Got a virus problem of my own fellas...

[Sparx]

I have a file on my computer that was downloaded from the internet that I can't get rid of. When I try to delete, or quarantine it not only does it say "Cannot delete because it is being used by another person or program", but it also bogs down my entire system when I try to mess with it. Even when my internet connection is unplugged. I'm running windows xp w/ norton antivirus 2005 and norton says it isn't a virus.

You guys have experience w/ this or know anything about it? if so, please help. :pray:

[pigpen65]

Hey Sparkle,

WHat is the name of the file? If you ctrl + alt + delete do you see it listed in the processes column? If so, can you select it and end it?

Go to start>control panel>performance and maintenance>administrative tools>event viewer> and check the application and system logs. Look for warning and error messages. Do you see anything strange in there?

You can also try: start>run>type msconfig > startup tab. Is it listed there? If so, unselect it.

If none of that helps, give the file name here and maybe we can google it and find why it's doing what it's doing. It could also be a problem on your system that's totally unrelated. If all else fails you can always backup and reformat. It's a huge pain in the ass, but sometimes it's the only way to deal with stupid issues like this.

[Sparx]

Go to start>control panel>performance and maintenance>administrative tools>event viewer> and check the application and system logs. Look for warning and error messages. Do you see anything strange in there?

I did this and found 4 strange things happening. There are 2 warnings that come up several times, and two errors.

the warning sources are WinMgmt and Userenv

And the two errors are application error and application hang.

[dogginbox]

before you do anything else, i suggest going to majorgeeks.com . if you have a trojan/worm deleting something could make it worse and you might not be able to get rid of it completely.

or, if you have a bestbuy near you, you could take your pc there, if ya dont mind being w/ out it for a week or so

[gilchristfan]

A couple of things to try:
1) Try an online scan with another AV program. Pcpitstop has one, panda software has one, Avast can be downloaded for free. Housecall is online (housecall.trendmicro.com)

2) Try running NAV in safemode. Reboot, and when you get the message "windows is starting" keep hitting F8 until a menu screen comes up. Select "safemode with networking"

3) Try googling the exact name of the file, just put it in quotes and you'll probably come up with a number of sites that have info on it.

4) I agree with Dogginbox to be really careful about which files you delete. If you find a site that tells you how to delete the file manually, follow the instructions exactly. If you're not sure, get someone with some expertise to do it.

[Mouldsie]

i had this problem once with something called "desktop search"

i have no clue how i got rid of it though :D

[Sparx]

Thanks for your input guys. Since i couldn't delete the file I tried to delete the folder it was in with the file inside. and it worked! I also (embarassingly) found out i had like 26 "critical updates" i had to install because I haven't been updating lately. I also got new definitions for my norton, my spybot and installed spywareblaster. I ran the avast cleaner and the mcafee "stinger" virus finders. I scanned for viruses once with the norton, then turned off "system restore" and ran norton again. It says I'm virus free but I have no idea.