activeX errors and blank control panel

Hi,

a friend runnning ME has the following problems:

- when he starts the PC, he gets the message that his security settings prohibit running activeX controls

- in IE (vs 6) under tools - internet options - security he can't change the position of the slider and attempting to do so throws up errors in inetcpl.cpl message followed by errors in dimm.dll and IE crashes

- his control panel is blank

- 'my computer' does not let him access any drives

- his active desktop doesnt start on startup and it is not possible to click on the box to restore settings.

Recent PC changes. He used to run PC-cillin anti virus. Has recently switched to AVG. Adaware & spybot give a clean sheet.

Any ideas ? Should I post this on the securities issues board instead of here?

thankx in advance.........

 

Hello doverbeach,

Can this system get on line? If so, use the on-line virus scanners under security here: http://www.windowsbbs.com/links.php

You might also try MS Anti-Spyware, link to it on the same page along with HighjackThis.

Instructions for HighjackThis:
Download it to it's own folder, for example C:\HijackThis - unzip (double click on zipped folder) - click on the executable - click scan button - click save log and save to the folder you just created *DO NOT FIX ANYTHING* - copy resultant .txt file and paste into your next post.

This system appears to be so compromised though that it may not be worth trying to "fix ", instead backup user data and reinstall the OS.

Regards - Charles

 

I guess your friend speaks and reads English, and doesn't read or speak any Chinese, as I believe he has a bad infection of a malware called "Chinese Keyword ", among other things. The dimm.dll is part of IE's Eastern Language support, I believe.
security settings prohibit running activeX controls
That is most likely the result of something trying to access a website that is in the Restricted Zone of IE, indicating prior use of Spywareblaster or maybe the IE-spyads file, and is trying to download and install something else.
Can you get into Safe Mode. Go to Start\Run, type in Msconfig, and press Enter. Click on the Advanced, then put a checkmark for Enable Startup Menu, and reboot.
If that doesn't work, go to Bootdisk, and download the file for ME OEM. Put a floppy into the drive and double click this file, and a ME boot floppy will be made for you. If you are running XP, it still will create it for you.
Then boot the computer with it, choose Without CD-rom support. Then do these commands at the prompt.
attrib -r -s -h c:\msdos.sys
edit c:\msdos.sys
Then add this line to the bottom;
Bootmenu=1
Then hold down the ALT key, then press F. Choose Save on the menu, then exit Edit by the same method.
Then do this command.
attrib +r +s +h c:\msdos.sys
Take out floppy and reboot. Choose Safe Mode, then go to Start\Run, type in Msconfig and press Enter. Uncheck items that are not recognized. Then try to into Normal mode by rebooting.

 

Hi guys, thanx for the advice. Friend does not speak chinese but his wife was Japanese, so that probably accounts for the dimm file.

In the end after much struggling we managed to get his PC to go back to a version about 10 days before and the problems have gone. Well except for one which seems unrelated which I will post under a new thread & title.