jjk454ss

I am trying to fix a friends laptop. It has Vista 32 bit on it, and the issue is everytime you turn it on, it comes up with a dialog box saying "Windows Explorer has stopped working, searching for solution" or whatever , something like that. Then after a little bit it tried to start Windows Explorer, but comes up with the same error box, and just keeps doing this.

When this started, he said that the "theme" was gone. That the background was just black. Someone told him to do a restore to a previous point, and that is when this error started coming up. But at the same time, I see there is an icon on the desktop for "Spyware Locked 3.5" which he says it just asked him to install one day and he did. What is this? Is it some sort of virus/malware/something?

OK, I am trying to work on this right now, and now it doesn't just keep trying anymore, once it tried to restart windows explorer it just stops and I get a backgrounf with no icons or taskbar.

Also, the same thing happens in safe mode as well.

the computer is new, with only a couple programs that I can reinstall. Should I just do a recovery? Or does anyone know of a fix for this? Thanks

mrjminer

Yah it's a spyware program. Perhaps it rooted itself in the system recovery points or something/infects a part that system recovery does not recover. Anyways, here's the things I would try:
Option 1. Boot with Vista CD in, try to do a Startup Repair
Option 2. Boot with Vista CD in, use the command line and delete the following files/directories (courtesy of http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/foru...ic85376.html):
***Also, you probably want to look in the "C:\Windows\Prefetch\" directory to see if there is a "SpywareLocked" folder in there and delete it if there is.***

If it boots after that, follow the automated method on the bleepingcomputers post.

If it doesn't boot, it would probably be substantially easier and less time-consuming to just reinstall since it might not even be the spyware messing the system up.

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jjk454ss

I couldn't get into windows to do anything because it just kept trying to start Windows Explorer. And being a Toshiba I only have recovery disks not a Windows disk. So I just did a recovery. Thanks for the help though.

mrjminer

Ah.. should have figured they'd only give you recovery disks. That sucks. At least he can use it now, though.

__________________
If you're a hot girl on OCN in Illinois, PM me. If you are a girl at all, actually, I don't care if you're ugly because I am too omgz.

Apparently, some people want to make personal attacks based on the above signature because they can't form logical arguments or comprehend that it's there with no expectation, but, rather, an ironic depiction of society stereotyping people who use forums as children when the majority of this forum's populace are adults. Such people, called idiots, have a tendency to result to childish attacks, thus furthering the stereotype, in their ignorance of logic.