Question

Windows Protection Suite/Hosts file

Asked by: CFProcessMgr

I have a customer that for whatever reason got afflected with the Windows Protection Suite today on her Windows XP Home system.  I downloaded Malware Bytes and run it; clearing up most of the bad programs. When I first came to her place, it had shut off McAfee antivirus.  After running Malware Bytes for a few times, everything seemed cleared up but could not bring up the TaskBar by putting in the command or doing a CtrlAltDel.  I downloaded HiJackThis and when I run it, it says there are illegeal entries in the HOSTS file which I seen there are but if I edit it in Notepad and try to do save on it, it either says it cannot be found or it is protected.  In HiJackthis, they say to save it as 'hosts.' but this only saves it as .txt file even when I change the file name away from text.  I finally got McAfee to come back up but the HOSTS file still has all those bad ips in there.  Thoughts?

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Asked On
2009-08-17 at 19:17:38ID24660245
Tags

Malware

,

virus

,

hosts

,

windows

Topics

Windows XP Operating System

,

HijackThis Software

Participating Experts
2
Points
500
Comments
4

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Answers

 

by: xxdcmastPosted on 2009-08-17 at 19:41:07ID: 25119825

It kind of sounds like there is something being used to lock the hosts file so that you can't edit it. Have you tried editing the hosts file in safe mode? Any luck?

If no good in safe mode I have had good luck using a linux bootable cd like knoppix to boot into and edit file locked by soyware/viruses.

 

by: JeremySBrownPosted on 2009-08-17 at 19:51:35ID: 25119850

CFProcessMgr - please delete your other question. Having duplicate questions are not permitted.
Thanks.

 

by: CFProcessMgrPosted on 2009-08-17 at 20:25:37ID: 25119950

What other question?  This is a completely new issue and I did get it fixed....

 

by: JeremySBrownPosted on 2009-08-17 at 20:46:12ID: 25120023

CFProcessMgr - It's okay...don't worry, when I posted that comment, the other duplicate question was still open, it's deleted now.

20120131-EE-VQP-002

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