Re: Virus causes programs to shut down

From: Phil Weldon (notdisclosed_at_example.com)
Date: 05/26/04 

Date: Wed, 26 May 2004 00:32:21 GMT

The page at http://www.microsoft.com/security/protect/default.asp will
explain the place of a firewall in protecting your system (Windows XP has a
built in firewall, but it must be activated.)

You can find out the version of any Microsoft program by using Windows
Explorer. Right click on the file name, then left click on properties, then
left click on the 'Version' tab of the properties ***. If the program
happens to be in the start menu, you can right click on the program name and
get the same property ***. This is sorta useful since the program name
for Outlook Express is rather arcane; "msimn.exe" B^) At any rate, the
Outlook Express version should be 6.0 if you have gotten all the available
Windows XP and Internet Explorer updates.

Now you have refined the information about your system's operation and have
some valuable clues:

1. Only one specific program refuses to function; Norton Antivirus.

2. At least two online virus scanners detect no virus infections.

3. Spybot Search&Destroy and AdAware don't detect any malware.

4. The Windows Update function of Windows XP will not work.

5. Outlook Express opens, but immediately encounters an unexplained problem
and closes.

6. You can't go to certain URL's using Internet Explorer.

Is the list above correct?

Additional questions:

Can you update the virus definitions for AVG? Can you open and run AVG?
What are the results?

Can you updaten and run Spybot Search&Destroy and AdAware? What are the
results?

What exactly are the symptoms occuring with Internet Explorer other than
failure to reach certain URL's?

Can you remember the diagnosis that Hijack This! gave when it found the two
files bni4w.exe and ubgrxpno.exe ? And are the two files still there? If
so, you will need to boot up in safe mode, disable system restore, delete
the two files, then boot up in normal mode and renable system restore.

I'm sorry I can't be of any more help, but this just about exhausts my
suggestions, other than saying that it is certain that your cluster of
symptoms indicates infection by some type of mal-ware, perhaps some kind of
trojan horse or spyware that antivirus programs like Norton, MacAfee, and
AVG traditionally don't handle (but then why would Norton Antivirus be
blocked; conversely, if it IS a virus that can block operation of your
installed Norton Antivirus, why would it let you reach the Symantec/Norton
AV website?) 

-- 
Phil Weldon, pweldonatmindjumpdotcom
For communication,
replace "at" with the 'at sign'
replace "mindjump" with "mindspring."
replace "dot" with "."
"Cat" <anonymous@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:C4CE52FB-7128-4A64-AA0A-E4158BECBAE1@microsoft.com...
> Okay, I went through and ran all of my other programs, and the only other
ones I had problems with were Adobe ImageReady (this may have never
worked-who knows?  I never used it, but it's probably worth noting that
Adobe Photoshop, which was installed from the same CD, does work), and
Windows Help and Support Center.  Internet explorer dies at certain sites,
such as a google search for windows xp update or livejournal.com.
> Symantec didn't find any viruses, so now I'm completely stumped.
> I keep Windows up to date, and I have no earthly idea about the firewall.
>
>  ----- Phil Weldon wrote: -----
>
>      I'm sorry I wasn't clear about "up-to-date antivirus program".  I
should
>      have written "antivirus program with up-to-date virus definitions."
Norton
>      Antivirus 2002 with virus definitions downloaded within the last few
days is
>      good protection.  You don't have adequate protection against viruses
>      developed since the last definition download.  Also, it is not a good
idea
>      to have more than one antivirus program active.  You should use an
antivirus
>      program for which you can download virus definition updates at least
weekly.
>
>      The fact that you can run a MacAfee online virus scan  and that the
results
>      are negative argues  against a virus infection, and using AdAware and
Spybot
>      Search&Destroy with negative results argues against your problems
being
>      caused by some other type of mal-ware.
>
>      Are there programs other than Outlook Expresss and Norton AntiVirus
that are
>      giving problems?
>
>      Do you have a firewall in place?  The firewall function built into
Windows
>      XP, a third party firewall, a hardware firewall?
>
>      Do  you keep Windows XP up-to-date by installing  all the security
updates
>      as they become  available?
>
>      Try using a second free online virus scan, say  the one that Norton
>      AntiVirus publisher Symantec provides at
>      http://securityresponse.symantec.com/ ; click on  the  logo  "check
for
>      security risks"  on the right side of the web page two thirds of the
way
>      down.
>
>      -- 
>      Phil Weldon, pweldonatmindjumpdotcom
>      For communication,
>      replace "at" with the 'at sign'
>      replace "mindjump" with "mindspring."
>      replace "dot" with "."
>
>      "Cat" <anonymous@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
>      news:118D165A-DE9B-4D68-9725-58F79FF452D7@microsoft.com...
>      > The error message that I keep getting for multiple programs is the
>      standard XP message that "this program has encountered a problem and
needs
>      to close."  Sometimes, the programs won't open at all.  The general
pattern
>      is that OE opens and gives me a message, Norton AntiVirus doesn't
open at
>      all, and Internet Explorer randomly decides to encounter a problem
when I'm
>      working.  I'm using a Dell Dimension 4300 with Windows XP
professional, and
>      I'm using a pretty out of date version of Norton AntiVirus-it's 2002
8 point
>      something for XP, NT, etc.  The Outlook express that I'm having
trouble with
>      is the most recent version out, and I'd check to tell you exactly if
I could
>      open the program to find out.  I'm using Internet Explorer version 6.
I
>      have quite a few anti-virus programs on my computer these days, aside
from
>      Norton.  I also have AVG, HijackThis, Spybot, and AdAware.  That's
all I can
>      think of for now, but I hope it's useful.  Thanks so much for helping
out.
>
>
>