Explorer.exe - Application Error (help)

[JohnMS]

Hi, While surfing the internet recently, a malware downloaded itself onto my computer. After removing it with Adaware, everything was normal. The next day I was back on the web ( on a different website), when it happened again. I believe it is the same problem, there is a red bubble with a white "X" in the middle of it, it appears on my toolbar. It prompts me to download anti-virus and anti-malware products. The second time this happened, it was more serious. There were numerous bubbles on my taskbar. I tried to remove it from my computer using adaware again. However; it froze midscan, and now my computer is severely messed up. Skipping to the final problem though, I believe i removed the problem using adaware in safemode, but now I get an error when I try to log onto Windows : "Explorer.exe - Application Error" is the title of the box, it contains : "The application failed to initialize properly (0xc000002). Click on OK to terminate the application." When windows does load, all there is on the desktop is the background. I Ctrl +alt +deleted to the task manager , and loaded the msconfig to try and find the problem, everything that I have tried does not work.... please help!

[Cricket]

I just had to deal with this and it wasn't that easy to clean up. Start by reading this web page and then read this web page. Then you'll need to download the smitRem.exe from the first web page and then go to here to download the ewido anti-malware software.

Update your anti-virus and any anti-spyware software before you run the scans. Get Spybot: Search & Destroy if you don't already have it.

And if you don't already have these, get SpywareBlaster and Microsoft Windows AntiSpywareto help keep junk off your computer.

Cleaning the smitfraud malware took me two mornings to clean up.

Good luck.

Cricket