Author Topic: Avast Got Rid of My CONTROL PANEL (HELP me!)  (Read 11893 times)

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Offline Lisandro

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Re: Avast Got Rid of My CONTROL PANEL (HELP me!)
« Reply #15 on: August 09, 2007, 03:08:40 AM »
Thanks. When he gets on, I'll tell him to try that. If he restores his original files, will it mess up the programs he has on his computer?
No, he needs the original Windows XP CD and will restore only system files.

Will he have to re-install things?
No, it's a repair procedure, not an uninstaller.

I don't know if he has his disks anymore since he moved.
Without the disks, no way.

I just want to make sure that restoring his original Windows files doesn't create a whole other problem.
It shouldn't create any problem, not one I'm aware of. Of course, something could be wrong, but if you don't want to cure (solve) the problem, you won't test any way, you won't move, you'll stay with all the problems...
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heatherliis

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Re: Avast Got Rid of My CONTROL PANEL (HELP me!)
« Reply #16 on: August 09, 2007, 03:18:08 AM »
I'm just covering all my bases before I tell him to do anything. :) I'll go have him do the spybot scan. He should be on in a couple hours hopefully. I wonder if Microsoft has the system restore files on their site somewhere. Or if he could borrow my disk. Does it matter if it's from another serial number? Maybe I'll make him a copy of my disk (if it'll let me) so if he ever needs to restore his files again, he'll have them. Otherwise, he might have to spend a lot of money getting a repair guy or get a new computer. And that's going to suck if he can't find any of his program disks for photoshop, etc. His CDrom drive is broken too. It stopped working after a friend of his messed with his Windows trying to get rid of spyware/viruses a couple years ago. And now it won't let him update or anything. It keeps saying his copy isn't legit even though it is.

Offline Lisandro

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Re: Avast Got Rid of My CONTROL PANEL (HELP me!)
« Reply #17 on: August 09, 2007, 03:24:21 AM »
I wonder if Microsoft has the system restore files on their site somewhere.
I never heard about this... I don't think it exist.

Or if he could borrow my disk. Does it matter if it's from another serial number?
I'm not sure... but, maybe. You can test.

His CDrom drive is broken too.
Well... things are becoming difficult... maybe the technician would be faster and safer, maybe buying a new computer or fix the fail hardware before...

And now it won't let him update or anything. It keeps saying his copy isn't legit even though it is.
So, if it's legit... he must have the disks and maybe could start all over again...
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heatherliis

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Re: Avast Got Rid of My CONTROL PANEL (HELP me!)
« Reply #18 on: August 12, 2007, 06:25:56 PM »
He finally got his internet up so he could update spybot and run a scan. It got rid of a bunch of things, but he still has the same problems with not being able to modify his computer and that dang spyware alert keeps coming up. He tried to logout and login as the system administrator, but couldn't figure out how to do that. It only shows his normal login and no option for that. He had a repair guy come last week to do an estimate and that guy could do it. Is there a certain thing you need to do to login as the system administrator? My friend just chose logout when he went to shutdown and that didn't work. He's thinking if he can login as the administrator that he can change the settings for his regular login. I also told him to try to update avast and do another scan, but he doesn't trust it now. He still thinks avast caused the problem he has with his control panel and adjusting the properties. :(

heatherliis

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Re: Avast Got Rid of My CONTROL PANEL (HELP me!)
« Reply #19 on: August 12, 2007, 07:03:41 PM »
I was doing a search on his problem with the control panel, etc. and someone said that spybot made their computer do that from some settings in advanced mode:

"
after seeing your posts (and finally twigging onto the idea of what i had done) I opened Spybot search & destroy and went to
"TOOLS"
then
"IE TWEAKS"
(both available in the program's advanced mode)
and unchecked the 3 options of locking the host file..., locking the start page..., and locking the control panel....

all's fine now. "

Does avast have an option like that too? Maybe that's why it did that to my friend after he ran avast. Maybe he just needs to mess with the settings. Is there a setting for that?

Offline Lisandro

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Re: Avast Got Rid of My CONTROL PANEL (HELP me!)
« Reply #20 on: August 12, 2007, 07:22:48 PM »
He tried to logout and login as the system administrator, but couldn't figure out how to do that. It only shows his normal login and no option for that.
Use TweakUI for XP from Microsoft to allow this account.
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/downloads/powertoys/xppowertoys.mspx
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Offline Tarq57

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Re: Avast Got Rid of My CONTROL PANEL (HELP me!)
« Reply #21 on: August 13, 2007, 02:50:31 AM »
Heatherliis, your friendship with this guy, and persistence with the problem is impressive. Especially for a Mac user!
I'm not an expert by any stretch, and have no desire to hijack any aspect of the help offered on this thread, but have a bit of (self-inflicted) experience with this sort of thing.
I can tell you that everything that has happened to this computer fits with the description of what several variants of malware can cause; disabling the control panel, disabling his admin rights, and creating the rogue anti-malware popup.  (Some of these include the rogue programs SpyDawn, Spylocked, the Vundo trojan...there are plenty.)
I believe that is the most likely explanation, but it is entirely possible that some of the same results could be achieved by having Avast delete important system files. This is much less likely.
The approach to this has to be to disable the malware from running at startup, and then to regain use of the systems required (control panel/admin) and then to clean the malware from the system.
To assist with this, the names and locations of the items found would be beneficial, and also any that are in the chest.
If he can't find his OS disk, and M$ are telling him his installation isn't genuine, his options become rather limited, and the repair more difficult, but it still may be possible.
I urge you to get him to track down that disk- there is a code on it unique to that disk, and therefore his installation - and to yield the info on the names of the files that were identified, exactly. ie: capitalization, locations of files, slashes, complete names, matter.
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