Author Topic: Avast Got Rid of My CONTROL PANEL (HELP me!)  (Read 11897 times)

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heatherliis

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Avast Got Rid of My CONTROL PANEL (HELP me!)
« on: July 31, 2007, 09:06:38 PM »
I ran Avast trying to get rid of a nasty Trojan that makes my security center pop up every min saying I have spyware. It didn't work, and now my control panel is gone out of the Start Menu. Please help! :'(

Offline DavidR

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Re: Avast Got Rid of My CONTROL PANEL (HELP me!)
« Reply #1 on: July 31, 2007, 09:14:58 PM »
avast doesn't remove anything without user input and first it must have detected something.

What is the infected file name, where was it found e.g. (C:\windows\system32\infected-file-name.xxx) ? 
Check the avast! Log Viewer (right click the avast icon), Warning section, this contains information on all avast detections.

What you are seeing is rogue ware trying to convince you to visit a site or download a patch/software (probably at cost) to resolve the problem. I strongly doubt it has anything to do with the Security Center and control panel may have been disabled by malware.

A new tool RogueRemover, available here http://www.malwarebytes.org/rogueremover.php, download this and run it, then try one of the others below and report your findings.

If you haven't already got this software (freeware), download, install, update and run it, preferably in safe mode.
If using winXP AVG anti-spyware (formerly Ewido). Or SUPERantispyware Or Spyware Terminator.
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Offline Lisandro

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Re: Avast Got Rid of My CONTROL PANEL (HELP me!)
« Reply #2 on: August 04, 2007, 04:35:33 AM »
Again, heatherliis disappeared...
It's sad when someone asks for help and does not turn back...
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heatherliis

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Re: Avast Got Rid of My CONTROL PANEL (HELP me!)
« Reply #3 on: August 08, 2007, 07:36:22 PM »
Oh, I'm here. I didn't know anyone replied. Sorry about that. It's my friend that this happened to, not me. I should of specified. He's really technically challenged. When he ran the scan, it said it could not repair and asked him to delete all or move to chest. I told him delete all because I was thinking they were just viruses, not system files. But there were a few files that asked him if he was sure, and I told him to move to chest. I don't know how many of those files he did move. I'll tell him to come here. He might need special help because he doesn't know jack about computers. I don't think he knows how to move the files back from the chest either. I use a Mac, so I'm useless to him. I don't think he'll know what safe mode is. Heck, I don't even know what that is because I use a Mac.

Thanks for all your help,
Heather

Offline Lisandro

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Re: Avast Got Rid of My CONTROL PANEL (HELP me!)
« Reply #4 on: August 08, 2007, 07:41:25 PM »
When he ran the scan, it said it could not repair and asked him to delete all or move to chest. I told him delete all because I was thinking they were just viruses, not system files.
It's always safer send to Chest before deleting.

I don't think he'll know what safe mode is.
SafeMode info (repeatedly press F8 while booting).

Heather, maybe your friend should call a technician to fix the computer...
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Offline FreewheelinFrank

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Re: Avast Got Rid of My CONTROL PANEL (HELP me!)
« Reply #5 on: August 08, 2007, 09:21:52 PM »
Control Panel is in C:/Windows/System32 as control.exe:



Is control.exe where it should be? What happens when you click on it?

Have you got 'Display control pane as a link/menu' enabled? (Right click on Start>Properties>Start Menu>Customize>Advanced


« Last Edit: August 08, 2007, 09:32:53 PM by FreewheelinFrank »
     Bambleweeny 57 sub-meson brain     Don't Surf in the Nude Blog

heatherliis

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Re: Avast Got Rid of My CONTROL PANEL (HELP me!)
« Reply #6 on: August 08, 2007, 10:56:53 PM »
He told me that when he tries to mess with Properties he always gets this message "This operation has been cancelled due to restriction in effect on this computer. Please contact your system administrator."

Same with anything he clicks on in the Start Menu. I wonder if something happened to his administrative setup. Also if one of you could please contact me via email, I can give you his email address. His internet connection is really bad lately so it's hard for him to come on here. He might be able to clarify things better than I can.

Thank you so much,
Heather

Offline FreewheelinFrank

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Re: Avast Got Rid of My CONTROL PANEL (HELP me!)
« Reply #7 on: August 08, 2007, 11:07:59 PM »
Try a scan with Spybot Search & Destroy: it can detect and remove some changes to the registry made by malware to disable certain features of Windows.
     Bambleweeny 57 sub-meson brain     Don't Surf in the Nude Blog

heatherliis

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Re: Avast Got Rid of My CONTROL PANEL (HELP me!)
« Reply #8 on: August 08, 2007, 11:18:09 PM »
I'll go tell him that. Also, I was wrong. It's not everything in his start menu that is giving him that message. It only the add/remove programs, default settings that don't work. And his logitech option on his start menu is gone too.

Thank you so much. He's majorly stressed. Spybot won't delete anything, will it?

Thanks,
Heather

Offline Lisandro

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Re: Avast Got Rid of My CONTROL PANEL (HELP me!)
« Reply #9 on: August 08, 2007, 11:34:21 PM »
Spybot won't delete anything, will it?
It will... but it's a safe application that will try to 'correct' the changes that the virus made.
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heatherliis

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Re: Avast Got Rid of My CONTROL PANEL (HELP me!)
« Reply #10 on: August 08, 2007, 11:44:45 PM »
Does he need to disable Avast and any other anti-virus/anti spyware programs he has in order to run Spybot correctly?

Thanks,
Heather

Offline Lisandro

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Re: Avast Got Rid of My CONTROL PANEL (HELP me!)
« Reply #11 on: August 08, 2007, 11:50:04 PM »
Does he need to disable Avast and any other anti-virus/anti spyware programs he has in order to run Spybot correctly?
No.
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heatherliis

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Re: Avast Got Rid of My CONTROL PANEL (HELP me!)
« Reply #12 on: August 09, 2007, 01:14:30 AM »
One more question (I hope I'm not annoying you guys), if what you said to do doesn't work, would it be a good idea for me to send over my control.exe file from my Windows XP (I have it at home on my MacBook Pro). Or would he even be able to use it. It sounds like his administer settings are screwed up to me, not his actual control panel. What's weird is that none of this happened until after avast was run. Does malware do that once you try to get rid of viruses?

Thanks,
Heather

Offline Lisandro

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Re: Avast Got Rid of My CONTROL PANEL (HELP me!)
« Reply #13 on: August 09, 2007, 02:46:11 AM »
One more question (I hope I'm not annoying you guys), if what you said to do doesn't work, would it be a good idea for me to send over my control.exe file from my Windows XP (I have it at home on my MacBook Pro). Or would he even be able to use it.
It won't harm...
Also, he can use the command SFC to restore the original Windows files. See Windows Help files.

It sounds like his administer settings are screwed up to me, not his actual control panel.
You're right... things do not smell good.

What's weird is that none of this happened until after avast was run. Does malware do that once you try to get rid of viruses?
Heather, avast could have 'detected' the problem that was already there...
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heatherliis

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Re: Avast Got Rid of My CONTROL PANEL (HELP me!)
« Reply #14 on: August 09, 2007, 02:57:16 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? Will he have to re-install things? I don't know if he has his disks anymore since he moved.  I just want to make sure that restoring his original Windows files doesn't create a whole other problem.

Thanks,
Heather