Greetings, and welcome to TSF! This is a sneaky one.
Please print out or copy this page to Notepad. Make sure to work through the fixes in the exact order it is mentioned below. If there's anything that you don't understand, ask your question(s) before proceeding with the fixes. You should 'not' have any open browsers when you are following the procedures below.
Go to My Computer->Tools/View->Folder Options->View tab and make sure that 'Show hidden files and folders' (or 'Show all files') is enabled. Also make sure that 'Display the contents of system folders' is checked. If you have Windows XP, the search feature is a little different. When you click on 'All files and folders' on the left pane, click on the 'More advanced options' at the bottom. Make sure that 'Search system folders', 'Search hidden files and folders', and 'Search subfolders' are checked.
For the options that you checked/enabled earlier, you may uncheck them after your log is clean. If we ask you to fix a program that you use or want to keep, please post back saying that (we don't know every program that exists, so we may tell you to delete a program that we think is bad to keep).
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Download, unzip to your desktop
CWShredder and run it, then:
1. Click "
Check For Update"
(
If an update isn't available, skip to step #4.)
2. Click "
Click here to Download the upate".
3. When the new version has been downloaded, click "
Save".
4. Click "
Fix ->"
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Next, Open a
command prompt by:
1. Clicking "
Start", then "
Run...".
2. Enter "
cmd" (
without the quotes).
3. Enter "
services.msc" (
without the quotes).
-
Now, locate and '
stop' the following services, if present:
Workstation Service Library (Microsoft Locator Service) owner ... (
C:\WINDOWS\wkssvc.exe)
Look carefully, since the name of the service (above) can be anywhere in the entry; also be careful not to 'stop' any required system services.
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Run
HiJackThis then:
1. Click "
Config..."
2. Click "
Misc Tools"
3. Click "
Open Process manager"
-
Next, while holding down the
CTRL key, locate (
if present) and click on (
highlight) each of the following:
C:\WINDOWS\wkssvc.exe
Now double-check and make sure that only those item(s) above are highlighted, then click "
Kill process". Now, click "
Refresh", check again, and repeat this step if any remain.
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Run
HiJackThis and click "
Scan", then check(tick) the following, if present:
O23 - Service: Workstation Service Library (Microsoft Locator Service) - Unknown owner - C:\WINDOWS\wkssvc.exe
Now, with all windows closed except
HiJackThis, click "
Fix checked".
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Locate and
delete the following item(s), if present. Make sure your able to view system and hidden files/ folders:
files...
C:\WINDOWS\wkssvc.exe
-
Note that some of these file(s) may or may not be present. If present, and cannot be deleted because they're '
in use', try deleting them from "
Safe Mode".
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Post back a new log, and let us know how everything goes.