Cant logon to WindowsXP, deleted some registry keys

[chloec42]

I use Malwarebytes Antimalware regularly

http://www.malwarebytes.org/mbam and havent had an infection found

in about a year.
Yesterday i scanned after about a month and i saw 12 infections !

MBAM said it could not clean a few infections:

==============
Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware 1.44
Database version: 3510
Windows 5.1.2600 Service Pack 2
Internet Explorer Unknown

9/11/2010 11:19:49 PM
mbam-log-2010-09-11 (23-19-49).txt

Scan type: Quick Scan
Objects scanned: 94917
Time elapsed: 2 minute(s), 49 second(s)

Memory Processes Infected: 0
Memory Modules Infected: 0
Registry Keys Infected: 2
Registry Values Infected: 2
Registry Data Items Infected: 3
Folders Infected: 1
Files Infected: 4

Memory Processes Infected:
(No malicious items detected)

Memory Modules Infected:
(No malicious items detected)

Registry Keys Infected:
HKEY_USERS\.DEFAULT\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\Cur rentVersion\Explorer\{43bf8cd1-c5d5-2230-7bb2-98f22c2b7dc6}

(Backdoor.Bot) -> Quarantined and deleted successfully.
HKEY_USERS\S-1-5-18\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explo rer\{43bf8cd1-c5d5-2230-7bb2-98f22c2b7dc6}

(Backdoor.Bot) -> Quarantined and deleted successfully.

Registry Values Infected:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\Curr entVersion\Run\mp3_audio_codec (Spyware.Zbot) -> Quarantined and

deleted successfully.
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Network\uid (Malware.Trace) -> Quarantined and

deleted successfully.

Registry Data Items Infected:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon\Userinit (Spyware.Zbot) -> Data: c:

\windows\system32\sdra64.exe -> Delete on reboot.
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon\Userinit (Spyware.Zbot) -> Data:

system32\sdra64.exe -> Delete on reboot.
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon\Userinit (Hijack.Userinit) -> Bad: (C:

\WINDOWS\system32\userinit.exe,C:\WINDOWS\system32 \sdra64.exe,) Good: (Userinit.exe) -> Quarantined and deleted

successfully.

Folders Infected:
C:\WINDOWS\system32\lowsec (Stolen.data) -> Delete on reboot.

Files Infected:
C:\WINDOWS\system32\lowsec\local.ds (Stolen.data) -> Delete on reboot.
C:\WINDOWS\system32\lowsec\user.ds (Stolen.data) -> Delete on reboot.
C:\WINDOWS\system32\lowsec\user.ds.lll (Stolen.data) -> Quarantined and deleted successfully.
C:\WINDOWS\system32\sdra64.exe (Spyware.Zbot) -> Delete on reboot.
=======================

So i thought of manually removing the infected Registry keys. (Something i've done many times before)

While I was at
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon\
I saw a key named 'Special Accounts', it looked fishy to my paranoid eyes. Had some 'strange' values in it, None

corresponding to my Username (Administrator) or Guest. 3 were somewhat random letters with a ~, and one was '

search assistant'. Looked like malware remains of some kind, so, i deleted them all.

After that i rebooted, the welcome screen showed up (usually straightaway shows me desktop since there is just one

user 'Administrator') with the only user 'Administrator'. When i click it, it shows 'loading your personal

settings' for a second. Then it reads 'saving your settings' and stays at the logon screen. Repeated it for 10

times. Restarted and repeated. Shut Down and repeated. Always same result.

Then i tried the 'Last Know good configuration' in statup options. Still same result.
Tried 'Safe Mode' starts loading then breaks at 'unable to load NTFS.dll'
'Safe mode with networking' same logon screen and same one second login and return to logon screen.

I dont know how to login. Can someone please help. Is there a way to remotely add the keys back to my registry. Or

some way to correct this problem?

Thanks and Regards

guptavis

[redwudz]

Restore or Safe Mode won't help if you deleted registry entries. They're gone permanently with a click of the key. One reason to always back up your registry before making changes there.

You 'might' be able to restore the deleted entries by reading them from a working copy of XP, then typing them back in. If you know exactly which ones. But I'm not sure how to get to the registry if you can't boot the computer. Maybe with a live boot Linux distro.

But more likely, time for a reformat.

But others here may have some ideas.

And welcome to our forums.

[hech54]

Guptavis,
Malwarebytes is not the problem. As Red says...hopefully you have a recent registry backup somewhere.

http://forums.techguy.org/windows-xp/949529-unable-go-past-logon-screen.html

[Bjs]

Your problem is easy to spot ... malware killed the "Userinit.exe"

To fix follow this link to restore userinit.exe and you should be able to logon once more.

The "unable to load NTFS.dll" points to further problems so it might be time for a reinstall.

[chloec42]

Guptavis,
Malwarebytes is not the problem. As Red says...hopefully you have a recent registry backup somewhere.

http://forums.techguy.org/windows-xp/949529-unable-go-past-logon-screen.html

thank for your help

[jollyjohn]

Try this.