steve jones

Aha - I think I see what you mean - run Notepad.exe (correct?) in TaskMgr on the infected laptop and open the file which I've downloaded to a pendrive on my good laptop. Will do. Thanks again!

...and I think I'm going to have to type the script into notepad....very carefully!

I appreciate your efforts LDTate!! Just to check - will Notepad run as notepad.exe ?

Control Panel eventually started and I did as instructed. When I shut down Control Panel the desktop is same as before - still no taskbar.

Sorry but I don't have a task bar or Start button so I don't think I can access Control Panel?

My Computer opened! However, I stlll can't drag and drop or copy/paste, so basically I cann see the files on the laptop but I can't move them anywhere.

Yes I'm definitely working with the advice I'm getting in the HJT forum - I was just asking this question as a general enquiry because I am interested to know if it's possible to do. So I would still appreciate an answer if anyone has one! Steve Jones

I am currently being helped with an infection on another forum, but at one point I was considering a re-install of Windows XP as a last resort. However, that would mean losing some important pics and emails because I can't copy and paste anything, so I was reluctant to do that. Then I read about how creating a Linux boot disc could allow me to access the Windows files and drag them onto a memory stick. This seemed like a life saver until I remembered that my internal DVD/CD writer is broken, so I couldn't use the Linux boot disc in that. I don't get the option in BIOS boot priorities to boot from USB (it's an old laptop), so does anyone know how I could access the Linux OS once Windows has been started? I know nothing about Linux or runing 2 OS's together - I'm a simple XP man!

Thank you Haider - I will avoid the upgrade for now!

Sorry but I've already tried running OTL from the memory stick as the original file and renamed as winlogon.exe - nothing happened. I can't get any files onto the infected laptop because I have no access to Windows Explorer, copy/paste or drag and drop.

Hi again - did as instructed and it seemed to apply a 'fix', so I assume it had managed to run? However, then tried to run IE and it flashed something up momentarily before stopping. So no luck I'm afraid. Steve

I will try that after work - thanks. Can I clarify - I can download thte file to a mem stick and take it to the infected laptop, but I can't copy the file onto my laptop. No drag n drop / copy n paste available. So I will have to run it off memory stick - will this be OK? Steve

Yes, I think I'll stick with current version until I get sick of the popups! Thanks again.

Cheers and thanks for the reassurance Melboy!

If you put your watermark video on the timeline you will find a function to fade in/out, abd you use this. Put your watermark film above the other content so it shows up when it is not transparent. You might find the fade control is in your Transitions - fading in/out is a common method for changing between scenes. Good luck! Steve Jones

Our home PC's are flashing up a warning to upgrade AVG to (I think it said) AVG 2011. But when I ignore this and run the current version, it updates the latest virus definitions normally, with no suggestion that an update is needed. One of our laptops has recently been infected when our daughter clicked on something, and she thinks it might have mention AVG (but could be wrong). So I don't want to click on the popup unless it is entirely genuine - can anyone confirm please?

OK I have now renamed MBAM, HiJackTHis, Combofix and OTL to winlogon.exe, and tried to run them from a memory stick. Nothing works - HiJackThis ran for a couple of seconds longer than before but then stopped. Iam planning to try to locate email addresses by using TaskMgr - can you suggest what prog I need to try to run so Outlook Express will start, and where I will find it? If I can get these important details off the PC I am planning a re-install of Windows. Unless you can thing of anything else to try? I am really frustrated that it has come to this. This site has always impressed me with it's malware beating tactics and I don't recall seeing you guys beaten before - have I been infected by a new more powerful virus? Thanks for all your efforts! Steve Jones

No sorry - tried that. HiJackThis seemed to start and produced a listing on screen but this disappeared after about 5 seconds - couldn't find a logfile anywhere so I assumed it hadn't completed it's job? I've been reading other posts at length and when I get back to the laptop I was thinking of trying re-naming MBAM and/or HiJackThis as winlogon.exe? I believe this is a filename that malware might allow to run? Is it worth a try?

Hi again - I can't open MBAM. Although the icon shows on my desktop, when I double click it I get the Runtime error 372 as mentioned in my first post. I've tried renaming it, I've tried running it off a copy on a memory stick - no joy.

Started in safe mode, ran Taskmgr, started System Restore as per instructions. Message (eventually) appeared "System Restore is not able to protect your computer. Please restart your computer, then run System Restore again". What now?

Thanks again - will try this in morning (working tonight). As a matter of interest, when the laptop boots it shows a warning screen about not starting successfully (suspected hardware change and other bits mentioned) and it offers to start in safe mode, last known good config, normal startup. I tried all the options but I don't think I allowed enough time for the super slow running so not much appeared to happen. But I do recall that in Safe Mode I got a 'blank' screen with safe mode written in each corner - I thought Safe Mode gave you a screen similar to normal startup but with basic graphics? I do know that Cntrl / Alt / Delete works to access TaskMgr so I can try your other suggestion. Cheers Steve Jones

Hi and thanks for the quick response. I don't have the Start button on the taskbar so I'm assuming I can't access All Programs / My Computer / Control Panel etc. Hence I can't run System Restore (unless there's a different way of accessing it?).

As far as I can trace, one of the kids clicked on a free internet 'scan my PC now' button and whammo the laptop is (I assume) infected. We are running XP Pro SP3. Symptoms are; - now takes about 40 mins to boot and 5 mins to respond to any mouse / key click. - eventually can see desktop but no taskbar - tried to run MBAM off the desktop and I get the message " Runtime error '372'. Failed to load control 'vbalGrid' from vbalsgrid6.ocx. Your version of vbalsgrid6.ocx may be outdated. Make sure you are using the version of the control that was provided with your application". - Internet will not start - I downloaded HijackThis onto a clean PC and took it to the infected laptop on a memory stick. I manage to run it via TaskMgr and it showed a screen report for a few secs. Then taskmgr said 'Program not responding' and it disappeared. I can't find a logfile anywhere so I assume it didn't finish running? - I have tried copying and pasting HiJackThis from my memory stick to C drive but I can't paste it? I have read many posts on a similar subject and McAfee seems to have caused some probs with a bad update file? For info, our laptop doesn't run McAfee. I think I have also noticed mentions of a missing 'svchost.exe' file - I've looked in c:/windows/system32 and the file appears to be there and unchanged since 2006. I hope this is enough info for someone to help. Many thanks Steve Jones

Steve here calling from windy and wet Wigan UK. Looking forward to Summer (if it ever bothers to turn up).