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Windows Forum / Windows 98 / Software / August 2004

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wtoolsa

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dottiebm - 30 Aug 2004 23:55 GMT
I have been getting the message that wtoolsa has performed
an illegal operation, etc., on booting up the computer and
when attempting to open programs.  It keeps popping up
when you try to close.  Can anyone tell me why and how to
make it stop?
Richard G. Harper - 31 Aug 2004 00:44 GMT
Read here:

http://www.doxdesk.com/parasite/HuntBar.html

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Richard G. Harper [MVP Win9x]  rgharper@email.com
* PLEASE post all messages and replies in the newsgroups
* for the benefit of all.  Private mail is usually not replied to.
* HELP us help YOU ... http://www.dts-l.org/goodpost.htm

>I have been getting the message that wtoolsa has performed
> an illegal operation, etc., on booting up the computer and
> when attempting to open programs.  It keeps popping up
> when you try to close.  Can anyone tell me why and how to
> make it stop?
Bert Kinney - 31 Aug 2004 00:47 GMT
Hi,

Previously posted by Mike Maltby - MS MVP
*************************************************************
wtoolsa.exe is malware and appears to be a new member of the IBIS Toolbar
family (http://www.pestpatrol.com/PestInfo/i/ibis_toolbar.asp) or even a
variant of
the CoolWebSearch parasite.  It certainly doesn't form a part of the Win Me
operating system.  One install mechanism it uses is if you choose to install
the toolbar from xxx.websearch.com

Boot to Safe Mode, open MSConfig (Start, Run, enter MSConfig in the box and
click OK), open the Startup tab and uncheck the entry being used to launch
wstoolsa.exe, possibly labelled something like WinTools as well as any
entries
referring to wtoolsb.dll, wsup.exe and tb_setup.exe.

Browse to and delete the contents of your C:\Windows\Temp folder and also
clear you Temporary Internet Files (Internet Options | General | Delete
Files
and ensure that you check the box "Delete all offline content", then click
OK
and Apply.

Now check Add/Remove Programs and uninstall any entry for WinTools.

You should also delete the entire Wintools folder which is probably
located as a sub-folder in C:\Program Files\Common Files or alternatively in
C:\Windows\System.  Check for and delete all copies of wtoolsa.exe,
wtoolsb.dll, wsup.exe and tb_setup.exe.

Now reboot back into Normal Mode and check your system for commercial
parasites.

This might be a good time to download yourself a  copy
of the free Ad-Aware 6.0 from Lavasoft
(http://www.lavasoftusa.com/software/adaware/) and also SpyBot
(http://www.safer-networking.org/) and scan your system for and remove all
unwanted parasites, adware and spyware that might be hiding on your PC.

I  would suggest you download and run merijn's CWShredder which targets the
CoolWebSearch parasite. CWShredder can be downloaded from
(http://www.zerosrealm.com/downloads/CWShredder.zip or
http://www.spywareinfo.com/~merijn/files/cwshredder.zip).  Details of the
many
forms of the CoolWebSearch hijacker can be found at
http://www.spywareinfo.com/~merijn/cwschronicles.html and also
http://www.pestpatrol.com/pestinfo/c/cws.asp.

If you continue to have problems download a copy of HijackThis from
http://www.spywareinfo.com/~merijn/downloads.html).  Create a folder called
hijackthis on C: and copy the file you downloaded to that folder.  Close as
many applications as you can including all instances of Internet Explorer
and
then run hijackthis.exe and post back the log, provided that it isn't too
long, to this thread, otherwise to the HijackThis Forum at
http://www.spywareinfo.com/forums/ and hopefully this will enable someone to
identify the cause of your problem.

Possible entries in the HiJackThis log to remove include:
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [WinTools] C:\Program Files\Common
files\WinTools\WToolsA.exe
O4 - HKLM\..\RunServices: [WinTools] C:\Program Files\Common
files\WinTools\WToolsA.exe

O16 - DPF: {1D4DB7D2-6EC9-47A3-BD87-1E41684E07BB} (Fun Web Products
Installer
Start) - http://imgfarm.com/images/nocache/funwe....0.0.5.cab
***************************************************************************

Signature

Regards,
Bert Kinney [MS-MVP DTS]
http://dts-l.org/
How to Configure Outlook Express for Internet News:
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?kbid=171164

> I have been getting the message that wtoolsa has performed
> an illegal operation, etc., on booting up the computer and
> when attempting to open programs.  It keeps popping up
> when you try to close.  Can anyone tell me why and how to
> make it stop?
anonymous@discussions.microsoft.com - 31 Aug 2004 05:03 GMT
Thanks, I will try this.  And actually, I think someone in
the family did recently download that web search toolbar.
>-----Original Message-----
>Hi,
[quoted text clipped - 3 lines]
>wtoolsa.exe is malware and appears to be a new member of the IBIS Toolbar
>family (http://www.pestpatrol.com/PestInfo/i/ibis_toolbar.asp) or
even a
>variant of
>the CoolWebSearch parasite.  It certainly doesn't form a part of the Win Me
[quoted text clipped - 34 lines]
>(http://www.zerosrealm.com/downloads/CWShredder.zip or
>http://www.spywareinfo.com/~merijn/files/cwshredder.zip).
Details of the
>many
>forms of the CoolWebSearch hijacker can be found at
[quoted text clipped - 21 lines]
>Start) - http://imgfarm.com/images/nocache/funwe....0.0.5.cab
>**********************************************************
*****************

>> I have been getting the message that wtoolsa has performed
>> an illegal operation, etc., on booting up the computer and
[quoted text clipped - 3 lines]
>
>.
 
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