Windows XP Can't burn disks, freezes on startup + antivirus wont work, etc

[Legoflamb]

I don't know what the hell is happening to my computer so I thought I'd come here and ask.

I've tried searching my problems on google but I think they're very specific.....

Since yesterday my computer has been playing up and I think it has something to do with windows media player 11. When it started it came up and said it needed to validate, so I clicked the validate button and all seemed well as it started working.

A few hours later I try to burn some data onto a DVD using Nero 8 and it kept asking me to pick a recorder, which is weird because it's never asked me this before. I get off the startsmart thing and have a look in the file browsing bit and in the recorder drop down menu it only has 'virtual device' listed. I downloaded a couple of other programs as I thought it was Nero and none of them has my burner listed.

The drive is working perfectly though - when I put disks in they're read straight away.....

I wake up today and it's being even weirder - I left it on over night and when I do this it seems to just freeze up where I can't click anything but my mouse is moveable. So I have to hit the reset button, but then when it starts up I get the cursor but the blue windows screen where you can pick which user with the little buttons with pictures never comes up so I have to restart again.


Some more weird stuff...


In msn messenger if I click the hotmail button nothing happens now. Yesterday it was fine.

My antivirus won't open (avira antivir) nothing comes up on the task manager it's not even thinking about it. I re-installed it but to no avail.

So yeah:

freezing
msn acting funny
antivirus not working
doesn't recognise burner in writing programs.

Anybody have any ideas what this could be/how to fix it? (I think it's windows media player's fault)
I update windows all the time when new updates come out, I have adaware and antivir on all the time

 

[Route44]

Antivir is an excellent product but many will tell you that Adaware is well past its prime.

This sounds like there is a strong possibility you are infected. I suggest going to our Virus and Malware removal forum, read the Updated 8 Step sticky and follow it step by step -- don't skip any of the steps.

Then when you have done the steps post there with the three required logs. Good luck.

 

[Legoflamb]

Thanks for the reply - I thought it would be infected but it is quite a coincidence that WMP did that validating business and it all went to **** after that.

I get cracking with the 8 step thing though!

 

[Route44]

Thanks for the reply - I thought it would be infected but it is quite a coincidence that WMP did that validating business and it all went to **** after that.

I get cracking with the 8 step thing though!

Did you happen to allow the update KB 977165 to be installed on your system?

 

[Legoflamb]

Did you happen to allow the update KB 977165 to be installed on your system?

You mean as a windows update or a definition file for adaware/antivir?

If you mean as a windows update - I just let it do its thing, so probably....

 

[Legoflamb]

Definitely infected with a bunch of stuff - had to rename the install files and exe files of superantispyware etc to get them to work because obviously whatever is doing it is blocking them.

Running superantispyware now and it's found loads of stuff.

I can't understand it though antivir normally picks up everything and I have that and adaware running constantly?

 

[Route44]

Here is the thing about security software: One can have the very best but our internet behavior can override it.

Antivir, again, is an excellent product but as I also said Adaware is nowhere near what it was.

Superantispyware (SAS) and Malwarebytes are top notch, always updating and improving, and give great protection which is why TechSpot has them in the 8 Step sticky.

In my system I run NOD32 for my antivirus, SAS $ version because I love the way it can be configured, and Online Armor for my firewall. All give resident protection and all have light resource demands.

In addition, I have Malwarebytes free that while doesn't provide resident protection and needs to be updated manually because it is the free version, nevertheless does a great job as well. I update it twice monthly and do periodic scans.

* My advice, for what it is worth, is to ditch Adaware and consider SAS and Malwarebytes.

 

[Legoflamb]

Yeah I'm running SAS and malwarebytes now. Got rid of adaware.

they've shifted a few things from my system but it's still acting up! I actually had to rename their install files and exe files to get them to run because whatever is infecting them is blocking them....

Completely unable to get antivir working because I can't change the name of the exe, all I get is an error message if I do that.

 

[Route44]

Serious infections are designed to block security software from doing what SAS and MB are doing for you. You obviously have a serious infection.

If you can't get Antivir to work then you might need to unistall, run something like the free Avast and NOD32's free online scanner and then reinstall Avira once everything is back to stability.

 

[Legoflamb]

Getting some functionality back now - I used that combofix and it git rid of a few things that none of the other programs found.

Can use antivir now. Still can't get to hotmail via msn messenger though....

Using that eset online scanner just to see if that finds anything too.