HELP! Windows Optimization Center!

The family computer is a PC with Windows Vista, I think 64-bit. It's a Dell and has recently been infected with the infamous "Windows Optimization Center." I have run Spyware Doctor, Malwarebytes, and wiped out a bunch of infected files. Still nothing.

The problem now is that there is no way to get to my task manager. The virus/malware/spyware has it set up so every time I try to access the taskbar, Cntrl-Shft-Escape, it immediately closes it.

I cannot run Spyware Search-and-destroy, even in safe mode, because any program I open up is closed within seconds by this virus.

I did catch a quick view in the task manager of somethin called "protect.exe," I think it was, which was unfamiliar to me and seemed it may have somethin to do with the fact that I taskmanager will not stay opened, not even for a half-second.

I'm unfamiliar with pcs these days.

Does anyone have a solution to this problem?

The pc has lost access to the internet also, because of this problem.

I have the programs, and blank cds. I need to find a way to completely remove this thing, or get it so I can run a program (spybot), to full scan without this virus closing it out.

I've repaired many PCs in my day,, this... I have not been able to fix. The thing is malicious.
Help. Please!

Most of the guides out there require you to download yet more anti malware tools

This page appears to show how to manually hunt down and delete the files

How to Guide: Remove Windows Optimization Center, "Windows Optimization Center" Removal Instructions - Tee Support Blog

If the Windows installation is so crippled that you can't even do anything in safe mode, the best thing might be to grab a copy of any Linux live CD and boot into that. From there you can access the NTFS partition for Windows and then following @luishen's link, find all offending files/directories and clobber them.

Reboot out of Linux and into Windows and see if it's OK enough to run your malware removal software, if not, go back into Linux and continue clobbering..

While you are in Linux, you might also want to take the time to grab all your important documents and copy it to an USB flash drive or some other backup media..

Regards

If MBAM can't get rid of it, I highly doubt anything else will work.

Do what Raz0r suggested and also look at: Darik's Boot And Nuke | Hard Drive Disk Wipe and Data Clearing I have had to use Dban once before and it worked.

No need to back anything up, and it's a good thing too because it would be near impossible.

Thank you all for your help! I will try out with all the info you guys provided this weekend and let you guys know how I do with this.

I already went through the windows optimization center removal instructions on different websites, but they don't tell where I can find these files to delete. When i search for them, nothing comes up, so I would think that I would have to find what folder these files are in order to delete them.

I just went through this hassle a few months ago on one of our office machines.
This thing is just flat out nasty. Same stuff, nothing working even in safe mode. Couldn't open task manager, unless you opened it right after booting up the machine before all this things parts had loaded.

I spent several days with all the regular apps and ended up at bleepingcomputer.
The problem is, once infected with this thing, it auto downloads and installs some of it's friends also.

Here's their tutorial on removing it.

If MBAM is not doing it for you either, I'd have to recommend not wasting any more time. It's time to stick in the Windows disc, blow away the partition and start over with a fresh install. This was only the 2nd time in close to 30 years now, that I've had to blow away Windows to clean it.

I ran the Dell Recovery, (which is available without a disk, in the program menu).

That worked. Problem solved.

Now, I'm just going to make sure I put up the proper defenses with these programs, make sure it doesn't happen again.

Thanks for all you help guys!

Ncascone said:

I ran the Dell Recovery, (which is available without a disk, in the program menu).

That worked. Problem solved.

Now, I'm just going to make sure I put up the proper defenses with these programs, make sure it doesn't happen again.

Thanks for all you help guys!

Click to expand...

MSE is a good all in one program for any kind of security on Windows.

My personal favorite setup is: Avira MalwareBytes Comodo Firewall