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Question

xp sp3 control panel add/remove not shown , view toggle dois

by Apr 27, 2013 10:37AM PDT

working on antique functional dell dimension xp sp3; of a sudden april 17, IE7 fails and mandates IE8 duly installed; and thereafter:

after some massive viral disruption, control panel 'add remove' does not display, nor can i toggle from 'classical' to 'category', rather control panel looks like a directory display, remaining control panel icons work, like executables

add/remove is controlled by appwiz.cpl, which is found i system32 and also in dllcache

a manual activation of appwiz in system32 fails; a manual activation in dllcache works; copying the dllcache version to system32 fails to work in system32

a consultant's fancy test of appwiz produces a hex string decoded maybe as unauthorized permission for 'iconindex' for the system32 version so maybe the display is disabled

meanwhile ccleaner's same-function works fine, showing nothing suspicious

arrggghhhh

plausibly malware has disabled this icon to hide itself, and somehow the toggle is part of it

i deleted much other malware, but this glitch remains and maybe others

various spyware comes up clean,

this is a registry problem almost definitely,, i can edit but not yet write new keys in regedit

Discussion is locked

7 Posts
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Clarification Request
Manual?
by r. proffitt Forum moderator Apr 27, 2013 10:48AM PDT

Why didn't you use SFC instead?

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xp: control panel has add/ remove disabled,-- try sfc ?
by martincnet001 Apr 28, 2013 11:01AM PDT

the suggestion:

sfc /scannow,

run from the command line, finds much missing

very much as in very much, i really p*ed somebody off

and wants my install cd, i do not have one

a possible workaround for a missing original install cd is here

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/900910

(which has the virtue of being an MS suggestions, they have a gazillion of these little tech advisories...)

which i will test shortly

tx all for thoughts and offers..

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my own post, continued, re repair disabled control panel add
by martincnet001 Apr 28, 2013 11:08AM PDT

the microsoft fix for missing oem cd, tells me to point sfc repair, to servicepack files already on my machine, viaa registry edit, presented inside their MS advisory

nefore doing so, i wanted to find where if anywhere 'servicepack' was on my computer

i searched for servicepackfiles via 'agent ransack' , a superb file and string finder

and found two locations, --good to know where the MS advisory points to before implementing the MS suggestion--, i am a compulsive optimist....

as for agent ransack, i found this in a previous malware war where 'search' was disabled, i have bad luck or many enemies

http://www.mythicsoft.com/page.aspx?type=agentransack&page=home

tx to all, again

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Without the XP CD, I have to move on.
by r. proffitt Forum moderator Apr 28, 2013 1:07PM PDT

This is like fixing a flat with no spare tire, jack or tire iron. I guess folk will continue to try that but log ago I learned that without my XP CD I put off the repair till I get back to the office where I have a spare.
Bob

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Answer
If You Can Access Registry Editor
by Forum moderator Apr 27, 2013 12:46PM PDT
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reply to my: XP control panel no longer shows add/ remove
by martincnet001 Apr 28, 2013 10:47AM PDT

your post tells me how to disable add/ remove on a computer where this is enabled by default

my problem is bad guys malware did this without my knowledge or permission and i want to undo it

i am able to use ccleaner for functionality, but i want to know what is in/ on my machine, for example is there a keystroke logger....or a browser hijacker, or cookies copier, i manually delete/ prevent these but the bad guys are smarter than i....

and the disable of toggle of 'classical/ categorical', says there is more here than a ccleaner can fix

as for sfc, my consultant tried this and i had a list to eternity of missing files, and malwate bytes died listing all the files being replaced by unauthorized copies, many many too many to track visualy

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Exactly ! Follow The Same Steps To UNDO It
by Grif Thomas Forum moderator Apr 28, 2013 2:14PM PDT

Most malware creates new registry entries which are the same as mentioned in the instructions I provided.. As such, simply changing the registry entry to the opposite will re-enable Add./Remove.

CCleaner won't do it.. You'll have to.

Hope this helps.

Grif

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