UPExodus Posted March 18, 2010 Posted March 18, 2010 Hey there, I'm running Windows 7 professional, I recently relocated my PC from Uni to back home and ever since NONE of my programs bar WoW and Google Chrome will launch. The error reads "C:\Windows\system32\WSOCK32.dll is either not designed to run on Windows or it contains an error. Try installing the program again using the original installation media or contact...blah blah" I've tried replacing wsock32.dll in the system32 folder, no luck, tried a system restore, no luck, I really have no idea, and my Windows 7 disk isn't an option as it's back at uni and won't be getting it for over a month and can't afford that kind of downtime on my PC, PLEASE HELP :( Quote
Jelly Bean Posted March 18, 2010 Posted March 18, 2010 Hello and welcome. Lets first test for an infection. It is in your best interest to note the following: Please disable your resident security applications (such as AVG, Spybot, WinPatrol, etc.) before performing the below procedure so that they do not interfere with the process. Perform all the steps in the order listed to avoid any conflicts. If unsure, please stop and voice your doubts. You might be required to go offline during the disinfection process. Therefore, it is recommended to print off the instructions below for ease of reference. If you stick to the above guidelines, all should go smoothly.   ================================================ STEP 1 Download ATF-Cleaner by Atribune. Save the file to your Desktop. Double-click on the file to run the program. On the Main tab, check the Select All button. Next, click on the Firefox tab (if applicable) and check the Select All button. Note: If you would like to preserve your saved passwords in Firefox, then click No at the corresponding prompt. Now, click on the Opera tab (if applicable) and check the Select All button. Note: If you would like to preserve your saved passwords in Opera, then click No at the corresponding prompt. Press the Empty Selected button and click OK to acknowledge the corresponding prompt. Click on the Exit button to quit the program. ================================================ STEP 2 Please click here to download Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware. Save the file to your Desktop. Double-click mbam-setup.exe and follow the prompts to install the program. At the end, make sure a check mark is placed next to: Update Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware Launch Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware [*]Click Finish. [*]The program will download and update itself if it finds the necessity to do so. Please allow this. [*]Once the program has loaded, select Perform full scan, then click Scan.  Note: Depending on your computer specifications, the scan may take some time to complete. Please wait patiently and do not interrupt the process. [*]When the scan is complete, click OK, and then Show Results to view the results. [*]Make sure that every entry is selected, and click Remove Selected. [*]Restart your computer. ================================================ STEP 3 Please click here to download SUPERAntiSpyware (Free Version). Save the file to your Desktop. Double-click SUPERAntiSpyware.exe and follow the prompts to install the program. Open SUPERAntiSpyware. Under Configuration and Preferences, click the Preferences button. Click the Scanning Control tab. Under Scanner Options make sure the following fields checked: [*]Click the Close button to leave the control center screen. [*]On the main screen, under Scan for Harmful Software click Scan your computer. [*]On the left, make sure you check mark All the Fixed Drives. [*]On the right, under Complete Scan, choose Perform Complete Scan. [*]Click Next to start the scan. Please be patient while it scans your computer. [*]After the scan is complete, a Scan Summary box will appear with potentially harmful items that were detected. Click OK. [*]Make sure every entry has a check mark next to it and click Next. [*]A notification will appear that Quarantine and Removal is Complete. Click OK and then Finish to return to the main menu. [*]Restart your computer. ================================================ STEP 4 Please visit the ESET Online Scanner, using Internet Explorer to initiate the scan. Note: If you are running Windows Vista, then you will need Administrative privileges to complete the latter part of the procedure. To do so, right-click on the Internet Explorer icon in the Start Menu and select the Run As Administrator option in the shell context menu. Check mark the YES, I accept the Terms of Use box. Click the Start button. Click the Install button on the following screen. Click Start. This will will initialize and update the scanner engine. Check mark the box beside Remove found threats. Click the Scan button. This will start the scan. Please be patient while it is in progress. Restart your computer. ================================================ STEP 5 Click on Start > Programs > Accessories > System Tools and select System Restore. Choose the radio button marked Create a Restore Point on the first screen and click Next. Give the restore point a name then click Create. The new point will be stamped with the current date and time. Keep a note of this so you can find it easily should you need to use System Restore. Next, click on Start > Run, type Cleanmgr and click on OK. Click on the More Options tab. Click the Clean Up button in the System Restore section to remove all previous restore points except the most recent one. This will remove any infected files that have been backed up by Windows. The files in "System Restore" are protected to prevent any programs changing those files. This is the only foolproof way to ensure the deletion of those files. Note: Do not clear restore points on a regular basis as doing so will clear all previous restore points even those that you may need. System Restore is a useful tool to revert your computer back to a working condition if something goes wrong. Re-enable all your security applications and please return here and tell us how the computer seems to be operating. Close browsers before scanning Scan for tracking cookies Terminate memory threats before quarantining Quote Rwy'n ceisio fy ngorau......................
UPExodus Posted March 18, 2010 Author Posted March 18, 2010 Hello and welcome. Lets first test for an infection. It is in your best interest to note the following: Please disable your resident security applications (such as AVG, Spybot, WinPatrol, etc.) before performing the below procedure so that they do not interfere with the process. Perform all the steps in the order listed to avoid any conflicts. If unsure, please stop and voice your doubts. You might be required to go offline during the disinfection process. Therefore, it is recommended to print off the instructions below for ease of reference. If you stick to the above guidelines, all should go smoothly.   ================================================ STEP 1 Download ATF-Cleaner by Atribune. Save the file to your Desktop. Double-click on the file to run the program. On the Main tab, check the Select All button. Next, click on the Firefox tab (if applicable) and check the Select All button. Note: If you would like to preserve your saved passwords in Firefox, then click No at the corresponding prompt. Now, click on the Opera tab (if applicable) and check the Select All button. Note: If you would like to preserve your saved passwords in Opera, then click No at the corresponding prompt. Press the Empty Selected button and click OK to acknowledge the corresponding prompt. Click on the Exit button to quit the program. ================================================ STEP 2 Please click here to download Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware. Save the file to your Desktop. Double-click mbam-setup.exe and follow the prompts to install the program. At the end, make sure a check mark is placed next to: Update Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware Launch Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware [*]Click Finish. [*]The program will download and update itself if it finds the necessity to do so. Please allow this. [*]Once the program has loaded, select Perform full scan, then click Scan.  Note: Depending on your computer specifications, the scan may take some time to complete. Please wait patiently and do not interrupt the process. [*]When the scan is complete, click OK, and then Show Results to view the results. [*]Make sure that every entry is selected, and click Remove Selected. [*]Restart your computer. ================================================ STEP 3 Please click here to download SUPERAntiSpyware (Free Version). Save the file to your Desktop. Double-click SUPERAntiSpyware.exe and follow the prompts to install the program. Open SUPERAntiSpyware. Under Configuration and Preferences, click the Preferences button. Click the Scanning Control tab. Under Scanner Options make sure the following fields checked: [*]Click the Close button to leave the control center screen. [*]On the main screen, under Scan for Harmful Software click Scan your computer. [*]On the left, make sure you check mark All the Fixed Drives. [*]On the right, under Complete Scan, choose Perform Complete Scan. [*]Click Next to start the scan. Please be patient while it scans your computer. [*]After the scan is complete, a Scan Summary box will appear with potentially harmful items that were detected. Click OK. [*]Make sure every entry has a check mark next to it and click Next. [*]A notification will appear that Quarantine and Removal is Complete. Click OK and then Finish to return to the main menu. [*]Restart your computer. ================================================ STEP 4 Please visit the ESET Online Scanner, using Internet Explorer to initiate the scan. Note: If you are running Windows Vista, then you will need Administrative privileges to complete the latter part of the procedure. To do so, right-click on the Internet Explorer icon in the Start Menu and select the Run As Administrator option in the shell context menu. Check mark the YES, I accept the Terms of Use box. Click the Start button. Click the Install button on the following screen. Click Start. This will will initialize and update the scanner engine. Check mark the box beside Remove found threats. Click the Scan button. This will start the scan. Please be patient while it is in progress. Restart your computer. ================================================ STEP 5 Click on Start > Programs > Accessories > System Tools and select System Restore. Choose the radio button marked Create a Restore Point on the first screen and click Next. Give the restore point a name then click Create. The new point will be stamped with the current date and time. Keep a note of this so you can find it easily should you need to use System Restore. Next, click on Start > Run, type Cleanmgr and click on OK. Click on the More Options tab. Click the Clean Up button in the System Restore section to remove all previous restore points except the most recent one. This will remove any infected files that have been backed up by Windows. The files in "System Restore" are protected to prevent any programs changing those files. This is the only foolproof way to ensure the deletion of those files. Note: Do not clear restore points on a regular basis as doing so will clear all previous restore points even those that you may need. System Restore is a useful tool to revert your computer back to a working condition if something goes wrong. Re-enable all your security applications and please return here and tell us how the computer seems to be operating. Thanks for your reply. Done all but Step 4, got the same error when trying to launch other programs. Though there were a couple of malware entries there but problem still persists :( I'm really lost here :/ Close browsers before scanning Scan for tracking cookies Terminate memory threats before quarantining Quote
Jelly Bean Posted March 18, 2010 Posted March 18, 2010 I am going to move you over to the malware forum for the security guys to help you. Quote Rwy'n ceisio fy ngorau......................
Armageddon Posted March 18, 2010 Posted March 18, 2010 hi lets give this a whirl see if we can get your programs to launch Please download exeHelper to your desktop. If your AV program throws up a warning about the program, ignore the warning. Some AV's flag this program because of how it works... that's all. Double-click on exeHelper.com to run the fix. A black window should pop up, press any key to close once the fix is completed. Post the contents of exehelperlog.txt ( Will be created in the directory where you ran exeHelper.com and should open at the end of the scan) Note : If the window shows a message that says "Error deleting file", please re-run the program before posting a log - and post the two logs together ( they will both be in the one file ). Let me have the report and also let me know if things are any better. We'll take it from there. Quote Google is your friend  We are all members helping other members. Please return here where you may be able to help someone else. After all, no one knows everything and you may have the answer that someone needs. Get help with computer problems. Join Free PC Help here Donations are welcome. Read Here Â
UPExodus Posted March 18, 2010 Author Posted March 18, 2010 Thanks for your reply..:)Â Hope this helps. Â exeHelper by Raktor Build 20091220 Run at 23:20:47 on 03/18/10 Now searching... Checking for numerical processes... Checking for sysguard processes... Checking for bad processes... Checking for bad files... Checking for bad registry entries... Resetting filetype association for .exe Resetting filetype association for .com Resetting userinit and shell values... Resetting policies... --Finished-- Quote
Armageddon Posted March 18, 2010 Posted March 18, 2010 ok did that help can you launch prgrams now ? Quote Google is your friend  We are all members helping other members. Please return here where you may be able to help someone else. After all, no one knows everything and you may have the answer that someone needs. Get help with computer problems. Join Free PC Help here Donations are welcome. Read Here Â
Starbuck Posted March 20, 2010 Posted March 20, 2010 Btw it's 64bit. :( Ok you said earlier that: Thanks for your reply. Done all but Step 4 Let me have the MBAM report and the SAS report. There maybe something in there as to a clue. MBAM: Start MBAM >>> Logs tab >>> last log ( date stamped) SAS: Start SAS >>> Preferences >>> Statistics/Logs >>> last log (date stamped) Double click on the logs to open them and then copy and paste the reports into your next reply. Thanks Quote Member of:UNITE
UPExodus Posted March 21, 2010 Author Posted March 21, 2010 Hey there, thanks for your reply, but I've sorted it already, all it needed was the svs /scannow command put into cmd. Thanks for your help though guys =] Quote
Starbuck Posted March 21, 2010 Posted March 21, 2010 Thanks for letting us know that you resolved the issue. http://fc07.deviantart.com/images3/i/2004/146/9/1/Two_thumbs_up.gif Quote Member of:UNITE
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