Member Avatar for olly

As the title says,is it ok to run regedit and find these files that ad-aware,and my avg antivirus have found,and delete each one,or will i affect the running of my pc,many thanks. ;)
P.S i have never had pop ups before,until i got the pc going again,and have now started to get them.?

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  • Latest Post Latest Post by Catweazle

Dani AI

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Short answer: do not go into the Registry and delete every item flagged by Ad-Aware or AVG unless you can prove each entry is malicious. Blind deletion can disable Windows, drivers, or legitimate programs. Let removal tools quarantine first, then confirm items before permanently removing them.

A safe triage workflow:

  • Make a full image or disk backup and have recovery media ready.
  • Disconnect the PC from the Internet to limit further infection.
  • Update your scanners and run a full system scan; run at least one additional on-demand scanner to cross-check results.
  • Reboot into Safe Mode and re-scan; use a rootkit scanner if available.
  • Produce a diagnostic log (HijackThis or Autoruns) so experienced eyes can review it before you edit anything.
  • Only remove registry keys when their purpose is confirmed; export the specific key you will remove as a backup first.

How to tell what to trust: check the file location (temp folders are suspicious, system folders often are not), file properties and digital signature, and whether the file appears in Add/Remove Programs or as a legitimate startup item. For unknown files, compare a hash or upload to an online scanner before deleting. Never delete DLLs or files from C:\Windows\System32 or other core folders unless you are certain they are malware.

Good points already raised by and about using diagnostic tools and quarantining are worth following, and is right to point out forum rules about where to seek log help. If repeated scans and expert review still leave doubt, a clean reinstall (after backing up data) is the safest way to guarantee system integrity.

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Member Avatar for OurNation

No defintly not if your having troubles with spyware download hijack this theres a link in my sig.

Member Avatar for OurNation

When you download it look at the tutorial in my sig too and then post a log here

Member Avatar for dlh6213

There is an announcement at the top of this forum stating that all hijackthis logs be posted in the Virus forum; if you decide to post a log, please do so there.

As the title says,is it ok to run regedit and find these files that ad-aware,and my avg antivirus have found,and delete each one,or will i affect the running of my pc,many thanks. ;)

If you plan to edit the Registry, you should make a backup before making any changes. At the top of the Registry window, click on the Registry menu, click Export Registry File. In the Export range panel, click All, then save your registry as Backup. Then, if the running of your PC is affected, you can restore it. You should also set a restore point before making any changes (if you have that option available).

P.S i have never had pop ups before,until i got the pc going again,and have now started to get them.?

This thread may help answer that somewhat as well as help prevent it:
http://www.daniweb.com/techtalkforums/thread16365.html

Member Avatar for olly

Could you tell me how to make a system restore point please?,i came across it the other day,but can`t remember where i saw it,many thanks.olly
running xp

Member Avatar for Catweazle

You should ensure that AdAware first quarantines, then deletes the nasties that it finds. If you need to search for them and delete them later, then you haven't got it configured correctly.

AVG is also able to delete stuff itself, but you should first try having the program 'fix' the things it finds.

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