[carolinachris]

I have a Samsung R580/R590 Laptop with:  Windows 7, 64 bit, Intel Core i5 430 @2.27 GHz and 4 GB ram with IE and Chrome browsers.

 

All of a sudden none of my virus programs would start/work. I have tried system restore, though it says it was completed, I continue to have the same symptoms as before. Spreadsheets, word docs, other programs seem to work fine, except no virus protection type programs will start, let alone run.

 

I need help finding out the source of the problem and a solution for it - all relevant help is greatly appreciated.

 

None of these programs will start: Malwarebytes, AVG, Spybot S&D, RKill, etc. I have tried them in normal mode, safe mode and safe mode with networking (and trying to update), but none will update or start.

 

Nothing seems to be out of place with programs, files, etc., that I can see.

 

I have downloaded and run FRST and AdwCleaner. Attached are the three associated text file logs.

 

 

Thanks for your help...

 

 

Update:  I also downloaded and ran "SuperAntiSpyware" and it found nothing but a few old tracking cookies... 

Attached Files

•  Addition-cc.txt   38.34KB   641 downloads
•  FRST-cc.txt   37.15KB   657 downloads
•  AdwCleaner-cc.txt   4.96KB   641 downloads

Edited by carolinachris, 28 August 2015 - 12:32 PM.

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Hi. My name is Brian, and I would be happy to look into your issue.
 

- General Instructions -

• Please read all instructions and fixes thoroughly. Read the ENTIRE post BEFORE performing any steps so you understand all that needs to be done.
• I would advise printing any instructions for easy reference as some of the fixes may require you to boot in Safe mode. Access to these instructions may not be available in Safe Mode.
• Any fixes provided by myself are for this log file only and should not be used on any other systems.
• Do not run any other removal software or perform updates other than the ones I provide, as it will complicate the cleaning process.
• It's very likely that part of our cleanup will include emptying your recycle bin. If you use your recycle bin as an archive and do not wish this to be emptied, please let me know.
• It is also likely during our cleaning process that your internet browsing history will be removed. Your favorites will be untouched. If you don't want this to happen you need to let me know before running any steps so I can adjust my fixes accordingly.
• You have 4 days to reply to each post or the topic will be closed. You will be able to request that the topic be re-opened by sending me a PM (Personal Message) or PM a moderator.
• Please feel free to ask any questions, especially if you are having problems with my instructions.

- Save ALL Tools to your Desktop-

All tools that I have you download should be placed on the desktop unless otherwise stated. If you are familiar with how to save files to the desktop then you can skip this step.
 
Since you are continuing with this step then I assume you are unfamiliar with saving files to your desktop. As a result it's easiest if you configure your browser(s) to download any tools to the desktop by default. Please use the appropriate instructions below depending on the browser you are using.
Google Chrome - Click the "Customize and control Google Chrome" button in the upper right-corner of the browser. Choose Settings. at the bottom of the screen click the
"Show advanced settings..." link. Scroll down to find the Downloads section and click the Change... button. Select your desktop and click OK.
Mozilla Firefox - Click the "Open Menu" button in the upper right-corner of the browser. Choose Options. In the downloads section, click the Browse button, click on the Desktop folder
and the click the "Select Folder" button. Click OK to get out of the Options menu.
Internet Explorer - Click the Tools menu in the upper right-corner of the browser. Select View downloads. Select the Options link in the lower left of the window. Click Browse and
select the Desktop and then choose the Select Folder button. Click OK to get out of the download options screen and then click Close to get out of the View Downloads screen.
NOTE: IE8 Does not support changing download locations in this manner. You will need to download the tool(s) to the default folder, usually Downloads, then copy them to the desktop.
 

- Finally Before We Start-

 
Removing malware is a complicated multiple step process, Please stay with me until I have declared your system clean. I strongly recommend you backup your personal files and folders. Although rare, attempting to remove malware can render your machine unbootable or cause data loss. Having backups of your data is your responsibility. Your security programs may give warnings for some of the tools I will ask you to use. Be assured, any links I give are safe.

 

 

I'm reviewing your logs now and will report back shortly.

[BrianDrab]

Hi. My name is Brian, and I would be happy to look into your issue.
 

- General Instructions -

• Please read all instructions and fixes thoroughly. Read the ENTIRE post BEFORE performing any steps so you understand all that needs to be done.
• I would advise printing any instructions for easy reference as some of the fixes may require you to boot in Safe mode. Access to these instructions may not be available in Safe Mode.
• Any fixes provided by myself are for this log file only and should not be used on any other systems.
• Do not run any other removal software or perform updates other than the ones I provide, as it will complicate the cleaning process.
• It's very likely that part of our cleanup will include emptying your recycle bin. If you use your recycle bin as an archive and do not wish this to be emptied, please let me know.
• It is also likely during our cleaning process that your internet browsing history will be removed. Your favorites will be untouched. If you don't want this to happen you need to let me know before running any steps so I can adjust my fixes accordingly.
• You have 4 days to reply to each post or the topic will be closed. You will be able to request that the topic be re-opened by sending me a PM (Personal Message) or PM a moderator.
• Please feel free to ask any questions, especially if you are having problems with my instructions.

- Save ALL Tools to your Desktop-

All tools that I have you download should be placed on the desktop unless otherwise stated. If you are familiar with how to save files to the desktop then you can skip this step.
 
Since you are continuing with this step then I assume you are unfamiliar with saving files to your desktop. As a result it's easiest if you configure your browser(s) to download any tools to the desktop by default. Please use the appropriate instructions below depending on the browser you are using.
Google Chrome - Click the "Customize and control Google Chrome" button in the upper right-corner of the browser. Choose Settings. at the bottom of the screen click the
"Show advanced settings..." link. Scroll down to find the Downloads section and click the Change... button. Select your desktop and click OK.
Mozilla Firefox - Click the "Open Menu" button in the upper right-corner of the browser. Choose Options. In the downloads section, click the Browse button, click on the Desktop folder
and the click the "Select Folder" button. Click OK to get out of the Options menu.
Internet Explorer - Click the Tools menu in the upper right-corner of the browser. Select View downloads. Select the Options link in the lower left of the window. Click Browse and
select the Desktop and then choose the Select Folder button. Click OK to get out of the download options screen and then click Close to get out of the View Downloads screen.
NOTE: IE8 Does not support changing download locations in this manner. You will need to download the tool(s) to the default folder, usually Downloads, then copy them to the desktop.
 

- Finally Before We Start-

 
Removing malware is a complicated multiple step process, Please stay with me until I have declared your system clean. I strongly recommend you backup your personal files and folders. Although rare, attempting to remove malware can render your machine unbootable or cause data loss. Having backups of your data is your responsibility. Your security programs may give warnings for some of the tools I will ask you to use. Be assured, any links I give are safe.

 

 

I'm reviewing your logs now and will report back shortly.

[BrianDrab]

OK, let's see if we can get you fixed up. Please do the following.

 

Step#1- Warnings

 

Spybot Search & Destroy
I see that you have Spybot Search & Destroy. We no longer recommend this product because of the poor testing results. I recommend uninstalling this program. If you want to keep this program, I suggest you uninstall for now until we resolve your issue and then you can re-install. Please first Undo your immunization before uninstalling. You can do that by clicking the Undo button with Spybot S&D and then remove from Add/Remove programs.

 

No Service Pack

It doesn't appear that you have Service Pack 1 for Windows 7 installed. Is this intentional?

 

Unknown Program

In Add/Remove programs there is a program simply called cmd. Do you know what this is?

 

 

Step#2 - Uninstalls

Because of your issues with security software not running I would like you to uninstall all of the following programs. We'll re-install once you are all cleaned up. If you need more direction on how to uninstall programs, instructions for doing so are here.

 

AVG Free 9.0
AVG Security Toolbar
Malwarebytes Anti-Malware version 2.1.8.1057
Spybot - Search & Destroy (likely already done in Step#1)

 

Step#3 - Manual Removal Tools

Please run the following two manual removal tools as I see remnants of McAfee and there will likely be remnants of AVG.

AVG Removal Tool

McAfee Removal Tool

 

Step#4 - JRT by Malwarebytes
1. Download Junkware Removal Tool to your desktop.
1. Run the tool by double-clicking it. If you are using Windows Vista, 7, or 8; instead of double-clicking, right-mouse click JRT.exe and select "Run as Administrator".
2. The tool will open. Press any key at the Disclaimer screen and the program will start scanning your system.
3. Please be patient as this can take a while to complete depending on your system's specifications.
4. On completion, a log (JRT.txt) is saved to your desktop and will automatically open.
5. Close the text file and reboot your machine.
6. Post the contents of JRT.txt into your next message.

 

Step#5 - FRST Fix
NOTICE: This script was written specifically for this user, for use on that particular machine. Running this on another machine may cause damage to your operating system
1. Download attached file and save it to the Desktop.  fixlist.txt   1.79KB   650 downloads
Note. It's important that both files, FRST64 and fixlist.txt are in the same location or the fix will not work (in this case...the desktop).
2. Run FRST64 by Right-Clicking on the file and choosing Run as administrator.
3. 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.
4. When finished FRST64 will generate a log on the Desktop (Fixlog.txt). Please post the contents of it in your reply.

 

 

At this point your machine will have no antivirus on it so please be vigilant and try to stay off any websites that you can until we get this resolved.

 

 

Items for your next post

1. Answers to my questions

2. JRT log

3. FRST Fix log

[carolinachris]

Brian,

 

Thank you for your help.

 

1.  Warnings:

a. I performed the "undo immunization" and uninstalled Spybot.

b. I never downloaded the service pack for Windows 7, just an oversight.

c. cmd.exe seems to be a Windows 7 Command Prompt.

2.  Uninstalls:

a. AVG Free 9.0: Would not uninstall no matter what I tried.

b. AVG Security Toolbar - Would not uninstall no matter what I tried.

c. Malwarebytes Anti-Malware version 2.1.8.1057 - Uninstalled fine.

d. Spybot - Search & Destroy - Uninstalled fine in step 1.

3.  Manual Reoval tools:

a. AVG Removal Tool - Downloaded fine, but would not start no matter what I tried.

b. McAfee Removal Tool - Downloaded fine, but would not start no matter what I tried.

4. JRT by Malwarebytes:

a. Downloaded fine, but would not start no matter what I tried.

5. FRST Fix:

a. Downloaded fixlist.txt to my desktop.

b. Already had FRST64 on my desktop.

c.  Ran FRST64, pressed "fix" and will attach output log file.

 

Thank you and I look forward to your further help in solving my computer problem.

Attached Files

•  Fixlog2 - cc.txt   4.77KB   633 downloads

[BrianDrab]

Perfect, thanks. When you ran the AVG Removal Tool what exactly happened. Did the program attempt to open and simply not open?

[carolinachris]

Brian,

 

Yes, exactly.

 

I clicked the icon (and also ran as the admin), a window opened that read "Do you want to allow the following program to make changes to your computer", I clicked "Yes", the window closed and nothing further happened.

 

I also tried clicking "No" and nothing further happened.

 

I also tried the "troubleshoot compatibility" and it didn't work.

[BrianDrab]

Cool. Just needed to verify. Thanks. Please do the following.
 
Step#1 - SFC Scan

• Click on the Start button and in the search box, type Command Prompt
• When you see Command Prompt on the list, right-click on it and select Run as administrator
• When command prompt opens, copy and paste the following commands into it, press enter after each
  
  sfc /scannow
  
  Wait for this to finish before you continue
  
  copy %windir%\logs\cbs\cbs.log %userprofile%\Desktop\cbs.txt
• This will create a file, cbs.txt on your Desktop. Please zip and attach this to your next post.

Please Note:: if the file is too big to upload to your next post please upload via a service such as Dropbox or One Drive or SendSpace and just provide the link.

[carolinachris]

Brian,

 

Process completed and the cbs.txt zip file is attached...

Attached Files

•  cbs.zip   862.72KB   717 downloads

Edited by carolinachris, 29 August 2015 - 02:11 PM.

[BrianDrab]

Good. A bunch of files were repaired. Please run the following now.
 
Step#1 - System Update Readiness Tool (SUR)
1. Download and run the following file.
2. When it asks you if you wish to install, please answer yes. Note: It could take 15 minutes or more to run. Please don't cancel.
3. You will get an Installation Complete screen when it's done running.
4. Please attach the log from the following location. C:\Windows\Logs\CBS\CheckSUR.log
Please Note:: if the file is too big to upload to your next post please upload via a service such as Dropbox or One Drive or SendSpace and just provide the link.

[carolinachris]

Brian,

 

The checksur.log is attached...

Attached Files

•  CheckSUR.log   394bytes   656 downloads

[BrianDrab]

Excellent. Please do the following.

 

Step#1 - Services Check
1. Please download Farbar Service Scanner to your desktop.
2. Make sure that ALL the options are checked:
3. Press "Scan".
4. It will create a log (FSS.txt) in the same directory the tool is run.
5. Please copy and paste the log to your reply.

 

Step#2 - Windows 7 SP1 Install

1. Please download Windows 7 SP1 from here and save to your desktop.

2. Go ahead and run the install and update your system.

3. Let me know when this is complete.

 

Thank you.

[carolinachris]

Brian,

 

1.  Services check: I downloaded FSS and attached the log file.

For some unknown reason, Chrome crashes every time I try to "copy and paste" the text file contents to this post.

 

2:  SP1 install: As far as downloading the SP1 files, the download link redirected me to the below 

10 items, but I didn't know which to check and download.

 

Please advise...

 

 

SP1 file choices:

 

7601.17514.101119-1850_Update_Sp_Wave1-GRMSP1.1_DVD.iso - 1.9 GB

 

Windows_Win7SP1.7601.17514.101119-1850.AMD64CHK.Symbols.msi - 262.7 MB

 

Windows_Win7SP1.7601.17514.101119-1850.AMD64FRE.Symbols.msi - 287.8 MB

 

Windows_Win7SP1.7601.17514.101119-1850.IA64CHK.Symbols.msi - 241.8 MB

 

Windows_Win7SP1.7601.17514.101119-1850.IA64FRE.Symbols.msi - 193.4 MB

 

Windows_Win7SP1.7601.17514.101119-1850.X86CHK.Symbols.msi - 294.5 MB

 

Windows_Win7SP1.7601.17514.101119-1850.X86FRE.Symbols.msi - 330.6 MB

 

windows6.1-KB976932-IA64.exe - 511.6 MB

 

windows6.1-KB976932-X64.exe - 903.2 MB

 

windows6.1-KB976932-X86.exe - 537.8 MB

Attached Files

•  FSS.txt   2.28KB   580 downloads

Edited by carolinachris, 30 August 2015 - 03:15 PM.

[BrianDrab]

You want this one.

windows6.1-KB976932-X64.exe - 903.2 MB

[carolinachris]

Brian,

 

1.  The FSS log file is again attached.

 

2.  I downloaded and installed: windows6.1-KB976932-X64.exe - 903.2 MB.

 

I restarted, tried to update Windows Defender and got this (same as before):

The program can't check for program definitions. Error found: 0x80004004 Operation aborted

 

Also, the other programs like RKill still won't start.

 

I appreciate all your help with this!

Attached Files

•  FSS.txt   2.28KB   572 downloads

[BrianDrab]

Thanks for the information. I know you have tried RKill but would you mind trying the variations of IExplore.exe or RKill.com listed below? Download them and try to run them. Let me know what happens.

 

RKill
1. Download RKill. Also download IExplore.exe and RKill.com to your desktop. These are all RKill but named differently. We may need them.
2. Double-click on the Rkill.exe file. If you get a prompt asking if you want the program to make changes to your computer, answer Yes.
3. Once it finishes a message box will come up telling you that you should now be able to run your normal security programs. Just click OK at this message.
4. If it doesn't run, try IExplore.exe. If that doesn't run try RKill.com.
5. A logfile named Rkill.txt should automatically open. A copy of this file is also saved on your desktop. Please copy the contents of this and paste into your next post. To do so,
    a) Click in the notepad window that opened
    b) Click the Edit menu and choose Select All
    c) Click the Edit menu and choose Copy
    d) Then you can right-click in your reply on this forum and choose paste