unidentified program

[Glttrstar3]

My computer freezes a lot, & I've discovered that when it starts to freeze & I hit ctrl + alt + del there are about 10 to 15 iexplore's running down the list & when I go & close them the computer will keep running & then they will build up again & then cause it to crash. I cant find anything unfamiliar in the add/remove programs to uninstall & I cant find anything in the programs folder. Can anyone help me find out why my computer keeps crashing??

[Spider]

Hi Glttrstar3 welcome to CyberTechHelp.

Go here to Panda ActiveScan (http://www.pandasoftware.com/products/activescan.htm) and after everything is loaded select Local Disks to scan.

It's going to find a whole mess-o-stuff. Some it will kill (Disinfected) and some it will not (Not Disinfected).
At the end of the scan save the log file and post it here please.

[Glttrstar3]

I've tried about 10 times to do the scan & my computer crashes every time, I got all the way through the scan one time but it froze at the end & I couldnt save the log file... any ideas on how to get it to work??

[Spider]

You want to be doing that scan from Safe Mode with Networking
press F8 key at one second intervals while computer is starting, select
Safe Mode with Networking
then scan at Panda.

[Glttrstar3]

Well, I finally got all the way through the scan... it found over 5000 spyware programs (yikes) but now explorer doesnt work at all, not even in safe mode. Is there any way to fix it other than taking it to a computer repair place?? I have like 700 songs & some expensive software on there that I would like to try to salvage, is there anything I can do??

[Spider]

In my siganture below is ewido, it's a spyware killer. Scan there and delete everything it finds.
Reboot and scan again at ewido and this time go to Housecall and scan there.

[Glttrstar3]

When I boot up the computer, the wallpaper is a blank screen. None of the desktop icons work & the mouse becomes an hourglass when I hold it over the start button. I hit ctrl + alt + del & the first thing it says is "Explorer (not responding)" I used to be able to close it & then explorer would reboot itself while the computer was still turned on, but now nothing works.

[Spider]

When I boot up the computer, the wallpaper is a blank screen.
I hope you didn't use Ad-aware spyware remover on your machine?

[Glttrstar3]

Yeah thats on there, I think I used it recently

[Glttrstar3]

but not at the same time, or in conjunction with the panda scan

[Spider]

Yeah thats on there, I think I used it recently
Unfortunate.

Have you got a Windows 2000 CD?

[Glttrstar3]

lol omg!!! How did the Ad-aware mess it up?! I will have to dig up the discs, is there any way I can salvage the stuff I mentioned earlier??

[Spider]

lol omg!!! How did the Ad-aware mess it up?!
They didn't, spyware keeps modifying itself and it's tough for the spyware killers to keep up to the modifications.
is there any way I can salvage the stuff I mentioned earlier??
With the amount of infections you have it's best to say "start from scratch".

If you install another hard drive as primary master C: and install win2k on there and get it updated
you can then slave your old drive on there and get all the stuff off it and wipe it and use it as a
second storage drive.

That's the quickest cure for your infected system.

If you press the F8 key at one second intervals when the computer is starting and select Safe Mode
you may have a shot at getting into Windows.

[Spider]

Here is how spyware is mostly acquired. When your surfing the Web and you see these Security Warning poups...

http://www.lightspeednetworks.com/images/Comparison%20Shopping%20Security%20Warning.jpg

http://www.smeter.net/antennas/images/ie-security-warning.jpg


...you'll have to remember that the Security Warning popup is from Windows. It's warning you
"something is trying to install on your hard drive". You must click No or Don't Run.

When you click Yes or Run you are allowing spyware to be installed on your computer.

[Glttrstar3]

yeah, I always click no... but there are these newer ones that you have to unclick the checkbox before hitting no or the software will download & I am usually good about reading those pop ups carefully before hitting anything, but one day one popped up & I clicked the x before it fully loaded & then I saw it load a little more before it disappeared & it was one of those. Im pretty sure that was the begininng of all the problems. Thanks for all your help Spider, I appreciate it. I will let you know what happens.

[Spider]

Your welcome, standing by...