BleepingComputer.com: weird things after running combofix

hello, i had to run combofix in order to clean some pc's i work on because no antivirus nor antimalware (i blame you malwarebytes) would not detect it... combofix did the trick (whatever the trick was ) and well, after some time passed by i started noticing some weird things both on my vista and xp computers, autorun is disabled, did all the tricks to enable it, no go... and then there's this other trouble with IE8... which is more of an annoyance than any other thing really, whenever a web dialog shows up, it shows as an entire window in the taskbar, and i wonder: why? i had a non infested machine and it doesn't do that. any hint's on how to get these back?

edit: sorry... autorun on vista works as it should, it's on xp that buggered out

Keeping Autorun enabled on USB and other removable drives has become a significant security risk due to the increasing number of malware variants that can infect them and transfer the infection to your computer. To learn more about this risk, please read:

• USB-Based Malware Attacks
  
• Danger USB! Worm targets removable memory sticks.
  
• When is AUTORUN.INF really an AUTORUN.INF?.
  
• miekiemoes' Blog: Please disable Autorun asap!.

These types of infections usually involve malware that modifies and loads an autorun.inf (configuration) file into the root folder of all drives (internal, external, removable) along with a malicious executable. When removable media such as a CD/DVD is inserted (mounted), autorun looks for autorun.inf and automatically executes the malicious file to run silently on your computer. In USB drives, it modifies Windows Explorer's right-click context menu and redirects to executing the malicious file if the "Open" command is used or double-clicking on the drive icon. When a flash drive becomes infected, the Trojan will infect a system when the removable media is inserted if autorun has not been disabled.

ComboFix automatically disables autoruns the first time it is used. Since malware writers have begun to exploit the autorun/autoplay feature, the author of ComboFix, in an effort to help protect your computer from becoming infected via that avenue, configured ComboFix to disable it. Many security applications disable this feature as well and even Microsoft recommends doing the same

Quote

...Disabling Autorun functionality can help protect customers from attack vectors that involve the execution of arbitrary code by Autorun when inserting a CD-ROM device, USB device, network shares, or other media containing a file system with an Autorun.inf file...

Microsoft Security Advisory (967940): Update for Windows Autorun

Disabling autorun/autoplay does not prevent you from accessing your media sources. They are still available by opening My Computer and accessing the source drive (CD, DVD, USB or external hard drive). Pictures on a camera can still be accessed through My Pictures and selecting "Get Pictures" from a scanner or camera. Media can be accessed via the program you normally use it with such as music CDs via Media Player, blank CDs via burning software, image handling software provided with the camera. We strongly recommend you leave the autorun feature disabled and get into the habit of accessing your media devices manually.



But if you insist:

[b]How To Enable/Disable Autorun (Windows XP)

• Open Windows Explorer by pressing the Windows + "e" key
  
• Right-click the desired CD-ROM and select Properties from the menu.
  
• Select the AutoPlay tab.
  
• Select each item from the pulldown list and for the Action to perform, select "Take no action" to disable autorun, or pick the apporpriate action to take if enabling autorun.
  
• Select OK.

well, i don't complain that much about autorun, but the problem with IE is now cumbersome, i'm having some times like 8 taskbar buttons for 3 real internet explorer windows, even when you try quakelive (which should run inside IE) shows as a window on the taskbar, any hints on how returning this to the original state?

I don't believe Combofix messes with ant IE settings, but I will check

i've just noticed this, when i put run (windows key + R) it shows up on the taskbar... so i believe now it has nothing to do with IE itself. But still, it's annoying.

so, any hints on what should i do?

Try resetting IE (even tho' you don't think that's the proble)
http://www.tech-recipes.com/rx/4084/ie8-re...fault-settings/

tried that, didn't work. i've narrowed it to being a general windows issue. dreamweaver color and command pickers show in taskbar, quakelive shows as well in taskbar, sql server management studio diagram dialogs show as well on taskbar, i can't find anything on internet about this though

just a bump.
i've got some screenshots to show what's happening on a windows vista pc. this is not happening on a windows xp computer(did not go through combofix) with the same apps (ie 8, and dreamweaver) but it is happening in another one with xp as well that went through combofix as well.

let me say that i was guided to use combofix, and no, it did not break the system, it only left me with this weird glitch.




any advice would be really appreciated