HELP!!! =( Norton 2003 Quarantined me outa XP!

[Pixie22]

So I tried to get rid of that virus I had.. Some piece of sht worm that basically infects, and makes it impossible to run 90% of the exe's on your system..

I first tried to use spybot because I have a bad history with anti virus's.
Spybot for some stupid reason INSISTED on getting updates off the net during installation, and I didn't have the net, so I couldn't install it. I then used HijackThis to get rid of CiDaemon spyware updater prog that basically kicks me out of whatever I happen to be doing every hour to try to connect to the net somewhat covertly. farker..

I then decided to run the only anti virus software I had available to me which was Norton 2003. Old yes, but so are most virus's.
It picked up a virus that had infected 270 exe's on my pc. Everything apparently from programs I had been writing myself, to dev environments, to calc, regedit, minesweeper, cmd.. basically every exe my pc ran in the last 6 months..

It then failed to fix them, and then told me to quarantine them. I was so fed up and I thought Norton was smart enuf to NOT quarantine files needed for my system to run in basic safe mode etc, so I went and quarantined them.

Now when I try to login to XP it attempts to log me in and load my settings, and then (without even getting out of the login screen) saves my settings and automatically logs me out. Can't access safe mode, or last working config or any of that sht..

Basically Im thinking my only option is to run a repair on XP to replace any needed files, so I can access windows again.. Then get a fix (which isn't going to be easy, i don't have the net on that pc) to fix the quarantined exe's (so I can backup all my sht that I have spent years downloading when I DID have access to the net and torrent downloads uncapped). I then intend to backup to an external HD and format and start from the beginning..

I will have to unquarantine the files to fix them, IF ofcourse I CAN get back into windows by some miracle. will norton put the files back in their right folders or am I basically screwed? I have backed up a few of the more important and older installs onto DVD, but judging by my recent brush with DVD's, they are very unreliable, and one faulty file on those disks and the install will fail. Thats why I wanna fix and save alot of stuff which would now be impossible for me to get elsewhere. Anything I got in the last 6 months or didn't backup, like VS2008Beta looks pretty farked, but none of those files were infected, I sat in watched as it checked that dir.

wtf am I gonna do? =( I had songs and recordings I was working on which I did not backup..

 

[The_Unbeliever]

Best to get a removable USB hard drive, Knoppix, and thus copy all your files and stuff over.

Then do the format-install routine.

Or you can stick the HDD into another PC (with an antivirus in), copy your data off, and reinstall XP on the original box.

By the sound of things, Windows is too corrupted to do anything - and the trojan's probably all over the place by now.

 

[LazyLion]

You should have come here first! We would have warned you against using Norton!!!

I wish you had a spare hard disk to re-install windows on, then when you have everything set up, you can plug the old hard disk in and scan and recover your files.

If you can download from the Internet, see if you can get a copy of Hiren's Boot CD. That will help you in the recovery process.

 

[Telkomisaloser]

Best to get a removable USB hard drive, Knoppix, and thus copy all your files and stuff over.

Then do the format-install routine.

Or you can stick the HDD into another PC (with an antivirus in), copy your data off, and reinstall XP on the original box.

By the sound of things, Windows is too corrupted to do anything - and the trojan's probably all over the place by now.

Seconded...

Try start up in safe mode and see what you get

 

[The_Unbeliever]

@ TIAL - I doubt that safe mode will work, but it's worth a try just to get data copied over to any USB device. Unfortunately this means that the possibility exists that the trojan will also be copied over, and restores itself on a fresh installation of windowsXP.

 

[Surv0]

I saw Norton and lolled

 

[Pixie22]

Seconded...

Try start up in safe mode and see what you get

Unfortunately It does the same thing whatever mode I try. Logs me in and out immediately.. Seamlessly.. Im hoping a repair will atleast let me access windows again

 

[pjjdp]

Best to get a removable USB hard drive, Knoppix, and thus copy all your files and stuff over.

Then do the format-install routine.

Or you can stick the HDD into another PC (with an antivirus in), copy your data off, and reinstall XP on the original box.

By the sound of things, Windows is too corrupted to do anything - and the trojan's probably all over the place by now.

Agree. It is the only way.

 

[The_Unbeliever]

Unfortunately It does the same thing whatever mode I try. Logs me in and out immediately.. Seamlessly.. Im hoping a repair will atleast let me access windows again

A repair will not work.

If safe mode is as buggered up, your best chance is by doing what I suggested. Or else you'll mess up things too much so that your data is also at risk.

 

[killadoob]

if safe mode is stuffed you will need to do a fresh install but keep all exsisting file's intact when u run windows setup dont format

then u copy all your data and format your hdd

you will then need to ensure all your data is not infected

 

[Pixie22]

if safe mode is stuffed you will need to do a fresh install but keep all exsisting file's intact when u run windows setup dont format

then u copy all your data and format your hdd

you will then need to ensure all your data is not infected

Yeah I reckon. Im just wondering, if I do a fresh install but keep my data there, will norton be able to put those quarantined files back where they belong? If not, 90% of the things I wanna copy will be missing their exe's lol
I will have to replace them manually which won't be easy.

Fixing the exes is an after thought at this moment. I know some peeps who should be able to provide me with updated anti virus's Mcafee or the like. I don't think I wanna hear the word Norton ever again. Except when it is preceded by Edward, cause he's alright!

 

[Mal1ce]

You might want to attempt this first if you have another PC (see post and solution below)

http://mybroadband.co.za/vb/showthread.php?t=90171&highlight=userinit

 

[killadoob]

pixie i had a similar virus to you man

i reload my pc, kept all my files and you know what, no anti virus could clean my .exe's

i ended up deleting my .exe and the virus was still on all my files week after week until i just got rid of everything

i now use vista 64 bit and in my 13 months of using it i have not had a virus or any spyware

i do love xp and its so fast but the virus's you can get on 32 bit windows scares me to the point i would rather run vista 64 which is a little slower but much harder to code virus's for

pixi when u have reload man get rid of norton, do not use norton my man

 

[Glordit]

I saw Norton and lolled

Norton = FAIL!
Rather get AVG free or NOD32
otherwise it seems a reformat is the only option

 

[milomak]

that sounds like a truly infested computer. stop visiting those dodgy sites.

 

[ColinR]

I saw Norton and lolled

I'm surprised Norton didn't Quarantine itself. That thing can't see a virus if it came a knocking