Member Avatar for mabantot

Hey folks,

I've been struggling with this PC for the last two days. I cant install or uninstall any programs. My virus scan (McAfee) and the whole internet secuirty suite isn't operating properly. When I first logon, the task manager indicates that McAfee is using all available "CPU" resources. And the computer is obviously slow to respond to inputs. After I End process that, I'm able to access internet, word, other programs, etc. But if I try to open virus scan no window opens but in my task manager i can see that mcagent is running but i have no interface. I tried downloading AVG7 but i couldn't install it because the install/setup window won't open either. :( When i tried to uninstall Mcafee from the control panel same thing the window would'nt open but in my task manger RUNDLL32.exe is running and consuming resources. :mad:

Please help

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  • Latest Post Latest Post by dlh6213

Dani AI

Generated

The pattern described in the thread (multiple installers and diagnostic tools failing to show a UI, sluggish system behavior) strongly points to either active malware hooking installer/GUI APIs or corruption/permission problems in the Windows installer/Temp environment. Before doing a full reinstall (as suggested), preserve user data and try a few non-destructive recovery steps that often restore the ability to run installers and scanners.

  1. Backup first. Copy Documents, Desktop, email stores and browser profiles to an external drive or image the disk. Use a Linux live CD/USB or attach the drive to another PC if Windows is unstable.
  2. Repair disk and verify Temp space. Run chkdsk c: /f /r at next boot to fix filesystem errors. From a command prompt check echo %TEMP% and echo %TMP% to see where installers write temp files. Ensure those folders exist and that SYSTEM, Administrators and your user have Full Control (Properties -> Security). Broken Temp permissions commonly block installers.
  3. Scan offline. Build a bootable rescue CD/USB from a reputable AV vendor on a clean machine and run a full offline/rootkit scan. Malware that blocks GUI installers is often disabled only by an offline scan.
  4. Use portable tools from clean media. Run Autoruns and Process Explorer (from a USB stick) to find unsigned or broken startup items and to see which process holds installer handles. Export Autoruns before making changes so you can roll back.
  5. If these fail, perform a repair or clean reinstall after backup. Keep product keys, drivers and service packs handy.

Notes: export any logs and document changes. After cleanup, update the OS and AV, and change passwords. Because Windows XP is no longer supported, consider migrating to a supported OS to avoid repeat infections. — if any step is unclear or you risk data loss, pause and get local help.

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Member Avatar for mabantot

I tried to post a hijackthis log, but when i run hijackthis i get an error that says "invalid picture". I ran spybot S&D and that removed a number of nasties. But HJT wont work. Please help

Member Avatar for dlh6213

What OS are you using? If you have System Restore available, try using that to return your system to a date before you started having problems.

Try running HijackThis from Safe Mode; we won't get a complete picture that way, but at least a starting point.

Member Avatar for mabantot

I'm running XP pro. I tried a system restore point, but it would not restore. I tried running hijackThis in Safe Mode, but it gave me the same errors. also, McAfee virus scan did the same thing.

I downloaded a trial of Norton 2005, but it says "C:\DOCUME~1\Jared\LOCALS~1\Temp\NAV" folder is not accessible. When it try to install it. Then it says it cannot find 'NAVSetup.exe'. It does this in regular startup and safe mode

What OS are you using? If you have System Restore available, try using that to return your system to a date before you started having problems.

Try running HijackThis from Safe Mode; we won't get a complete picture that way, but at least a starting point.

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