MS Anti-Spyware - hijacked by SetupWD.exe ?

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Hi, over the past couple of days, whenever I double-click on my MS
AntiSpyware icon (which runs "C:\Program Files\Microsoft
AntiSpyware\GIANTAntiSpywareMain.exe"), it first starts Windows Installer
(twice I think) which puts a "Sign up to Tiscali" icon SetupWd.exe which
links to SetupWD.exe.

Is this a virus? Has MS AntiSpyware itself been hijacked ? I haven't
tried running the SetupWD.exe -- it seemed such weird behaviour that I assume
it's bad!

Can this be fixed ? Please advise. Thanks, Gerry
 
GerryP777 said:
Hi, over the past couple of days, whenever I double-click on my MS
AntiSpyware icon (which runs "C:\Program Files\Microsoft
AntiSpyware\GIANTAntiSpywareMain.exe"), it first starts Windows
Installer (twice I think) which puts a "Sign up to Tiscali" icon
SetupWd.exe which links to SetupWD.exe.

Is this a virus? Has MS AntiSpyware itself been hijacked ? I
haven't tried running the SetupWD.exe -- it seemed such weird
behaviour that I assume it's bad!

Can this be fixed ? Please advise. Thanks, Gerry
Click to expand...

How to resolve Common "Windows Installer" Problems
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;555175

Windows Installer CleanUp Utility
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/290301

--
Frank Saunders, MS-MVP OE/WM
Please respond in Newsgroup. Do not send email
http://www.fjsmjs.com
Protect your PC
http://www.microsoft.com/security/protect/
 
While I`m not disagreeing with Frank S. I think you may be infected with
free6. Do you have a file `vbsys.dll` on your HD - Start>Search>All Files and
Folders>Lookin C:\

Stu



the
 
I like Frank Saunders advice very much--sounds exactly right to me.

You might want to consider removing Microsoft Antispyware, and installing
Windows Defender, beta2 of Microsoft Antispyware:

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/...e7-da2b-4a6a-afa4-f7f14e605a0d&displaylang=en

It is quite different--some of the differences folks may find jarring:

1) no tray icon if no input is needed--this may change with a later version.
Also, no desktop icon.
2) updates via Windows Update or Autoupdate--WSUS in corporate networks.
3) a number of the advanced tools are missing, although those remaining are
improved.
 
Hi Frank, thanks for those. Sorry for slow reply (been on stage all last
week).

I've downloaded the Windows Installer Cleanup Util and was going to run that
but today I've had a note from the Windows Auto-update to say there's a new
version so I guess I should try that first (?) since it's installed it anyway.
btw, I wasn't trying to install anything myself at the time - something
was making it do that itself - that's why I wondered if it was a virus etc.

I'll add to this post if/when there's any more news. Thanks, Gerry :o)
 
PS: I've since found that exactly the same thing happens (now) when I double
click on Spyware Blaster and on something else too so it's not limited to
MSanti.

Does that mean some fundamental part of XP has got corrupted (eg
Explorer.exe) ? Gulp!

I tried to check the "Modified" dates on the exe's that I'm trying to run
and none of them seem to have been changed so I guess it must be some
mechanism that happens when i activate a program ?
 
Hi Bill, thanks for that too. I'm trying the cleanup thing that Frank
suggested but what worries me most is that I haven't tried to install
anything. It's activating itself which makes me think it's a virus or
something nasty.
I've also found that it's not just MSanti; when I activate other progs,
the same thing happens - so it's more widespread than I first realised.

I've been keeping MSanti up-to-date. Thanks for info on Defender -- have
you tried it ? Is it better ? I'm a bit concerned about losing the
advanced tools; I'd grown quite fond of them -- why are they taking away
functionality ?

Any further thoughts on my SetupWD problem ? Thanks, Gerry
 
Hi Stu,
I've done a full Search and cannot find VBSYS.DLL anywhere on my system.
Any idea if it might be something else ?
I've since found that exactly the same thing happens when I try to activate
other progs too - so it seems a more widespread problem.
Any idea exactly what happens when I double click a desktop icon ? I'm
worried that something fundamental (like explorer.exe) may be corrupt !
Thanks, Gerry :o)
 
I don't believe this indicates serious corruption--just a glitch in the
Windows installer. Please follow the links Frank Saunders gave--doing
repair installs of affected apps should take care of this, too.
 
You may be able to fix this for Microsoft Antispyware, by:

start, control panel, add or remove programs, Microsoft Antispyware, change,
update.

That should do a repair install which may correct the problem you have
getting it started.

Let's see if that works.
 
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