Hi Aaron T
Since i backed up all of my files, and since this is a fairly new computer, I went ahead and did the Vaio recovery which reformatted everything and was supposed to put the machine back into it's factory condition. it took about an hour and a half. i am guessing this is the closest i can come to a clean reinstall since there was no Windows disc provided with my computer.
Very good!!
It looks like it wiped out everything including all software installed after i purchased the system. i even had to re-register and all that.
Of course! This is normal
Having said that, how do you think i should proceed? After this reformatting and reinstall of windows, is it possible that the system could still be affected? What would you recommend doing from here?
It isn't likely that anything survived the reformat, MBAR likely cleaned what was on the machine. The type of malware that was on your machine infects the MBR and likely left a custom BCD code which was why the machine was unbootable, this code would have shown up in FRST.
So you should be ok now that you have reformatted.
The best think to do is practice safe surfing habits, stay away from torrents and peer to peer, cracks, keygens and be careful of what links you click on and what programs you download and you should be fine.
Below I will give you some advice that will help you avoid future to infect your machine
Follow this step
MOST IMPORTANT: You Need to Update Windows and IE to get all the Latest Security Patches to protect your computer from the malware that is around on the internet.
Here are some tips to reduce the potential for spyware infection in the future:
1. Make your Internet Explorer more secure - This can be done by following these simple instructions:
- From within Internet Explorer click on the Tools menu and then click on Options.
- Click once on the Security tab
- Click once on the Internet icon so it becomes highlighted.
- Click once on the Custom Level button.
- Change the Download signed ActiveX controls to Prompt
- Change the Download unsigned ActiveX controls to Disable
- Change the Initialize and script ActiveX controls not marked as safe to Disable
- Change the Installation of desktop items to Prompt
- Change the Launching programs and files in an IFRAME to Prompt
- Change the Navigate sub-frames across different domains to Prompt
- When all these settings have been made, click on the OK button.
- If it prompts you as to whether or not you want to save the settings, press the Yes button.
- Next press the Apply button and then the OK to exit the Internet Properties page.
Make your Mozilla Firefox more secure - This can be done by adding these add-ons:
2. Enable
Protected Mode in Internet Explorer. This helps Windows Vista users stay more protected from attack by running Internet Explorer with restricted privileges as well as reducing the ability to write, alter or destroy data on your system or install malicious code. To make sure this is running follow these steps:
- Open Internet Explorer
- Click on Tools > Internet Options
- Press Security tab
- Select Internet zone then place check next to Enable Protected Mode if not already done
- Do the same for Local Intranet, Trusted Sites and Restricted Sites and then press Apply
- Restart Internet Explorer and in the bottom right corner of your screen you will see Protected Mode: On showing you it is enabled.
3. Use and update an anti-virus software - I can not overemphasize the need for you to use and update your anti-virus application on a regular basis. With the ever increasing number of new variants of malware arriving on the scene daily, you become very susceptible to an attack without updated protection.
4. Firewall
Using a third-party firewall will allow you to give/deny access for applications that want to go online. Without a firewall your computer is susceptible to being hacked and taken over. Simply using a firewall in its default configuration can lower your risk greatly. A tutorial on firewalls can be found
here. **There are firewalls listed in this tutorial that could be downloaded and used but I would personally only recommend using one of the following two below:
Online Armor Free
Agnitum Outpost Firewall Free
5.SPYWARE PREVENTION
This is a good time to set up protection against further attacks. In light of your recent problem, I'm sure you'd like to avoid any future infections. Please read these well written articles:
6. Consider a custom hosts file such as MVPS HOSTS. This custom hosts file effectively blocks a wide range of unwanted ads, banners, 3rd party Cookies, 3rd party page counters, web bugs, and many hijackers. For information on how to download and install, please read this tutorial by WinHelp2002
Note: Be sure to follow the instructions to disable the
DNS Client service
before installing a custom hosts file.
7. WOT (Web of Trust) As "Googling" is such an integral part of internet life, this free browser add on warns you about risky websites that try to scam visitors, deliver malware or send spam. It is especially helpful when browsing or searching in unfamiliar territory. WOT's color-coded icons show you ratings for 21 million websites, helping you avoid the dangerous sites. WOT has an add-on available for Firefox, Internet Explorer as well as Google Chrome.
8.Finally, I strongly recommend that you read TonyKlein's good advice
So how did I get infected in the first place? 
