Web working, updates not!

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I was helping a friend with their laptop last night. Initially they told me the Internet didn't work - just getting the page cannot be displayed message.

When I got there the Internet did work normally but their AV package (Panda IS 2009) kept failing to make a connection to download updates. This was most likely because it was trying to do so through the loopback address.

I stripped out Panda thinking that perhaps some feature of that was blocking the updates and then installed AVG free edition. This also wouldn't connect to the updates URL.

Thinking it was probably spyware I downloaded Spybot S&D. During the install, it wouldn't download the updates immediately so I disabled that feature, tried again and this time the install completed. However now the program won't open!

All the TCP/IP settings are fine and comms with the router is fine. Tried the firewall enabled and disabled but that made no difference. Just cannot download updates for anything.

Anyone got any ideas before I just go for a re-install of Windows?

 

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I've seen similar for the past week or so on customer's machines. Download HiJackThis and look for 'nctedit.exe' and 'mtrstart.exe'.

Having checked Prevx, they reckon that it's a recent appearance on the web, although its associated filenames have apparently been around for longer. Have a look here.

If you have got that, I've found that AVG can see it, MalwareBytes Anti-Malware and Spyware Doctor (Go with the Starter edition) both see it too, and claim to deal with it. You might also want to get Threatfire installed so you can deal with it when it inevitably tries to re-knacker up your svchost.exe process.

Of course, I could be completely wrong. This is just my experience of the last week - I've seen 5 of them so far.

 

Thanks Matt will give it a try

 

Wow this sounds nasty, while reading the OP I was just going to recommend a fresh install myself, but I imagine this could be one nasty little virus mucking it up.