Help needed - need to reload Windows Firewall
 

Somehow I acquired a Trojan Horse which must have delted my Windows Firewall. My McAfee Firewall will not activate because the the Windows Firewall is no longer there.

I went to the Windows fix it site and it didn't re-install it. I tried to restore my computer to every restore point on file back until mid-April and it wouldn't restore.

Can anyone direct me how to re-install the firewall? I do not want to reload the OS because it will wipe out my copy of Office which I would have to re-purchase.

Windows XP??

Run services.msc and tell me if these services are started (should be set to automatic):
Network Connections
Security Center
Windows Firewall
Event Log

Have you tried a full virus scan and malware scan? Do you know what you're infected with?

If MS Fixit won't do it, and none of the restore points work, you really should just reinstall. When system components are compromised to that degree, there's usually not an easy fix for it. Unless there's a specific removal tool. Saving Office isn't worth a compromised system.

Heh... don't format the machine yet..

Do what I said above and report back.
Also run "regedit" and navigate to this key:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Security Center

When you're there, look at the right margin and tell me if any of the entries have a value of anything aside from "0". A numeric value should be at the end of each string under the data column.

It's Windows 7 professional 16 bit

I kinda doubt that.

You're probably going to have to reload the OS.
I had this same problem back in March.
Took it to Geek Squad. They were stumped.

I wound up having to reset my laptop to its factory settings.

LMAO... how does a $200/hr tech support specialist get "stumped"?

**** Geek Squad. Biggest waste of money ever....

That seems likely.

I've seen these crooks charge a customer $165 for virus removal when the infection was only noted as "tracking cookies"... Stay away from Geek Squad.

Tell me about it.
I was furious. My girlfriend purchased yearlong support from Geek Squad when she bought my laptop. They had my laptop for 3 days and swore they'd resolved the issue.

When I got it back, all they had done is activated Norton's Firewall.
The Windows Firewall was STILL completely gone. Which meant that my laptop was still compromised.

They either had no clue what they were doing or they flat lied to her face.

I'd never had any interest in dealing with them until I got this new laptop back in February. I wrestled with it for 3 days trying to get this virus off of it. I wasn't able to, so I figured I'd use the service, since we had the coverage.

If she hadn't begged me not to...I would've called and flipped shit.

I actually did (can still do) contract work for Geek Squad, Panda, and Trend Micro subscription customers about a year ago. It's a good way to make extra cash part time. You'll almost always get better service over the phone/chat as most of the employees are independent contractors. I've seen far too much stupid shit from Geek Squad though.. Their only requirement for hiring appears to be a pulse.

I learned very quickly that it's not altogether different than shady repair shops who lie about services performed.

boot from the original windows CD
select "repair installation"

This is a nasty virus my laptop that infected my laptop. This morning I booted it up and it wiped our McAffee anti virus. I just reloaded Mcaffee and I keep getting a pop up window that says Trojan removed. It pops up every few minutes. I am running a complete scan now.

I have the OS disc. Looks like I am going to have to reload the OS. Do I just insert the disc and follw the promts to reload it?