[Resolved]Qwerty12.exe And Others. I Have 2 Computers, Only 1 Infected

hehe, well going through this has made me quite curious also. It would be great to know how things work and which analytical software does what and which antivirus/antimalware etc does what.

I have just run into trouble. Everything now seems to be working fine which is great, however my USB Disk is not letting me write anything to it. I cannot bring anything onto it from the computer and while I can open files from the USB Disk, I cannot then save back onto the USB Disk.

I took it to my other computer and I am able to transfer things between without any problems.

So I coppied the date from the USB Disk and tried to format it on my previously infected computer, which then told me that it could not complete the format. I took it to my other computer (which allows me to transfer data between computer and key without problem) and it formatted the disk without a problem.

With a quick google search I found this site:

http://www.petri.co.il/configure_usb_disks…y_in_xp_sp2.htm

which quickly references "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Control\StorageDevicePolicies" with regard to making a USB Key read only.

From recollection, a lot of what you were doing with me involved similar references and I wonder if it is perhaps a by-product of the infection and its cure?

Regards

the dude with troubles!

We didnt touch that particular reg key, but I will look into it for you. Has this just started or did it first happen when you realised you were infected?

Hi again Scotty. Sorry for the late reply, i've been away since yesterday afternoon. I use the USB stick fairly regularly and had stopped using it while the computer was infected and once it was clean I tried to use it and this is when I realised it seemed to be read only, although im fairly sure there's something a bit funny with the computers ability to recognise the USB stick as it works fine in the other computer. I also tried a different USB stick in my computer and had the same problem, I couldn't write anything to it, however again - that stick works fine in the other computer - both USB sticks can be written to on the other computer but not on this one (the previously infected one) So i'm quite sure this has only just started happening since the infection, however I couldn't say whether it was happening before we started making steps to cure the infection as appart from copying something off a USB stick, I never tried to save anything onto the USB stick so the read-only situation may have also been present then. I followed most of the steps from your advice about dissabling and enabling system restore and got the different java and all my internet options were as you suggested, so I'm not sure if any of that could have done it?

Hi troubleddud

Sorry for the delay in getting back to you. First question, does this problem affect all USB ports?

Second, open the Start menu, then right-click on My Computer and select Properties, then Hardware, then Device Manager.

At the bottom of the list should be Universal Serial Bus Controllers. Does that have an icon over it?

Hi Scotty. I've been in touch with Dell who are the manufacturer who have provided me with a good list of things to try. With regards to your question, there is that grey kind of logo before USB Controllers if that's what you mean? The first thing the Dell person told me to do was try uninstalling the USB Controllers. So rather skillfully, the first thing I did was to uninstal the one controling the mouse and keyboard and now I am rather helpless! Quite hilarious, but extremely frustrating!!!

Hi troubleddude Good old helpdesks eh? I take it you have access to another pc or PS/2 mouse and k/board? Oh and when you looked in Device Manager was there an icon like an exclamation mark (yellow) or red cross over the USB Controller?

Yes I have access to another computer here. Annoyingly, my computer doesn't have any PS/2 sockets as far as i'm aware. No there wasnt any exclamation mark or anything yellow or a red cross as I recall, everything looked normal. When I try to use Windows Safe Mode with Command Promt, I think I am supposed to remain in DOS? … however I am taken to Windows Safe Mode. Is this correct? I feel like i'm in real trouble here. My only possible interaction with the computer is before Windows and I am thinking that my only way out of this is using the recovery CD or making a boot CD and doing something in DOS with autoexec.bat or something? However I am reluctant to use the system recovery CD because I dont know what it will do - if I will lose programs/applications and/or any data. This is bad methinks. Just got a great reply from Dell saying ">Step 1:Remove the USB Root Hub in Device Manager and then allow the hub to redetect." and then going on to tell me how to do it by using the control panel. …I had to re-tell the guy that, yes thankyou - I cannot use the mouse or keyboard so am unable to click anything, let alone get into the control panel! lol

Hi troubleddude The unfortunate thing is, there wasnt a problem with the driver in the first place, and that was the first thing the guy at Dell should have checked. Using the Recovery CD, you can do a Repair, which will repair Windows without formatting. It seems to work for most, though personally not for me. Plus you would need a working k/board. What we need to do is for you to check the back of the case for two sockets. One is usually purple, the other green. Both are round with six pinholes. Those are PS/2 sockets. Also, what is the model of your pc. We may be able to download the drivers onto your working pc and somehow transfer them.

Hi Scotty. The PC is a Dell Dimension E521 and there are no sockets on the back as you described. There is an odd one - it's a round socket (ish) with 7 holes, a rectangular hole under the 7 round holes and a more square hole above them. I can't find any reference to what kind of socket this is so I'm not sure if it can help at all. … *scared*

That is a PS/2 socket. You should have two together. What colour is the one you have, if any?

Oh! Well I only have one and it is black. It is seven holes not six. So if this is a PS2 socket, if I have a PS2 keyboard (which I think I might have somewhere) I could use the recovery CD to try to fix the problem? ….I wonder if I would even need to, as when the computer gets into windows it is prompting me to look for the drivers with the New Hardware Found Wizard and perhaps I can let it find what it needs to find just using the keyboard? Or perhaps if I have a PS2 mouse I could make do with just the mouse?

Hi troubleddude Yes let the new hardware wizard re-install the drivers. Let me know how that goes. Have the USB mouse plugged in.

Hi again! Ok, i've just looked at some old mouses (mice? lol) and keyboards as well as an old computer. I am fairly certain that the socket I have is not a PS2 socket. The socket I have has 3 hole in a straight horizontal line, and then 4 under that in another horizontal line and no rectangular hole in the middle. So we are back to square one - if square one is that I have no PS2 sockets.

Are you saying the keyboard works? When the System starts up can you press F11 to open the Recovery Console, if you have one, and select the repair Option? If there is no Recovery Console, you will have to use the Recovery CD and follow the instructions to make a non-destructive Repair. Your data will remain intact and so should your applications.

There doesnt appear to be a F11 menu. They keyboard works but only in the initial start-up processes of the computer - so I can go into the F2, F8 and F12 menu's and do whatever options are available in there, but as soon as we are into Windows of any mode, the mouse and keyboard are innactive. The CD I have is called a "Reinstallation CD" and says "The software is already installed on your computer. Only use this CD to reinstall the operating system on a Dell computer. This CD is not for reinstillation of programs or drivers" I'm not sure that this CD is the same as a recovery CD?