[Tech] Help!

[Taffy]

I need some help with an old laptop my school got me. Basically, at the start of last week, it started to run realllly slowly. It takes literally 10-15 minutes to load up, and there seem to be some applications running that are hogging the CPU during this time. They die down and everything is back to normal. A virus scan chucked up nothing though. I tried to end one of the processes but it just wouldn't work.

On a possibly related note, my USB memory stick has three hidden programs on it, one of which is called m.exe and says it is published by Skype, which I think is probably a lie as I have never used Skype in my life. Furthermore, when I go onto my computer and double click the USB, it comes up with an error message that reads: 'could not find D:\m.exe' regardless of which drive letter it is in (my usb ports are actually E:\ and F:\)

Any ideas at all?

 

[elDiablo]

m.exe looks like a Trojan, from a very quick google search. Do a google on removal instructions, though I'd do a complete format of the thumb stick as well, after carefully removing any files from it that you really can't live without. Assuming you are using Windows, go to My Computer, right click the thumb drive, select format, and ensure the "Quick format" tick box isn't ticked.

As for the slow startup, run msconfig (Start -> Run -> msconfig) and select the start up tab. From here you are see what is loaded with Windows. Usually there are lots of update schedulers, quick launchers and the likes. These are the usual suspects when dealing with slow initial loads. Just untick everything that you don't care about (acrobat updater, java update scheduler, etc.) but be sure to keep anything that you don't know about or is important. Just typing in the process name to google is a good way to find out what it is for, and whether you need it or not. After restarting, you'll get a message box. Tick "don't show this again", and say continue. This is just telling you that you played with system settings. Boo hoo.

Also, look at the services that are loaded with Windows (Control Panel -> Administrative Tools -> Services). Go through the list, looking for anything that's "Startup Type" is automatic. Again, google the name if you aren't sure what it is, and disable (or make manual) anything you don't care about.

Finally, uninstall crap. Anything you don't use, don't need or don't want. Get rid of it. Then do a defragmentation on your harddrive, if it is required.

Finally, and this is a big one, I'd say try Linux. Linux on old laptops is just so much better than Windows. Grab a Live CD (letting you run Linux without permanently installing it, and removing Windows) and see if you can work with it. Ubuntu is my personal "quick start" linux (getting people into it), though I hear good things about Fedora as well. If you've used Linux before, go for something else if you want. But seriously, if you can install Linux (depends on the conditions your school set out for the use of the laptop) and you can work with it (OpenOffice instead of MS Office, etc.), then go for it. I have a ThinkPad R40 (not R40e, or anything newer), which is a good 6+ years old, and Ubuntu (without the new compiz stuff) works wonders. XP, on the other hand, crawls along on it. It's wonderful.

Hope this is helpful, and I'm sure others will pitch in too

 

[Haven]

Belt'n'braces, backup and re-install. If its an old laptop I'm betting its been a while since you did a fresh build on it so put asside some time and plenty of coffee and get on with it.

 

[PsiSoldier]

With all the past USB-borne malware I've managed to.... somehow.... contract, deleting was easy as deleting autorun.inf (usually in the root directory, hidden and marked as a system file, so make sure explorer is checked to display them) then hunting the offending .exe down in command prompt (So you can remove window's retarded system-file protection crap) and zapping it.

 

[Taffy]

m.exe looks like a Trojan, from a very quick google search. Do a google on removal instructions, though I'd do a complete format of the thumb stick as well, after carefully removing any files from it that you really can't live without. Assuming you are using Windows, go to My Computer, right click the thumb drive, select format, and ensure the "Quick format" tick box isn't ticked.

Did this, and everything is gone. Except m.exe and autorun.inf. I also did what psi said, to no avail. This thing is indestructible! I even used the Windows Command to delete them both, but they go then re-appear a few seconds after!

As for the slow startup, run msconfig (Start -> Run -> msconfig) and select the start up tab. From here you are see what is loaded with Windows. Usually there are lots of update schedulers, quick launchers and the likes. These are the usual suspects when dealing with slow initial loads. Just untick everything that you don't care about (acrobat updater, java update scheduler, etc.) but be sure to keep anything that you don't know about or is important. Just typing in the process name to google is a good way to find out what it is for, and whether you need it or not. After restarting, you'll get a message box. Tick "don't show this again", and say continue. This is just telling you that you played with system settings. Boo hoo.

I only have 4 things running, all of which are legit and important.

Finally, and this is a big one, I'd say try Linux. Linux on old laptops is just so much better than Windows. Grab a Live CD (letting you run Linux without permanently installing it, and removing Windows) and see if you can work with it. Ubuntu is my personal "quick start" linux (getting people into it), though I hear good things about Fedora as well. If you've used Linux before, go for something else if you want. But seriously, if you can install Linux (depends on the conditions your school set out for the use of the laptop) and you can work with it (OpenOffice instead of MS Office, etc.), then go for it. I have a ThinkPad R40 (not R40e, or anything newer), which is a good 6+ years old, and Ubuntu (without the new compiz stuff) works wonders. XP, on the other hand, crawls along on it. It's wonderful.

I wish I could, but its only borrowed from school so I can't

Thanks for your help elD I'm still at square one though, anybody have any other ideas except starting from scratch? Haven, that sounds like it may be my only option but I'd like to leave it for a little while. Its a real pain in the neck, and besides, I don't have the backup CD lol.

 

[PsiSoldier]

The reappearing is possibly caused by the malware in question being on the PC it was plugged into, re-spreading it to the drive. That's what the ones I had did, spread to the root of any drive after it was connected.

 

[Traxata]

http://www.prevx.com/filenames/X10053978899327845-X1/M2EEXE.html


This site tells you all the registry keys it's inhabited, and all file locations for you to go and manually stomp it out.

 

[Taffy]

Cheers Trax, I'll give this a go in a little while and hope for the best.

Thanks to everyone for your help, much appreciated