Helping people with computers... one answer at a time.
When installing anti-malware tools on your machine makes things worse, it's one hint that there may already be a deeper problem.
I followed your recommendation and installed Microsoft Security Essentials. It's been a nightmare ever since. Things are worse than before. I don't know how you can recommend something like that. What do I do to get this mess cleaned up?
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I stand by my recommendation.
Microsoft Security Essentials is a solid anti-malware tool that works and works well in the vast majority of cases. I like it because it's a one-stop solution for a fairly broad base of protection and it's kept up to date by Windows Update.
So why'd it mess up your machine so badly?
I have a theory.
And I have some steps for you to try and dig out of this mess.
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Which came first?
My theory is simply this: your machine was already infected with malware.
Malware these days is pretty sophisticated and part of that sophistication is that viruses and spyware will take steps to protect themselves. Most often, this is in the form of preventing anti-malware tools from running or updating, and perhaps even preventing you from accessing download sites where you might get anti-malware tools.
What I believe has happened is that the malware already on your machine seriously interfered with your installation of Microsoft Security Essentials. Either the installation was prevented or corrupted or the program's ability to run was somehow disabled.
In other words, the malware made a further mess of things.
That makes things kinda tough, because if you have an infected machine, one of the first things that you want to do is to update or install anti-malware tools to eradicate the infection.
But you can't clean the infection ... because the machine is infected.
Try this instead
Using a different machine, download the Microsoft Standalone System Sweeper and burn that to a CD.
Now, reboot your infected computer from that CD and run the tool to scan your machine's hard drive for malware.
Booting from that CD prevents the malware on your machine from ever gaining control and thereby stopping that malware from interfering with the anti-malware tool.
Which, by the way, is really just a version of Microsoft Security Essentials, in a stand-alone, boot-from-cd form.
My guess is that there's a good chance that the sweeper will detect and remove the malware that started all of this.
If not, I'd point you at How do I recover from a bad virus infection? for further, more aggressive steps to take to rid yourself of the problem.
Assigning Blame
Don't blame the messenger.
If there's malware on your machine, then all bets are off; it's not really your machine any more.
As such, that means that the malware could be responsible for all sorts of mischief, particularly making anti-malware tools fail or otherwise misbehave.
Microsoft Security Essentials is a good anti-malware tool. Because of that, it's very likely that malware would target it, not just to prevent it from working, but perhaps even to make it look bad.
Article C4965 - October 26, 2011
Leo A. Notenboom has been playing with computers since he
was required to take a programming class in 1976. An 18 year career as a programmer at Microsoft soon followed.
After "retiring" in 2001, Leo started Ask Leo! in 2003 as a place for answers
to common computer and technical questions. More about Leo.
@rob 1-11-2011
Posted by: soloman at November 2, 2011 1:00 PMgreetings you do not mention 32or64bit?i have done a quick google search and microsoft show answers for 2011 on this subject mse only available for 32bit i'm not sure if we are allowed to post link but you can find all the info including the the same advise leo/others have given on this subject i have to be honest and say i have installed mse for other people over a dozen infact on new win7 computers no problem so may be an idea to re search google as you have missed this microsoft advise page which also tells you to make sure you have the latest service pack
thank you.
MSE has worked fine for me and other computers. I would make sure Windows Defender is disabled. Use Malwarebytes to scan and clean anything MSE doesn't detect.
Posted by: Mark at November 2, 2011 8:55 PMive spoken with a few people that ive put on to mse and even though i know they would contact me if they had a problem i though there may be a couple who may not as they would not wish to take up my time and for this article i must report non have had any problems at all yet most had loaded the free trial of norton/other when they first got their machines either them-selves or with other help those i helped from scratch(from new just getting their computers i scrapped norton/other and put in mse so infact ive proberly put mse on over 20 machines new/used by owner prior to my mse boasting and of the few ive asked all love it mainly its easy to use and because they have had no trouble with it unlike their previous free trial security
Posted by: soloman at November 3, 2011 5:03 PMi wonder if the person who first had the problem has re contacted leo as i can not see who it is to ask by name/may have overlooked it but apart from leo/help by others check list for installing mse answers microsoft 26feb2011 google makes it more than clear do/dont em proberly another leo production but it would be nice to know if leo/this forum has made/been any help to those with problems as a couple of people ive used mse are new to computers and in their more senior years they keep messing up their e-mail but have no problems following the mse/my advise/instructions so pleas if any-body leo/all have been of any help please say so it makes it more interesting and lets you know you are not talking to yourself
thank you.
Leo,
Posted by: Ken in San Jose at November 5, 2011 10:22 PMI agree with using Microsoft Standalone System Sweeper. But I would install it on a empty USB pen drive (Microsoft Standalone System Sweeper formats the USB drive so use an empty one). Then you can update it before you run it to get the latest data set. I do this weekly, so far it has found nothing. But it's free and runs off the USB drive so nothing is in use and it can check everything.
To thank Soloman - 32-bit and, yes, all updates (service packs) installed as I have a licensed version of XP. Maybe this is a nefarious MS method to get me to update to Win 7?
Posted by: Rob at November 8, 2011 8:52 PM