% symbols appears randomly in Windows 10

[aneta]

Hi!

I am new here and I have a problem. Some time ago I started to see "%" symbols throughout Windows 10, often followed by numbers. I have searched everywhere but there is nothing helpful. I am not very good at computers, so forgive me if I do not understand something. Please, see the attached screenshots.

 

[Maurice Naggar]

Hi,    

My name is Maurice. I will be helping and guiding you, going forward on this case.

Let me know what first name you prefer to go by.

 

Please follow my directions as we go along.  Please do not do any changes on your own without first checking with me.

If you will be away for more than 3 consecutive days,  do try to let me know ahead of time, as much as possible.

 

Please only just attach   all report files, etc  that I ask for as we go along.

 

Please see this pinned note at the top of this sub-forum and do what is listed there. 

https://forums.malwarebytes.com/topic/9573-im-infected-what-do-i-do-now/

 

I would like to be able to review the FRST reports from this system.   That is a key first requirement.

 

Do those "percent" types just only appear in certain on-screen app displays ?  A couple look like they are from the Windows Taskbar.

[aneta]

Hi!

Thank you very much! My name is Aneta
I attach those files below.
Those % symbols appear mostly within Windows menu, settings etc. 

Have a good day

Addition.txt FRST.txt

[Maurice Naggar]

Hello Aneta.

Thank you for the reports from FRST.  The reports show the usage of "driver booster"  by Iobit.   Did you happen to pay for that ?   There is no real need to have any "booster" or auto-driver updater.  Drivers for hardware should only be obtained from the actual hardware maker.  Drivers for software applications should only be obtained from the software maker.

I noticed that that "booster" was gotten on the same day the pc got Adwcleaner  ( on March 20).  Was the "booster" gotten in your attempts at doing some "fix" ?

 

By the way, while this case is on-going, Please do not play any games or do anything online that is not a must-do.   I will be having you do a set of scans, as we go along, to check on this system.

I am going to list a number of steps below.  Do not let it freak you out or over-whelm.   Just do it as much as you can.  Go down the list.  Doing all of them.

If you have a question,  stop and ask me first.

 

[    1    ]

This next is to have the system not auto-start the "driver booster", remove a few un-needed crash reports, & to help with Microsoft Windows Update.

Please Close and Save any open work you may have open.

Please close as many un-needed app-windows that you yourself may have open at this point.   So you can have a clear field of view.

 

This custom script is for     Aneta  only / for this machine only.

Close and save any open work files before starting this procedure. 

 

Please Close and save any open work files before you start this next step.  It will involve a Windows Restart at the end of it.

I am sending a   custom Fix script which is going to be used by the FRST64 tool. They will both work together as a pair.

Please RIGHT-click the (attached file named) FIXLIST and select SAVE  link AS and save it directly ( as is) to the  Downloads  folder

The tool named FRST64.exe   tool    is already on the Downloads folder

Start the Windows Explorer and then, to the Downloads folder.


RIGHT click on  FRST64    and select RUN as Administrator and allow it to proceed.  Reply YES when prompted to allow to run.

  to run the tool. If the tool warns you the version is outdated, please download and run the updated version.

IF Windows prompts you about running this, select YES to allow it to proceed.

 

IF you get a block message from Windows about this tool......

click line More info information on that screen

and click button Run anyway on next screen.

 

on the FRST window:
Click the Fix button just once, and wait.

 

 

PLEASE have lots and lots of patience when this starts. You will see a green progress bar start. Lots of patience. This run here should be fairly quick.
If you receive a message that a reboot is required, please make sure you allow it to restart normally.
The tool will complete its run after restart.
When finished, the tool will make a log ( Fixlog.txt) in the same location from where it was run.

Please attach the FIXLOG.txt with your next reply later, at your next opportunity   

Keep going forward with all of the steps listed below.

[   2   ]

You can get & install Malwarebytes for Windows at no charge  & then do a Scan with it.   It comes with a 2-week trial period in Premium  mode.  After the 2 weeks, unless you buy a premium license, it will be in free mode    ( you can still use the free mode to do scans & removals of malware).

Here is how to get it and do the setup of Malwarebytes

https://support.malwarebytes.com/hc/en-us/articles/360038479134-Download-and-install-Malwarebytes-for-Windows-v4

 

[    3    ]

I would like you to do a new scan with Malwarebytes for Windows.  One of the major goals here is to have it remove all that it detects.  If it finds anything that is.

Start Malwarebytes from the Windows  Start menu.

Click Settings ( gear icon)   at the top right of Malwarebytes window.   We want to see the SETTINGS window.

Then click the Security tab.   Look for the section "Automatic Quarantine".   Be sure it is clicked On   ( to the far right side)

 

Then scroll down to the section Potentially Unwanted items.   We need the next 2 lines   ( for P U P  & for P U  M)  to be set to "Always ( Recommended) ".

You can make the change by clicking on the down-arrow selection list-control.   We want all P U P  &  P U M to be marked for removal.

 

Next, click the small x on the Settings line   to go to the main Malwarebytes Window.

Next click the blue button marked Scan.

When the scan phase is done, be real sure you Review and have all detected lines items check-marked on each line on the left. That too is very critical.

Then click on Quarantine selected.

Then, locate the Scan run report;  export out a copy;  & then attach in with your  reply.

See https://support.malwarebytes.com/hc/en-us/articles/360038479194-View-Reports-and-History-in-Malwarebytes-for-Windows-v4

 

[     4    ]

The Microsoft Safety Scanner  is a free Microsoft stand-alone virus scanner that  can be used to scan for & remove malware or potentially unwanted software from a system.

The download links & the how-to-run-the tool are at this link at Microsoft

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/security/threat-protection/intelligence/safety-scanner-download

 

Let me know the result of this.

The log is named MSERT.log 

the log will be at  %SYSTEMROOT%\debug\msert.log   which in most cases is

C:\Windows\debug\msert.log

Please attach that log with your reply.

 

 

Fixlist.txt

[aneta]

Thank you, I did each step and below you can find the files

 

Have a great day!

Fixlog.txt MB report.txt msert.log

[Maurice Naggar]

Thank you for the reports.   I see the custom Fix ran as designed.

I notice that the Malwarebytes for Windows scan has found and removed a HackTool.KMS   in the sub-folder C:\ProgramData\KMSAutoS

The scan with the Microsoft Safety scanner result is good.

 

Q:   How are things now overall ?

 

I would suggest a free scan with the ESET Online Scanner
Go to https://www.eset.com/us/home/online-scanner/

Look on the right side of the page.  Click Scan Now
It will start a download of "esetonlinescanner_enu.exe"
Save the file to your system, such as the Downloads folder, or else to the Desktop.

Go to the saved file, and double click it to get it started.
When presented with the initial ESET options, click on "Computer Scan".

Next, when prompted by Windows, allow it to start by clicking Yes

When prompted for scan type, Click on Full scan
Look at & tick  ( select )   the radio selection "Enable ESET to detect and quarantine potentially unwanted applications"   and click on Start scan button.

Have patience.  The entire process may take an hour or more. There is an initial update download.
There is a progress window display.
You should ignore all prompts to get the ESET antivirus software program.   ( e.g.  their standard program).   You do not need to buy or get or install anything else.

When the scan is completed, if something was found, it will show a screen with the number of detected items.  If so, click the button marked “View detected results”.

Click The blue “Save scan log” to save the log.

If something was removed and you know it is a false finding, you may click on the blue ”Restore cleaned files”  ( in blue, at bottom).

Press Continue when all done.  You should click to off the offer for “periodic scanning”.

 

 

[aneta]

Doing all those steps, I still see those % symbols. I think it is not a virus or malware after all...

I will try to reinstall windows and we will see.

Thank you very much for all the help and support. I wish you all the best Maurice <3

[Maurice Naggar]

Hi.

OK.   Please just be careful as to how you do the "reinstall" of Windows.   There is a way to do a "repair in place"  for Windows 10.

You may do a Windows 10 "repair install" by following a guide article at Tenforums.
The title is "How to Do a Repair Install of Windows 10 with an In-place Upgrade"
https://www.tenforums.com/tutorials/16397-repair-install-windows-10-place-upgrade.html

 

Study that article first.  Get familiar with it.
Read the top of the article.  & also study all of step 6

You will need a USB-thumb-flash drive.   Where you will use the Microsoft Media Creation tool.
( which will be where the Windows 10 setup media will be saved ).
You will do the download from Microsoft.

You will do  step 6: To do a repair install of Windows 10 with Media Creation Tool.

Essentially this repair is intended to be done in-place over the current Windows install.
You want to select "Upgrade this pc"
You want to "keep personal files and apps"
( all of this is shown and described in the article )

[Maurice Naggar]

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 topic 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