Question

Hosts file

Asked by: DATA99

Hi i have got a machine in where there were alot of virus, trojans, malware, spyware etc with windows system suite coming up i have run spybot and malwarebytes and removed alot using them and have just run hijack this with alot of host file but when i try to delete the host folder it is not there, when i try to delete the lines within hijack this it states that the hosts file is locked for reading and cannot be edited.  I have checked for third party programs blocking this action and they are not the cause.  Obviously there is something still on the machine blocking this action but i cannot install my anti virus program in order to run a scan with this.  can someone help please

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Asked On
2009-08-13 at 04:12:00ID24649334
Tags

malware

,

spyware

,

virus

Topics

Desktop Anti-Virus

,

HijackThis Software

,

Internet Security

Participating Experts
3
Points
500
Comments
11

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Answers

 

by: jimbecherPosted on 2009-08-13 at 04:21:15ID: 25087049

  The hosts file should be located in C:\Windows\system32\drivers\etc It should by default only have one line in it that isn't remarked out with a #. It should read 127.0.0.1       localhost. You don't really want to delete the hosts folder (etc) you really just want to edit the hosts file in the etc folder. Can you browse to it with Windows Explorer and open it with notepad?

   If you get an error trying to edit it and it says it is locked or read only you can try one of two things. Right mouse click one it, select properties and un-check the read-only flag. If that doesn't work try the same process in safe mode.

 

by: jhyieslaPosted on 2009-08-13 at 04:21:36ID: 25087050

Sometimes the answer to a really badly infected PC is just to wipe and reload Windows. You have done quite a bit already, but it seems that there's still a significant issue.  Someone else may come along with other suggestions, but even if those suggestions remove more of the problems, do you really trust that you're in the clear?  I wouldn't.  My suggestion is to save off any data, if possible, wipe and reload Windows.  Once everything is back to good again, install a good AV and antispyware program(s) and do everything you can to protect yourself in the future.

 

by: rpggamergirlPosted on 2009-08-13 at 04:24:08ID: 25087064

Try Combofix and show us the log.

Please download ComboFix by sUBs:
http://download.bleepingcomputer.com/sUBs/ComboFix.exe

You must download it to and run it from your Desktop
Now STOP all your monitoring programs (Antivirus/Antispyware, Guards and Shields) as they could easily interfere with ComboFix.
Double click combofix.exe & follow the prompts.
When finished, it will produce a log. Please save that log and attach it in your next reply by pasting it in the "Code Snippet" or "Attach File" window.
Re-enable all the programs that were disabled during the running of ComboFix..


Note:
Do not mouse-click combofix's window while it is running. That may cause it to stall.

CF disconnects your machine from the internet. The connection is automatically restored before CF completes its run. If CF runs into difficulty and terminates prematurely, the connection can be manually restored by restarting your machine.


If needed, here's the Combofix tutorial which includes the installation of the Recovery Console:
http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/combofix/how-to-use-combofix

 

by: DATA99Posted on 2009-08-13 at 05:05:15ID: 25087227

yeh i can get to that directory but there i cannot access the host folder i get the error message i stated and if i right click it it is already unchecked so its not that.  Thanks i was thinking about getting to the point of just reinstalling but i shall try combofix and post the results here as soon as done

 

by: jimbecherPosted on 2009-08-13 at 05:10:22ID: 25087262

  I think we are talking symantecs. You say you cannot access the hosts folder but when you right click it it is already unchecked (I assume you mean the hots file). That confuses me. How can you not be able to access the hosts folder yet are able to access the hosts file?

   Have you tired booting in safe mode to see if you can asscess the "hosts" file?

 

by: DATA99Posted on 2009-08-13 at 05:25:33ID: 25087364

yes iv tried in safe mode but when i get to C:\Windows\system32\drivers\etc there are 4 files in here, one called host and others i cant remember now, there is no folder inside etc just 4 files

 

by: jimbecherPosted on 2009-08-13 at 05:46:04ID: 25087521

  OK. It is tracking. You are in the right folder (etc). There should be four or five files in there but the only one you are concerned with is the one named hosts. There should be no other folders in the etc folder. I have five files in my etc folder. hosts, networks, services, lmhosts.sam and protocol. You may only have four.

   Once again there are no sub folders to the etc folder. That is where things might be going amiss. You can, if you want, delete the hosts file completely. There are several backup copies of the hosts file on the computer. You can search the hard drive for hosts and copy it back in to the etc folder.

   So now that we are focusing on the hosts file in the etc directory where do you stand? Can you edit or delete it? What was leading you to believe that there was yet another folder inside the etc folder?

   

 

 

by: DATA99Posted on 2009-08-13 at 06:06:28ID: 25087711

im just going to reinstal don;t have the time to fiddle with it anymore thanks v much  guys appreiciate the help

 

by: jhyieslaPosted on 2009-08-13 at 11:31:12ID: 25091347

I believe that doing a reinstall was my suggestion.

 

by: jhyieslaPosted on 2009-08-13 at 19:03:05ID: 25094769

Accept my answer 25087050 since the suggestion in that answer was what the asker ended up doing.

20120131-EE-VQP-002

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