The 5 Steps before Posting a Log

[Glaswegian]

STEP 5


Preparing to Post your Log


Posting Rules

1. Please do not start a new thread each time you reply. We need you to keep your logs in one thread only. It’s almost impossible to complete a fix by trying to follow more than one thread.

Please do not post your logs in any other Forum - logs should ONLY be posted in the HijackThis Forum.


2. Please be considerate of the fact that the people helping you are all volunteers, and in many cases usually have a job, and a limited amount of time to help, and therefore can only do so much. If no one has replied to your thread within 72hrs after you posted, please reply in your thread with the words BUMP, please to move it forward.

DO NOT Bump the thread unless 72 hours has passed. We work from oldest to newest posts so your wait will be longer if you bump it forward before the 72 hours is up. We look for 0 reply, or 1 reply threads to respond to. So, do not bump more than once. If you do, it may appear as though the thread is being handled, and it may be overlooked. Please note that there are many more people in need of assistance than there are trained staff members who may assist. Patience for this free assistance is required. If there is an immediate need, please take the machine to a local technician.

Early bump posts will be deleted.

3. Please have the common courtesy to follow your thread to it’s conclusion. Most analysts will post a clean speech and give you instructions and advice on programs to use that will help you prevent this from happening again. If you fail to conclude the thread your PC will be left vulnerable to another infection. We devote our time to you so please return the favour and make sure your thread reaches its logical conclusion.

4. Try to post your replies and logs in a timely manner. This can be critical depending on the infection. Many infections today are able to transform and rename themselves, thus making detection and removal much harder.

For users running Windows 2000, XP or Vista

Preparing to get a log with Deckard's System Scanner (formerly Comboscan)

Download Deckard's System Scanner (DSS) to your Desktop. Note: You must be logged onto an account with administrator privileges.

1. Close all applications and windows.
2. Double-click on dss.exe to run it, and follow the prompts.
3. When the scan is complete, two text files will open - main.txt <- this one will be maximized and extra.txt <-this one will be minimized
4. Copy (Ctrl+A then Ctrl+C) and paste (Ctrl+V) the contents of main.txt in your thread in the HijackThis Log Help Forum.
5. Please attach extra.txt to your post.

To attach a file to a new post, simply

1. Click the[Manage Attachments] button under Additional Options > Attach Files on the post composition page, and
2. copy and paste the following into the "Upload File from your Computer" box:

   C:\Deckard\System Scanner\extra.txt
   

3. Click Upload.

What DSS will do:

• create a new System Restore point in Windows XP and Vista.
• clean your Temporary Files, Downloaded Program Files, and Internet Cache Files, and also empty the Recycle Bin on all drives.
• check some important areas of your system and produce a report for your analyst to review. DSS automatically runs HijackThis for you, but it will also install and place a shortcut to HijackThis on your desktop if you do not already have HijackThis installed.

For users running Windows 95, 98 or ME

Please download HijackThis to your desktop - this program will help us determine if there are any spyware/malware on your computer.

Alternate link

Make sure you close down EVERY open window and close ALL browser windows. The only thing that should be open is the HijackThis program.

Double-click on the file you just downloaded.
Click on the "Install" button to install. It will by default install to the directory - C:\Program Files\Trend Micro\HijackThis

Upon install, HijackThis should open for you.

Should it not open, navigate to C:\Program Files\Trend Micro\HijackThis and double click on HijackThis.exe

• If it gives you an intro screen, just choose 'Do a system scan and save a log file'.
• If not, run a scan and save the log file.
• Copy the text file (Ctrl+A then Ctrl+C) and paste it (Ctrl+V) in a new thread in the HJT Forum
• Do not fix any entries in HijackThis since they may be harmless.
• Make sure to include the System information at the top of the log as well.

Posting the Log

Important:

1. Be specific about YOUR issue.

The more information you can provide the easier it will be for us to ascertain your problem. If you receive a warning about a specific virus/trojan/worm then include the name of the infection in the thread header. For example, if your Antivirus picks up Alcra.B worm then your thread header would be something like

”Constant pop ups – Alcra.B worm”


2. Describe your issue/problem in DETAIL!

DO NOT use something like "Help Me" or "Here's My Log"...etc. This tells us nothing and is a waste of our time and yours. We cannot guess as to what may be your problem. Please provide as much detail as possible, including virus/trojan/worm names and locations if available. The more information you can give us the better we can help.

When posting the log please observe the following:

• DO NOT Attach the logs unless specifically requested. (Post it as text in the thread). Only attach the extra.txt log if you are using Deckards System Scanner.
• DO NOT Wrap the log using Quote or Code tags. (DO make sure notepad word-wrap is OFF)
• DO NOT Post another Program’s log (Unless we specifically ask for it)
• DO NOT Cut off the header of any log (It contains important information for the Analyst)
• DO NOT Private Message the Analyst unless asked to do so.
• DO NOT post live suspicious links. We do appreciate that you want to give as much information as possible, but the links need to be munged. Alter the links to use hxxp:// instead of http://

3. Once you have posted, Subscribe to your thread by going to Thread Tools (at the top of the thread) > Subscribe. Make sure it is set to Instant Notification, then click Add Subscription.so that you are notified when you receive a reply.


This concludes the basic steps required before posting your log. Everything listed here is an effort from us to help you help yourself. The Analyst will cover many of these procedures again when reviewing your logs so please follow their instructions. And yes, you may be asked to run a tool again, even if you’ve already advised that you’ve run it previously. Once your issue is resolved the Analyst will provide links to programs and advice to help you prevent further infections in the future. Thank you for taking the time to read this.



Click here to post your log in the HijackThis Forum