Windows has encountered critical error

[jawelch455]

Upon starting in either normal mode or safe with networking, i get the error message:

Windows has encountered a critical error and will restart in one minute.

I do not get this message when starting in safe mode (without networking). I have tried to run Malwarebytes (quick scan found one Trojan and after removing that, full scan found nothing). I tried to do a system restore, but it did not complete. Vista 32.

Please help!!

[jawelch455]

One last point. i have made this post using another computer as i have been unable to get online with the infected computer.

[jawelch455]

Upon starting in either normal mode or safe with networking, i get the error message:

Windows has encountered a critical error and will restart in one minute.

I do not get this message when starting in safe mode (without networking). I have tried to run Malwarebytes (quick scan found one Trojan and after removing that, full scan found nothing). I tried to do a system restore, but it did not complete. Vista 32.

One last point. i have made this post using another computer as i have been unable to get online with the infected computer.

Please help!!

[Gammo]

Hi,

You can transfer ComboFix from another PC with an USB flash drive.

You can run ComboFix in safe mode.

Download ComboFix from one of these locations:

Link 1

Link 2

* IMPORTANT !!! Save ComboFix.exe to your Desktop

• Disable your AntiVirus and AntiSpyware applications, usually via a right click on the System Tray icon. They may otherwise interfere with our tools. Here is a guide on how to disable them:
  Click me
  If you can't disable them then just continue on.
  
• Double click on ComboFix.exe & follow the prompts.
  
• As part of it's process, ComboFix will check to see if the Microsoft Windows Recovery Console is installed. With malware infections being as they are today, it's strongly recommended to have this pre-installed on your machine before doing any malware removal. It will allow you to boot up into a special recovery/repair mode that will allow us to more easily help you should your computer have a problem after an attempted removal of malware.
  
• Follow the prompts to allow ComboFix to download and install the Microsoft Windows Recovery Console, and when prompted, agree to the End-User License Agreement to install the Microsoft Windows Recovery Console.
  

**Please note: If the Microsoft Windows Recovery Console is already installed, ComboFix will continue it's malware removal procedures.

Once the Microsoft Windows Recovery Console is installed using ComboFix, you should see the following message:

Click on Yes, to continue scanning for malware.

When finished, it shall produce a log for you. Please include the C:\ComboFix.txt log in your next reply.

[jawelch455]

Thank you for your help. Here is the log. Did not ask to install Recovery Console.

ComboFix 10-09-17.04 - jwelch 09/18/2010 8:12.1.2 - x86 MINIMAL

Microsoft

[Gammo]

Hi,

1. Close any open browsers.

2. Close/disable all anti virus and anti malware programs so they do not interfere with the running of ComboFix.

3. Open notepad and copy/paste the text in the codebox below into it:

File::
c:\users\jwelch\AppData\Local\Tkuwutagesag.dat
c:\users\jwelch\AppData\Local\Yribeyamoled.bin
c:\windows\system32\drivers\sesjen.sys
c:\users\jwelch\AppData\Roaming\hngmfc.dat

Driver::
xiwnnkl
sesjen

KillAll::

Save this as CFScript.txt, in the same location as ComboFix.exe

Refering to the picture above, drag CFScript into ComboFix.exe

When finished, it shall produce a log for you at C:\ComboFix.txt which I will require in your next reply.

[jawelch455]

ComboFix 10-09-17.04 - jwelch 09/18/2010 10:34:23.2.2 - x86 MINIMAL

Microsoft

[Gammo]

Hi,

Can you now boot your computer in 'normal' mode or safe mode with networking?

[jawelch455]

Yes, i can now boot the computer in normal mode. computer seems to be running a bit slower than before, but it is working!

[Gammo]

Hi,

Download TFC to your desktop

• Open the file and close any other windows.
  
• It will close all programs itself when run, make sure to let it run uninterrupted.
  
• Click the Start button to begin the process. The program should not take long to finish its job
  
• Once its finished it should reboot your machine, if not, do this yourself to ensure a complete clean
  

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

Start Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware

• Once the program has loaded, click the "Update" tab and click the "Check For updates" button.
  
• Once the updates were downloaded, click the "Scanner" tab, select "Perform Quick Scan", then click Scan.
  
• The scan may take some time to finish,so please be patient.
  
• When the scan is complete, click OK, then Show Results to view the results.
  
• Make sure that everything is checked, and click Remove Selected.
  
• When disinfection is completed, a log will open in Notepad and you may be prompted to Restart.(See Extra Note)
  
• The log is automatically saved by MBAM and can be viewed by clicking the Logs tab in MBAM.
  
• Copy&Paste the entire report in your next reply.
  

Extra Note:

If MBAM encounters a file that is difficult to remove,you will be presented with 1 of 2 prompts,click OK to either and let MBAM proceed with the disinfection process,if asked to restart the computer,please do so immediatly.

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

I'd like us to scan your machine with ESET OnlineScan

1. Hold down Control and click on the following link to open ESET OnlineScan in a new window.
   ESET OnlineScan
   
2. Click the button.
   
3. For alternate browsers only: (Microsoft Internet Explorer users can skip these steps)
   1. 
      
   2. Click on to download the ESET Smart Installer. Save it to your desktop.
      
   3. Double click on the icon on your desktop.
      
      
   4. Check
      
   5. Click the button.
      
   6. Accept any security warnings from your browser.
      
   7. Check
      
   8. Push the Start button.
      
   9. ESET will then download updates for itself, install itself, and begin scanning your computer. Please be patient as this can take some time.
      
   10. When the scan completes, push
       
   11. Push , and save the file to your desktop using a unique name, such as ESETScan. Include the contents of this report in your next reply.
       
   12. Push the button.
       
   13. Push
       
       

[jawelch455]

Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware 1.46

www.malwarebytes.org

Database version: 4652

Windows 6.0.6002 Service Pack 2

Internet Explorer 8.0.6001.18943

9/19/2010 8:29:20 AM

mbam-log-2010-09-19 (08-29-20).txt

Scan type: Quick scan

Objects scanned: 132962

Time elapsed: 5 minute(s), 33 second(s)

Memory Processes Infected: 0

Memory Modules Infected: 0

Registry Keys Infected: 0

Registry Values Infected: 0

Registry Data Items Infected: 0

Folders Infected: 0

Files Infected: 0

Memory Processes Infected:

(No malicious items detected)

Memory Modules Infected:

(No malicious items detected)

Registry Keys Infected:

(No malicious items detected)

Registry Values Infected:

(No malicious items detected)

Registry Data Items Infected:

(No malicious items detected)

Folders Infected:

(No malicious items detected)

Files Infected:

(No malicious items detected)

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

C:\Qoobox\Quarantine\C\Windows\System32\grpcutil.dll.vir a variant of Win32/PSW.Papras.BO trojan cleaned by deleting - quarantined

C:\Qoobox\Quarantine\C\Windows\System32\drivers\sesjen.sys.vir a variant of Win32/Bubnix.AU trojan cleaned by deleting - quarantined

C:\Qoobox\Quarantine\C\Windows\System32\drivers\_sesjen_.sys.zip a variant of Win32/Bubnix.AU trojan deleted - quarantined

[Gammo]

Hi,

Your logs appear to be clean now. There is only a bit of cleanup that we will deal with in this post, as well as prevention from future infections.

Remove Combofix now that we're done with it.

• Please press the Windows Key and R on your keyboard. This will bring up the Run... command.
  
• Now type in Combofix /Uninstall in the runbox and click OK. (Notice the space between the "x" and "/")
  
  
• Please follow the prompts to uninstall Combofix.
  
• You will then recieve a message saying Combofix was uninstalled successfully once it's done uninstalling itself.
  

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

• Download OTC to your desktop and run it
  
• A list of tool components used in the Cleanup of malware will be downloaded.
  
• If your Firewall or Real Time protection attempts to block OTC to reach the Internet, please allow the application to do so.
  
• Click Yes to begin the Cleanup process and remove these components, including this application.
  
• You will be asked to reboot the machine to finish the Cleanup process. If you are asked to reboot the machine choose Yes.
  

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

Keep a backup of your important files

Now, more than ever, it's especially important to protect your digital files and memories. This article is full of good information on alternatives for home backup solutions.

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

Make proper use of your anti-virus and firewall

You should keep your anti-virus and firewall guard enabled at all times, don't shut them off unless there's a specific reason to do so.

Also, regularly performing a full system scan with your anti-virus program is a good idea to make sure nothing has slipped through your protection. Once every two weeks works well for many people. You can set the scan to run during a time when you don't plan to use the computer and just leave it to complete on its own.

Keep in mind that anti-virus programs are far from perfect. They don't protect you against every piece of malware that's out there, so don't trust them blindly. If an anti-virus reports a file as 'clean' then it's doesn't necessarily has to mean it is.

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

Keep all your software updated

It is important to keep up on system updates from Microsoft by regularly checking their website at: http://windowsupdate.microsoft.com/, as these patch critical security vulnerabilities and help to keep you safe.

It's also important to keep programs up to date so that malware doesn't exploit any old security flaws. FileHippo Update Checker is an extremely helpful program that will tell you which of your programs need to be updated. Java and Adobe Reader are two of the main security vulnerabilities. You can find the latest version of Java here, you will want the Java SE Runtime Environment (JRE) one. You can find the latest version of Adobe Reader here.

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

Use a safer web browser

Internet Explorer is not the most secure tool for browsing the web. It has been known to be very susceptible to infection, and there are a couple good free alternatives: Firefox and Opera. Both are excellent faster, safer, more powerful and functional free alternatives to Internet Explorer. It's definitely worth the short period of adjustment to start using one of these. If you wish to continue using Internet Explorer, it would be a good idea to follow the tutorial here which will help you to make IE much safer.

If you decide to use the Firefox browser, the McAfee SiteAdvisor add-on will nicely help to enhance your security. This add-on tells you whether the sites you are about to visit are safe or not. A must if you do a lot of Googling.

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

Some other security programs

It is wise these days to have a few security programs installed and running on your machine except from just an anti-virus and a firewall. I will list some of them.

• A good anti-spyware program installed on your pc is very important to help remove any spyware that may have gotten on your computer. I highly recommend Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware.
  
• SpywareBlaster to help prevent spyware from installing in the first place.
  
• MVPS Hosts file replaces your current HOSTS file with one containing well known ad sites and other bad sites. This prevents your computer from connecting to those sites in the future.
  

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

Be careful

Having security programs installed is very helpful to you, but none of them have the gift of human thought. The best way to make sure you don't get infected is to exercise common sense. Be careful of what websites you visit - if a site looks suspicious, trust your instincts and get out of there. Be careful of what attachments you open in emails and files you download from websites - check them over carefully to make sure that you know what you're getting.

Using peer-to-peer programs (eg: LimeWire, BitTorrent, uTorrent, Kazaa) or downloading cracks and keygens is something else to avoid. These are the most common way to get infected. Malware writers use these programs to spread infections as it is the easiest way for them. The majority of infections we see in the Malware Removal forum are due to people using p2p programs to download cracks/keygens/warez. These are not only illegal, but will always contain some form of malware. You have no way of verifying that the things you download are legitimate or that they don't contain malware. Even with an up to date anti-virus and firewall, some of these things will still infect you. It is highly recommend that you uninstall all peer-to-peer programs. It just isn't worth it.

Other common ways of getting infected are dis-reputable sites forcing you to download and install a codec. Or viruses using Instant Messaging programs (Windows Live Messenger, MSN Messenger, AIM) to send a file claiming it to be "photos" from a friend, only for it to turn out to be a virus.

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

Slow computer?

If your computer begins to slow down in the future for no particular reason, your first step should not be to come to the malware forum. As your computer ages and is used, it's parts wear, files and programs accumulate, and its performance can decrease. To restore your computer's performance to its best possible level, follow the steps in this page written by malware expert Miekiemoes.

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

I'll leave this thread open for a couple days in case you come across any lingering problems that need fixing, then I'll close it up. If you need it reopened for any reason just shoot me a PM. It's been a pleasure working with you, now best of luck!

Cheers,

Gammo