BBonster

One last thought tonight...am I able to copy/paste the info from the msconfig/startup into this forum for you to review or does Windows have that feature locked down in msconfig?

I'm off to snooze tonight as last night was too short for sleeping time (late to bed and snoring hubby kept me up longer yet) and I've got a full day ahead of me tomorrow. I will definitely look into your suggested AutoRuns program tomorrow. Thanks again and you take care, too! It's been a fantastic summer here in Maryland. I hope yours has also not been so unbearably hot! Will do further research tomorrow...am definitely hitting a wall tonight!

Hi Again, I'm sorry, I meant to get back online to give you an updated report... Hopefully, the laptop is clean because I no longer have it. I took it back to my friend last night/Sunday evening and was able to get it to connect to her wireless network and all seems well. I haven't heard from her today. So hopefully the old adage of 'no news is good news' stands here. After it seemed like we got things cleared off of her PC I basically followed my gut on de-activating some start-up items via 'msconfig', did a 'disk cleanup' and 'defrag' and decided to call it quits. I rebooted one last time for good measure before I called her yesterday, and it booted up much quicker than before so I just went with it. Thank you again for everything. This forum and you and your staff are incredible!

Hello again! I think I have finally resolved everything on this laptop. I uninstalled a bunch of programs and now I no longer have the annoying "Launching application message as well as I've been able to clear the fail to install message on the Dell TouchPad. Whew! I couldn't have done this without the assistance of you guys to remove whatever infected her laptop. Thank you VERY MUCH! Best Regards to All of You!

And here is the result of Step 4, checkup.txt: checkup.txt Logging off for a couple of hours until I run some errands. Will check back in a few hours. Thanks!

Sorry, accidentally mus thave hit "Post"...laptop keyboards and I just don't get along... Step 3 Frst.txt and Addition.txt (since this had been run previously I had to check the box to get the second file): FRST.txt Addition.txt Also one other piece of info. I cleared the two PUP/Hacker files previously found by your program (noted in post last evening). When I rebooted the laptop it installed eight (8) Windows Security updates. Upon reboot, Norton 360 found and caught two threats: “a0019193.exe and a0019192.exe (Bloodhound.MalPE) which were detected by Auto-Protect…" It was removed from two locations: c:\system volume information\_restore{….}\rp73\a0019193.exe and same path\a0019192.exe. Just wanted you to know. Why does this laptop keep getting hit with things?!?!? Heading off to run the last Step...

Here are the files requested. I had run these previously, but here are the current results... Step 1 DDS.txt and Attach.txt dds.txt attach.txt Step 2 Result.txt Result.txt Step 3

Hello again, I decided to run your Malwarebytes program while I was waiting for someone to respond. The result is this: PUP.Hacktools.HiddenStart in C:\Tools.hstart.ext and PUP.Hacktools.HiddenStart in C:\Tools.TOOLKIT.exe I presume I should put a checkmark in the check box beside both listings and choose the option to "Remove Selected"? Is this laptop just going to be constantly plagued since the rootkit "invasion".....??? Please advise.

Okay -- I have an update and it's a darn good one. SP3 update finally completed despite hanging up at the Win XP splash screen with "Please wait" hanging forever. I was scared to force a reboot, but I finally did. So.... Yesterday the system's automatic updates worked properly and prompted me to download and install 121 updates! I kicked it off before I headed out for the day and then rebooted it when I got home last evening. Everything seemed to install just fine. Today I attempted to install all of the Dell updates suggested in the earlier post. All were successful except for the Dell TouchPad. I have tried to remove it in the Device Manager and let it reinstall automatically, but to no avail. Everytime I boot up the laptop it does the "Found New Hardware", tries to install and always fails. Any suggestions on how to resolve this one? The other new annoying thing that is now happening seems to have resulted after possibly the Dell Notebook system Software install. Every time I reboot a window opens up with a header of "Launching Application" and a message of "Verifying application requirements. This may take a few moments." and, boy oh boy, it takes quite a long time to clear off the screen. Any thoughts as to what this is? I see a new icon for "Dell System Detect" ... could this be it and should I either disable or uninstall it? Other notes/questions: I just clicked on the Malwarebytes Anti-Malware icon on her desktop and it updated the database and appears to be working again. I haven't yet run another scan with it. BTW it is the Pro version. Do you want me to perform a scan? The system is very, very slugglish and takes a lot of time to boot and be ready to use. Any suggestions on what I could uncheck using "msconfig" to remove from Startup? Do you think I'm safe to start removing all of the files now cluttering up her desktop from these past three weeks of the other folks and me trying to resolve her issue? I ran Dell's PC-Doctor program and specifically had it look at the touchpad -- it didn't find it; said it wasn't installed. I've deleted temp files and also done a Disk Clean, but am holding off on doing a Defrag until I delete all of the other files mentioned above. IE8 is installed and working properly. The wireless card is also now working properly and I have been able to connect to my wireless router here at my house so I don't anticipate any problems there when I take it back to my friend's house. The Embassy Suites error no longer occurs. The Microsoft Feeds Synchronication error also no longer is occurring.Okay, I think that's all of my notes and questions. Whew -- I can finally see the light at the end of the tunnel thanks to all of your help and assistance! I'll watch for your response on final clean-up steps and possible msconfig startup changes. THANKS!!!

It did it again...just deleted everything I just type. Still not sure this PC is clean. Regardless, signing off for the night because I am totally FRIED. Any thoughts on how to get a clean download of IE8 to install or should I just bite the bullet and reinstall from scratch...? Either that or I'm giving this frelled up laptop back to my friend and telling her to pay someone to deal with this. And, my cursor just randomly keeps jumping around to have me typing elsewhere in this reply like someone is messing with me or has control of this laptop. I am DEFINITELY signing off.

I give up tonight...IE still thinks it is at IE6 and it won't let me download or install IE8. Plus I hate the laptop keyboard..sorry, just venting. It keeps moving my cursor around and I don't think I'm doing it, but maybe I am or maybe something is still on this frelling laptop...sorry. Now it's trying to make my response a numbered item. I GIVE UP! Still getting the touchpad error, the Embassy Error and MS Feeds Synchronization Error. See that a post it out there..will check.

Believe it or not I was still hung up at "Please wait" after the reboot post-install/update to SP3 when I got back upstairs to check on things just now. I forced a shut down and then rebooted. It still is coming up SUPER SLOW to load things and I'm waiting to see what happens, want to re-enable Norton 360, and see if I can also download MS updates... System Properties indicates "SP 3", I've just re-enabled Norton 360, Security Ambassador error still comes up and still the same error with the Dell TouchPad. However, with that said, I also need to download and update IE to IE8 because I still have errors occurring there...will be back in touch. Tomorrow I have a limited time in the AM so might not update until evening or Wednesday. I'll keep you posted.

Hello again, I think we're being forced into a re-install...I'm still hung up. Ran up to check on things, will go eat my dinner, and check back in. If I'm still at the "Please wait" screen in an hour or so, I'm going to force a shut down and I'll update this issue to get your consensus on moving forward with a full re-install. Dagnabit! I didn't want to have to go down this much more involved road...

Sorry, my wrist watch is set fast and I forgot that. Regardless, I'm still hung up and it won't go past the "Please wait" startup screen. Not sure if I should just force a shut down or not...hope someone sees this message soon. Off to feed critters and us too. Back online in a couple of hours (hopefully less). Ethernet cable disconnected now from laptop as I'm not sure what all is going on and am concerned....

Hi again, It's been 1/2 hour and I'm still at the MS Win XP startup screen and it continues to just say "Please wait...." on the laptop. I'm going to walk away again and hope for the best. Do you have a feel for how long it should take to reboot post-XP3 install?