ComboFix still running??

I need help with ComboFix. I have an old Compaq Presario that was upgraded from Windows 98 to XP Pro. I used ComboFix on the advice of a friend. The program has been running for over 24 hours. It went through its 50 stages and the message now is:
Deleting Folders

c:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\TEMP

How long should I wait or what should I do now?

Please read >> Please DO NOT USE COMBOFIX on your own without supervision!!!

This quote is linked to this page >> http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/forums/topic273628.html/page__view__findpost__p__1511502

Please read >> Combofix's Disclaimer.

Did you read the Full Information provided with the tool ? It is not an antivirus or a cleaner like Malwarebyts Anti-Malware, it is only to be used by Experts in their field.

I could post many more quotes, but I will first let you read these 3 links provided -

In most cases ComboFix should not take more than 20 minutes to complete its routine if malware is detected. However, in some cases it could take longer depending on a variety of factors. If a system is badly infected, ComboFix may take more time to complete than it normally does or fail to run properly. There are also circumstances ComboFix will hang, crash or stall at various stages due to malware interference, failure to disable other real-time protection tools or the presence of CD Emulators (Daemon Tools, Alchohol 120%, Astroburn, AnyDVD, etc) so that it takes longer to run or may not complete successfully. While that is not normal behavior, it is not unusual.

I realize now that I am not going to get any help from this website. Thanks for nothing. I forced ComboFix to quit and rebooted my system. It seems to be running fine so hopefully no damage done. I think it is sorry though that no one would offer any help, just useless comments.

You asked how long you should wait for ComboFix to run and I answered that. After I explained the various reasons why it may take longer, I thought you would advise me a which stage ComboFix was hanging up so I could provide further guidance. Knowing that information is helpful in order to determine which way to proceed from there.

As a general policy, Bleeping Computer does not offer advice on how to run ComboFix unless we asked someone to run it or if there is a problem with the computer caused by running the tool. This is because people should not be using ComboFix without being advised to do so by a trained expert as the link provided by noknojon explains.

When issues arise due to complex malware infections, possible false detections, problems running ComboFix (i.e. stalling, hanging, crashing) or with other security tools causing conflicts, experts are usually aware of them and can advise what should or should not be done while providing individual assistance. When false detections are identified, experts have access to the developer and can report them so he can investigate, confirm and make corrections. Those attempting to use ComboFix on their own do not have such information and are at risk when running the tool in an unsupervised environment.

While our policy is not to offer advice on running ComboFix unless we asked someone to run it, we are certainly willing to help with malware disinfection. Had you replied sooner, I would have instructed you how to properly stop ComboFix and then referred you to the "Preparation Guide For Requesting Help" for assistance by the Malware Response Team Experts. If you continue to have issues, please read the Prep Guide and follow those instructions.

I'm sorry but I did reply to your post. Apparently it did not go through. However, I did explain in my first post exactly where ComcoFix had stopped and thought that would also suffice. As to running the program on my own.....it was given to me by a friend on a disk. He told me it would fix most problems and was not harmful but to follow the on screen instructions carefully. My ignorance, hence my problem. My system does not appear to have been harmed and my only question is should I uninstall combofix or just leave it alone?

ComboFix can be uninstalled once you are done with it. If required again, the most current version should always be downloaded and used.

In order to uninstall ComboFix correctly, please refer to: How to uninstall ComboFix.

• When finished you will see a dialog box stating that "ComboFix has been uninstalled".
• After that, you can remove the ComboFix.exe program from your Desktop by right-clicking and choosing delete.
• If you encounter any problems using the switch from the Run dialog box, just rename ComboFix.exe to Uninstall.exe, then double-click on it to remove.

If ComboFix is no longer on your Desktop, re-download it from here, save to the Desktop (<-Important!!!) and follow the instructions above to properly uninstall it from your computer.

In the future if you need assistance with malware removal, I recommend you check here first. Following advice from friends who are not trained in the use of tools like ComboFix could result in more serious issues than you encountered this time.

Thanks for the help. Followed the directions and combofix uninstalled itself and it also deleted the icon from the desktop. Hopefully, that is all I need to do. Have also installed Avira antivirus to protect my system from now on.

Hello -
I realize now that I am not going to get any help from this website <<Very sorry for the tone of the first reply, but I just wanted you to be aware of the problems that can arise.
Do you still have an infection problem, or hs your system settled down now ?? Do you need help from the infection removal team at all ??

Thank You -

Thanks for the reply and sorry for my own tone of reply about not getting help. Thankfully, no harm done, system is old and slow but running fine and Avira antivirus has found no more infections. In fact it discovered a trojan horse virus on one of my old cd's and stopped it cold. So I believe everything will be ok now.

Now you may want to read: Best Practices for Safe Computing - Prevention of Malware Infection