[Resolved]Hjt Log For Missing Control Panel

Trevuren: I ran daft. Had about 6-7 associations to fix. Did so. Not much of a report afterward: DAFT Log saved on 2007-07-19 16:07:25 ———————————————————————– All associations okay! What's next?–TvH

Apparently, when you upgrade from ME to XP unsupported control panel functions are disabled. This froom a savvy tech that is also following the topic.

I would like you to try both of the following and to tell me in your next reply if you met with any success reaching certain Control Panel functions:

1. Please go Start, then run and copy/paste the following into the run box: control appwiz.cpl, then hit OK

2. Next, the same as above, but copy/paste the following: control main.cpl

3. Good Luck

Trevuren: Both appear to work. The first one got me the Add/Remove Programs window, and the second got me the mouse Properties window. –TvH

Cool!!!! then it is a registry problem. I will PM my associate and see if he has a fix for this. I think he probably does. (I hope he does). This could take a while as I don't think he is online every day.

It took a while but I'm back.

Apparently, the entire Control Panel may not work if there is 1 faulty .cpl file. This can happen when you upgrade from ME to XP. (For future reference, if you ever move to a new platform, choose to do a clean install. It is a lot more work but you save a lot of trouble).

Here is a copy of what my associate recommended you do.


Reference: Please read and print out : http://support.microsoft.com/kb/221153/en-us

Follow the windows 2000 instructions.

In short you create a new folder in a convenient place and name it anything you can remember. Then you locate the *.cpl files and move them to that folder. usually found in the system32 or system folder.

Once all have been moved (not copied, they need to be moved or cut and paste) you try out the control panel and see if you get a nice blank window with no icons. This would be good news.

You can choose to double click each blah.cpl in that folder you made and see if it will run, or move them one at a time back into the system32 folder and launch control pannel. If all is well do the next one. You are bound to find the one that isnt right.

Then you can use the extract function from the xp disk and replace it.

Here is the list of the control panel files (.cpl). There may be some that you do not have. There are a couple that I don't have.


Control panels (.cpl)
Any of these can be accessed by going to start > run and typing in the cpl name and
extension and pressing enter

access.cpl accessibility options
appwiz.cpl add/remove programs
bthprops.cpl Bluetooth device properties(if installed)
camcpl.cpl Webcam control panel(logitech)<=== I don't have this one
desk.cpl display properties
firewall.cpl windows firewall
hdwwiz.cpl add hardware wizard
inetcpl.cpl internet properties
intl.cpl regional and language options
joy.cpl game controllers (joysticks)
jpicpl32.cpl Java control panel (Sun Java)<== I don't have this one
main.cpl mouse control panel
mmsys.cpl sounds and audio devices properties
ncpa.cpl network connections
netsetup.cpl network setup wizard
nusrmgr.cpl user accounts
nwc.cpl Gateway Services for NetWare properties <==(Mine is called nwc.cpl.manifest)
Odbccp32.cpl (ODBC) Data Source Administrator properties
Powercfg.cpl Power Options properties
quicktime.cpl Quicktime settings (if installed)<==I don't have this one
Sapi.cpl Speech Properties <==(Mine is called sapi.cpl.manifest)
Sysdm.cpl System properties
Telephon.cpl Phone and Modem Options properties
Timedate.cpl Time and Date properties
wscui.cpl Windows Security Center
wuaucpl.cpl Automatic Updates panel


Good Luck,

Please advise me of the outcome.

Regards,

Trevuren

Trevuren: I pulled all the .cpl files from the System32 folder before I went to work this AM. I tried them all individually. Most came up OK, several did not. I've further segregated these–I think most of them were from add-on software/hardware, not from the basic Control Panel files that WinXP would have. I then tried bringing up the Control Panel–and it came up, but not as a blank screen. It had what I'd call a "basic" set of Control Panel files. I then checked the System32 file, and found it had been repopulated with a set of .cpl files. I pulled these, put them in a separate folder, and then tried bringing up the CP again. It was again repopulated with these "basic" files. I didi this several times, and got the same result each time. I checked the files in the System32 folder, and found several files that were "manifest" files. Several of them were of the form "XXXXX.cpl.manifest". I'm wondering if these could be part of the reason for the repopulation. When I get home tonight, I'm looking into the System file to see if there's anything there that could cause this repopulation of the CP, as well. As to the questionable .cpl files, I'll look into them further. I'll give you a better list of the repopulating files, the files I've checked and found good from the original set, and one with the questionalbe ones tonight sometime. Thanks for you continued help on this–TvH

Trying my best but running out of ideas. Trevuren

Trevuren: I got sidetracked last night–sorry. I checked the System folder–nothing was there for Control Panel files. Here's what gets repopulated in the System32 folder whenever I remove all the .cpl files and bring up the Control Panel: access.cpl accessibility options appwiz.cpl add/remove programs bthprops.cpl Bluetooth device properties(if installed) desk.cpl display properties firewall.cpl windows firewall hdwwiz.cpl add hardware wizard inetcpl.cpl internet properties intl.cpl regional and language option joy.cpl game controllers (joysticks) main.cpl mouse control panel mmsys.cpl sounds and audio devices properties ncpa.cpl network connections netsetup.cpl network setup wizard nusrmgr.cpl user accounts Odbccp32.cpl (ODBC) Data Source Administrator properties Powercfg.cpl Power Options properties Sysdm.cpl System properties Telephon.cpl Phone and Modem Options properties Timedate.cpl Time and Date properties wscui.cpl Windows Security Center wuaucpl.cpl Automatic Updates panel I also get one more file: irprops.cpl. I double-clicked on it, and nothing happens on screen. I don't know what it's for. Anyway, these files are replaced in the System32 folder each time I've removed them from the folder and tried to bring up the blank Control Panel. –TvH

Do any of then work when you click on them? Make a list of those that you think you need and that you do not have and post it back here.

Trevuren: Among the "repopulating" files, three appear to do nothing when I double-click on them: bthprops.cpl inetcpl.cpl irprops.cpl Among the files I had in the rest of the "original" .cpl files, the following ones seem to work: Adobe Gamma.cpl bdeadmin.cpl CAMCPL.CPL javacpl.cpl nvtuicpl.cpl QTW32.CPLQuickTime.cpl scmgrcpl40.cpl They were the only other cpl files I had in the group, actually. All the others were the ones that repopulated the CP when I tried to see if I'd get a blank screen when recalling it. Some of them are for Quick Time, others for the nVidia graphics card in the machine, others for other software still on the machine. I'm going to replace them in the System32 file and see what happens. I wonder if there's something in XP that causes repopulation of the Contrpl Panek when it's called up and nothing is there to fill it. Microsoft has done other kinds of "help" like that before with both good and bad consequences… I'll lwt you know how it comes out shortly–TvH

I moved the other .cpl files back to the System32 folder and everything seems to be OK. One of the other .cpl files must have been screwed up. I'd still like to know about the repopulation, though–that seems strange to me. –TvH

Now you know what works. Decide what ones you want in there and extract them . From previous post:

Then you can use the extract function from the xp disk and replace it.

Trevuren: I tried to expand irprops.cpl from the XP disk–don't think I succeeded. However, I did a search to see how many copies of it were on the C drive and found one in this location: c:\WINDOWS\Driver Cache\i386\sp2.cab This is probably where the files came from to repopulate the System32 folder after I'd strip all the .cpl files from it and brought up the Control Panel. I double-clicked on the file in the search window, and it asked me where to extract the file to–I sent it to the temp file I used to move the cpl files to when stripping the System32 folder. It still didn't work, along with bthprops.cpl–but everything else does now. I'm saw you listed one of these in an earlier message as a Bluetooth panel–and I don't have any Bluetooth devices installed on this PC. I'm figuring that irprops is for infrared devices, like remote keyboards, hand-helds, and the like. I have no emitter-receiver units for IR installed on this machine, either. That's probably why they don't work when they're double-clicked. I think we have this one (finally) licked, and I learned a bit more about how XP does things–maybe more than I wanted to, but…. Thanks for all your help and patience with this. It's been a real interesting experience. –Tom vonHatten

Tom, well done. You worked hard on this one and I think we both learned a lot about XP throughout this whole journey. You were a pleasure to work with but I must admit that I am glad that we can finally close the books on this tough nut to crack.

Congratulations, your log shows that your SYSTEM IS CLEAN

There are a few things you must do once you are completely clean:

1. Time for some housekeeping

Please download the OTMoveIt by OldTimer

• Save it to your desktop.
• Run the tool by clicking on the icon.
• Click the Cleanup button.
• The tools that we used as well as this one will be removed from your system.

2. Please download ATF Cleaner by Atribune.
This program is for XP and Windows 2000 onlyDouble-click ATF-Cleaner.exe to run the program.
Under Main choose: Select All
Click the Empty Selected button.
If you use Firefox browserClick Firefox at the top and choose: Select All
Click the Empty Selected button.
NOTE: If you would like to keep your saved passwords, please click No at the prompt.
If you use Opera browserClick Opera at the top and choose: Select All
Click the Empty Selected button.
NOTE: If you would like to keep your saved passwords, please click No at the prompt.
Click Exit on the Main menu to close the program.
For Technical Support, double-click the e-mail address located at the bottom of each menu.

3. Now Set a New Restore Point to prevent possible reinfection from an old one. Some of the malware you picked up could have been saved in System Restore. Since System Restore is a protected directory, your tools can not access it to delete these bad files which sometimes can reinfect your system. Setting a new restore point AFTER cleaning your system will help prevent this and enable your computer to "roll-back" to a clean working state.

The easiest and safest way to do this is:

• Go to Start > Programs > Accessories > System Tools and click "System Restore".
• Choose the radio button marked "Create a Restore Point" on the first screen then click "Next". Give the R.P. a name then click "Create". The new point will be stamped with the current date and time. Keep a log of this so you can find it easily should you need to use System Restore.
• Then go to Start > Run and type: Cleanmgr
• Click "OK".
• Click the "More Options" Tab.
• Click "Clean Up" in the System Restore section to remove all previous restore points except the newly created one.

Here are some tips to reduce the potential for spyware infection in the future:

Make sure you keep your Windows OS current by visiting Windows update
regularly to download and install any critical updates and service packs. With out these you are leaving the backdoor open.

I strongly recommend installing the following applications:

• Spywareblaster <= SpywareBlaster will prevent spyware from being installed.
• Spywareguard <= SpywareGuard offers realtime protection from spyware installation attempts.
• How to use Ad-Aware to remove Spyware <= If you suspect that you have spyware installed on your computer, here are instructions on how to download, install and then use Ad-Aware.
• How to use Spybot to remove Spyware <= If you suspect that you have spyware installed on your computer, here are instructions on how to download, install and then use Spybot. Similar to Ad-Aware, I strongly recommend both to catch most spyware.

To protect yourself further:

• Spyad <= IE/Spyad places over 4000 websites and domains in the IE Restricted list which will severely impair attempts to infect your system. It basically prevents any downloads (Cookies etc) from the sites listed, although you will still be able to connect to the sites.
• MVPS Hosts file <= The MVPS Hosts file replaces your current HOSTS file with one containing well know ad sites etc. Basically, this prevents your coputer from connecting to those sites by redirecting them to 127.0.0.1 which is your local computer
• Google Toolbar <= Get the free google toolbar to help stop pop up windows.

And also see TonyKlein's good advice
So how did I get infected in the first place?

Regards,

Trevuren