[wannabe1]

Scroll down some more and click on exefile. List everything shown in the right pane for me.

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(Default) REG_SZ Application
EditFlags REG_BINARY 38 07 00 00
InfoTip REG_SZ prop:FileDescription;Company;FileVersion;Create;Size
TileInfo REG_SZ prop:FileDescription;Company;FileVersion

[goldenbeetle]

(Default) REG_SZ Application
EditFlags REG_BINARY 38 07 00 00
InfoTip REG_SZ prop:FileDescription;Company;FileVersion;Create;Size
TileInfo REG_SZ prop:FileDescription;Company;FileVersion

[wannabe1]

Everything we've looked at so far is correct.......

When you tried the exe_fix file earlier, did it tell you ir had completed successfully? Did you reboot afterward?

[goldenbeetle]

I can try it again, but I thought it had been successful and I did reboot.

[wannabe1]

Open this registry key: (Click on "Windows".)

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Windows

What is the value shown for "Programs"?

[goldenbeetle]

com exe bat pif cmd

[wannabe1]

That's correct......and I'm about out of places to look for this.

I don't suppose you know someone who has an XP cd of the same version, do you?
There are a few options we'd have with the cd that we could try on this thing.

Have you had the machine checked for malware? There are some infections that can change things that are kept hidden away from us.

[goldenbeetle]

no, when I bought the computer there were no cd's,manuals, etc. in the box. and I don't know anyone who has that cd. I ran full scans yesterday with Arovax shield that said suspects were found and removed but I can't run anything else on here because of the error.

my background has been changed to blue and says "Warning: Spyware threat has been detected on your PC. Your computer has several fatal errors due to spyware activity." and it tells me to click here to scan my comp., but I figured that was part of the spyware itself and I shouldn't click on it.

Also, a red box keeps coming up occasionally saying Windows Security Center and listing different file names and then saying the threat is CoolWebSearch.

[wannabe1]

Your machine is seriously infected....that would explain a lot.

Please go to the Malware Forum and follow the instructions found there.

That will give you several steps that will help you clean up 70 percent of all problems by yourself...then post a hijackthis log in THAT forum. Be patient, the Malware Forum is a very busy place and a two or three day wait is not unusual. Do not reply to or bump your own topic. If it shows a reply it may be overlooked as one that is being worked on.

Run what you can from that page...skip what won't run. Then post in that forum explaining the symptoms as you did in your last reply. One of the experts will help you get things running again.

If you can't open or post in that forum, let me know and we'll figure out a way to get that done.

If you are still having problems after getting a clean bill of health from the malware expert, please return to this thread.

[goldenbeetle]

Thank you very much for trying to help me with this...one more question before I go...I see already on the main page for the Malware Forum there are some self-help removal guides and one of them is "How to remove Trojan.Zlob-X.a - IEDefender". Do you know if that is the same thing as this TrojanDownloader.xs? cuz I saw somewhere else on the web that this is part of the Zlob group.

[Artellos]

If your not sure if the self-help guides will help for you posting a HijackThis Log is the best option.
The malware experts will take a look at your log

Regards,
Olrik