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Old August 2nd 11, 06:29 PM posted to microsoft.public.windowsxp.basics
VanguardLH[_2_]
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Posts: 10,881
Default Help! Can't delete a file in Windows XP!

Guy Fletcher wrote:

Thanks guys for your replies.

First, I did the stopping explorer thing. This was new to me. Got the
command screen, did the ATTRIB etc. but no change. However, it's a
useful thing to know for the future so thanks for that.

Then I looked into Recovery Console, again new to me. Couldn't get
very far, as it wouldn't let me access the "Program Files" directory.
The internet seems to back that up - i.e. you can only do things in
C:\WINDOWS (?) with that, so that was a non-starter.

Then I tried Malwarebytes. Had heard of it before, but I honestly have
so many of such programs (always found Superantispyware the best
myself, though not 100% ideal) that I was a bit sceptical. Anyway, I
tried it and it DID bring up the directory and invisible program, so
thanks for that recommendation! Will def. use it again.

I was ecstatic for a while, deleting them and restarting. My happiness
was short-lived, however, as the damn thing came back! In short, it
seems this registry item gets corrupted EVERY time I start up:-

HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon

It contains the userinit.exe (as it should) but appends it to the
infernal spyware program, always with the same name (though seemingly
random letters). I just don't know where it's being edited from. All I
know is that it all started when I upgraded from IE6 to IE8. I
downloaded IE8 from Microsoft's own site, so I don't know what to
think.

I'm thinking of going back to IE6 as the only solution!

Thanks again anyway.

Guy


Don't know what anti-virus program you use. Does it have a boot-time
scanner (to scan BEFORE the operating system loads along with any
drivers of which one could be the pest)? Alternatively you could use a
boot CD that has anti-malware to scan for the pest *without* your OS
being loaded.
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