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GotNoRice
[H]F Junkie
- Joined
- Jul 11, 2001
- Messages
- 12,031
I was recently given a laptop to clean up. This laptop is running 32-bit Vista.
The issue I'm having is that trying to do windows updates will sit at "checking for updates" forever. Trying to install Microsoft Security Essentials will sit at "Installing security essentials" forever.
The main problem was that the owner had installed numerous "registry cleaner" style apps on the laptop, some of which were giving her pop-ups to "activate" the software, etc.
I ran combofix which found and removed some stuff. Malwarebytes installed and updated fine, found and removed some more stuff.
The computer had Windows Defender and a trial version of McAfee. I removed McAfee. Windows Defender had definitions from 2010 and would NOT auto-update it's definitions, it would just search endlessly the same as the windows updates. I downloaded the manual definitions onto a USB drive and updated it that way. I ran a scan but windows defender did not find anything (beyond what the other apps already removed).
-I tried to install Security Essentials over Windows Defender but the installer would just sit at "installing security essentials" forever, even over-night.
-Automatic updates are setup properly, but when I open up Windows Update, it says that it has "never" previously checked for or installed for updates. When I click the button to check for updates, it will be "checking for updates" forever, even over-night.
-I ran an SFC /scannow but it didn't find any integrity violations.
-I ran a Chkdsk c: /f but it didn't find any errors.
-Running combofix, malwarebytes, and windows defender again don't find any additional malware.
The computer doesn't appear to be infected with malware anymore, but I feel like there is still something going on due to the problems I'm still having running windows updates and installing security essentials. I manually updated Internet Explorer to version 9, which installed some updates in the process, but the behavior of Windows Update afterward was unchanged.
Windows Defender is being disabled automatically for some reason on each bootup. Security Center pops up warning me that it is disabled and I can click the button to "turn it on" again, after which it remains enabled until next boot, but it still shouldn't be getting disabled automatically...
Any suggestions on where I might proceed from here? Or why Windows Updates aren't working? I'm thinking maybe trying to do a repair install of Vista, or maybe even trying to upgrade it to Windows 7. Not sure if trying to upgrade the OS on a laptop that has issues is a good idea.
The issue I'm having is that trying to do windows updates will sit at "checking for updates" forever. Trying to install Microsoft Security Essentials will sit at "Installing security essentials" forever.
The main problem was that the owner had installed numerous "registry cleaner" style apps on the laptop, some of which were giving her pop-ups to "activate" the software, etc.
I ran combofix which found and removed some stuff. Malwarebytes installed and updated fine, found and removed some more stuff.
The computer had Windows Defender and a trial version of McAfee. I removed McAfee. Windows Defender had definitions from 2010 and would NOT auto-update it's definitions, it would just search endlessly the same as the windows updates. I downloaded the manual definitions onto a USB drive and updated it that way. I ran a scan but windows defender did not find anything (beyond what the other apps already removed).
-I tried to install Security Essentials over Windows Defender but the installer would just sit at "installing security essentials" forever, even over-night.
-Automatic updates are setup properly, but when I open up Windows Update, it says that it has "never" previously checked for or installed for updates. When I click the button to check for updates, it will be "checking for updates" forever, even over-night.
-I ran an SFC /scannow but it didn't find any integrity violations.
-I ran a Chkdsk c: /f but it didn't find any errors.
-Running combofix, malwarebytes, and windows defender again don't find any additional malware.
The computer doesn't appear to be infected with malware anymore, but I feel like there is still something going on due to the problems I'm still having running windows updates and installing security essentials. I manually updated Internet Explorer to version 9, which installed some updates in the process, but the behavior of Windows Update afterward was unchanged.
Windows Defender is being disabled automatically for some reason on each bootup. Security Center pops up warning me that it is disabled and I can click the button to "turn it on" again, after which it remains enabled until next boot, but it still shouldn't be getting disabled automatically...
Any suggestions on where I might proceed from here? Or why Windows Updates aren't working? I'm thinking maybe trying to do a repair install of Vista, or maybe even trying to upgrade it to Windows 7. Not sure if trying to upgrade the OS on a laptop that has issues is a good idea.