Wintems.exe trojan and rootkit ruining PC, please help! :)

[Crazymonk]

Right I noticed this process and TaskManager and searched it and now know it's not nice, since it's been on the system it's corrupted software unistalled things, disabled programs (hijakthis, being one of many). I can't install antivirus i had problem connecting to the net a while ago and it's caused an invisible firewall when I use my P2P program emule. I can't install anything to get rid of it, i've only been able to install Uniblue SpyEraser PowerSuite and it has detected it and tried to block it but while I was scanning my compter cut off onto one of those blue screens, saying the systems 'shut down a thread or 'something' application that's crucial for system stability was terminated' or roughly something like that. Anyway this thing is causing loads of problems and I would love some help and remember I can't give you a hijack log because program won't run and doesn't install correctly, when I try and run it it says this is not a valid win32 Application...??? thanks in advance! :)

[w00zie]

wintems.exe's a particularly nasty Trojan. Anti-virus software froze after I restarted. I have read countless of supposed solutions when I Googled for answers, tried a host of them (installing this and that software to get rid of it... that is if the software could even install), and none of them worked. That includes booting into Safe Mode and all that jazz. I have a habit to scanning specific files I download before opening any, and for whatever reason, NOD32 failed to detect this one (yes, it was updated, and this is my second major headache with NOD32!). I finally had to resort to the worst-case scenario solution, guaranteed to work (short of smashing the computer!): FORMAT C drive. Besides, I use the comp mainly for work, so can't afford to let the problem fester. Think of it as spring-cleaning the comp! ;)

[Crazymonk]

Thanks for that, I thought I'd deleted it but I don't think I have because I tried starting my computer up in Safe Mode afteer using MSConfig setting SAFEBOOT and now my computer will NOT start up correctly it asks me to pick a way of starting up i.e. normall, last known configuration (working) and safe boot (3 modes) I've tried them all but about 3 seconds after the WINDOWS XP (HE) Loading screen appears it just shuts down and restarts and it is because of that MSConfig setting, is there not a way of getting it working, because I can't get into my computer? Thanks *I'm posting this from another computer!*

[w00zie]

I never messed with SAFEBOOT under the boot.ini tab at all in msconfig. It's been awhile, but if I remember correctly, I did it via F8 or something during booting up that led me to the start-up menu with the safe boot modes. I also remember trying to load up with the WinXP CD. I know there's a repair option if you use the WinXP CD, but I never tried it. You can try it and see what happens. Also, I remember I could still load into Windows, except that the NOD32 splash screen would just display and never go away. The anti-virus program refused to initialize, and Windows Security Center prompted me about Virus Protection being Off. As I had said before, I couldn't boot via any of the 3 modes, just the Normal last known configuration. I have my machine partitioned into several drives, and I keep all my data in other drives, strictly restricting C for programs and such. So wiping the whole of C drive wasn't much of a problem. It's just time-consuming installing everything and re-configuring stuff, that's all. If you can find out the model of your hard drive, they should have a configuration software for it if you intend to go the format route. However, if you really have important data on your C drive you need to rescue, you can try booting into DOS or something, and try editing and restoring the boot.ini file to before you activated SAFEBOOT. Check out the following:

http://www.computerhope.com/issues/ch000492.htm

Hope that helps!

[Crazymonk]

thanks but too late, I've already reinstalled XP and everything seems to be ok, but my mouse seems to be going wacky still, but I think that's something else. Thanks, consider this topic closed, for now...:)