I have to be perfectly honest here teatear, I really think some very key files were removed or damaged, either by the Trojans OR by the removal of these files.
Looking at all you removed, a large number of these were in your System Restore, another group were Internet Temp files and then the others seem to be related to the Windows Installer files. To have this much damage in so many programs, I don't know for sure they can be repaired.
Can I ask, when did you install XP SP3? Where did you get it? Did you download it from the Microsoft site or someplace else?

All of the event errors showing this;
have to be related to the removal of the files when you got deleted the items from the computer after the discovery of the Trojans.

Many of the other errors are related to the Hanging of Internet Explorer and all seemed to happen prior to Sept. 5 when you removed the files. The other errors with Adobe Reader and others seem all to have occurred AFTER Sept. 5th.

It just really looks to me like many files were damaged or corrupted by either the removal of the Trojans, the Trojans themselves OR some incorrect files were removed.

The other thing I really wonder about is this;
The version of Quickbooks you have been using is way out of date, it is very possible it isn't equipped to run on XP SP3 and maybe that is why he had such a problem installing it. You say he has some files called old PC quickbooks, what are these do you know? Open them and find out.

Frankly, after searching this Trojan finding by AVG there were many posts stating that this was a false positive, meaning of course this was not a trojan. It doesn't help you I know since you have removed these files. I really am very hesitant to have you try anything else. I just feel some core files have been damaged here, which would indicate a repair needs to be done. But I also don't want you to lose your valuable Quickbook files either.
I rarely do this, but think at this time maybe your best option would be to contact the tech that did the install of the new hard drive last month and see what he thinks should be done.
Judy

I got the XP3 from the windows update, a link from my computer under tools. I went ahead with it because the OBooks website instructions said that it was important to do. . The Qbooks worked for over a month fine until I upgraded to Internet Explorer 7 and then removed it. It extracted alot of files too during the upgrade. I've also used Qbooks on this computer for over 5 years but maybe it doesn't like the Service Pack 3.

I know from reading other forums that others are having the same problems with Qbooks (the new versions) not opening after installing and updating other programs and some are getting a solution. One got it by installing the .Net Microsoft program that I tried to do. The one years ago here at Dani Web had to cut off restore somehow because the registry was wrong. I am still trying to find that thread, I know I saved it. I wonder about that because all of that malware was to do with registry and the adobe file wouldn't unregister during the uninstall.

Yes, I can take it back to the store. I was just hoping that I would see if we could figure it out before Monday so i could get the taxes done on time. I agree that the files that QBooks needs to run probably got deleted but the problem of not opening happened before I deleted the files. They could have been quaratined though.

The old PC QBook files look the same as the newly installed program, I got the tutorial screen to open up but I couldn't get the companies to open. I have 3 companies and there is one sample data file. And the Adobe program is working now since I re installed it.

Anyway, if you aren't comfortable with going further, that's fine. I appreciate your caution and I want to thank you for your time and effort in helping me with it all.

It's 1 am here so I'm going to sign off now. I will check back tomorrow just in case you have a brainstorm idea; but if not, I'll take it on to the tech at the repair store.

Thanks Again Judy!!.....Terri



This is the history of my Windows update as it shows on the website for this computer:

Windows XP Windows Malicious Software Removal Tool - September 2008 (KB890830) Wednesday, September 10, 2008 Automatic Updates

Windows XP Security Update for Windows XP (KB938464) Wednesday, September 10, 2008 Automatic Updates

Windows XP Security Update for Microsoft .NET Framework, Version 2.0 (KB928365) Monday, September 08, 2008 Automatic Updates

Windows XP Update for Windows XP (KB951978) Saturday, September 06, 2008 Automatic Updates

Windows XP Windows XP Service Pack 3 (KB936929) Friday, September 05, 2008 Windows Update

Windows XP Windows Genuine Advantage Validation Tool (KB892130) Friday, September 05, 2008 Windows Update

Windows Internet Explorer 7 Dynamic Installer Cumulative Security Update for Internet Explorer 7 Dynamic Installer for Windows XP (KB953838) Thursday, September 04, 2008 Other Source

Windows XP Windows Internet Explorer 7 for Windows XP Tuesday, September 02, 2008 Automatic Updates

Windows Windows Update Agent 7.2.6001.784 Wednesday, August 27, 2008 Automatic Updates

<<Previous 1-10 11-20 21-30 Next >>

Hi Terri,
Well, your list of updates DOES give me somewhat of a clue, or even a couple and since you listed all this I figure you must have the same feelings that I am having. I could be wrong, BUT I think all of this goes to the Install of XP SP3. Look at the date, September 5. The very same day your AVG flagged these files as trojans. Now I firmly believe these were very likely false positives. I have found on countless websites AVG and only AVG flagging these supposed trojans. I just don't think they were or are. I think AVG sees these suddenly new files and something in these makes it think that they are bad files.

I would really advise you to uninstall the XP SP3 and go back to XP SP2.
The instructions on how to do this can be found here;

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/950249

I would also guess that you should also uninstall all the automatic updates installed AFTER Sept. 5 also. Just go backwards on the list, beginning with the most recent and ending then with that SP3 install.

Be sure to reboot if told to do so each time AND be sure to reboot after the whole process is complete.

Now once you have done this of course your Auto Update will probably notifiy you of updates available. Don't do them yet though. Wait and see if you can get your Quickbook program to work. Obviously something in either IE7 or, I think, SP3 has damaged or blocked that in some way.
Let me know.
Judy

Well, I know that the Qbooks not opening came before Thurs Sept 4 because I called the tech that day and had wanted to call him the day before about the problem. I also wrote it in an email to a friend so I know my memory is right. I remember telling him that I had tried to update to IE7 and then uninstalled it. He said that he had had others who had problems with IE7.

I then told him that I would see what I could find but might still bring it too him later. That was some of the reason so much happened on Sept 5, I saw those viruses and tried to get rid of them.

I think you have a good idea to unistall all of it though. I know that when I looked at IE7 info on the computer, it states that some third party software may not work correctly. Wish I had read that before I updated it. I also think AVG and other anti virus should warn us novices about deleting files too soon. Maybe they do, I didn't see it though.

Thanks Judy, I will try your suggestions...........

Another thought, does the computer have the ability to restore back to a date prior to say Sep 1st before I updated to IE7?

I just change my security setting to allow pop ups to see if it would let the Qbooks windows come up.

As you can see by the attachment, the program is open in task manager and is in the tray. Something is stopping it from opening the windows. This is the same problem prior to Sept 5th.

The tutorial window and the help window comes up at the start menu explore section and I was able to open a Qbooks text document there. I was able to open things in the help menu but it's all about how to handle the bookkeeping tasks.

WOWEXEC is involved too. It's error message that it cannot end comes up with the QBW error unpon shutting down the computer.

Do you think re installing or downloading IE6 might help? Would it hurt anything?

Hold off on the IE6 reinstall. I am doing some searching concerning this Wowexec.exe error and may have hit on something but want to do more reading. I will get back to you ASAP.
Judy

I would say, don't try this. System Restore has all ready been altered by the removal of items during that AVG removal so chances of going back farther are, at best limited. I just wouldn't risk it. You could end up with more trouble than you have now.
Now here is what I found about the WOWEXEC problem. It is related to your old version of Quickbooks. Took me awhile because I am not fluent in "computereeze" so had to find someplace that would give me the explanation in plain English.
The problem, I "think" really lies with that Quickbook program itself. It is for one of the original versions of Windows which came out prior to 1992, actually around 1985. These 1st versions of Windows ran actually "on top of" the older MS-DOS operating systems. This is probably why your tech had difficulty even installing this program on the new hard drive several months ago.
This wowexec.exe is the file which helps this probably 16 year old program run on the computers we have today. One of it's problems is when you turn off Quickbooks, wowexec.exe doesn't turn off as you found, it just sits there.
This wowexec is supposed to enable, if I read this correctly, 16-bit applications (which this Quickbook version probably is) run on 32-bit machines, which is what we have today.
The way to stop this error is Stop Quickbooks, since you can't even get it to open you will have to stop it via Task Manager. Then when it stops then stop the wowexec file.

Now in searching on the Quickbooks Troubleshooting here is what I have found for not being able to open...Key thing noted is this to begin with; ensure your QuickBooks version is the most current release Yours obviously is not, it is at least 15 years old.
Here are the steps given on the troubleshooting site;
Terri, honestly think you do need to get a NEW Quickbook program. Especially since you are running a small business with it.
I believe the "trojan find" problem stemmed from the update to SP3, but I don't believe the Quickbook failure has anything to do with that. I think the update to IE7 did bring the Quickbook problems to light however, it obviously can't run on IE7.
Now you might try a repair of IE6 and see if this helps with the Quickbook. If it does then absolutely update the Quickbook to the very latest version. Probably will take you awhile to learn to navigate through the program, I know nothing about it but from what I read on their site...I am still totally clueless as to what version or program portion you should update to and how.
Judy

Well, I think you are right, I've been reading alot about the WOWEXEC too and some people are finding ways to work around it but it looks like you have to really know your programming to do the fixes.

Yes, we bought the program in 1990 and it went through about 6 upgrades and so then we bought this version 3.0 around 1992. It was to get away from all of the upgrades and it was for Windows 3.1 or higher back then. I have gotten these type of error messages on every computer we bought through the years but never to the point where it wouldn't open. And I have been reading posts where folks with the new versions of QBooks are having the same problem, it shows in the tray but won't open on the desktop.

I still have the old computer from back then and it runs......lol......I even tried to update it with this version. It handles the program fine but won't back up the data from this newer computer. Anyway, I might try deleting that off and installing this fresh just to keep the company info backed up. Well, that probably won't work.......come to think of it if the data won't go on....?? Or that might be because it's had to convert the existing data to the newer program. I might give it a shot when I get time.

The program and data is on the other computer too (he runs Windows 2000) and I'm going to go get his computer and bring it to my office just to try to get the taxes done and then figure out what to do. It is coming up fine in there. I've just lost about 4 months of data but I can re construct it.

I'm not going to buy a new Qbooks because our product line was sold last year and I'm just trying to complete that and be done with it all. If it could have just lasted another month or so......

I don't know if I will take it back to the tech guy or just go buy an older used computer and not use it for the internet and all the updates and upgrading that goes with it......

Anyway, thanks for all of your help. Youv'e been super great in helping me and researching stuff. Have a good weekend, what's left of it. I have to say that I learned alot anyway......Terri

Well, one more thing, I still think that it's IE7 that caused the problem. I mean, geez, this version of QBooks did run on this computer for 5 years.....so it's not like it wasn't compatible to start with. It must just not be compatible with IE7.

And I tried running it with the compatibility wizard, but that didn't work either. I bet IE7 just cost me a bundle in IRS penalty fees if I can't get my tax done on time now.......lol.....

I have learned a lot too...enough to know I don't want to mess with Quickbooks, I have enough trouble with simple Excel sheets!
Judy