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Invisible Internet Explorer Popup?

4 min read

This thread's last reply is from September 16, 2008, 12:52 PM UTC. Software, malware, and removal-tool advice below may be out of date — treat specific steps and download links with caution.

I've been getting an invisible internet explorer popup for about a week now, it wouldn't be a problem except that I can't play fullscreen games without it minimizing them, causing a little bit of frustration on my end when I couldn't find answer to the problem, here's my hijackthis log:

Logfile of Trend Micro HijackThis v2.0.2
Scan saved at 5:44:50 PM, on 9/7/2008
Platform: Windows XP SP3, v.3300 (WinNT 5.01.2600)
MSIE: Unable to get Internet Explorer version!
Boot mode: Normal

Running processes:
C:\WINDOWS\System32\smss.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\winlogon.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\services.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\lsass.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\Ati2evxx.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\svchost.exe
C:\WINDOWS\System32\svchost.exe
D:\Ad-Aware\aawservice.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\Ati2evxx.exe
C:\Program Files\Alwil Software\Avast4\aswUpdSv.exe
C:\Program Files\Alwil Software\Avast4\ashServ.exe
C:\WINDOWS\Explorer.EXE
C:\PROGRA~1\ALWILS~1\Avast4\ashDisp.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\spoolsv.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\svchost.exe
C:\Program Files\Analog Devices\SoundMAX\SMAgent.exe
c:\RECYCLER\winra1.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\wuauclt.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\wuauclt.exe
C:\Program Files\Alwil Software\Avast4\ashMaiSv.exe
C:\Program Files\Alwil Software\Avast4\ashWebSv.exe
C:\WINDOWS\System32\svchost.exe
C:\Program Files\Trend Micro\HijackThis\HijackThis.exe

O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [avast!] C:\PROGRA~1\ALWILS~1\Avast4\ashDisp.exe
O17 - HKLM\System\CCS\Services\Tcpip\..\{89A6AE30-C5E4-4203-9513-5910A3DEA148}: NameServer = 67.69.235.1 207.164.234.193
O17 - HKLM\System\CS1\Services\Tcpip\..\{89A6AE30-C5E4-4203-9513-5910A3DEA148}: NameServer = 67.69.235.1 207.164.234.193
O23 - Service: Lavasoft Ad-Aware Service (aawservice) - Lavasoft - D:\Ad-Aware\aawservice.exe
O23 - Service: Ares Chatroom server (AresChatServer) - Ares Development Group - D:\Ares\chatServer.exe
O23 - Service: avast! iAVS4 Control Service (aswUpdSv) - ALWIL Software - C:\Program Files\Alwil Software\Avast4\aswUpdSv.exe
O23 - Service: Ati HotKey Poller - ATI Technologies Inc. - C:\WINDOWS\system32\Ati2evxx.exe
O23 - Service: avast! Antivirus - ALWIL Software - C:\Program Files\Alwil Software\Avast4\ashServ.exe
O23 - Service: avast! Mail Scanner - ALWIL Software - C:\Program Files\Alwil Software\Avast4\ashMaiSv.exe
O23 - Service: avast! Web Scanner - ALWIL Software - C:\Program Files\Alwil Software\Avast4\ashWebSv.exe
O23 - Service: SoundMAX Agent Service (SoundMAX Agent Service (default)) - Analog Devices, Inc. - C:\Program Files\Analog Devices\SoundMAX\SMAgent.exe
O23 - Service: UpnP Lic Process (uplogin) - Unknown owner - c:\RECYCLER\winra1.exe

--
End of file - 2405 bytes

Any help would be appreciated
Hi Sharruken

To access the Uninstall Manager you would do the following:

1. Start HijackThis
2. Click on the Config button
3. Click on the Misc Tools button
4. Click on the Open Uninstall Manager button.

You will now be presented with a screen similar to the one below:



5. Click on the Save list... button and specify where you would like to save this file. When you press Save button a notepad will open with the contents of that file. Simply copy and paste the contents of that notepad here on your next reply.
Here's the requested list:

Ad-Aware
Adobe Flash Player ActiveX
Ares 2.0.9
AsdaStory
ATI Display Driver
Audition
avast! Antivirus
Build Your Own Net Dream (remove only)
CABAL Online
CCleaner (remove only)
Cheat Engine 5.3
CleanUp!
Combat Arms
Fantastic Flame Screensaver
Fire Heart Desktop Gadget
Free Fire Screensaver
HijackThis 2.0.2
Hotfix for Windows XP (KB952287)
Inferno R.O.S.E.
Java(TM) 6 Update 7
Lavasoft VX2 Cleaner
Microsoft .NET Framework 2.0 Client Service Pack 2
Microsoft .NET Framework 3.0 Client Service Pack 2
Microsoft .NET Framework 3.5 Client Service Pack 1
Microsoft .NET Framework Client Profile - PREVIEW
Microsoft Internationalized Domain Names Mitigation APIs
Microsoft National Language Support Downlevel APIs
Opera 9.52
Rose Online Evolution
Security Update for Windows XP (KB946648)
Security Update for Windows XP (KB950759)
Security Update for Windows XP (KB950762)
Security Update for Windows XP (KB950974)
Security Update for Windows XP (KB951066)
Security Update for Windows XP (KB951376-v2)
Security Update for Windows XP (KB951698)
Security Update for Windows XP (KB951748)
Security Update for Windows XP (KB952954)
Security Update for Windows XP (KB953839)
SoundMAX
STOPzilla
Trillian
TuneUp Utilities 2007
Uniblue SpeedUpMyPC 2009
Uniblue SpeedUpMyPC 2009
Update for Windows XP (KB898461)
Update for Windows XP (KB951072-v2)
Update for Windows XP (KB951978)
VideoLAN VLC media player 0.8.6i
WinRAR archiver
IMPORTANT I notice there are signs of one or more P2P (Peer to Peer) File Sharing Programs on your computer.

Ares 2.0.9

I'd like you to read the MRU policy for P2P Programs.

Please go to Control Panel > Add/Remove Programs and uninstall the programs listed above (in red).

Please run a new HJT scan when finished and post the log back here along with a fresh uninstall list.
New HJT log after uninstalling Ares

Logfile of Trend Micro HijackThis v2.0.2
Scan saved at 5:34:52 PM, on 9/10/2008
Platform: Windows XP SP3, v.3300 (WinNT 5.01.2600)
MSIE: Unable to get Internet Explorer version!
Boot mode: Normal

Running processes:
C:\WINDOWS\System32\smss.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\winlogon.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\services.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\lsass.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\Ati2evxx.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\svchost.exe
C:\WINDOWS\System32\svchost.exe
D:\Ad-Aware\aawservice.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\Ati2evxx.exe
C:\Program Files\Alwil Software\Avast4\aswUpdSv.exe
C:\Program Files\Alwil Software\Avast4\ashServ.exe
C:\WINDOWS\Explorer.EXE
C:\PROGRA~1\ALWILS~1\Avast4\ashDisp.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\spoolsv.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\svchost.exe
C:\Program Files\Analog Devices\SoundMAX\SMAgent.exe
c:\RECYCLER\winra1.exe
C:\Program Files\Alwil Software\Avast4\ashMaiSv.exe
C:\Program Files\Alwil Software\Avast4\ashWebSv.exe
C:\WINDOWS\System32\svchost.exe
D:\BYOND\bin\byond.exe
C:\Program Files\Opera\Opera.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\wuauclt.exe
C:\Program Files\Trend Micro\HijackThis\HijackThis.exe

O2 - BHO: SITEguard BHO - {1827766B-9F49-4854-8034-F6EE26FCB1EC} - C:\Program Files\STOPzilla!\SZSG.dll
O2 - BHO: STOPzilla Browser Helper Object - {E3215F20-3212-11D6-9F8B-00D0B743919D} - C:\Program Files\STOPzilla!\SZIEBHO.dll
O3 - Toolbar: STOPzilla - {98828DED-A591-462F-83BA-D2F62A68B8B8} - C:\Program Files\STOPzilla!\SZSG.dll
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [avast!] C:\PROGRA~1\ALWILS~1\Avast4\ashDisp.exe
O10 - Unknown file in Winsock LSP: c:\program files\common files\is3\anti-spyware\is3lsp.dll
O10 - Unknown file in Winsock LSP: c:\program files\common files\is3\anti-spyware\is3lsp.dll
O10 - Unknown file in Winsock LSP: c:\program files\common files\is3\anti-spyware\is3lsp.dll
O10 - Unknown file in Winsock LSP: c:\program files\common files\is3\anti-spyware\is3lsp.dll
O10 - Unknown file in Winsock LSP: c:\program files\common files\is3\anti-spyware\is3lsp.dll
O10 - Unknown file in Winsock LSP: c:\program files\common files\is3\anti-spyware\is3lsp.dll
O17 - HKLM\System\CCS\Services\Tcpip\..\{89A6AE30-C5E4-4203-9513-5910A3DEA148}: NameServer = 67.69.235.1 207.164.234.193
O17 - HKLM\System\CS1\Services\Tcpip\..\{89A6AE30-C5E4-4203-9513-5910A3DEA148}: NameServer = 67.69.235.1 207.164.234.193
O23 - Service: Lavasoft Ad-Aware Service (aawservice) - Lavasoft - D:\Ad-Aware\aawservice.exe
O23 - Service: avast! iAVS4 Control Service (aswUpdSv) - ALWIL Software - C:\Program Files\Alwil Software\Avast4\aswUpdSv.exe
O23 - Service: Ati HotKey Poller - ATI Technologies Inc. - C:\WINDOWS\system32\Ati2evxx.exe
O23 - Service: avast! Antivirus - ALWIL Software - C:\Program Files\Alwil Software\Avast4\ashServ.exe
O23 - Service: avast! Mail Scanner - ALWIL Software - C:\Program Files\Alwil Software\Avast4\ashMaiSv.exe
O23 - Service: avast! Web Scanner - ALWIL Software - C:\Program Files\Alwil Software\Avast4\ashWebSv.exe
O23 - Service: SoundMAX Agent Service (SoundMAX Agent Service (default)) - Analog Devices, Inc. - C:\Program Files\Analog Devices\SoundMAX\SMAgent.exe
O23 - Service: UpnP Lic Process (uplogin) - Unknown owner - c:\RECYCLER\winra1.exe

--
End of file - 3227 bytes
This can now be closed, I dunno how I did it, but I managed to stop the popups and have been free of them all night, meaning I have no solution to how I did it, or need any further assistance, thanks
Please post a fresh HijackThis log anyway; there was at least one bad entry left :)
Sharruken