I've managed to neglect my son's computer and now I am paying for it. My connection is with a Motorola Surfboard modem.

Problem 1: I obviosly have some spyware that I can't remove. When I look at the programs running and MSCONIFG, I am seeing the following: Microsoft Internet Acceleration Utility (iau.exe), Internet Connection Wizard(stisvsq.exe), Games Acceleration(svshost.exe), Internet Mail and News(msqdevl.exe), Microsoft Management Console(lssas.exe), Multimedia extensions(mservice.exe), and I am also have lexplorer running. Everytime I try to CTRL/ALT/DLT and end the program it just comes back. Every once in a while I also get a Microsoft Windows Alert saying "Spyware detected on your PC. Remove it now?" I have tried several times to disable the above programs through MSCONFIG but evertime I restart the computer they come back running and checked again in MSCONFIG. I even went into regedit to make sure those programs have a Run- and they do. I followed all of www.burzurq.com/forum/trevtweak.html suggestions for windows ME.

I have ran Spybot which removed three items and I have run SpywareBlaster but yielded no results. I have Ad-aware installed but everytime I try to run it, it locks up. I have uninstalled and reinstalled. I have ran all of these programs offline and in Safemode several times. No luck. I have had these programs (spyware) before, and running Ad-aware in safemode offline usually takes care of it but I can't remember the settings I am suppose to us that I I usually get from Lavasoft forums. Lavasoftsupport.com keeps redirecting to lavasoft.de.

Problem 2: My IE is hijacked. I ran the IE repair but it tries to open an IE website but it keeps going to worldtracker.biz. My son has been using Opera but I'd like to get IE back.

Problem 3: Whenever I run scan disk it locks up. I have tried both Standard and Thorough in safemode. The last time I ran both scan disk and defrag was 105 days ago.

I'm not running any firewall or anti-virus. I know, bad decision. The computer is mainly used for internet and for games for my son. Sorry this is so long. I am currently running a Panda Active Scan now but its taking forever. Or its just not doing anyting at all. Let me know if you need any other info. Thanks in advance for you help.

The Panda scan is pretty good for virus, but will only detect (not remove) spyware. It can take a long time, depending on which options you've selected prior to running the scan.

Also try SpywareGuide and consider shutting off 'System Restore'

According to the manufacturers, the green discs last up to 75 years, gold colored discs last up to 100 years and platinum colored discs last up to 200

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I have already shut off System Restore. I will give Spyware Guide a try. Any other suggestions are appreicated.

worldtracker.biz (Symantec)

Hijackthis! is another tool you might checkout, it allows you to selectively remove harmful registry entries - links at the top of the forum page under 'security tools'

According to the manufacturers, the green discs last up to 75 years, gold colored discs last up to 100 years and platinum colored discs last up to 200

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Hi funkjet30,
Almost certainly you've got multi infections of Spyware and viruses. Had the same problem with Scansisk on Win98 years back, even swithing off Restore will not stop it reinfecting your PC each time you re-boot.
My suggestion is either reinstall your WinMe onto a clean drive or buy CyberScrub Pro which not only gets rid of tons of garbage but is the only app I know of which will get into Restore and empty it - you have to target the Restore Folder specifically but don't worry Me regenerates a new Restore folder on re-boot.
So, you need to install a good Anti-virus tool first and do a scan, then use CyberScrub to empty Restore, then do a general Cyberscrub clean-up which gets rid of all temporary info including most if not all Spyware. It's either this or as I said, reinstall your OS.

Pretty defeatist attitude - why is it first time posters so often feel the need to dole out advice here? (and why is that advice almost always "format & reinstall"?)

Computers in the future may have only 1,000 vacuum tubes and perhaps only weigh 1 1/2 tons.

- Popular Mechanics, 1949

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"the only app that will get into restore and
empty it", can't that also be done with the
deltree command at the c prompt. May also want to try delindex.bat while your there. would never tell someone to format and reinstall. Are you going to be there when it goes wrong? or help them find some obscure driver for a 6 year old modem? or the inevitable " I reinstalled and now my display looks like safe mode.

larry

Hi Funkjet

Just a thought. Have you checked your "Start Up" folder to make sure that these rougue programs are not being initialised from there?

Regards

Stuart

Spybot and the yahoo anti spy bar are good at getting rid of spies that the others can't detect. The anti spy bar got rid of a trojan on mine.