIE: Internet Explorer v7.00 (7.00.6000.16640)
Boot mode: Normal

Running processes:
C:\WINDOWS\System32\smss.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\winlogon.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\services.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\lsass.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\Ati2evxx.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\svchost.exe
C:\Program Files\Windows Defender\MsMpEng.exe
C:\WINDOWS\System32\svchost.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\Ati2evxx.exe
C:\Program Files\Sygate\SPF\smc.exe
C:\Program Files\Lavasoft\Ad-Aware 2007\aawservice.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\spoolsv.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\netdde.exe
C:\Program Files\a-squared Free\a2service.exe
C:\PROGRA~1\AVG\AVG8\avgwdsvc.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\svchost.exe
C:\PROGRA~1\AVG\AVG8\avgam.exe
C:\PROGRA~1\AVG\AVG8\avgrsx.exe
C:\PROGRA~1\AVG\AVG8\avgnsx.exe
C:\PROGRA~1\AVG\AVG8\avgemc.exe
C:\WINDOWS\Explorer.EXE
C:\WINDOWS\System32\spool\DRIVERS\W32X86\3\E_FATIABA.EXE
C:\Program Files\Windows Defender\MSASCui.exe
C:\PROGRA~1\AVG\AVG8\avgtray.exe
C:\Program Files\YourWare Solutions\FreeRAM XP Pro\FreeRAM XP Pro.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\ctfmon.exe
C:\WINDOWS\System32\spool\DRIVERS\W32X86\3\E_FATICKA.EXE
C:\Program Files\Windows NT\Accessories\wordpad.exe
C:\Program Files\SUPERAntiSpyware\SUPERAntiSpyware.exe
C:\Program Files\Mozilla Firefox\firefox.exe
C:\Program Files\Trend Micro\HijackThis\HijackThis.exe

R1 - HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Default_Search_URL = http://go.microsoft....k/?LinkId=54896
R1 - HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Search Page = http://go.microsoft....k/?LinkId=54896
R1 - HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Internet Connection Wizard,ShellNext = http://windowsupdate.microsoft.com/
R1 - HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Internet Settings,ProxyServer = :0
O2 - BHO: Adobe PDF Reader Link Helper - {06849E9F-C8D7-4D59-B87D-784B7D6BE0B3} - C:\Program Files\Common Files\Adobe\Acrobat\ActiveX\AcroIEHelper.dll
O2 - BHO: SpywareGuard Download Protection - {4A368E80-174F-4872-96B5-0B27DDD11DB2} - C:\Program Files\SpywareGuard\dlprotect.dll
O2 - BHO: (no name) - {53707962-6F74-2D53-2644-206D7942484F} - C:\PROGRA~1\SPYBOT~1\SDHelper.dll
O2 - BHO: SSVHelper Class - {761497BB-D6F0-462C-B6EB-D4DAF1D92D43} - C:\Program Files\Java\jre1.6.0_03\bin\ssv.dll
O2 - BHO: EpsonToolBandKicker Class - {E99421FB-68DD-40F0-B4AC-B7027CAE2F1A} - C:\Program Files\EPSON\EPSON Web-To-Page\EPSON Web-To-Page.dll
O3 - Toolbar: EPSON Web-To-Page - {EE5D279F-081B-4404-994D-C6B60AAEBA6D} - C:\Program Files\EPSON\EPSON Web-To-Page\EPSON Web-To-Page.dll
O3 - Toolbar: Norton AntiVirus - {42CDD1BF-3FFB-4238-8AD1-7859DF00B1D6} - C:\Program Files\Norton SystemWorks\Norton AntiVirus\NavShExt.dll
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [SmcService] C:\PROGRA~1\Sygate\SPF\smc.exe -startgui
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [EPSON Stylus C88 Series] C:\WINDOWS\System32\spool\DRIVERS\W32X86\3\E_FATIABA.EXE /P23 "EPSON Stylus C88 Series" /O6 "USB001" /M "Stylus C88"
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [Windows Defender] "C:\Program Files\Windows Defender\MSASCui.exe" -hide
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [AVG8_TRAY] C:\PROGRA~1\AVG\AVG8\avgtray.exe
O4 - HKCU\..\Run: [FreeRAM XP] "C:\Program Files\YourWare Solutions\FreeRAM XP Pro\FreeRAM XP Pro.exe" -win
O4 - HKCU\..\Run: [ctfmon.exe] C:\WINDOWS\system32\ctfmon.exe
O4 - HKCU\..\Run: [EPSON Stylus C88 Series] C:\WINDOWS\System32\spool\DRIVERS\W32X86\3\E_FATIABA.EXE /P23 "EPSON Stylus C88 Series" /M "Stylus C88" /EF "HKCU"
O4 - HKCU\..\Run: [EPSON Stylus Photo R280 Series] C:\WINDOWS\System32\spool\DRIVERS\W32X86\3\E_FATICKA.EXE /FU "C:\WINDOWS\TEMP\E_S16A.tmp" /EF "HKCU"
O4 - Global Startup: Adobe Gamma Loader.lnk = C:\Program Files\Common Files\Adobe\Calibration\Adobe Gamma Loader.exe
O6 - HKCU\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Restrictions present
O8 - Extra context menu item: E&xport to Microsoft Excel - res://C:\PROGRA~1\MICROS~2\Office10\EXCEL.EXE/3000
O9 - Extra button: (no name) - {08B0E5C0-4FCB-11CF-AAA5-00401C608501} - C:\Program Files\Java\jre1.6.0_03\bin\ssv.dll
O9 - Extra 'Tools' menuitem: Sun Java Console - {08B0E5C0-4FCB-11CF-AAA5-00401C608501} - C:\Program Files\Java\jre1.6.0_03\bin\ssv.dll
O9 - Extra button: (no name) - {e2e2dd38-d088-4134-82b7-f2ba38496583} - C:\WINDOWS\Network Diagnostic\xpnetdiag.exe
O9 - Extra 'Tools' menuitem: @xpsp3res.dll,-20001 - {e2e2dd38-d088-4134-82b7-f2ba38496583} - C:\WINDOWS\Network Diagnostic\xpnetdiag.exe
O9 - Extra button: Messenger - {FB5F1910-F110-11d2-BB9E-00C04F795683} - C:\Program Files\Messenger\msmsgs.exe
O9 - Extra 'Tools' menuitem: Windows Messenger - {FB5F1910-F110-11d2-BB9E-00C04F795683} - C:\Program Files\Messenger\msmsgs.exe
O16 - DPF: {0EB0E74A-2A76-4AB3-A7FB-9BD8C29F7F75} (CKAVWebScan Object) - http://www.kaspersky...can_unicode.cab
O16 - DPF: {2BC66F54-93A8-11D3-BEB6-00105AA9B6AE} (Symantec AntiVirus scanner) - http://security.syma...bin/AvSniff.cab
O16 - DPF: {2D8ED06D-3C30-438B-96AE-4D110FDC1FB8} (ActiveScan 2.0 Installer Class) - http://acs.pandasoft...s/as2stubie.cab
O16 - DPF: {644E432F-49D3-41A1-8DD5-E099162EEEC5} (Symantec RuFSI Utility Class) - http://security.syma...n/bin/cabsa.cab
O16 - DPF: {9A9307A0-7DA4-4DAF-B042-5009F29E09E1} (ActiveScan Installer Class) - http://acs.pandasoft...free/asinst.cab
O16 - DPF: {BB21F850-63F4-4EC9-BF9D-565BD30C9AE9} (a-squared Scanner) - http://ax.emsisoft.com/asquared.cab
O16 - DPF: {D27CDB6E-AE6D-11CF-96B8-444553540000} (Shockwave Flash Object) - http://fpdownload2.m...ash/swflash.cab
O18 - Protocol: linkscanner - {F274614C-63F8-47D5-A4D1-FBDDE494F8D1} - C:\Program Files\AVG\AVG8\avgpp.dll
O20 - AppInit_DLLs: avgrsstx.dll
O20 - Winlogon Notify: !SASWinLogon - C:\Program Files\SUPERAntiSpyware\SASWINLO.DLL
O23 - Service: a-squared Free Service (a2free) - Emsi Software GmbH - C:\Program Files\a-squared Free\a2service.exe
O23 - Service: Ad-Aware 2007 Service (aawservice) - Lavasoft - C:\Program Files\Lavasoft\Ad-Aware 2007\aawservice.exe
O23 - Service: Ati HotKey Poller - ATI Technologies Inc. - C:\WINDOWS\system32\Ati2evxx.exe
O23 - Service: ATI Smart - Unknown owner - C:\WINDOWS\system32\ati2sgag.exe
O23 - Service: AVG8 E-mail Scanner (avg8emc) - AVG Technologies CZ, s.r.o. - C:\PROGRA~1\AVG\AVG8\avgemc.exe
O23 - Service: AVG8 WatchDog (avg8wd) - AVG Technologies CZ, s.r.o. - C:\PROGRA~1\AVG\AVG8\avgwdsvc.exe
O23 - Service: InCD Helper (InCDsrv) - Nero AG - C:\Program Files\Nero\Nero 7\InCD\InCDsrv.exe
O23 - Service: Norton AntiVirus Auto Protect Service (navapsvc) - Symantec Corporation - C:\Program Files\Norton SystemWorks\Norton AntiVirus\navapsvc.exe
O23 - Service: Norton Unerase Protection (NProtectService) - Symantec Corporation - C:\Program Files\Norton SystemWorks\Norton Utilities\NPROTECT.EXE
O23 - Service: Remote Packet Capture Protocol v.0 (experimental) (rpcapd) - CACE Technologies - C:\Program Files\WinPcap\rpcapd.exe
O23 - Service: SiSoftware Database Agent Service (SandraDataSrv) - SiSoftware - C:\Program Files\SiSoftware\SiSoftware Sandra Lite XI.SP1a\Win32\RpcDataSrv.exe
O23 - Service: SiSoftware Sandra Agent Service (SandraTheSrv) - SiSoftware - C:\Program Files\SiSoftware\SiSoftware Sandra Lite XI.SP1a\RpcSandraSrv.exe
O23 - Service: ScriptBlocking Service (SBService) - Symantec Corporation - C:\PROGRA~1\COMMON~1\SYMANT~1\SCRIPT~1\SBServ.exe
O23 - Service: Sygate Personal Firewall (SmcService) - Sygate Technologies, Inc. - C:\Program Files\Sygate\SPF\smc.exe
O23 - Service: Speed Disk service - Symantec Corporation - C:\PROGRA~1\NORTON~1\SPEEDD~1\nopdb.exe

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