Explorer

[Jammed]

I cannot open Internet Options.

Does anyone know anything about, possibly, a virus that does this? Trojan or spyware?

Thank you.

[Jammed]

I cannot open Internet Options.

Does anyone know anything about, possibly, a virus that does this? Trojan or spyware?

Thank you.

When I click on Internet Options, a small box flashes for a split second and vanishes. Not even possible to take a print-screen of it, I've tried. Anyone know what might cause this?

I believe my mcafee has been hacked as well and cannot detect the cause.

My computer may be accessed via someone's apple mobile device. That's just a guess...

I'm possitive rootkits are involved and I've no clue what to do in that case.

[ɹəuəllıʍ ʇɐb]

Start with a full online scan on http://housecall.trendmicro.com/; be sure to use v6.6 if you are on Vista.

P.S. can you open Internet Explorer and see Tools | Options from there?

[Jammed]

Start with a full online scan on http://housecall.trendmicro.com/; be sure to use v6.6 if you are on Vista.

P.S. can you open Internet Explorer and see Tools | Options from there?

Trend micro does not work on my computer either, I suspect my registry was tampered with and my computer automatically rejects any Java from Trend Micro. I can open Internet Explorer but Tools>Internet Options doesn't open for me...not from any location(ie: Control Panel, etc.).

My Firewall won't open for me as well.

[ɹəuəllıʍ ʇɐb]

If you tried to run the housecall v6.5 scan unsuccessfully, try the v6.6 scan.

Also, if the Java version doesn't run, try the ActiveX version (on Internet Explorer).

If all fails, try the online scan at http://www.ewido.net/en/onlinescan/

[Jammed]

I tried all of your suggestions and still, bad problems.

I can't open my firewall. This has been going on and was one of the first in annoyances. My ISP provides Mcafee for free and Internet Explorer doesn't work when it's running, "protecting", and I can't change many setting on Mcafee because it says I'm not the computer admin...yet, I am.

[Alan2273]

Have you tried doing the online scans by selecting safe mode with networking ?.

To access safe mode tap the F8 key at start up.

[AlanHo]

You could spend many hours wrestling with these problems.

If this were to happen to me I would simply restore an Acronis backup file from when the computer was OK.

If you lack a proper backup - can you save your data to external media and do a format and clean reinstall of Windows. It could save you a lot of time and is a virtually certain cure for software related problems.

[Jammed]

There are problems deeply rooted in my registry that can and Have resurfaced, "clean" reinstallation can and will be inconsequential.

All I want is to be able to protect my 4yr old child from accidently accessing perverted websites. He plays flash games and is led, by search engines, to bad sites while looking for his favorite flash-game-characters.

Downloading a different version of IE enabled me to access Internet options but it didn't fix any of the more important issues that led me to that hold-up.

I'll try the online scan in safe-mode with networking, though, I doubt this is going to be an easy fix for me.

Fortunately, this is soon-to-be the kid's computer only, and nothing of great importance will be stored on it.

I'm not downloading a monitoring program for my child-safety issues when I should to be able to use the features Windows promised when I bought this.

[ɹəuəllıʍ ʇɐb]

Any registry problems will be resolved with a clean install, as the registry is recreated from scratch.

I would suggest a limited account for kids use, with a browser that is safer than Internet Explorer.

When you mention 'McAfee' - what product is it exactly?

[Jammed]

I know for a fact that there is a certain amount of inaccessible space on my computer that, when I reformat, I cannot rebuild over top of. That's the area I believe the "ghost" is hiding. The "ghost" programs rebuild themselves, attach to their assigned targets, and the same problems reoccur all over again. I may not have time to memorize all of the tech terms but I know patterns when I see them. I wish there was an actual working virus program online that could take care of this but I'm beginning to fear this gate is getting smaller. "Ultimate Windows Community"?

[Boris]

I know for a fact that there is a certain amount of inaccessible space on my computer that, when I reformat, I cannot rebuild over top of. That's the area I believe the "ghost" is hiding. The "ghost" programs rebuild themselves, attach to their assigned targets, and the same problems reoccur all over again.

I'm beginning to fear this gate is getting smaller. "Ultimate Windows Community"?

Re. your upper comment - are you trying to say that there is a hidden partition on your Hard Drive ?

Re. the second comment - what "gate" are you talking about ?

My computer may be accessed via someone's apple mobile device. That's just a guess...

I'm possitive rootkits are involved and I've no clue what to do in that case.

Re. the apple mobile hypothesis - do you have a wireless network ?

To check for rootkits, download install and run either of these free anti-rootkit tools :-

http://www.sophos.com/products/free-tools/...ti-rootkit.html

http://free.grisoft.com/doc/download-free-anti-rootkit/

[Jammed]

"gate"

This is a Mcafee description of a problem I've been dealing with all year:

"man-in-the-middle attack:

The attacker intercepts messages in a public key exchange and then retransmits them, substituting their own public key for the requested one, so that the two original parties still appear to be communicating with each other directly. The attacker uses a program that appears to be the server to the client and appears to be the client to the server. The attack may be used simply to gain access to the messages, or enable the attacker to modify them before transmitting them again. The term is derived from the ball game where a number of people try to throw a ball directly to each other while one person in between attempts to catch it."

So, you should be able to understand my skepticisms. Even my Comcast email has been hacked, screened and tampered with.

[Boris]

Just to repeat my two questions.

Re. your upper comment - are you trying to say that there is a hidden partition on your Hard Drive ?

Re. the apple mobile hypothesis - do you have a wireless network ?

[Jammed]

The most important issue, if anyone else on this forum can help me, is the fact that I can't turn on my firewall.

I get this message when I try:

Windows Firewall settings cannot be displayed because the associated service is not running. Do you want to start the Windows Firewall/ Internet Connection Sharing(ICS) service?

When I click "yes", I get:

Windows cannot start the Windows Firewall/ (ICS) service at this time.

Can anyone help me with this?

I've tried all of the recommended help and nothing worked.

[Boris]

I don't know what "all of the recommended help" you've received and tried ?

but try this ?

1. Click Start, click Run, type cmd, and then click OK.

2. At the command prompt, type the following command line, and then press ENTER:

Rundll32 setupapi,InstallHinfSection Ndi-Steelhead 132 %windir%\inf\netrass.inf

3. Restart Windows,

4. Click Start, click Run, type cmd, and then click OK.

5. At the command prompt, type the following command, and then press ENTER:

Netsh firewall reset

6. Click Start, click Run, type firewall.cpl, and then press ENTER.

In the Windows Firewall dialog box, click On (recommended), and then click OK.

[Jammed]

I don't know what "all of the recommended help" you've received and tried ?

I was simply refering to the help in this thread, of course.

I'll try what you recommended as well, thanks.

[Jammed]

I don't know what "all of the recommended help" you've received and tried ?

but try this ?

1. Click Start, click Run, type cmd, and then click OK.

2. At the command prompt, type the following command line, and then press ENTER:

Rundll32 setupapi,InstallHinfSection Ndi-Steelhead 132 %windir%\inf\netrass.inf

After following this exactly, no errors, I recieved a small box that said, "Command Failed", nothing more.

Proceeding anyway...

3. Restart Windows,

4. Click Start, click Run, type cmd, and then click OK.

5. At the command prompt, type the following command, and then press ENTER:

Netsh firewall reset

6. Click Start, click Run, type firewall.cpl, and then press ENTER.

In the Windows Firewall dialog box, click On (recommended), and then click OK.

I recieved the exact same pop-up box as when I clicked on the Firewall icon from Control Panel.