i didnt want to just follow what everyoen else was told to do since my config is probly different.
Good intuition on your part, knuckleball- everyone's configis slightly different, so everyone's HijackThis logs will differ, as will the procedures they need to use to get things cleaned up.
Let's start with the following to begin your cleanup:
1. Open your Add/Remove Programs control panel and look for an entry called "Windows ServeAd" (or very similar). If found, remove it through the control panel.
2. Run HijackThis again and have if fix all entries below if present:
R0 - HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Local Page =
R3 - URLSearchHook: (no name) - _{20EC3D2D-33C1-4C9D-BC37-C2D500688DA2} - (no file)
O2 - BHO: (no name) - {1D7E3B41-23CE-469B-BE1B-A64B877923E1} - C:\PROGRA~1\SEARCH~2\SEARCH~1.DLL
O2 - BHO: (no name) - {49A2622E-C011-72C7-8522-16550BF32C33} - C:\WINDOWS\system32\hyttwqng.dll
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [Windows ServeAd] C:\Program Files\Windows ServeAd\WinServAd.exe
O16 - DPF: {12398DD6-40AA-4C40-A4EC-A42CFC0DE797} - http://www.xxxtoolbar.com/ist/softw...0006_cracks.cab
O16 - DPF: {1D4DB7D2-6EC9-47A3-BD87-1E41684E07BB} - http://ak.imgfarm.com/images/nocach...etup1.0.0.8.cab
3.Reboot into safe mode (you get to the safe mode boot option by hitting the F8 key as your computer is starting up)
- Open Windows Explorer, and in the Folder Options->View settings under the Tools menu, select "show hidden files and folders", and uncheck "Hide protected operating system files".
- Delete the following folders entirely:
C:\PROGRAM FILES\SEARCH RELEVANCY
C:\Program Files\Windows ServeAd
- Delete the following file if it still exists:
C:\WINDOWS\system32\hyttwqng.dll
- For every user account listed under C:\Documents and Settings, delete the entire contents of these folders:
1. Local Settings\Temp
2. Cookies
3. History
4. Local Settings\Temporary Internet Files\Content.IE5
- Delete the entire content of your C:\Windows\Temp folder.
Note- If you get any messages concerning the deletion of system files such as desktop.ini or index.dat, just choose to delete those files; they'll be automatically regenerated by Windows if needed. Windows will allow you to delete the versions of those files which exist in sub-folders within the main Temp/Temorary folders, but might not let you delete the versions of those files that exist in the main Temp folders themselves; this is normal and OK.
- Empty your Recycle Bin.
- Reboot normally.
4. Go to these two sites and run their free online anti-virus/anti-spyware scans:
http://housecall.trendmicro.com/
http://www.pandasoftware.com/activescan/com/activescan_principal.htm
5. Download and run Ad Aware and SpyBot Search & Destroy (download links are in my sig below).
Follow these directions for configuring Ad Aware (directions courtesy of our member "crunchie"):
1. Download and Install Ad-Aware SE, keeping the default options. However, some of the settings will need to be changed before your first scan
2.Close ALL windows except Ad-Aware SE
3. Click on the‘world’ icon at the top right of the Ad-Aware SE window and let AdAware SE update the reference list for the adware and malware.
4. Once the update is finished click on the ‘Gear’ icon (second from the left at the top of the window) to access the preferences/settings window
1) In the ‘General’ window make sure the following are selected in green:
*Automatically save log-file
*Automatically quarantine objects prior to removal
*Safe Mode (always request confirmation)
Under Definitions:
*Prompt to udate outdated definitions - set the number of days
2) Click on the ‘Scanning’ button on the left and select in green :
Under Driver, Folders & Files:
*Scan Within Archives
Under Select drives & folders to scan -
*choose all hard drives
Under Memory & Registry: all green
*Scan Active Processes
*Scan Registry
*Deep Scan Registry
*Scan my IE favorites for banned URL’s
*Scan my Hosts file
3) Click on the ‘Advanced’ button on the left and select in green:
Under Shell Integration:
*Move deleted files to recycle bin
Under Logfile Detail Level: (all green)
*include addtional object information
*DESELECT - include negligible objects information
*include environment information
Under Alternate Data Streams:
*Don't log streams smaller than 0 bytes
*Don't log ADS with the following names: CA_INOCULATEIT
4) Click the ‘Tweak’ button and select in green:
Under the ‘Scanning Engine’:
*Unload recognized processes during scanning
*Scan registry for all users instead of current user only
Under the ‘Cleaning Engine’:
*Let Windows remove files in use at next reboot
Under the Log Files:
*Include basic Ad-aware SE settings in logfile
*Include additional Ad-aware SE settings in logfile
*Please do not check or make green: Include Module list in logfile
5. Click on ‘Proceed’ to save the settings.
6. Click ‘Start’
*Choose:'Perform Full System Scan'
*DESELECT "Search for negligible risk entries", as negligible risk entries (MRU's) are not considered to be a threat.
7. Click ‘Next’ and Ad-Aware SE will scan your hard drive(s) with the options you have selected and clean automatically.
8. If Ad-Aware SE finds bad entries, you will receive a list of what it found in the window
9. Save the log file when it asks and then click ‘finish’
10. REBOOT to complete the removal of what Ad-Aware SE found
* Run SpyBot.
When you first run SpyBot, it will walk you through a Wizard which will perform a few critical functions (making a registry backup, getting the latest updates, etc.).
1. Perform all of the Wizard's tasks.
2. Run the program. Once it completes, have it fix everything it finds.
3. Reboot.
6. Run HijackThis again and post a fresh log.
