Can't get rid of process "DeskAdService"

[Charlie7940]

I have windows Me opperating system, and i have run many virus scans and none of them can get rid of the process "DeskAdService"...i have even uninstalled it through add/remove programs list and it stills comes back everytime i restart my computer.

[antgross@pacbell.net]

Originally Posted by Charlie7940 I have windows Me opperating system, and i have run many virus scans and none of them can get rid of the process "DeskAdService"...i have even uninstalled it through add/remove programs list and it stills comes back everytime i restart my computer.

Never heard of that but it could be spyware. Download and run ad-aware and or spybot search and destroy. Both are free programs.

You may want to run antispyware programs in safe mode, too.

[rjfvillarosa]

A google search revealed very little about this so it's possibly a new one, can't say I have heard of it either.
Use the windows search utility to find the folder that deskadservice is in and then examine the folder to see what other files are there, if you are confident that the folder only contains items specifically related to deskadservice then restart your computer in safemode by tapping the F8 key during boot and then delete the folder, don't empty the recycle bin until you are certain that everything else is working OK. whilst the files are in the recycle bin it is highly unlikely that it will relaunch itself.
Have a read of this thread about safemode and consider running upto date virus scans and adware scans in safemode.
http://forum.pcmech.com/showthread.php?t=115633

[Charlie7940]

I have run several ad-aware scans, and even with spysweeper in safe mode. It always dectecs this process, however i always get an error message saying it can not be deleted.

My computer will not boot up in normal mode now either. Everytime i restart it brings me right into safe mode even when I select to boot in normal mode

[GaryRouth]

Sorry to hear that a new malware problem is causing you grief. For particularly hard-to-root-out pests, sometimes the HiJack This method can yield success. Download links and a step-by-step tutorial are over at the TomCoyote.org site http://www.tomcoyote.org/hjt/ . I believe that their forums have folks fairly expert at helping out with reading the logs generated by the program.

If you try that method and it doesn't work, check back here & we'll try a few other approaches.

If you have fairly full backups (that scan clean of malware), you of course have the option to completely erase the hard drive, and reinstall from scratch (or if you have an uninfected Disk Image or Clone [like a Norton Ghost disk], of course that should get rid of the malware. If you choose that method, though, remember to head straight to Windows Update for Security Patches once you connect to the net again).

. . . Gary

[P.S. ... a somewhat hazardous last-ditch try at a quick-fix (since you lose your system restore points in the process), is to try your spy-removal program in Safe Mode with System Restore disabled. If you use Policies, you'll have to have the proper priviledges. You'd probably only need to try this if your spyware program showed the reason for it's inability to delete the file was that it was located in the system restore folder.]

[Charlie7940]

Thank you. I tried all the methods posted here, none of them worked however i found a more simpler way and turns out I got rid of it. Before when I would go to physically delete it, i kept getting an error message stating the program was running and could not be deleted. So I would then go control+alt+delete and end the process, however it kept starting up again.

I got rid of it through add/remove programs but this too kept coming back when i would restart windows.

Finally i used my brain, deleted it from add/remove programs, then quickly typed it in the search files box and found it, and deleted it because the program was no longer running. It worked! No longer is the process here.

I thank you all for the advice though, it is great that people reply back so fast. There is just one problem left still - - - I still can't get out of safe mode!

[rjfvillarosa]

Is it possible to run system restore and select a time and date back before you had this problem?

[Charlie7940]

It is possible...but I had system restore disabled for a while, and the most recent restore point is about two months ago. I was just wondering if there were any alternatives before I do one.

[GaryRouth]

As long as the system scans clean of malware and that pesky adware, you should be OK with a system restore - since your antivirus/antispyware scans aren't showing that anything is hiding in the restore files. You may have to reinstall programs added since that restore point, and go straight to Windows Update to reinstall the latest Security Updates, but that's not so bad, and won't take much time at all [unless you're on dial-up Internet access]. Don't put off Windows Update though, it doesn't take long for exploits to find unpatched systems these days.

If you haven't checked the new 256mb memory module yet, try removing it, especially before you do your System Restore. If a bad module starts creating widespread data corruption - you're going to be reinstalling Windows before you know it.

Might check in on Device Manager just to see if any of your devices are flagged [the red X or yellow exclamation point].

. . . Gary

[rjfvillarosa]

I agree with Gary on this one, be a little suspicious of that memory stick and remove it before doing a system restore, restore your system back the two months, but just be prepared to reinstall any programs that you have installed since that date.
Just a thought but if you had system restore disabled how can you have a restore point? disabling system restore effectively wipes out any restore points, are you sure you had it disabled?