Rundll32.exe

  • Thread starter Thread starter teresa3480
  • Start date Start date
T

teresa3480

Every time I start WinXP and connect to the Internet I get a blank
screen poping up on my browser. After I delete rundll32.exe from my
processes the screen disappears. Is there something that is causing
this in my start up? Any help would be appreciated.
 
Hi Teresa,

As Ted has mentioned, without giving a solution, this is likely spyware.

1) Install, update, and run AdawareSE from www.lavasoft.de

2) Install and run Spybot from www.safer-networking.org

3) Install and run Spyware Blaster from
http://www.javacoolsoftware.com/spywareblaster.html

4) Turn on the native firewall or install a third-party one (a third party
firewall will notify you of outgoing traffic as spyware programs "phone
home", the native one won't).

http://www.kerio.com/kpf_home.html
http://www.zonelabs.com/store/content/home.jsp
http://www.tinysoftware.com/home/tiny2?la=EN

5) Also check these links for helpful advice on removing garbage:
http://aumha.org/a/noads.htm
http://aumha.org/win5/a/parasite.htm
http://www.mvps.org/inetexplorer/Darnit.htm

--
Best of Luck,

Rick Rogers, aka "Nutcase" - Microsoft MVP

Associate Expert - WindowsXP Expert Zone

Windows help - www.rickrogers.org
 
Just a comment from experience.. You can have too much paranoia software
running.
Best to find a good one, learn what you can about it, and learn how to use it.
You shouldn't need 2 or more programs that do the same thing.
Too much paranoia software can cause problems that aren't visible like Trojans
and other stuff.
 
On the contrary, for spyware it is usually necessary to have more than one
detector/remover.

How does having too many spyware detectors/removers cause "Trojans and other
stuff"? A trojan horse is a virus.

Ted Zieglar
 
Hi Teresa,

As Ted has mentioned, without giving a solution, this is likely spyware.

1) Install, update, and run AdawareSE from www.lavasoft.de

2) Install and run Spybot from www.safer-networking.org

3) Install and run Spyware Blaster from
http://www.javacoolsoftware.com/spywareblaster.html

4) Turn on the native firewall or install a third-party one (a third party
firewall will notify you of outgoing traffic as spyware programs "phone
home", the native one won't).

http://www.kerio.com/kpf_home.html
http://www.zonelabs.com/store/content/home.jsp
http://www.tinysoftware.com/home/tiny2?la=EN

5) Also check these links for helpful advice on removing garbage:
http://aumha.org/a/noads.htm
http://aumha.org/win5/a/parasite.htm
http://www.mvps.org/inetexplorer/Darnit.htm
Click to expand...

Thank you, Rick. I have Spybot, Adaware, CWShredder, and Yahoo
Anti-Spy. I've used all of these and it still keeps happening.
 
Spyware can be notoriously difficult to remove. If you previously tried to
remove it manually, then a software tool may not be able to pick out the
remnants. Here are your choices:

Try yet another removal tool.

If you know the name of the spyware, check the web sites of the major
spyware removal organixations; they sometimes publish specific removal
instructions.

Remove the startup entry from the so-called 'run keys' in the registry. This
is risky (make a wrong move in the registry and you could be in deep
trouble), and it may not make any difference anyway. But here is the
information you'll need:

"A Definition of the Run Keys in the Windows XP Registry"
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;314866

Reinstall Windows.
 
You need the opposite of a spyware program, it's spyware that causes
the problem.

Make sure you have a firewall installed and turned on (the XP one will
do), get Ad-Aware from www.lavasoft.de and Spybot Search and Destroy
from http://www.spybot.info/en/index.html. You should also have an
anti-virus program, AVG is well regarded from:
http://www.grisoft.com/us/us_index.php.

These are all free for home users and will pick up and protect you from
most problems.
Click to expand...

I have the Windows firewall activated and Zone Alarm and I have Spybot
and Ad-Aware and a couple others.
 
Anymore suggestions?? I have Norton anti-virus installed.
Click to expand...

I am fast running out of ideas. You could try 'hijack this' if you
haven't already. It is good at finding problems but you mustn't delete
everything it finds, you need to spend some time looking at each entry
individually.
 
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