Member Avatar for butterkupp365

I have been using spybot s and d for several months. Tonight Windows defender popped up and said I had trojandownload threat. I removed it. I went to run my spybot and I get a pop up that says windows cannot access the specified path or file and that I dont have permissiion to run it. I used it yesterday. Also yahoo is my browser and it automatically goes to google and none of the normal stuff is coming up when I search. What should I do?

  • 2 Contributors
  • 1 Reply
  • 134 Views
  • 15 Hours Discussion Span
  • Latest Post Latest Post by jholland1964

Dani AI

Generated

The symptoms described by — a Defender alert for a download trojan, a security tool that suddenly will not run, and browser redirects — are classic signs of a trojan that disables scanners and alters network/browser settings to persist. As recommends running full scans, do that only after taking a few containment and repair steps so the scanners can actually run.

First, contain: disconnect the PC from the internet (unplug or disable Wi‑Fi). Reboot into Safe Mode (try without networking first) and attempt to run your antimalware tools there. If a scanner is blocked, try running it from a clean admin account (create one via command line if necessary) or use a small process terminator to stop visible suspicious processes so scans can start.

If tools still fail, repair and check system state before repeating scans:

  • Run Windows file-integrity repair:
    sfc /scannow
  • Check and clean the hosts file (C:\Windows\System32\drivers\etc\hosts) for unexpected redirects.
  • Flush DNS and clear browser caches:
    ipconfig /flushdns
  • If a program file shows permission errors, restore ownership and permissions (run elevated):
    takeown /f "C:\path\to\program.exe"
icacls "C:\path\to\program.exe" /grant Administrators:F

After a successful offline/Safe Mode scan, inspect persistence points: Startup entries, scheduled tasks, and registry Run keys (HKLM/HKCU...\Run). Use a trusted autorun/startup viewer from a clean source to review. If browser behavior persists, reset the browser profile or create a fresh profile and do not use saved passwords until the system is clean.

Finally: back up personal files (avoid copying executables), change important passwords from a known-clean device, and if the infection cannot be removed or system files are damaged, consider a clean OS reinstall. When posting follow-ups, include scan logs and note what you tried so responders can avoid repeating steps.

Member Avatar for jholland1964

What anti-virus program do you use, what firewall? Do the following:
Please download Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware (MBA-M) to your Desktop.

* DoubleClick mbam-setup.exe and follow the prompts to install MBA-M.
* Be sure a checkmark is placed next to Update Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware and Launch Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware, then click Finish.
* If an update is found, it will download and install the latest version.
* Once the program has loaded, select Perform full scan, then click Scan.
* When the scan is complete, click OK, then Show Results to view the results.
* Be sure that everything is checked, and click Remove Selected.
* When MBA-M finishes, Notepad will open with the log. Please save it where you can find it easily. The log can also be opened by going to Start > All Programs > Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware > Logs > log-date.txt.

Reboot the computer.
Please Run the ESET Online Scanner and attach the ScanLog with your post for assistance.

* You will need to use Internet Explorer to to complete this scan.
* You will need to temporarily Disable your current Anti-virus program.
* Be sure the option to Remove found threats is checked and the option to Scan unwanted applications is Checked.
* When you have completed that scan, a scanlog ought to have been created and located at C:\Program Files\EsetOnlineScanner\log.txt. Please post that log for us as directed below.

Right click on the desktop. Choose New Folder name it HiJackThis Folder.
Then download HiJackThis to that HJT folder.
Do a full system scan with HJT and save the log.
Post all three logs from Malwarebytes,ESET Scan and HJT
Judy

Be a part of the DaniWeb community

We're a friendly, industry-focused community of developers, IT pros, digital marketers, and technology enthusiasts meeting, networking, learning, and sharing knowledge.