i have no idea why my computer is doing this, but out of the blue, the blue header at the top of a web page turns grey, making it unselected. As a result, the online games im playing stop working until i click the screen again. i have no idea what to do. please help

Have you checked the running processes?

Yes; it sounds like another program/process is firing up in the background and taking the focus away from your currently-active window or program. It could even be something malicious firing up another instance of Internet Explorer, or at least another (possibly hidden) IE window.

The next time the problem occurs, look in Task Manager and see if there are any suspicious programs or processes listed there. Also see if there are multiple instances of IEXPLORE.exe listed in the Processs tab.

If you think that spyware/viruses/etc. might be the cause of the behaviour, please do the following:

Download the (free) HijackThis utility:

http://www.stevewolfonline.com/Downl...HijackThis.exe

Once downloaded, follow these instructions to install and run the program:

Create a folder outside of any Temp/Temporary folders for HJT and move it there now. A folder such such as C:\HijackThis or C:\Spyware Tools\HijackThis will do.

Run HijackThis, but do not have HJT fix anything yet; only have it scan your system! Once the scan is complete, the "Scan" button will turn into an option to "Save log...". Save the log in the folder you created for HiajckThis, open the log in Windows Notepad, and cut-n-paste the entire contents of the log here.

The log contents will tell us a lot about what "nasties" have crept into your system, and once we analyse the log we can tell you what to do from there.

here is the log file, i think it might have something to do with navhelper?

Logfile of HijackThis v1.99.1
Scan saved at 5:23:35 PM, on 6/27/2005
Platform: Windows XP SP1 (WinNT 5.01.2600)
MSIE: Internet Explorer v6.00 SP1 (6.00.2800.1106)

Running processes:
C:\WINDOWS\System32\smss.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\winlogon.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\services.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\lsass.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\svchost.exe
C:\WINDOWS\System32\svchost.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\spoolsv.exe
C:\Program Files\Common Files\Symantec Shared\ccEvtMgr.exe
C:\Program Files\Norton AntiVirus\navapsvc.exe
C:\Program Files\Analog Devices\SoundMAX\spkrmon.exe
C:\WINDOWS\System32\svchost.exe
C:\WINDOWS\Explorer.EXE
C:\WINDOWS\System32\hkcmd.exe
C:\Program Files\Common Files\Symantec Shared\ccApp.exe
C:\Program Files\QuickTime\qttask.exe
C:\Program Files\Java\jre1.5.0_02\bin\jusched.exe
C:\Program Files\iTunes\iTunesHelper.exe
C:\Program Files\Messenger\msmsgs.exe
C:\Program Files\Ares\Ares.exe
C:\Program Files\Logitech\MouseWare\system\em_exec.exe
C:\Program Files\iPod\bin\iPodService.exe
C:\WINDOWS\csrss.exe
C:\WINDOWS\System32\wuauclt.exe
C:\HJT\HijackThis.exe

R0 - HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Start Page = http://www.zoomtown.com/
O2 - BHO: AcroIEHlprObj Class - {06849E9F-C8D7-4D59-B87D-784B7D6BE0B3} - C:\Program Files\Adobe\Acrobat 7.0\ActiveX\AcroIEHelper.dll
O2 - BHO: (no name) - {53707962-6F74-2D53-2644-206D7942484F} - C:\Program Files\Spybot - Search & Destroy\SDHelper.dll
O2 - BHO: NAV Helper - {BDF3E430-B101-42AD-A544-FADC6B084872} - C:\Program Files\Norton AntiVirus\NavShExt.dll
O3 - Toolbar: Norton AntiVirus - {42CDD1BF-3FFB-4238-8AD1-7859DF00B1D6} - C:\Program Files\Norton AntiVirus\NavShExt.dll
O3 - Toolbar: &Radio - {8E718888-423F-11D2-876E-00A0C9082467} - C:\WINDOWS\System32\msdxm.ocx
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [Logitech Utility] Logi_MwX.Exe
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [IgfxTray] C:\WINDOWS\System32\igfxtray.exe
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [HotKeysCmds] C:\WINDOWS\System32\hkcmd.exe
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [ccApp] "C:\Program Files\Common Files\Symantec Shared\ccApp.exe"
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [ccRegVfy] "C:\Program Files\Common Files\Symantec Shared\ccRegVfy.exe"
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [QuickTime Task] "C:\Program Files\QuickTime\qttask.exe" -atboottime
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [Symantec NetDriver Monitor] C:\PROGRA~1\SYMNET~1\SNDMon.exe
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [SSC_UserPrompt] C:\Program Files\Common Files\Symantec Shared\Security Center\UsrPrmpt.exe
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [SunJavaUpdateSched] C:\Program Files\Java\jre1.5.0_02\bin\jusched.exe
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [DeadAIM] rundll32.exe "C:\Program Files\AIM\\DeadAIM.ocm",ExportedCheckODLs
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [iTunesHelper] "C:\Program Files\iTunes\iTunesHelper.exe"
O4 - HKCU\..\Run: [MSMSGS] "C:\Program Files\Messenger\msmsgs.exe" /background
O4 - HKCU\..\Run: [ares] "C:\Program Files\Ares\Ares.exe" -h
O4 - HKCU\..\Run: [AIM] C:\Program Files\AIM\aim.exe -cnetwait.odl
O4 - Global Startup: Adobe Reader Speed Launch.lnk = C:\Program Files\Adobe\Acrobat 7.0\Reader\reader_sl.exe
O4 - Global Startup: Microsoft Office.lnk = C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office10\OSA.EXE
O8 - Extra context menu item: E&xport to Microsoft Excel - res://C:\PROGRA~1\MICROS~2\Office10\EXCEL.EXE/3000
O9 - Extra button: (no name) - {08B0E5C0-4FCB-11CF-AAA5-00401C608501} - C:\Program Files\Java\jre1.5.0_02\bin\npjpi150_02.dll
O9 - Extra 'Tools' menuitem: Sun Java Console - {08B0E5C0-4FCB-11CF-AAA5-00401C608501} - C:\Program Files\Java\jre1.5.0_02\bin\npjpi150_02.dll
O9 - Extra button: AIM - {AC9E2541-2814-11d5-BC6D-00B0D0A1DE45} - C:\Program Files\AIM\aim.exe
O15 - Trusted Zone: http://www.ebay.com
O15 - Trusted Zone: http://www.tvguide.com
O15 - Trusted Zone: http://www.ultimatearcade.com
O15 - Trusted Zone: http://www.yappi.com
O15 - Trusted Zone: http://broadband.zoomtown.com
O16 - DPF: {6414512B-B978-451D-A0D8-FCFDF33E833C} (WUWebControl Class) - http://v5.windowsupdate.microsoft.co...?1109644797328
O16 - DPF: {74D05D43-3236-11D4-BDCD-00C04F9A3B61} (HouseCall Control) - http://a840.g.akamai.net/7/840/537/2...ll/xscan53.cab
O16 - DPF: {85D1F3B2-2A21-11D7-97B9-0010DC2A6243} (SecureLogin class) - http://secure2.comned.com/signuptemp...ogin-devel.cab
O16 - DPF: {AB86CE53-AC9F-449F-9399-D8ABCA09EC09} (Get_ActiveX Control) - https://h17000.www1.hp.com/ewfrf-JAV...oadManager.ocx
O20 - Winlogon Notify: igfxcui - C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\igfxsrvc.dll
O21 - SSODL: System - {15712FAF-9FB2-4F4D-AA0E-1585B7FC9DBB} - mcsys.dll (file missing)
O23 - Service: Symantec Event Manager (ccEvtMgr) - Symantec Corporation - C:\Program Files\Common Files\Symantec Shared\ccEvtMgr.exe
O23 - Service: Symantec Password Validation Service (ccPwdSvc) - Symantec Corporation - C:\Program Files\Common Files\Symantec Shared\ccPwdSvc.exe
O23 - Service: iPod Service (iPodService) - Apple Computer, Inc. - C:\Program Files\iPod\bin\iPodService.exe
O23 - Service: Norton AntiVirus Auto Protect Service (navapsvc) - Symantec Corporation - C:\Program Files\Norton AntiVirus\navapsvc.exe
O23 - Service: ScriptBlocking Service (SBService) - Symantec Corporation - C:\PROGRA~1\COMMON~1\SYMANT~1\SCRIPT~1\SBServ.exe
O23 - Service: Symantec Network Drivers Service (SNDSrvc) - Symantec Corporation - C:\Program Files\Common Files\Symantec Shared\SNDSrvc.exe
O23 - Service: spkrmon - Unknown owner - C:\Program Files\Analog Devices\SoundMAX\spkrmon.exe
O23 - Service: SymWMI Service (SymWSC) - Symantec Corporation - C:\Program Files\Common Files\Symantec Shared\Security Center\SymWSC.exe

There are two things I see in your log:

1. C:\WINDOWS\csrss.exe

There is a valid Windows file named csrss.exe, but on XP systems it lives in the C:\Windows\System32 folder; not in the C:\Windows folder. A file named csrss.exe in the main Windows folder usually indicates an infection.

2. O21 - SSODL: System - {15712FAF-9FB2-4F4D-AA0E-1585B7FC9DBB} - mcsys.dll (file missing)

The above is also indicative of an infection.

What makes you mention NavHelper? It's true that NavHelper is considered a security risk, but I see no signs of it in your log.

I'd suggest that, in addition to a full scan with Norton (make sure to get the most current updates installed before scanning), you also run a few of the following free online anti-virus/anti-spyware scans and set them to automatically clean what they find:

http://www.kaspersky.com/scanforvirus.html
http://housecall.trendmicro.com/
http://us.mcafee.com/root/mfs/default.asp?cid=9914
http://www.pandasoftware.com/active...n_principal.htm
http://www.ravantivirus.com/scan/
http://www.bitdefender.com/scan/licence.php

Once you're done, run HijackThis again and post a new log.

sorry about the delay

i deleted
O21 - SSODL: System - {15712FAF-9FB2-4F4D-AA0E-1585B7FC9DBB} - mcsys.dll (file missing)

but i could not find
C:\WINDOWS\csrss.exe

the problem is still persisting, any other suggestions?

Post a new log please

Hi I have a similar problem with the task manager being unighlighted. If I supply a log would you help me please?

R,
B

Hi Brucedon.

First of all- welcome to Daniweb .

We ask that members not piggy-back questions on to a thread previously started by another member here in the Viruses, Spyware & other Nasties forum, (regardless of how similar your problem might seem). Not only does it divert the focus of the thread away from the original poster's problem, but it also makes it less likely that you yourself will get the individual attention that you need.

Please start your own thread and post your question there. When you do, please try to give us as much specific info as possible regarding the problem (exact error messages, system specs, etc.).

For a full description of our posting guidelines and general rules of conduct, please see this page:

http://www.daniweb.com/forums/faq.ph...niweb_policies


Thanks for understanding.