Hey everyone. Like the title says, I have what some people call the Vista Black Screen Of Death (KSOD). I started downloading and seeding torrents two weeks ago, and now I know that was a mistake.
About a week ago, the Documents folder would open every time any user would log in to Windows. It was annoying, but didn't seem to affect anything else with the PC. I searched for 5 days straight trying to figure out why this was happening. Everything I read pointed to a problem in the registry with explorer.exe. But, when I looked at the keys that everyone pointed me to, they all looked normal. So yesterday, my computer decided to start rebooting on it's own, and would still open the Documents folder when I logged in. Avast found nothing, so I installed Webroot Spy Sweeper. This Dell machine is only 1 month old, and I have about 20 days left on my $30 subscription to Spy Sweeper, which was installed on my previous PC.
Spy Sweeper found 4 traces of what it called SDBot Trojan Worm, and from what I read online about this wicked little worm, it looks like I will be changing all my passwords, credit card numbers, and bank accounts. So I had SS remove the SDBot, along with a bunch of Adware, and it told me to reboot. So I did, and the login screen came up like normal; but when I logged back in to Windows, all I got was a black screen, and a white mouse pointer. :suspiciou
I figured out that I could get around using Task Manager - File - New Task (Run...) - then Browse to any application. That's how I found a thread on this Forum (topic 119604) about SDBot. It looks like "mflynn" did a good job helping out someone else with a similar problem. :grinthumb
I think the problem still lies within explorer.exe, because when I try to run it from Task Manager, I get an error message saying that "Windows cannot find explorer.exe". I did the 8 steps, following all instructions in the "UPDATED 8-step Viruses..." thread. I ran CCleaner 4 times, and it always leaves .2 MB of IE Temporary Internet Files behind. MBAM found nothing, and SuperAntiSpyware found and removed 44 traces of Adware Cookies. I couldn't get to control panel (even with Task Manager), so I downloaded and installed Revo Uninstaller (recommended by someone on this forum). I removed all traces of Utorrent , and the previous version of Java ( Java 6 Version 7). My three logs are attached, and any help at all would be great. You guys really seem to know what you are doing, and I will follow all instructions anyone here gives me. I would like to avoid reformatting if possible, but I will do it if that is what it takes to get my machine back to normal.
Thanks, Matt.
About a week ago, the Documents folder would open every time any user would log in to Windows. It was annoying, but didn't seem to affect anything else with the PC. I searched for 5 days straight trying to figure out why this was happening. Everything I read pointed to a problem in the registry with explorer.exe. But, when I looked at the keys that everyone pointed me to, they all looked normal. So yesterday, my computer decided to start rebooting on it's own, and would still open the Documents folder when I logged in. Avast found nothing, so I installed Webroot Spy Sweeper. This Dell machine is only 1 month old, and I have about 20 days left on my $30 subscription to Spy Sweeper, which was installed on my previous PC.
Spy Sweeper found 4 traces of what it called SDBot Trojan Worm, and from what I read online about this wicked little worm, it looks like I will be changing all my passwords, credit card numbers, and bank accounts. So I had SS remove the SDBot, along with a bunch of Adware, and it told me to reboot. So I did, and the login screen came up like normal; but when I logged back in to Windows, all I got was a black screen, and a white mouse pointer. :suspiciou
I figured out that I could get around using Task Manager - File - New Task (Run...) - then Browse to any application. That's how I found a thread on this Forum (topic 119604) about SDBot. It looks like "mflynn" did a good job helping out someone else with a similar problem. :grinthumb
I think the problem still lies within explorer.exe, because when I try to run it from Task Manager, I get an error message saying that "Windows cannot find explorer.exe". I did the 8 steps, following all instructions in the "UPDATED 8-step Viruses..." thread. I ran CCleaner 4 times, and it always leaves .2 MB of IE Temporary Internet Files behind. MBAM found nothing, and SuperAntiSpyware found and removed 44 traces of Adware Cookies. I couldn't get to control panel (even with Task Manager), so I downloaded and installed Revo Uninstaller (recommended by someone on this forum). I removed all traces of Utorrent , and the previous version of Java ( Java 6 Version 7). My three logs are attached, and any help at all would be great. You guys really seem to know what you are doing, and I will follow all instructions anyone here gives me. I would like to avoid reformatting if possible, but I will do it if that is what it takes to get my machine back to normal.
Thanks, Matt.