XP: Keep losing my admin privileges

[mflynn]

Yes!

Now lest see if the issue is corrected!

Mike

 

[giltionel]

Done. It took less than 10 minutes.

The first two reboots went fine! I would like to wait some more to be sure the issue is eventually solved!

In the meantime, thanks for your help! It was essential! And I found out I was not so clean as I was thinking to be!

 

[mflynn]

2 boots?

Would you normally have had it by now?

Also have you had issues downloading Win updates or with the windows firewall controls being grayed out?

Mike

 

[giltionel]

Well, sometimes the loss of admin privileges occurred after each reboot...sometime after some more... I haven't found any behaviour (mine or from windows) that allowed me to predict that after the reboot my account was as a user rather than an admin. So, to be sure, wanna have the chance to reboot tonight at home and see what happens.

Regarding te second question, no, I've never had those symptoms on my computer.

 

[mflynn]

OK I gotcha!

Mike

 

[giltionel]

Even the last reboot went fine. Your advice were definitely helpful. Thanks again Mike!

 

[mflynn]

OK Good

Consider the below!

Thread Closing-------------------------------------------------------------------

Some of these tools update so often they require downloading again later if needed. But keep and run MBAM and SAS to maintain.

Remove ComboFix
Start-Run
type
combofix /u
Hit enter or click OK.

Please download OTCleanIt http://download.bleepingcomputer.com/oldtimer/OTCleanIt.exe

Save to desktop.

This will remove all the tools we used to clean your computer.


Double-click OTCleanIt.exe. Click CleanUp. Yes to the "Begin cleanup Process?"

Approve all if prompted by Firewall. Approve Widows Defender or other guards or security programs while OTCleanIt attempting access to the Internet to allow all.

If prompted to Reboot click, Yes.
OTCleanit will delete itself when finished, If not delete it by yourself.

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Run CCleaner http://www.ccleaner.com/download/builds (get SLIM at bottom no Yahoo toolbar)
Run twice or more on Cleanup temps, then on left click Registry then Scan for issues also repeat till clean.

Run ATF-Cleaner http://majorgeeks.com/ATF_Cleaner_d4949.html Temp and Registry, repeatedly until no more found.

KCleaner ftp://ftp2.kcsoftwares.com/kcsoftwa/files/kcleaner.exe
Fantastic cleaner.
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The issues can and are likely found is in System Restore so do the below

Start-Programs-Accessories-System Tools-Disk- System Restore and create a new Restore point. Name it "After cleanup at TechSpot".

Then Start-Programs-Accessories-System Tools-Disk Cleanup
Click OK to accept C:
Select all Boxes
Then click More Options
Here click System Restore and OK to "Are you sure" and the OK to Run.

As this runs it clears all but the most recent Restore Point but it does one other thing that can contain infested files and a huge amount of disk space.

It clears what is known as Shadow copies which are used by specialized back up programs.

This is if you have the Volume Shadow Copy running which is the default.
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Every two weeks or so, run MBAM and SAS until clean.

They take a while, so leave scanning while you are sleeping working or watching TV. If not done under the gun they can be scheduled not to interfere with computer time.

If they find something they can not clean, then get back to us.

Additionally run CCleaner. ATF-Cleaner and KCleaner.
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I have been using ThreatFire for more than a year, it just went from ver 3 to ver 4.

It was designed to be used with and to co-exist with other Virus scanners.

Additionally it uses a totally different process to protect. While conventional Virus scanners work from definitions ThreatFire works on recognizing Virus/Malware activity.

It's like looking at it with 2 sets of eyes and from a different angle.

It works like some Firewalls do to learn what is good/bad.

After install it will ask you about everything that could be a security issue. For example the first time you run IE or FireFox it will prompt you. You would answer to approve and remember the setting. From then on no more prompts about IE or FireFox unless the exe changes like in an update.

As it queries you about the prompt to help you determine to approve or not you can google it with one click.

http://www.threatfire.com/Download/
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Look at http://www.javacoolsoftware.com/spywareblaster.html

Run SpyBot ocassionally and use the Immunize function.
http://www.safer-networking.org/en/download/

I highly reccomend Hostman: Hostman http://majorgeeks.com/HostsMan_d4592.html

Download install run and allow it to disable DNS Client and select all Host files and then Update and install all host files.

A Disk Scan (chkdsk) and Defrag are in order.

Mike