Forums mIRC Help HELP HELP HELP!!! MIRC DID SOMETHING EVIL!!

I had mirc 5.71 in c:\mirc , alont with some downloads in that directory.I just installed mirc 6.12. Then i tried to start Winamp , i clicked it, and MIRC opened, i tried to pen Flashget - MIRC Opened instead of the program again.I tried to install a driver,- instead of installation , mirc opened again. I tried to uninstall mirc ,but when i click Add/Remove Programs , mirc opens again!!! I rebooted - no result!
Then i deleted mirc , and when i try to start anything , it tells me : "The Specified path does not exist" . NOTHING can open!! Even the control panel options, not even rundll32 , nor regedit.It always tell me "The specified path doesn't exist".

Please help!! my WinXP installation Cd broke , so i cant reinstall , anyone got any ideas?? Please :'(

Firstly, calm down, you don't want a heart attack at Christmas!

Now, sounds very much like a virus...I couldn't think of another reason mIRC would open if you tried to uninstall it. Seeing as you've posted here, I'm guessing Internet Explorer still opens (or whatever browser you use) so download AVG, SwatIT and/or The Cleaner and have a good cleaning session on your computer. At the same time, I bet you have some spyware sitting around that's just waiting to be removed, so download and run Ad Aware too. Let these programs deal with any infections found..if they can't FIX the file(s) then deleting them should be OK. Also make sure Windows is completely up to date - go to Windows Update and update everything, but especially Critical updates.

After this, try uninstalling mIRC again. If it lets you, reboot and install 6.12.

If the above does not work for whatever reason, and the problem is as problematic as you say it is, then you may have to reformat (which I rarely suggest doing, I think it's a little drastic in most cases). You can get a lot of information about it here.

I suggest you wait 3/4 days (maybe a week) before you reformat to see if anyone posts better suggestions. You may want to first try contacting Microsoft and browsing the Windows XP Support Centre.

I hope you can sort your problem out soon, but don't worry too much, one way or another you will be able to get back on IRC!

Regards,

I guess I didn't mention that i can't start any EXEs
The only stuff that opens, without opening Mirc, is IE , Outlook , My Computer , and the basic stuff.Even if i download the Anti-virus things, i can install them , nor run them :P .And i don't think its a virus , because my PC was 100% OK , and the same moment installed M6.12 , BAM - mirc took over my pc

P.S. I scanned for spyware yesturday.
HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO UNINSTALL Mirc , if when i try to open Add/Remove Program , mirc opens instead of it.

Oh yea, i can say ot more clearly now :
Mirc opens istead of all the files i try to run!! I run Solitare(!) , mirc opens instead. I try to install the new nvidia drivers, mirc opens instead , i delete mirc and it seems the files on my pc dont really exist anymore! :P

Ah well , Merry X-Mas to all , and if anyone else has the same problem , post it here . I hope its some sort of a bug in 6.12

P.S.2. - Where can i get a mirc uninstaller?

Internet Explorer/Outlook Express are .exe files. I suggest creating a new folder on the Desktop (call it 'Downloads') and saving the antiviruses etc there, then trying to run it (you might aswell give it a shot).

You can run a Search and see if others have had this problem, although I haven't seen anything myself.

You may have to resort to formatting if nobody else can think of anything

Regards,

If you can't download and run anything, housecall is a good online scanner.

Hello,

Seems like the mirc (probably a gtbot that is missing its application to actually hide it from you when it starts) has 'taken over' the filetype for applications (meaning application calls will be passed to it instead, trojans/viruses that use this method usually start the application you want with the exception of antivirus tools so you dont notice anything suspicous going on). It does this so it can remain loaded. Please understand that mIRC has merely been used as a tool by the 'bad guys'. You will have to make and import a .reg file to restore the proper file associations.

Swen used this starting method, I have taken/adapted the following from here you may wish to visit that url and use its instructions instead.

On your deskop, right click and select New > Text Document, call this 'fix.txt' or whatever you want, double click this file (it should run notepad.exe properly as this should be the file type for .txt - thankfully file associations aren't recursive), in this new file paste in:



(you may note the url i pasted above also included a line to restore settings for 'regfile', you can only hope that this trojan DIDNT take over that file type, or this method will not work and you will have to use the safe/command line only method)

Then click "File" and "Save as", change file type to 'All Files' and save as 'fix.reg' on your desktop (or wherever you will find it easily), return to your desktop and double click the new .reg file, it *should* ask if you want to import the registry settings (or similar), click yes. You should now be able to open applications normally so you can install your virus scanner.

If you are unsure/uncertain of the instructions I gave you, or they fail to work for you please visit the url above.

Good luck.

Have you tried starting programs through a command box (hopefully this is one of the 'basic things' that work)?

First open a command prompt - should be somewhere in start-programs.
Then go to the directory the program is in, using 'cd', for example:
cd "program files\norton antivirus" <ENTER>
then start the program by typing it's name, f.e.:
navw32 <ENTER>

Reformat your PC, ;x