Cannot load into Safe Mode?

[SouthernBrew]

Merry Christmas everyone!

(Just thought I would spread a little holiday cheer before I complain)

I'm running a Dell Dimension 3000 Intel Celeron CPU 2.4 Ghz

Display Adapters-
Intel(R) 82865G
Radeon 9250


Windows XP

I am also pretending I know what I just typed above^

To get to the problem, I have a trojan(s) on my pc that redirects my browser to a porn site if the web address is incorrect instead of to the default "error" site.

I was told to use Ewido in Safe Mode to get rid of the problem, but when I try to go into Safe Mode my PC fails to boot up(or it may be my monitor doesn't "connect" since the PC Tower says it is on but the Monitor ignores it).

I plugged the monitor into the graphics card slot which worked allowing me to go into Safe Mode(with networking).

I think if I reboot it normall using MSCONFIG my monitor issue will be fine but I would still like to know why it doesn't work normally?

But back to Ewido, I finally got my PC into Safe Mode so I should try and get rid of the Trojan. I do the online scan and EVERY time I do it, when I am 3/4 of the way done my internet browser says "Sorry, but IE needs to close".

I try the downloadable version of Ewido and every time I get about 3/4 of the way done I get a message "Sorry, but Ewido needs to close".

It seems like there is something on my PC that "shuts down" anything that "scans" it or maybe I am just paranoid?

Either way, as far as I got with Ewido I do have a lot of stuff that needs to be removed but at this point I have no idea how to do so since it keeps closing before the scan is finished.

Thanks for your time, hope you can help.

Merry Christmas

[ski]

Did you try other spyware programs, like Ad-Aware and Spybot?
NOTE: They should work in normal(not Safe) mode.

[SouthernBrew]

Originally Posted by ski Did you try other spyware programs, like Ad-Aware and Spybot? NOTE: They should work in normal(not Safe) mode.

Yea I tried both of them(among others) and they didn't work.

I'm not sure if they cannot detect the trojans or if they cannot search on other user accounts(which is a possibility)

[Cricket]

Do you know what trojan or malware you got?

Try running SuperAntiSpyware.

Cricket

[SouthernBrew]

Originally Posted by Cricket Do you know what trojan or malware you got? Try running SuperAntiSpyware. Cricket

Not sure what is on my PC but I do know it is there as Ewido found a bunch before shutting itself down

I downloaded SuperAntiSpyware and when I try to install it I am told the system administrator(which would be me) has "set policies to prevent this installation".

Any idea how to "unset" those policies whatever they may be?

[Cricket]

Sounds like you got one heck of an infection there.

I would pull the hard drive out of that computer and install it in another and run a few security programs on it just to see if you can clean it up a bit.

Hate to tell you this, but sometimes the easiest way to get things back to normal is to nuke-n-pave (reformat and reinstall) especially if you get hit with something particularily nasty.

Cricket

[SouthernBrew]

I'm saving those options as a last resort..in other words I am trying to find an "easier" fix.

I tried right click and "run as" administrator but I get told the "service cannot run in Safe Mode".

So should I reboot normally and try to install it that way?

Btw- I appreciate your assistance especially on the day after Christmas