Topic awaiting preservation: Help I have a virus! (Page 1 of 1)

I turned on my computer just now and I have some kind of virus.. every single exe file on my machine is disabled.. including Antivirus, Firewall and every Windows exe.. can't restore, can't repair can't do anything. Only Firefox is working allowing me to come in here.. whenever i click an exe file I get a message that says Windows cannot open this file no known applicationon is associated with this file..

I am really stuck here.. This indicates that the .EXE file association in the registry is corrupt. This behavior is generally caused by viruses; one of which is SirCam virus, which modifies the .exe file association in registry. To launch applications, you may need to reset the .exe file association using any of these methods: but I don't know how to do this and every application I try to use requires it's own exe file to function.an any of you clever guys please help me manually make that connection or re-association to get my machine running.

Or I will lose all my files.. family photos.. music..everything I have been working on for the last four years..

I have no firewall, antvirus..nothing.. only Firefox and a basic search ability.. can't get into regedit either.. And can't shut down computer for fear it will not restart at all.

PLEASE HELP..

QUOTATION: "If you're too open minded, your brains will fall out."



(Edited by Xpirex on 03-01-2005 00:44)

You're S.O.L. - it doesn't necessarily mean that the registry is corrupt. There are virii that cause .exe file behavior like you mentioned.

Try
Stinger
HouseCall
Panda Scan
BitDefender Scan

And maybe
Symantec Security Check
Microsoft AntiSpyware
Microsoft Malicious Software Removal Tool

Otherwise, if you'r prepared to do a format, but want to keep all your data, go to http://damnsmalllinux.org. You will need another computer if you have one to hand, but slip that in, boot with it, then you can transfer all your files off over network.

Good luck man!!

My Website (finally! And yes, it uses frames and is evil, but, well, take a look, it's not as evil as you might think )

Can you still run programs from the task manager ? "new task", try regedit from there. Also its strange that you can use firefox if all .exe arent working try make a shortcut to regedit and see if that works.

(Edited by Hugh on 03-01-2005 10:37)

Regarding the backup of your datas, you can well turn off your computer, unplug your HDD and plug it into another computer to burn some CDs/DVDs, then re-install your computer and restore your datas.

Can not run a single exe or com file.. only Firefox is working.. can't get into regedit or the comand prompt.. hopefully LAN is still working so I can save my data.

Probably this is the problem:

quote:

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When you try to launch applications [.exe files], an error message appears similar to the ones below and the program will not run:



This indicates that the .EXE file association in the registry is corrupt. This behavior is generally caused by viruses; one of which is SirCam virus, which modifies the .exe file association in registry. To launch applications, you may need to reset the .exe file association.

---

http://windowsxp.mvps.org/exefile.htm

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/310585

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?kbid=311446


@ Pugzly: I checked most of those of those out and was already patched for most of them but still the fixes are no good as they all involve runnng exe files.

QUOTATION: "If you're too open minded, your brains will fall out."



(Edited by Xpirex on 03-01-2005 14:40)

(Edited by Xpirex on 03-01-2005 14:44)

if you've the XP install disk try doing a recovery, you boot from the CD and it will reinstall the system files for you.

Why not boot into Safe Mode? Disable System Recovery, boot into Safe Mode and run your AV. Or just do a system restore to like, a month or so ago. You're going to have to run a virus scan at some point to at least see what you're dealing with.



(Edited by synax on 03-01-2005 16:51)

try this article below to try and return .exe to executing the programs

http://www.annoyances.org/exec/show/article07-102

Get your ass to a working computer with a cd burner and a decent internet connection. Take an empty CD-rom and an winXP cd with you.
Google for "bartPE" and "plugins".
Copy all the plugins and the according programs to special directory.Avg-free,PC inspector File recovery, and Restoration are must haves . Now get Bart's PEbuilder and create your own toolbox/rescue cd.
Use the BartPE cd to boot your computer and to scan for virusses. If you jot down your network settings you could even use the network for updating/internet contact.
I juste recovered from some very deep shit myself thanks to my own boot cd.

good luck

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Support Justice for Pat Richard

Ouch! Sorry to hear this. I had this problem once - I booted to Safe Mode, and sicced Norton on it - and the ensuing battle between the virus and Norton was...incredible.

Took about 45 minutes, of which I was totally locked out of the machine. It seems the virus that I had had a replicator and a bit of nasty code designed to attack and destroy Norton.

Anyway, Norton did manage to finally destroy it, but the Norton Install was shot afterwards.

I hope you get this fixed. Keep us posted.

Wow that sounds pretty crazy, which reminds me...

quote:

---

Rampaging over the cliffs, clutching a burning branch, cometh Norton! And he gives a mighty grunt:

"I'm going to smash you so painfully, your momma won't recognize you!!!"

---

*sigh* I love that Battle Cry site!

I had AVG Antivirus Pro and Sygate Pro Firewall plus all the regular spyware/malware tools we all use.. both came up with nothing before the disaster happened.

Got into safe mode and did a scan but came up with nothing again.. then tried restoring to various dates and rebooting.. all to no avail. Still every exe file in every restore point was corrupt.. (I'm talking about 40 restore points..) I actually saw it happening before my eyes.. one at a time they went.

I just managed to get AVG working but it's finding nothing at all... Start > Run > regedit is dead.. as is "Start > Run > Command"..

So I went here and did this: http://www.tunexp.com/faqs/windows_xp_crashed_heres_help/ which creates and new raw Admin account but got still unable to get into my main account where all my lovely data resides locked... Was unable to use one Admin account to alter the other one.. the evil bug had locked me out and denied access to change anything...

Now things started to get lively.. I logged off and rebooted and found that what ever evil was residing in my machine now decided for it's final party trick to change all Admin passwords and lock me totally out of my machine. ..even the new account I just created.

48 Hours straight I struggled with this thing and finally I gave up lost heart and resigned myself to formatting the whole dam thing!..All gone.. poof!

Now that experience has really made me feel rather insecure.. I don't have a clue really what the hell went on there.. I have been using Firefox for about 2 years without a any problems.. in 8 tears or so of screwing about online sometimes rather recklessly I admit but I turn on my Internet Explorer for two days and my entire machine gets fucked in an instant. The antivirus could not stop it.. the firewalls could not stop it.. all the spyware toys and patched this and updated that could not stop it.

All my work just snatched away... Now I'm paranoid.. if my screen flickers or the browser stutters I get nervous. Now I have a machine with nothing on.. I mean nothng.. just the operating system.. service pack 2 ( finally..) Antivirus and a firewall.. that's it. No graphics apps.. no 3d apps.. no music apps, no nothing.. Nothing personal whatsoever!!

I just don't feel right that no matter how secure and safe I feel my system is and Microsoft and other vendors tell me it will be if I buy and implement their stuff..that some phantom can just breeze straight through all that security and rape my shit like that..

Feel like Iv'e been burgled... I don't want to live in this house any more.. Life is not the same now..

I think this stuff has really done somethng me... I feel like I don't even want to use my computer any more.. I'm tired.. I just don't have the energy and motivation to re-create all that stuff I lost.

(hope this mood passes..


( Thanks for your time and thought people, I appreciate it )

QUOTATION: "If you're too open minded, your brains will fall out."



(Edited by Xpirex on 03-04-2005 07:17)

I think you need to relax man, take a break, look on the bright side.

You've now reformatted your machine and installed Sp2, well that's good for starts, I also just reformatted my machine, and made it into 2 partitions, a 10GB partition for WinXP ONLY, and the rest of my HD about 150GB for my programs and my documents and data,

I read a few sites on recommended installs, and a lot of them suggested installing 2 operating systems, maybe winxp and also win98or Linux. Basically if one fails badly you can rely on another one in a totally seperate partition to access your data to recover or repair.

I didn't install 2 operating systems but things are running smoothly, I've got Sp2 on, I've got F-Prot antivirus, I use firefox and IE goes straight to the Microsoft update page and that's all I'll ever use it for.

Don't let a bit of bad luck and a malicious A-hole put you down, come back stronger!

Cheers,



(Edited by Blaise on 03-04-2005 11:31)

quote:

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...installing 2 operating systems, maybe winxp and also win98or Linux. Basically if one fails badly you can rely on another one in a totally seperate partition

---

true but is even better to put it on a bootable cd that way you still can boot in to some nice rescue environment even when the hardisk is in very bad shape. "bartPE" and knoppix could be of some great use. Personally i like bartPE more because the simplicity to make an custom bootdisk. When planned ahead a little you could overcome some real tragedies by booting from the cd and running a usefull tool. Even if your running programs get somehow infected by virii or other nasty things it does not realy matter since the programs run in an ramdisk which is emptied the moment you reset/power-down your machine.

Xpirex, maybe you can get some of your data back with file recovery tools mentioned in my first post.

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Support Justice for Pat Richard

Hang on man, that crappy feeling will pass. I got physically robbed of a few laptops and a handheld a few months ago and it does pass.

Hang in there

Sorry to hear about that JKMabry.. a friend of mine got mugged the other day too of his Sony Viao dream machine... and yes the dark mood is passing..

Thanks folks..

QUOTATION: "If you're too open minded, your brains will fall out."

http://gentoo.org/