False Task Manager Virus?

[Eric]

While troubleshooting my brother's XP Home system for
virtual memory problems, I discovered that his task
manage (ctrl+alt+del) is not the real thing. It lacks
the Pull down menus and page tabs and only consists of
the front applications tab. I asked him about it and he
suddenly noticed it too and said he can't fully remember
when it last looked normal (like the one i showed him on
my laptop) but he knows the memory problems have occured
since he downloaded a "Super Mario Bros 2.exe" form Kazaa.

After some searching I figured this may indeed be a
virus, especially since I was unable to delete it because
it was 'in use'. I loaded into safe mode with command
prompt and deleted it off the system from there, but his
task manager remains a fake.

Is there any way he can reinstall the task manage to what
it originally was? ANd does anyone know for sure what
virus this is, because all the virus protection sites
(norton especially) don't say anything about a virus
changing taskmgr.exe.

Please email me any advice at or
my included email.

Thanks

[Jupiter Jones]

Eric;
Double click on the Task Manager border, it will be back as you
remember it.
It is not a virus.

However try all these:
Run an updated virus scan.
Run Disk Cleanup checking all boxes except "Compress old files"
Run Defrag.
If you have file sharing software such as Kazaa, disable it.
Check this link:
http://www.aumha.org/a/noads.php
Run Ad-Aware (free version) or Spybot to check for spyware:
http://www.lavasoft.de/ (Update if you already have it)
Or
http://spybot.eon.net.au/ (Update if you already have it)

--
Jupiter Jones
An easier way to read newsgroup messages:
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/pro/using/newsgroups/setup.asp
Please respond to newsgroup only for everyone's benefit.


"Eric" > wrote in message
...
> While troubleshooting my brother's XP Home system for
> virtual memory problems, I discovered that his task
> manage (ctrl+alt+del) is not the real thing. It lacks
> the Pull down menus and page tabs and only consists of
> the front applications tab. I asked him about it and he
> suddenly noticed it too and said he can't fully remember
> when it last looked normal (like the one i showed him on
> my laptop) but he knows the memory problems have occured
> since he downloaded a "Super Mario Bros 2.exe" form Kazaa.
>
> After some searching I figured this may indeed be a
> virus, especially since I was unable to delete it because
> it was 'in use'. I loaded into safe mode with command
> prompt and deleted it off the system from there, but his
> task manager remains a fake.
>
> Is there any way he can reinstall the task manage to what
> it originally was? ANd does anyone know for sure what
> virus this is, because all the virus protection sites
> (norton especially) don't say anything about a virus
> changing taskmgr.exe.
>
> Please email me any advice at or
> my included email.
>
> Thanks

Jupiter,
Thanks! heh, i kinda feel stupid now, i'm a comp sci
major and never knew about that :)

Eric
>-----Original Message-----
>Eric;
>Double click on the Task Manager border, it will be back
as you
>remember it.
>It is not a virus.
>
>However try all these:
>Run an updated virus scan.
>Run Disk Cleanup checking all boxes except "Compress old
files"
>Run Defrag.
>If you have file sharing software such as Kazaa, disable
it.
>Check this link:
>http://www.aumha.org/a/noads.php
>Run Ad-Aware (free version) or Spybot to check for
spyware:
>http://www.lavasoft.de/ (Update if you already have it)
>Or
>http://spybot.eon.net.au/ (Update if you already have
it)
>
>--
>Jupiter Jones
>An easier way to read newsgroup messages:
>http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/pro/using/newsgroups/s
etup.asp
>Please respond to newsgroup only for everyone's benefit.
>
>
>"Eric" > wrote in message
...
>> While troubleshooting my brother's XP Home system for
>> virtual memory problems, I discovered that his task
>> manage (ctrl+alt+del) is not the real thing. It lacks
>> the Pull down menus and page tabs and only consists of
>> the front applications tab. I asked him about it and
he
>> suddenly noticed it too and said he can't fully
remember
>> when it last looked normal (like the one i showed him
on
>> my laptop) but he knows the memory problems have
occured
>> since he downloaded a "Super Mario Bros 2.exe" form
Kazaa.
>>
>> After some searching I figured this may indeed be a
>> virus, especially since I was unable to delete it
because
>> it was 'in use'. I loaded into safe mode with command
>> prompt and deleted it off the system from there, but
his
>> task manager remains a fake.
>>
>> Is there any way he can reinstall the task manage to
what
>> it originally was? ANd does anyone know for sure what
>> virus this is, because all the virus protection sites
>> (norton especially) don't say anything about a virus
>> changing taskmgr.exe.
>>
>> Please email me any advice at or
>> my included email.
>>
>> Thanks
>
>
>.
>

[Jupiter Jones]

Your welcome Eric.
Glad to help.
It is common enough that we see it here occasionally, rare enough many
are unaware of it.
Try double-clicking it where you go to school and see how many other
"comp sci major" get stuck with it.
You may be surprised and it could be funny, especially if the
instructor gets stumped.

--
Jupiter Jones
Check the following link for some great problem solving newsgroups.
http://support.microsoft.com/newsgroups/default.aspx
Please respond to newsgroup only. Everyone can benefit from the
message.


> wrote in message
...
> Jupiter,
> Thanks! heh, i kinda feel stupid now, i'm a comp sci
> major and never knew about that :)
>
> Eric
> >-----Original Message-----
> >Eric;
> >Double click on the Task Manager border, it will be back
> as you
> >remember it.
> >It is not a virus.
> >
> >However try all these:
> >Run an updated virus scan.
> >Run Disk Cleanup checking all boxes except "Compress old
> files"
> >Run Defrag.
> >If you have file sharing software such as Kazaa, disable
> it.
> >Check this link:
> >http://www.aumha.org/a/noads.php
> >Run Ad-Aware (free version) or Spybot to check for
> spyware:
> >http://www.lavasoft.de/ (Update if you already have it)
> >Or
> >http://spybot.eon.net.au/ (Update if you already have
> it)
> >
> >--
> >Jupiter Jones
> >An easier way to read newsgroup messages:
> >http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/pro/using/newsgroups/s
> etup.asp
> >Please respond to newsgroup only for everyone's benefit.
> >
> >
> >"Eric" > wrote in message
> ...
> >> While troubleshooting my brother's XP Home system for
> >> virtual memory problems, I discovered that his task
> >> manage (ctrl+alt+del) is not the real thing. It lacks
> >> the Pull down menus and page tabs and only consists of
> >> the front applications tab. I asked him about it and
> he
> >> suddenly noticed it too and said he can't fully
> remember
> >> when it last looked normal (like the one i showed him
> on
> >> my laptop) but he knows the memory problems have
> occured
> >> since he downloaded a "Super Mario Bros 2.exe" form
> Kazaa.
> >>
> >> After some searching I figured this may indeed be a
> >> virus, especially since I was unable to delete it
> because
> >> it was 'in use'. I loaded into safe mode with command
> >> prompt and deleted it off the system from there, but
> his
> >> task manager remains a fake.
> >>
> >> Is there any way he can reinstall the task manage to
> what
> >> it originally was? ANd does anyone know for sure what
> >> virus this is, because all the virus protection sites
> >> (norton especially) don't say anything about a virus
> >> changing taskmgr.exe.
> >>
> >> Please email me any advice at or
> >> my included email.
> >>
> >> Thanks
> >
> >
> >.
> >