Adchoices in Win 7, Malwarebytes Can't Detect or Remove.. Help!

[nathank1]

My Win7 computer has zillions of pop-up iinks for Ad Choices ads, and I cannot find any way to eliminate them.  I use Chrome for a browser and I have removed every search engine except Google.  I have run malwarebytes and removed all of the infected files.  I cannot find an installed program with the phrase ad choices or the word adchoices.  I cannot find any registry entry with the word or phrase either.

[MrCharlie]

Welcome to the forum. (Do what you can)

General P2P/Piracy Warning:

 

1. If you're using Peer 2 Peer software such uTorrent, BitTorrent or similar you must either fully uninstall it or completely disable it from running while being assisted here.

2. If you have illegal/cracked software (MS Office, Adobe Products), cracks, keygens, custom (Adobe) host file, etc. on the system, please remove or uninstall them now and read the policy on Piracy.

Failure to remove such software will result in your topic being closed and no further assistance being provided.

 

<====><====><====><====><====><====><====><====>

 

1. Please run a Threat Scan with Malwarebytes (if possible)

Start Malwarebytes 2.0.........

Click on Settings > Detection and Protection > Non-Malware Protection > PUP (Potentially Unwanted Program) detections > Make sure it's set to Treat detections as malware

Same for PUM (Potentially Unwanted Modifications)

Quarantine all that's found

Post the log (save the log as a .txt file not .xml)

Then......

2. Please download Farbar Recovery Scan Tool (FRST) and save it to a folder.

(use correct version for your system.....Which system am I using?)

FRST <----for 32 bit systems

FRST64 <----for 64 bit systems

• Double-click to run it. When the tool opens click Yes to disclaimer.
• Press Scan button. (make sure the Addition box is checked)
• It will make a log (FRST.txt) in the same directory the tool is run. Please copy and paste it to your reply.
• The first time the tool is run, it makes also another log (Addition.txt). Please attach it to your reply.

If the logs are large, you can attach them:

To attach a log:

Bottom right corner of this page.

New window that comes up.

Last................

3. Please download and run RogueKiller 32 bit to your desktop.

RogueKiller<---use this one for 64 bit systems

Which system am I using?

Quit all running programs.

For Windows XP, double-click to start.

For Vista or Windows 7-8, do a right-click on the program, select Run as Administrator to start, & when prompted Allow to run.

Wait for the Prescan to finish

Click Scan to scan the system.

When the scan completes > Don't Fix anything! > Click on the Report Button > Copy and paste the Report back here.

Don't run any other options, they're not all bad!!!!!!!

RogueKiller logs will also be located here:

%programdata%/RogueKiller/Logs <-------W7

C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\RogueKiller\Logs <-------XP

(please don't put logs in code or quotes and use the default font)

MrC

Note:

Please read all of my instructions completely including these.

Make sure system restore is turned on and running. Create a new restore point

Make sure you're subscribed to this topic: Click on the Follow This Topic Button (at the top right of this page), make sure that the Receive notification box is checked and that it is set to Instantly

Removing malware can be unpredictable...unlikely but things can go very wrong! Backup any files that cannot be replaced. You can copy them to a CD/DVD, external drive or a pen drive

<+>Please don't run any other scans, download, install or uninstall any programs while I'm working with you.

<+>The removal of malware isn't instantaneous, please be patient.

<+>When we are done, I'll give to instructions on how to cleanup all the tools and logs

<+>Please stick with me until I give you the "all clear".

------->Your topic will be closed if you haven't replied within 3 days!<--------

If I don't respond within 24 hours, please send me a PM

[nathank1]

Hello MrCharlie:

 Attached are the logs you specified. I tried to follow your instructions to the letter. Please let me know ig I missed anything.

Thank you in advance very very much.

 

=== Begin Malwarebytes Log===

Malwarebytes Anti-Malware

www.malwarebytes.org

 

Scan Date: 2/12/2015

Scan Time: 8:40:40 PM

Logfile: Malwarebytes Premium Ver 2-00-4-1028 Threat Scan Log.txt

Administrator: Yes

 

Version: 2.00.4.1028

Malware Database: v2015.02.11.02

Rootkit Database: v2015.02.03.01

License: Premium

Malware Protection: Enabled

Malicious Website Protection: Enabled

Self-protection: Disabled

 

OS: Windows 7 Service Pack 1

CPU: x64

File System: NTFS

User: nk

 

Scan Type: Threat Scan

Result: Completed

Objects Scanned: 329476

Time Elapsed: 14 min, 48 sec

 

Memory: Enabled

Startup: Enabled

Filesystem: Enabled

Archives: Enabled

Rootkits: Disabled

Heuristics: Enabled

PUP: Enabled

PUM: Enabled

 

Processes: 0

(No malicious items detected)

 

Modules: 0

(No malicious items detected)

 

Registry Keys: 0

(No malicious items detected)

 

Registry Values: 0

(No malicious items detected)

 

Registry Data: 0

(No malicious items detected)

 

Folders: 0

(No malicious items detected)

 

Files: 0

(No malicious items detected)

 

Physical Sectors: 0

(No malicious items detected)

 

 

(end)

== end Malwarebytes log==

 

===Begin Rogue Killer Log ===

RogueKiller V10.2.0.0 (x64) [Jan 19 2015] by Adlice Software

mail : http://www.adlice.com/contact/

Feedback : http://forum.adlice.com

Website : http://www.adlice.com/softwares/roguekiller/

Blog : http://www.adlice.com

 

Operating System : Windows 7 (6.1.7601 Service Pack 1) 64 bits version

Started in : Normal mode

User : nk [Administrator]

Mode : Scan -- Date : 02/12/2015  23:34:01

 

¤¤¤ Processes : 0 ¤¤¤

 

¤¤¤ Registry : 6 ¤¤¤

[PUM.StartMenu] (X64) HKEY_USERS\S-1-5-21-3166580672-4220755227-772904820-1001\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced | Start_ShowMyGames : 0  -> Found

[PUM.StartMenu] (X86) HKEY_USERS\S-1-5-21-3166580672-4220755227-772904820-1001\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced | Start_ShowMyGames : 0  -> Found

[PUM.DesktopIcons] (X64) HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\HideDesktopIcons\NewStartPanel | {20D04FE0-3AEA-1069-A2D8-08002B30309D} : 1  -> Found

[PUM.DesktopIcons] (X64) HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\HideDesktopIcons\NewStartPanel | {59031a47-3f72-44a7-89c5-5595fe6b30ee} : 1  -> Found

[PUM.DesktopIcons] (X86) HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\HideDesktopIcons\NewStartPanel | {20D04FE0-3AEA-1069-A2D8-08002B30309D} : 1  -> Found

[PUM.DesktopIcons] (X86) HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\HideDesktopIcons\NewStartPanel | {59031a47-3f72-44a7-89c5-5595fe6b30ee} : 1  -> Found

 

¤¤¤ Tasks : 0 ¤¤¤

 

¤¤¤ Files : 0 ¤¤¤

 

¤¤¤ Hosts File : 0 ¤¤¤

 

¤¤¤ Antirootkit : 0 (Driver: Loaded) ¤¤¤

 

¤¤¤ Web browsers : 0 ¤¤¤

 

¤¤¤ MBR Check : ¤¤¤

+++++ PhysicalDrive0: Hitachi HTS723232A7A364 +++++

--- User ---

[MBR] 76bdb650ea1328ae8500027ff66b47f4

[bSP] 1a095f3ffef5005ed322d4797f5c7980 : Lenovo MBR Code

Partition table:

0 - [ACTIVE] NTFS (0x7) [VISIBLE] Offset (sectors): 2048 | Size: 1200 MB [Windows Vista/7/8 Bootstrap | Windows Vista/7/8 Bootloader]

1 - [XXXXXX] NTFS (0x7) [VISIBLE] Offset (sectors): 2459648 | Size: 293543 MB [Windows Vista/7/8 Bootstrap | Windows Vista/7/8 Bootloader]

2 - [XXXXXX] NTFS (0x7) [VISIBLE] Offset (sectors): 603635712 | Size: 10500 MB [Windows Vista/7/8 Bootstrap | Windows Vista/7/8 Bootloader]

User = LL1 ... OK

User = LL2 ... OK

== end Rogue Killer Log==

FRST.txt

Addition.txt

[MrCharlie]

Make sure you have created a restore point and.....

Download Delfix from Here and save it to your desktop.

• Place a check mark in front of .......
• Create registry backup <---only!
• Uncheck the rest!
• Click the Run button.

  Close the tool out when it's done....we'll use it later.

  ===========================

  Download the attached fixlist.txt to the same folder as FRST.exe/FRST64.exe.

  Run FRST.exe/FRST64.exe and click Fix only once and wait

  The tool will create a log (Fixlog.txt) in the folder, please post it to your reply.

  ===========================

  Please download AdwCleaner from HERE or HERE to your desktop.

  • Double click on AdwCleaner.exe to run the tool.

    Vista/Windows 7/8 users right-click and select Run As Administrator

  • Click on the Scan button.
  • AdwCleaner will begin...be patient as the scan may take some time to complete.
  • When it's done you'll see: Pending: Please uncheck elements you don't want removed.
  • Now click on the Report button...a logfile (AdwCleaner[R0].txt) will open in Notepad for review.
  • Look over the log especially under Files/Folders for any program that may have been targeted by mistake.
  • If there's a program you may want to save, just uncheck it from AdwCleaner.
  • If you're not sure, post the log for review. (all items found are either adware/spyware/foistware)
  • If you're ready to clean it all up.....click the Clean button.
  • After rebooting, a logfile report (AdwCleaner[s0].txt) will open automatically.
  • Copy and paste the contents of that logfile in your next reply.
  • A copy of that logfile will also be saved in the C:\AdwCleaner folder.
  • Items that are deleted are moved to the Quarantine Folder: C:\AdwCleaner\Quarantine
  • To restore an item that has been deleted:
  • Go to Tools > Quarantine Manager > check what you want restored > now click on Restore.
  Next..................

  Please download Junkware Removal Tool to your desktop.

  • Shut down your protection software now to avoid potential conflicts.
  • Run the tool by double-clicking it. If you are using Windows Vista or Seven, right-mouse click it and select Run as Administrator.
  • The tool will open and start scanning your system.
  • Please be patient as this can take a while to complete depending on your system's specifications.
  • On completion, a log (JRT.txt) is saved to your desktop and will automatically open.
  • Post the contents of JRT.txt into your next message.
  Last.........

  Clean out temp files:

  Download TFC from here and save it to your desktop.

  http://oldtimer.geekstogo.com/TFC.exe

  http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/download/tfc/dl/92/

  Close any open programs and Internet browsers.

  Double click TFC.exe to run it on XP (for Vista and Windows 7 right click and choose "Run as administrator") and once it opens click on the Start button on the lower left of the program to allow it to begin cleaning.

  Please be patient as clearing out temp files may take a while.

  Once it completes you may be prompted to restart your computer, please do so.

  Once it's finished you may delete TFC.exe from your desktop or save it for later use for the cleaning of temporary files.

  Let me know.....MrC

[nathank1]

MrC:

 I performed all the actions in your most recent message. I am still seeing adchoices, but waaay less than before. Before I would see three or four ads, now it's down to one per web page, so I can live with that.

Attached are the second set of logs you requested.

Thank you.

 

===Begin JRT.txt log===

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Junkware Removal Tool (JRT) by Thisisu

Version: 6.4.2 (02.02.2015:1)

OS: Windows 7 Professional x64

Ran by nk on Fri 02/13/2015 at 19:04:55.01

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

 

 

 

~~~ Services

 

 

 

~~~ Registry Values

 

 

 

~~~ Registry Keys

 

 

 

~~~ Files

 

 

 

~~~ Folders

 

Successfully deleted: [Folder] "C:\ProgramData\pcdr"

 

 

 

~~~ Event Viewer Logs were cleared

 

 

 

 

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Scan was completed on Fri 02/13/2015 at 19:09:33.28

===End of JRT log=====

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

Fixlog.txt

AdwCleanerS0.txt

[MrCharlie]

OK, you said it was Chrome that was the problem, so please run this scan:

1. Download and run this tool (Software removal tool), immediately it will start searching for suspicious programs on your computer and then shows a message how many programs it found.

https://www.google.com/chrome/srt/

2. Click ‘Remove suspicious programs ‘and wait for the tool to show ‘removal complete’ message.

3. Click ‘Continue’ to quit the tool (you may be prompted to restart your computer, do so)

4. After that, Chrome will automatically open and asks to reset browser settings, click ‘Reset’.

Let me know....MrC

[nathank1]

MrC:

 The presence of Adchoices after running Google's Chrome Software Removal Tool was approximately the same. I get one or two Adchoices ads on certain pages. For a test I installed the Adblocker Plus Chrome extension. It absolutely blocks all the ads, including the non Adchoices ads.

 

 Do you know anything about the Adblocker Plus Extension for Chrome? Are there any downsides?

 

 Thank you. 

[MrCharlie]

Did you reset Chrome also????

You mean Adblock Plus?????

https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/adblock-plus/cfhdojbkjhnklbpkdaibdccddilifddb

If so that's what I use and is OK.

==========================================

If there's no other problems.......

Lets check your computers security before you go and we have a little cleanup to do also:

Download Security Check by screen317 from HERE or HERE.

• Save it to your Desktop.
• Double click SecurityCheck.exe and follow the onscreen instructions inside of the black box.
• If you get Unsupported operating system. Aborting now, just reboot and try again.
• A Notepad document should open automatically called checkup.txt.
• Please Post the contents of that document.
• If you can't post it, attach it

MrC

[nathank1]

You asked:

Did you reset Chrome also???? Yes.

You mean Adblock Plus?????
https://chrome.googl...aibdccddilifddb  Yes, exactly.

 

========Security Check Log=====

  Results of screen317's Security Check version 0.99.96  

 Windows 7 Service Pack 1 x64 (UAC is enabled)  

 Internet Explorer 11  

``````````````Antivirus/Firewall Check:`````````````` 

 Windows Firewall Enabled!  

Norton 360    

 WMI entry may not exist for antivirus; attempting automatic update. 

`````````Anti-malware/Other Utilities Check:````````` 

 Java 8 Update 25  

 Java version 32-bit out of Date! 

 Adobe Flash Player 10 Flash Player out of Date! 

  Java 64-bit 8 Update 31  

 Adobe Reader 9 Adobe Reader out of Date! 

 Google Chrome (40.0.2214.111) 

 Google Chrome (40.0.2214.94) 

````````Process Check: objlist.exe by Laurent````````  

 Malwarebytes Anti-Malware mbamservice.exe  

 Malwarebytes Anti-Malware mbam.exe  

 Malwarebytes Anti-Malware mbamscheduler.exe   

`````````````````System Health check````````````````` 

 Total Fragmentation on Drive C: 1% 

````````````````````End of Log`````````````````````` 

 

===== end =====

[MrCharlie]

Out dated programs on the system are vulnerable to malware.
Please update or uninstall them:

====================================

Java 8 Update 25 <-----see if you can update this one (should be 31)
Java version 32-bit out of Date!
Go to control panel > Java > Update Tab > Update Now
Uncheck the box to install the Ask toolbar!!!, McAfee Security Scan Plus or any other free "stuff".

====================================

Adobe Flash Player 10 Flash Player out of Date! <--------check for an update
Flash Player:
Check for an update if available
Downloads are at the top of the page. (don't install the McAfee toolbar)

====================================

A little clean up to do....

Please Uninstall ComboFix: (------->if you used it<-------)

Press the Windows logo key + R to bring up the "run box"

Copy and paste next command in the field:

ComboFix /uninstall

Make sure there's a space between Combofix and /



Then hit enter. (it may look like CF is re-installing but it's not)
This will uninstall Combofix, delete its related folders and files, hide file extensions, hide the system/hidden files and clears System Restore cache and create new Restore point

(If that doesn't work.....you can simply rename ComboFix.exe to Uninstall.exe and double click it to complete the uninstall or download and run the uninstaller)

---------------------------------

Download Delfix from here and save it to your desktop. (you may already have this)

• Ensure Remove disinfection tools is checked.
• Click the Run button.
• Reboot

Any other programs or logs that are still remaining, you can manually delete. (right click.....Delete)

-------------------------------

Any questions...please post back.

If you think I've helped you, please leave a comment > click on my avatar picture > click Profile Feed.

Take a look at My Preventive Maintenance to avoid being infected again.

Good Luck and Thanks for using the forum, MrC

[Naathim]

Glad we could help.

If you need this topic reopened, please send a Private Message to any one of the moderating team members. Please include a link to this thread with your request. This applies only to the originator of this thread.

Other members who need assistance please start your own topic in a new thread. Thanks!