slow laptop system/spyware/virus removal issues.

[Mayfriday0529]

Friend gave me his laptop "its running slow" but also could not login.
Prior to the login issue he ran ad-aware and Spy Sweeper and he let it remove whatever it found. When he did that it messed up the registry for letting the system log in.
You would get the Welcome Screen prompt and then you try to log in and the system tries to login but takes you back to Welcome screen. Safe mode is the same thing.

After searching online I found the issue. But instead of following the directions I used a special rescue boot up disk here at work and made the system restore back. This fixed the login issue.

Now my question is if I run such spyware/antivirus programs again, could it mess up the login issue again..
any suggestions.

 

[Schadenfroh]

I have never heard of this happening, but then again, when malware is involved, strange things can happen. Was he using TweakUI by any chance to change his login preferences?

 

[Mayfriday0529]

Originally posted by: Schadenfroh
I have never heard of this happening, but then again, when malware is involved, strange things can happen. Was he using TweakUI by any chance to change his login preferences?

no, he didnt use tweakui. I found some online references about removing malware can cause this isssue.

I re-ran ad-aware and it found winantivirus installed which is malware... i removed most of it and so far no login issues.

 

[Mayfriday0529]

Never mind, after removing the winantivirus stuff with ad-aware it could not remove the file called ATL71.dll. Now upon reboot i get error about ccapp.exe ... ATL71.dll failed to start and also a Norton Antivirus could not start avmail.dll

great..

 

[mechBgon]

1) consider a reformat?

2) otherwise, next try the manual McAfee scanner that John mentions about halfway down this page. Follow the directions precisely, including the Safe Mode With Command Prompt.

 

[Mayfriday0529]

Originally posted by: mechBgon
1) consider a reformat?

2) otherwise, next try the manual McAfee scanner that John mentions about halfway down this page. Follow the directions precisely, including the Safe Mode With Command Prompt.

I removed Norton Internet Security off, thats what norton said to do. Errors gone, no more spyware/malware found now.

I'm going to install the free AOL antivirus on the laptop.