[Resolved] Windows Installer not working after loading suspected malware

[Hoov]

Yes.

[mrbowler]

I''m at the clean computer and we still cannot do the command prompt shown on page 2. It says path not found. It says cd C:/  should we have a cd loaded. we have tried with a blank cd, the sp3 cd and w/o the command cd with no cd loaded.

[Hoov]

cd used in that command means Change Directory. It is a DOS command. What does the command prompt say on the line you are typing on?

[mrbowler]

c:\windows\system32

[Hoov]

Does it look like this when you try it?

[mrbowler]

I'm home again now. My neighbor is concerned about the previous line that say extract the files from there to the SP3 Folder. I told him I just thought it meant to basically put the files form the cd to the folder. His CD didn't work anyway evn at his house so he just downloaded directly into SP3 folder.

The command does not have cd C:

[Hoov]

I am getting confused? Are you talking about this entry? cd C:\SP3\i386\update

If you have not extracted all the files from the SP3 file, it will not work. If you start PowerArchiver and click open archive, then go down to the bottom corner and select all files, then browse to where the SP3 file is, (this is shown in the first screenshot below) and then click the open button (second screenshot), you will then be able to extract all the files to the SP3 folder. Then you will be able to do the command above.

[mrbowler]

Thanks for all of your help but I think I will just go ahead next week and format and reinstall windows xp.  Too hard trying to work from 2 different locations(neighbors) and him being overly concerned about messing up his computer. If you have the time , maybe you can give me the best way to format and reinstall windows xp.

[Hoov]

Basically you need to make sure all your personal data is backed up first. Anything that you cannot afford to loose, or that is not on some other computer.

Once it is done it is fairly easy. You boot to your windows XP machine and follow the instructions. When you get to the section about what partition you want to install Windows on, you want to delete the windows partition and then let windows recreate it (this is the best way to get rid of all the malware that can really dig in), then let windows go thru the install process. It will ask you a few questions, you answer them and let the installer do everything else.

I know that is very short, but it is really that easy. But there is a much longer and very explanatory version available. It has a lot of screenshots so it will show you exactly what you will see. It is here. It is in 4 sections of 10 pages. The first section is all about prep. If you want to skip that the second section starts here.


Once you get Windows XP reinstalled then you want to install all your drivers. These should be on a separate disc that should have come with your computer when you purchased it. If you don't have them, you will need to get them prior to installing windows.  Next download SP3 (or use the CD your neighbor made for you) and update windows to SP3. Once that has installed, do all your windows updates. There is close to 200 of them that have to be done. Once you have done the first batch, reboot the computer twice and then run windows update again. Keep repeating this pattern until you no longer get any updates twice in a row. I know this sounds like overkill, but there are many updates that seem to do better with two reboots to let them "settle" in. And there are many updates that require other updates to be done first, so you will not even seem them until all its requirements have been met. Updating after installing SP3 is what takes so long, it can take up to 6 hrs depending on your computer and the speed of your internet connection.

After all your updates are installed, then install your antivirus and other security software.  Once those are fully updated, then you can install the rest of your software. Once you have that fully installed, then you need to scan the personal data that you backed up. You want to make sure its clean before restoring it to your new install of windows. Once you are sure its clean, then you can restore it and you are done.


If you would like, I will leave this thread open until you tell me you are done. That way if you have questions you can ask.  Also you should look over everything before you start to make sure you understand everything, and have all the bits and pieces you need.

[mrbowler]

Yes if you could leave it open as I will not be able to do it until next week as the rest of this week and part of next week other plans had already been made. Thanks again for all your help. One other thing. Is there any better program than McAfee SA as I was really relying on that to steer me away from bad programs. It showed that it was a safe site to download a program from and then this Rival Gaming showed up. Are there any antivirus programs that would or could have warned me not to download the so called good program.

[mrbowler]

One last  "hopefully" question. Do you think I should change all my passwords after reinstalling XP?

[Hoov]

I don't like McAfee or Norton, because they have both gotten to big and complicated. We have a  list of free Anti-Virus programs. But the one program I recommend isn't even an AntiVirus program. I recommend purchasing a copy of Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware. It does a good job of blocking sites that are questionable or just plain infected. But unfortunately no piece of software will keep you 100% safe. A lot of what will keep you safe is just good old common sense. You have to figure out which sites are legitimate and which are shady. Most times you can tell by the design of the site. Sometimes you need to look at the software they offer. Sometimes it is the ads that will trip your skepticism switch. But if anything looks sketchy, research the site. Don't trust any one site to tell you if others are legit or not. And if something still does not seem right, come to a forum like this and ask.  And if there is that one piece of software that you really need to take a risk on, try installing it into a virtual computer or in a sandbox.  Then if it turns out to be malware or infected with malware, all you have to do is delete a few things, recreate your virtual PC or Sandbox and you are ready to move on.

About your passwords. Absolutely. The security of your privacy or the security of your personal information is not anything to play with. If there is even a hint of being compromised, you clean your system and change all your passwords. Please read Creation and Implementation of Strong Passwords.

[mrbowler]

Thanks for all of your info.

I do use the free version of Malwarebytes, but the purchased version is better?

Also I have tried various Antivirus programs on your list.

I was using Microsoft Security Essentials when this happened.

Used free version of Avira but really didn't care for it.

Maybe I should go back to Avast. I know they are the only one I have used that a sandbox popped up sometimes and asked if I wanted to donwload into it which i always did.  Only reason I switched was it seemed like it slowed down my computer.

[mrbowler]

I just remembered that my neighbor uses Kaspersky and wonder how that compares to your list.

[Hoov]

The purchased version of Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware is better in that it runs in the background like an antivirus. It provides real-time protection. Also you can set up a schedule to scan your system. I do a full scan once a week, a quick scan once a day, and a flash scan (scans the memory and auto run objects) every time it updates.

As for the antivirus, once you find a free one that works for you, look at buying the full version. It is usually worth it. But I would stay away from the "Suite" of tools that some of them offer. Usually one or two of the items are good, but rest are not worth it.