XP Service Pack 2

N

NCIS330

New Member
I tried to install this a while ago and after I installed it all kinds of stuff messed up. I couldn't install the new version of Norton Anti-Virus or anything so finally I had to just restore to about a week before I installed it and this has been over 6 months maybe longer and since then I haven't installed any of the updates. I started installing some of the updates but haven't tried the service pack. Also now when I sign into my log in name two IE windows some up with Yahoo.com open without me even doing anything. Should I risk it and install it again or do yall know what went or is wrong with my computer?
 
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Your best bet would be to make a XP install disk with SP2 already included by using a program called Autostreamer. After thats all done you would need to backup any data you want saved to cd's or a backup hard drive and then reinstall windows with your new XP cd.
 
Thats a little much since i'm getting a new one this summer for college. I think I can manage like it is for now I guess.
 
The problems seen trying to reinstall Norton and other programs after SP2 was put on may have to do with the Windows firewall then becoming active as well as the initial update. Norton wouldn't be any real loss there since that is often labeled a resource hungry app. Trend Micro's PC-cillin far outdoes Norton.

The problem with two IE windows automatically opening points at some type of trojan/browser hijacker now on the system. The option to possibly see that removed as well as installing a program that includes it's own personal firewall and includes spyware/malware removers is Housecall. To run the free scanner on your system PC-cillin has to go on first. http://housecall.trendmicro.com/
 
I clicked the link and I got: Firefox can't establish a connection to the server at housecall.trendmicro.com. I also get that when I try to go to www.microsoft.com and I can't figure out why.
 
Well if you can open the link here you can see a screen capture of what the MS front page looks like. http://img172.imageshack.us/my.php?image=microsoftbg6.jpg You could try going to Trend Micro's home page first to see if you can choose a link that way. http://www.trendmicro.com/en/home/us/home.htm

The problem connecting direct to any main page at Microsoft or any other site shows that FireFox will probably have to be removed then reinstalled to "get rid of" whatever is hijacking it. Browser hijackers have always been more of an IE not Mozilla problem to contend with due to the earlier security flaws in versions upto IE 6 itself. IE 7 does offer some better protection along with some of the newer fixes seen in the updates.

If you have IE up and running or another like Netscape or Opera use one of them to download a new copy of FF as well as the setup for PC-cillin. Once the system is clean again remove the current FF installation and go fresh with FF 2.0.
 
It sounds more like a ISP configuration problem then an actual browser issue to solve there while you still have some pests to see removed regardless. Another link you can try at this point is the download page for the AVG 7.5 free antivirus program and it's companion the AVG Anti-Spyware Remover found at http://free.grisoft.com/doc/5390/lng/us/tpl/v5#avg-anti-spyware-free

If you can get one of these downloaded and installed it may detect the "pests" you seem to have that way. Another freeware is Lavasoft's AdAware SE Personal that's been good at this type of adware/spyware. You can grab the latest free for home use version at http://www.lavasoft.com/products/ad-aware_se_personal.php
 
I got to both of those links PC eye. Which would should I download? I already have a anti virus which is avast! anti virus software and it found several trojan horses but still.
 
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Both of those are good to have around. But AVG 7.5 wouldn't work too well if Avast is actively running. You would have to remove or disable that to see AVG installed. The AVG Anti-Spyware Remover however shouldn't be a problem. AVG has been good at finding viruses and other things with it's email scanner as well as trojans at times. AdAware goes on easy and has no conflicts with anything I've ever ran at the same time. It's not intrusive like Norton, McAfee, and other less fortunate programs even some fiirewalls.

Several trojan downloaders brought on the "goodies" in their terms the "baddies" in ours(normal pc users). Those still have to "removed completely" off of your system to avoid them from putting more crap on. The better one that combines virus, spyware, and adware removers along with a personal firewall is PC-cillin Trend Micro's combo software there. That finds the crud that all of the others miss. That one loves it tough while the others grab a few.

When you went to download SP2 where did you go for it? This is one thing that could explain "where" the trojans were put on. A good 3rd party site for the update without this crap is found at http://www.softpedia.com/get/System/OS-Enhancements/Windows-XP-SP2-RTM.shtml There you can download and save the full 266mb service pack to a folder for installation later. It sounds like the place you went added "some things" along with the supposed SP2 and this is the result.
 
I got the SP2 from my automatic updates that appear on my computer and I installed it and when I went to log back in a blue screen came up and thats be a while. So should I download the AVG Anti Spyware remover or download the other link you gave me?
 
It certainly won't hurt to download and save to a folder the AVG spy blaster. But the House Call scanner that would be recommended won't work without first installing PC-cillin. If you grab a fresh copy of FireFox 2.0 and remove the current installation a fresh install should get you through the problems connecting to these different sites. That would allow you the time to download and run more then one to see your system cleaned up.

When going to install SP2 you should reduce all things running in the background and exist firewall and antivirus programs at that time. Besides seeing installation problems with programs like those you probably had something already on the system. Generally when you install a new software you will see a product information or registration page open right up. But you close that out and it won't return if you registar there. The only time it will come up again is if you pass on that and you are prompted again. A full sweep of the system is needed there.
 
Alright. I will download the AVG Spy Blaster and run that. I have already installed Firefox 2.0 but after I did nothing changed but the look of everything and some layout things so i'm not sure how I would delete the other version off my computer. Also is the AVG free Anti Virus any good? The avast system is very hard to figure out and sometimes doesn't work.
 
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AVG is popular and free at this time. Another virus remover with a good rep is AnVir found at http://anvirtaskmanager.say-it-now.com/download__virus_remover_free_anvir_task_manager.php3 This one does have a 30day time limit as a shareware however. But the top three virus tools acording to many reviews are AVG, Avast, and AnVir. Avast proved to be "less of" the better tools when tried here for a periof of time.

The latest tool being run along with AVG, AdAware SE Personal, and the newer Grisoft version of Ewido their product now is AVG Anti-Spyware Remover as mentioned earlier. Spyware Terminator's home page is seen at http://www.spywareterminator.com/ This one also includes a personal firewall which is new for spyware removers except PC-cillin.

First let's reiview the problems where you are still seeing connection problems to various sites. You will want to look over the things installed on your system that could impede internet use as well as search for "uninvited guests" that somehow intruded on you. Firewalls, antivirus utilities, and other programs can sometimes interfere with online activity as well as "bugs". Removing and reinstalling your default internet connection sometimes also sees results where that turns out to be the actual cause.

There are two things right off you could try there. 1) type msconfig at the Run prompt and disable most items in the startup group. 2) download a free registry cleaner to remove clutter in the system registry as well as invalid entries loading no longer used or needed drivers. RegCleaner is a good little freeware that's non intrusive found at http://www.majorgeeks.com/RegCleaner_d460.html
 
The items recognised for video and sound cards(drivers/softwares) you wouldn't even have to touch there. The idea is to disable all unnecessary items that load up along with Windows automatically. If you suddenly find all of the IE and FF problems gone you then know something running in that list you just disabled is the actual problem.

The other steps are to try if nothing there proves to be a cause. You are trying to isolate the actual cause in the least amount of steps while still having other methods available. The worst case is performing a repair install on Windows after removing FF and IE totally as well as uninstalling your modem, Lan. usb, or nik card drivers and hardware listings to then perform a totally fresh install on all of them.
 
So there is stuff that says hkcmd which I don't know what it is and NeroCheck which is my buring software iTunes and Adobe and a Configuration & Mo just stuff like that but don't uncheck the IEXPLORE or in command version IEXPLORE.exe?
 
That's showing the processes in the task manager not the msconfig utility. To directly disable non Microsoft items you would type msconfig in at the Run prompt right off of the Start menu. Once you click the "OK" buttom or simply press the enter key a new screen with several tabs will appear. The last tab is the startup group itself. Note you have to choose the "selective startup" option when going to disable items that auto load with Windows.

IExplorer.exe is the executable for Internet Explorer itself despite version. If you simply end a process you would have to logoff or restart the system to run it after. The things you are after are those processes that auto load. Next to the startup group is the "services" tab. There you will find the "hide all microsoft services" option. Make sure you put check on this before disabling anything in that group. The processes you hide are necessary in order for Windows to run normally.
 
I put that into Run off the start menu and I go all the way to the left to the startup tag and that is the stuff that is listed and there are two blanks that are checked.
 
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