A convenient way to deal with “Unexpected Error 0×8ffe2740″

Ever had the annoying problem of IIS not wanting to start, coughing up the message ”Unexpected Error 0×8ffe2740 Occurred.”?  The reason is that some other application has grabbed port 80.  The most common applications doing this are Skype or Trillion.  You can try just ending task on them and see if IIS will then start.  If you’re not running either of those then what could it be?  Microsoft’s KB article about the subject describes using the third-party utilities TCPView or FPort.  But I think an easier way to find the issue is to simply drop out to a command prompt and run:

netstat -aon

Scroll up to the top part with TCP listings and you’ll see something like this:

Then under “Local Address” look for 0.0.0.0:80.  This is your entry, and a the far right is the PID you’re after.  With that number you can then run Task Manager, select the Process tab, and add the PID column in the display from View / Select Columns:

When you’ve found the process with the same PID, end task on it.  The universe should then return to a state of perfect harmony.  (Or at least your IIS will be able to start at that point!)

Another more geeky option to kill the offending app is to compile and run this line of .NET code:

System.Diagnostics.Process.GetProcessById( PID# ).Kill()

(Of course putting in the proper PID where indicated there.)

With everything that the Process class does, you could actually write your own highly effective Task Manager application in .NET if you really wanted to!

How do I configure IIS to host my web page?

IIS (Internet Information Services) is an easy-to-use web server from Microsoft. IIS is not installed on Windows XP Professional by default. It is however installed when you upgrade from Windows NT or Windows 2000 to Windows XP Pro. If not installed IIS can be installed as follows:

1. Click Start, click Control Panel, and double-click Add/Remove Programs. The Add/Remove Programs application starts.
2. In the left column of the Add/Remove Programs dialog box, click Add/Remove Windows Components.
3. When the Windows Components Wizard appears, click Next.
4. In the Windows Components list, select IIS.
5. Click Next, and follow the instructions.

IIS allows you to host a web page on your own computer that can be accessed by others using the DNS name or the IP address of the PC on the network. The IP address can be found by using the command ipconfig in command prompt.

The IIS is configured using the IIS snap-in, previously called the Internet Services Manager. This can be accessed in one of three ways:

Method 1:

1. From the Start menu, select Settings and then Control Panel
2. Open Administrative Tools
3. Open Internet Information Services

Method 2:

1. Right click on My Computer on your desktop
2. Select Manage to open the Computer Management console
3. Select Internet Information Services under Services and Applications

Method 3:

1. From the Start menu, select Run
2. Type inetmgr and run the command

The Internet Information Services snap-in provides server management options to control content and access to your Web or FTP sites. For example, if you are a developer testing a site before uploading it to an intranet or the Internet, you can use this tool to test your settings exactly as they will be on the final server. When the IIS is installed a default Web site and FTP site are created. You can now publish information on these default sites by following the steps outlined below:

To Publish Content on your Web Site

1. Create a home page for your Web site using any web page design tool
2. Name your home page file Default.htm or Default.asp
3. Copy your home page into the default Web publishing directory for IIS also called the home directory located in \inetpub\wwwroot
4. If your network has a name resolution system (typically DNS), then visitors can simply type your computer name in the address bar of their browsers to reach your site. If your network does not have a name resolution system, visitors must type the numerical IP address of your computer.

To Publish Content on your FTP Site

1. Copy or move your files into the default FTP publishing directory. The default directory provided by Setup is \inetpub\ftproot.
2. If your network has a name resolution system (typically DNS), then visitors can type ftp:// followed by your computer name in the address bar of their browsers to reach your site. If your network does not have a name resolution system, visitors must type ftp:// and the numerical IP address of your computer.

Using Windows XP Professional you can host one Web site and one FTP site on a single computer. If you would like to host multiple Web or FTP sites on a single computer, consider upgrading to a server product.

Configuring Your Computer to Boot from CD

Many computers are not configured to boot from the CDROM. If you cannot boot from the CDROM, this is probably due to the boot order of your devices being incorrect. You can change this in the BIOS.

You enter the BIOS from the first screen you see when you turn your computer on. To enter your BIOS, most users here will press the DEL key.

Most Dell, Toshiba, Gateway, Sony & HP systems will press F2.

Compaq users will usually have to press F10.

IBM typically uses F1 or F2.

Other brands may have different keys to press to enter setup, F1, F2, Del, Tab and CTRL+S. If possible see the manual for your computer or motherboard. Also, the BIOS will usually display which button to press to “enter setup” during POST (if it flashes by too fast, press the Pause key).

When you enter the BIOS setup, you need to change the boot order. The CDROM should be setup before the Hard Drive. Each BIOS is different, but here is an example:

IMPORTANT NOTE: After running a repair, you may find that Windows Update refuses to install the most recent 80 patches. This is because the latest version of Windows Update is broken, and doesn’t register some DLLs if they’re previously been registered (as happens with a repair install). Here’s a work around until they get it fixed:

1. Stop the Automatic Updates service. To do this, follow these steps:
   1. Click Start, click Run, type cmd, and then click OK.
   2. At the command prompt, type the following commands, and then press ENTER after each command:
      net stop wuauserv
      exit
2. Register the file that is used by Windows Update and Microsoft Update. To do this, follow these steps:
   1. Click Start, click Run, type cmd, and then click OK.
   2. At the command prompt, type the following command, press ENTER after the command, and then click OK when you receive a verification message:
      regsvr32 %windir%\system32\wups2.dll
      Note: for x64 machines regsvr32 %windir%\syswow64\wups2.dll
3. Start the Automatic Updates service. To do this, follow these steps:
   1. Click Start, click Run, type cmd, and then click OK.
   2. At the command prompt, type the following commands, and then press ENTER after each command:
      net start wuauserv
      exit

How to repair Windows XP

One of the best kept secrets of Windows XP is it’s built in repair feature!

In previous versions of Windows, correcting an operating system error, or installing a new motherboard, usually meant formating and reinstalling, resulting in loss of all data. Don’t worry; Windows XP repair feature won’t delete your data, installed programs, personal information, or settings. It just repairs the operating system!

Note: The system repair function will remove any updates you have previously installed that are not included on the CD. Drivers will also be reverted to their original XP versions, as well as some settings (network & performance settings may sometimes be reset to their defaults). It may be necessary to reactivate your Windows XP as well. When finished, you will have to download all of the updates from Microsoft Windows Update, because they are all replaced during repair.

Why would I want to reinstall Windows XP?
1) Can’t start Windows XP in safe mode.
2) You have problems caused by a recently installed system update (Windows Update, hotfix, Windows XP service pack, or Microsoft Internet Explorer update).
3) Your problems can’t be solved with system restore, or you can’t access system restore.
4) You’ve installed a new motherboard, or made other major hardware changes and need to reinstall Windows.

Let’s get started!

Step 1: Rule out hardware issues. Windows Repair will only fix software problems. Hardware issues can also cause boot problems (i.e. bad hard drive, memory, CPU, or power supply).

Step 2: Backup. It’s always a good idea to backup your important data before making changes to Windows XP. Relax, if you follow these instructions your data will be perfectly safe.

Step 3: Boot from your Windows XP CD. Insert the Windows XP CD into your computer’s CD-ROM or DVD-ROM drive, and then restart your computer. When the “Press any key to boot from CD” message appears on the screen, press a key to start your computer from the Windows XP CD. Can’t boot from your CD? Please see the note at the bottom of this page (Configuring Your Computer to Boot from CD).

Step 4: A blue screen will appear and begin loading Windows XP Setup from the CD.

Note: RAID/SCSI/Unsupported UDMA users:
You will be prompted to “press F6 to install any third party SCSI or RAID drivers”. Most users will not have to press F6, but if you are running RAID, SCSI or unsupported UDMA controllers, then you will have to have your controller drivers on a floppy disk. If you are unsure whether you have RAID/SCSI, then simply let the CD load without pressing F6.

When completed loading files, you will be presented with the following “Windows Setup” screen, and your first option. Select “To set up Windows XP now, press ENTER”. DO NOT select Recovery Console.

When presented with the screen below. press the F8 key to continue.

Next, Windows Setup will find existing Windows XP installations. You will be asked to repair an existing XP installation, or install a fresh copy of Windows XP.

If no installations are found, then you will not be given the option to repair. This may happen if the data or partition on your drive is too corrupted.

Note: If you install a fresh copy, all data on that partition will be lost!

Your almost finished! Windows XP will appear to be installing itself for the first time, but it will retain all of your data and settings. Just follow the prompts, and have your CD-KEY ready if needed.

Remember to run Windows Update! (install critical updates first)

It’s not always malware: How to fix the top 10 Internet Explorer issues

alware, the perennial enemy of the Web surfer, has received a lot of publicity and analysis over the past 12 months and rightly so, but this attention has, in some ways, proven to be a two-edged sword.

It is easy to forget that issues with Internet Explorer are not always caused by malware, especially when the support groups are full of cries for help from owners of infected machines. Sometimes, when malware fixes don’t work, people are at a loss as to what to do next. I have even seen examples where people have been advised to reformat their machines unnecessarily, but I have reached the thread too late to say “No, don’t do that yet.”

Now for the good news…

The Internet Explorer of today is far more stable than it was back in 1999 when I first started supporting users. Back then kernel32.dll and wininet.dll crashes were regularly reported in the newsgroups – now such errors are only occasionally reported. Not only that, when non-malware issues do occur they are often easy to fix and often are solved by the same few tried and true procedures.

It’s beyond the scope of this article to cover all of the potential fixes for my “Top 10″ Internet Explorer issues, what you’ll find here is what experience has taught me is most likely to succeed. Note: Some of these procedures are for more advanced users.

Issues viewing Web pages

“Page cannot be displayed” errors

Red x instead of pictures

View, Source doesn’t work

To address the issues above, you may need to try one, some, or all of the following three procedures.

Empty the cache

The first thing to do when Internet Explorer is misbehaving is empty your Internet Explorer cache. Often the cache is not corrupt or damaged – it is simply too large.

This will invariably fix the dreaded red x, View, Source, and sometimes “Page cannot be displayed” errors.

Troubleshooting fix number 1—empty your IE cache.

Emptying the cache will not be sufficient to fix things if a hidden file in the cache folders, called index.dat, is corrupt. Our best alternative in such a situation is to delete the cache folders in their entirety, but this cannot be done from within Windows under normal circumstances.

Index.dat is a system file, and any attempt to delete it while Windows is running or while the user is logged on will be blocked. Therefore, we need to reboot into DOS mode or, when running later versions of Windows that support user accounts, we need to log in to Windows using a different Administrator account to that which is affected.

Note: The following procedure is for advanced users.

If you are running Windows 95, Windows 98, or Windows Millennium Edition (Me)

The steps required to create a startup disk are the same for Windows 95, Windows 98, and Windows Me.

If you have difficulties when using Add/Remove Programs to create a startup disk (for example, if the Wizard prompts for your operating system installation disk and you cannot find it, or you only have a manufacturer provided restore disk or partition) go to www.bootdisk.com/bootdisk.htm. Download a Windows98 boot disk executable file from that site, put an empty floppy disk in the correct disk drive, and then double click on the downloaded file to make the disk. I recommend Windows 98 SE Custom, which includes smartdrv.

Turn your PC off, and place the startup disk in the computer’s floppy drive. Turn on your PC, which should read the startup disk and load the DOS operating system instead of Windows.

Once the system has finished booting into DOS mode, run the following commands from the Windows directory, typically displayed in DOS as c:\windows\>.

smartdrv
	deltree tempor~1

Just to be sure, let’s also run:

deltree history
	deltree cookies

I should explain what tempor~1 means. The version of DOS that is included on the Windows 98 startup disk does not support long file or folder names like “temporary internet files.” We are restricted to 8 letters only. Therefore, any file or folder which has more than eight letters to its name must shortened, and appended with ~1 when use the Windows 98 version of DOS.

Tip: The smartdrv command is used to speed up disk operations in MS-DOS mode. Believe me, you don’t want to run the deltree commands without loading smartdrv first. I have forgotten a few times, and can tell you that computers can hobble along for hours instead of minutes during the deltree process if smartdrv is not loaded first.

Reboot using CTRL+ ALT+ DELETE. If you are running Windows Me, remember to remove the startup disk from the floppy drive first.

If you are running Windows 2000 or Windows XP

We do things differently when working with operating systems that support User Accounts, such as Windows 2000 and Windows XP. Firstly, Windows 98 boot disks do not work if a hard drive is formatted as NTFS instead of FAT . Secondly, Windows 2000 and Windows XP use a more complicated directory structure than Windows 95 and Windows 98, making DOS more difficult to use successfully.

The path to the Internet Explorer cache directory will typically be something similar to:

C:\Documents and Settings\username\Local Settings\Temporary Internet Files\…

Thankfully, Windows 2000 and Windows XP users can log in using an Administrator account to delete the folders in question directly from within Windows Explorer. Note that an Administrator cannot delete his own Internet Explorer cache folders. He must log on using a different Administrator account.

Edit the HOST file

Note: The following procedure is for advanced users.

The HOSTS file is a hidden file used by some Internet related programs to control Web browsing by directly linking particular Web sites to pre-set IP addresses. The only problem is, if a Web page’s IP address changes, the HOSTS file will not update itself to suit, causing “Page cannot be displayed” errors.

The HOSTS file can be viewed and edited using Notepad, but first we must temporarily show hidden files.

For Windows XP

For older systems

Important: Files are hidden by Windows for a very good reason. It is not wise to experiment with these files. Unfortunately, to successfully complete the following steps we must turn this protection off temporarily. Please turn the protection back on when you have finished.

Find and edit your HOSTS file

The correct directory for a HOSTS file depends on what version of Windows you are running:

Windows XP = C:\Windows\System32\Drivers\Etc
Windows 2K = C:\Winnt\System32\Drivers\Etc
Win 98\ME = C:\Windows

Once you have found your HOSTS file, right-click on the HOSTS file, and then select Open. You will be asked to choose a program to use. Select Notepad, but make sure you that you do NOT turn on any option to always use the same program.

Examine the content of your HOSTS file, and compare it to the screenshot below. We do not need to worry about any line that begins with an # because is ignored by Windows. Also, the line “127.0.0.1 localhost” can be safely ignored, because it is a standard entry.

A HOSTS file can be used to control Web page to IP address associations

Anything else that appears in your HOSTS file without an # at the beginning, apart from the “127.0.0.1 localhost” line, should be viewed with suspicion when we are trying to diagnose the cause of “Page cannot be displayed” errors. The quickest way to test for HOSTS file involvement is to right click the HOSTS file, then select Rename. Add the letter X to the beginning or end of the file name and then ok your changes. By changing the name of the HOSTS file, we stop Internet Explorer from using it, and therefore resolve any issues caused by the file.

Repair Layered Service Provider problems

Sometimes Internet Explorer is unable to access the Internet if software known as Layered Service Provider (LSP) has been removed incorrectly from a computer. You might not know you have this software; it is sometimes installed by unrelated software such as file-sharing programs, without your knowledge. In such cases, you will need to run LSPfix or Winsockxpfix. As its name suggests, Winsockxpfix should only be used on machines running Windows XP. LSPfix can be used on all other consumer versions of Windows, but make sure that Winsock 2 has been installed on Windows 95 machines.

Tip: If you are using Windows XP Service Pack 2 (SP2) there is a command that can be used instead of Winsockxpfix. It works by resetting the winsock catalogue. Click Start, then Run and type CMD in the dialogue box that appears, and then click OK. Type netsh winsock reset into the DOS window that appears.

Other issues when viewing Web pages

Creating a new cache and checking for HOSTS file involvement are, in my experience, the most likely way to successfully resolve page view issues in Internet Explorer. But it is not exhaustive. If you are still having issues, it would be worth reviewing the advice on my Web site. Some of the information is repetitious, but worth wading through—it addresses connection settings, third-party applications that may cause problems, issues related to Internet connection sharing, and a few other bits and pieces.

Top of page

Issues related to default browser settings

Error messages when attempting to send a page or link by e-mail

First, reset your default e-mail client from within Internet Explorer. To do this go to Tools, then Internet Options, then Programs, then select your e-mail program of choice.

The easiest way to set your default e-mail client is from within Internet Explorer

Sometimes your e-mail program will not appear in the drop down list shown above. When this happens, we need to re-register the program in question.

To re-register your e-mail program:

Make sure the path to msimn.exe or outlook.exe is correct for your machine. Type the command line exactly as it appears, including quote marks and spaces.

If using a non-Microsoft e-mail program:

A program must be Internet Explorer aware to automatically list itself as a default program option. If the program does not appear, there are a couple of things you can do. First, you can right-click the executable file for the program, and see if Register appears as an option, (which should cause the program to be listed on the drop box on the Program Tab)

Otherwise, there’s a manual method, but it involves editing the registry and adding the program under:

HKEY LOCAL MACHINE\Software\Clients\mail
-or-
HKEY LOCAL MACHINE\Software\Clients\news

You will need to contact your program’s vendor for the appropriate syntax.

Hyperlinks not working

Hyperlinks will not work if a computer system does not know which Web browser is set as the default, which happens if the settings that control this choice are damaged or incorrect. The easiest way to fix the problem is to allow your preferred Web browser to rewrite the appropriate settings by resetting your default browser. Rather than walk through the steps required to achieve this in this column, I refer you to my previous column about how to set up your browser as the default.

“Open in new Window” doesn’t work

Sometimes resetting our default browser is not enough to get hyperlinks to work again, especially if they trigger a new window. Open in new window is dependent upon several system files, therefore you should ensure they are correctly registered.

Click on Start, then Run, then run the following commands. After you run each command, a small window should appear stating that the command was successful.

regsvr32 Shdocvw.dll (if that doesn’t work, try shdoc401.dll)
regsvr32 Oleaut32.dll
regsvr32 Actxprxy.dll
regsvr32 Mshtml.dll
regsvr32 Urlmon.dll

Some programs that control pop-up windows and advertisements can stop hyperlinks from working. Also, some third-party add-ins are known to cause a problem and must be uninstalled when misbehaving in this way. Disable all third-party Internet related programs (not your firewall) and test.

Top of page

Miscellaneous issues

Internet Explorer freezes, shuts down without warning, or the computer reboots.

This problem is often caused by out-of-date video drivers. Go to the Web site run by the manufacturer of your video card and download, then install, the latest (non-beta) drivers for your video card.

Alternatively, you can try the following:

Internet Explorer opens off screen, or tiny, or minimized, or the window will not move

If your taskbar is set to Autohide, turn the setting off and then maximize the problem window. While the window is maximized, increase the height of your taskbar from one row to two. The maximized window will automatically resize itself to fit into the smaller area available with a taller taskbar. Then, return the taskbar to its normal single row and allow the maximized window to resize once more. This will make Windows re-calculate window size and boundaries, overwriting registry keys that may be damaged.

If the affected window is partially off screen, so that the Minimize, Maximize, Restore, and Close buttons are hidden, you can access the same options by clicking on the Internet Explorer icon on the far left edge of the Internet Explorer title bar, or by right-clicking on the Internet Explorer button on the taskbar.

Internet Explorer’s window sizing options can be accessed in several ways

If resizing your Taskbar does not work, run Regedit and remove the following registry key values which are most likely corrupt. Do not delete the entire key, just the last word which will appear in the right hand pane.

HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main\window_placement

HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Desktop\OldWorkAreas\OldWorkAreaRects

Then reboot.

The computer keeps disconnecting from the Internet

This one can raise suspicions of malware. But, before you reformat your computer, do the following.

“A runtime error has occurred. Do you wish to debug?”

This is another symptom that tends to raise suspicions of malware.

Fix Windows XP Log On/Log Off Loop page 1

Did you recently install some software, update a virus scanner, do a Windows Update or run a Spybot: Search & Destroy scan with an older version of Spybot and now when you try and log on to Windows XP or Vista it automatically logs you off? Help is right here!

You haven’t tried the real solution yet until you’ve tried this one! This fix incorporates many other fixes found around the Internet, plus steps to remove spyware easily! It’s worth the wait to ensure a working system!

Completely automated! * Live Spybot: Search & Destroy Scan! * Support for XP installations without ANY sort of Service Pack! * No more messy Offline Registry Editors! * No more Bart PE CD building! * No more Ubuntu CD burning!

Save Me v1.25.2 is out! (see changelog.txt for details if interested)

Introduction/Somethings you should know(VERY IMPORTANT,PLEASE READ)

• First off, your data is safe so DO NOT PANIC. All of it can be recovered. Think of the data that you made on your computer as a separate thing from Windows itself. (because it is!) Windows is just an Operating System, a special kind of computer program made to run other computer programs or read certain files. Windows is made up of MANY parts, and sometimes those parts need to be replaced, just like any other machine. We’re going to check certain parts of the system to make sure everything is running the way it should.
• Another way to think of it is that your front door is locked, so we’re getting into the machine through a back door to unlock the front door.
• Another reason why your data is safe is because most pieces of spyware cause Windows to stop working, but they don’t destroy your data. Think of the spyware as a stupid burglar: he’ll take all the pipes and wood out of your house, but he/she won’t steal your car or jewels.
• If my solution (scroll down) does not work for you and you need the data off the hard drive, search local websites for any sort of USB-to-IDE or USB-to-SATA device. These devices will allow you to hook up your hard drive to a working computer via USB and get the data off of it.

Fix Windows XP Log On/Log Off Loop Page 2

Part 1 - Let’s start off easy.

First, let’s try booting into Safe Mode.

You can get to Safe Mode by booting up the computer and hitting the F8 key on your keyboard after your computer manufacturer’s logo disappears. (e.g., Dell, HP, etc.) Normally, the tip I give to most people is just to start tapping the F8 key over and over after the logo goes away until a menu pops up.

Select Safe Mode from the menu that comes up using the arrow keys, and then press Enter.

A bunch of stuff will come up. Don’t worry about that. It’s just Windows listing files it’s loading. After a bit, you should be able to get to a place where you can log in. At this point, one of two things will happen:

• If it logs you back out, we know that the system is a bit more corrupted than usual.
• If you’re lucky enough to get logged in, we know that something is preventing Windows from starting up with everything loaded. (Normal mode)

In both of these cases, one or more of the following things happened:

• Your computer was most likely infected by spyware or a virus/trojan/worm.
• A spyware scanner such as Spybot: Search & Destroy wasn’t updated correctly and was detecting false positives because of this.
  • A false positive is when a virus or spyware scanner finds something that it thought was a problem, but it really wasn’t. When it tried to fix it, your system got screwed up.
• A virus scanner such as Norton, AVast! or AVG found a false positive and tried to remove it.
• A virus or a piece of spyware detected that it was being removed and tried to save itself by infecting your system in another way.

Hey, everybody makes mistakes, right?

Now, were you able to log in or not?
Yes: Go to the page that says “Cleanup time!”
No: Turn off the computer. Continue on to the next page.

Fix Windows XP Log On/Log Off Loop Page 3

Part 2 - Finding your Service Pack

Now, I’m going to have you boot into Safe Mode again, (yes, again) but this time you’re going to try and pay attention to something.

After all those files load up, (all that text appears on the screen) a black screen should load with white lettering in the four corners and a mouse cursor. One of the corners will say Service Pack X where X is either 1, 2 or 3. You’ll need that number later. If you miss the text, that’s OK! You can try and login (yeah, I know it won’t work) to make the blue Welcome screen go away for just a bit so you can get another glimpse at the writing. Also, you can always restart the computer and try again.

If you’re using Windows XP Media Center, let’s assume you have SP3.

IMPORTANT NOTE: If you have recently used a Restore or Recovery Disc that came with your computer to try and get it functioning again, please ignore the Service Pack number you were just looking for and use the Service Pack number that is noted on the Restore/Recovery Disc. If your disc says SP1a, then you have SP1.

If you look ALL OVER and you cannot find a Service Pack (SP) number, then you may have an RTM version of XP. (aka, no Service Pack at all) Note it down as Service Pack 0! (that’s the number zero)

If you are having issues with this step, or see something completely different and you don’t know how to proceed, please contact me (see the first page) so I can edit this part accordingly. Thanks!

After you find out your Service Pack, write down the number and continue onto the next page.

BlazeFind Removal Guide

BlazeFind Description

How can I Detect BlazeFind?

The most common spyware removal tactic is to uninstall BlazeFind by using the “Add/Remove Programs” utility. However, as there may still be hidden BlazeFind files, it’s possible that BlazeFind will reappear after reboot. Follow the BlazeFind detection and removal methods below.

BlazeFind Automatic Detection (Recommended)

Is your PC infected with BlazeFind? To safely & quickly detect BlazeFind, we highly recommend you…

Download SpyHunter’s Malware Scanner.

SpyHunter’s free version is only for malware detection. If SpyHunter’s malware scanner detects BlazeFind on your PC, you will need to purchase SpyHunter’s malware removal tool to remove BlazeFind and other malware threats.

BlazeFind Manual Removal Instructions

Below is a list of BlazeFind manual removal instructions and BlazeFind components listed to help you remove BlazeFind from your PC. Backup Reminder: Always be sure to back up your PC before making any changes.

Note: This manual removal process may be difficult and you run the risk of destroying your computer. We recommend that you use SpyHunter’s malware detection tool to check for BlazeFind.

Step 1 : Use Windows File Search Tool to Find BlazeFind Path

Step 2 : Use Registry Editor to Remove BlazeFind Registry Values

1. To open the Registry Editor, go to Start > Run > type regedit and then press the “OK” button.
2. Locate and delete the entry or entries whose data value (in the rightmost column) is the spyware file(s) detected earlier.
3. To delete “BlazeFind” value, right-click on it and select the “Delete” option.
4. Locate and delete “BlazeFind” registry entries:

==================

83DE62E0-5805-11D8-9B25-00E04C60FAF2
C5941EE5-6DFA-11D8-86B0-0002441A9695

==================

Step 3 : Use Windows Command Prompt to Unregister BlazeFind DLL Files

1. To open the Windows Command Prompt, go to Start > Run > type cmd and then click the “OK” button.
2. Type “cd” in order to change the current directory, press the “space” button, enter the full path to where you believe the BlazeFind DLL file is located and press the “Enter” button on your keyboard. If you don’t know where BlazeFind DLL file is located, use the “dir” command to display the directory’s contents.
3. To unregister “BlazeFind” DLL file, type in the exact directory path + “regsvr32 /u” + [DLL_NAME] (for example, :C\Spyware-folder\> regsvr32 /u BlazeFind.dll) and press the “Enter” button. A message will pop up that says you successfully unregistered the file.
4. Search and unregister “BlazeFind” DLL files:

Step 4 : Detect and Delete Other BlazeFind Files

===============

3_0_1browserhelper3.dll

===============

Fix Windows XP Log On/Log Off Loop Page 4

Part 3 - Setting your computer to boot to CDs/DVDs

You’re going to need to set the computer that is not working to check for CDs/DVDs first. [If you know for a fact that your computer boots to CDs/DVDs first already, then you can skip this page completely] You’ll need to enter your computer’s BIOS (Basic Input Output System) in order to set this up. Don’t worry about changing it back after you’ve fixed up your machine. It’s not going to affect anything.

As your computer boots up, you’ll see your computer manufacturer’s logo. (e.g., Dell, HP, eMachines, ASUS, Sony Vaio, Compaq, etc.) Look in all four corners of the screen and near the bottom for an option called Setup, Enter Setup, or Enter BIOS Setup. Near these words will be a key to press, such as Delete (Del), F2, F3, Escape (ESC) or F10. If you do not see these words, try a different key every time you boot up until you get the right one. I would recommend starting with Delete first. One pushed, it will bring you to a DOS-like screen where you can change some important system information.

Some BIOS’ will have their main categories organized in tabs (across the top in blue) which you’ll need to use left and right to navigate through. Others use a vertical menu on the left. Still others use a page-like interface. Look around on the screen for help if you need it.

You’re interested in options that look like Boot, Boot Options, Boot Priority, or Boot Order. Use the arrow keys to move around and Enter to confirm things or bring up more menus.

Is your CD/DVD Drive or Optical Drive (may be the make/model of the drive) at the top of the list?
Yes: Turn off your computer and go to the next page.
No: Continue on this page for just a bit longer.

Once you get to it, make sure that your CD/DVD Drive or Optical Drive (may be the make/model of the drive) is listed at the top. Some BIOS’ require that you press a certain key to move the CD/DVD drive to the top, such as u. Read the onscreen directions carefully.

Once done, most BIOS’ will allow you to save your changes by pressing F10. If yours is different and you don’t know where to go, press the Escape (ESC) key to back out one screen. Some BIOS’ at this point may ask you to save changes for that part of the BIOS. Save it and use the arrow keys to find your way to Exit. When it asks, Save Changes.

If all went well, the computer should reboot. Boot into Safe Mode. When you get to the login screen, pop open your computer’s CD/DVD tray and shut down your computer via the normal menus.

We’re going to leave your computer alone for a while. Go to the next page