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I have a problem not unlike the person on the thread "Virus, firewall or registry problem blocking internet for windows update." The error, code 80072 EFD, says "unknown problem" but upon further research it says connection to the update site is being blocked by a firewall.
Background: This a friends computer. it's an acer aspire M5640 running Vista home premium 32 bit. It came with tons of crapware on it including The Norton Security Suite. I myself had nothing but problems with Norton 2008, but I run Ultimate 64, which Norton didn't support much last March (2008) when I got it, so I told him if he liked the Norton then I would give him my Security Suite as I wasn't using it and it had 2 legal activations left on it. Of course they just ran the free 90 days and then quit updating it when the trial period was over. I next hear from them about the computer when it can't connect to the internet and sometimes get to sites they weren't trying to go to. "Son' has discovered Limewire and is "sharing" music and movies. Also "Wife" saw a popup that she had a virus, click here to fix it, so she clicked. If there isnt' malware on this puppy, malware missed the best chance it will have in a while........
So I bring it home, plug it into my cable to see if it's updated (Step 1 in malware right?) and instantly have internet and find it can't update because it's "firewalled." I then find out it sometimes has a tendency to pick the website or search engine IT wants to pick not necessarily the one I typed in. First I uninstall Norton through Windows, run the Norton removal tool, and try updates again. Same error code. So I install the latest firefox and do the other malware removal steps, update Java (use JavaRa as well), update the flash player ect....... download and run Spybot, MalAware, delete all the Limewire crap I can find, get rid of the Internet Anti-virus crap, Win32AdloadR, video.exe and some stupid coupon downloader program (ie spyware), download and run Avast. I then proceed to get rid of as much of the crapware as I can that Acer put on the machine and do disk clean up and defrag. I then download and run SAS and do an HJT scan and it's time for my amateur malware specialist self to call in the pro's from Dover. So I do the malware thing HERE with a Unite ASAP pro, (in case anyone here wants to look at all 6 pages of the threads, it's easier than recounting all the steps for proof when I say "I have checked for Viruses and we think I am clean." ).
So Malware is pretty much ruled out. Norton may or may not be ruled out. I ran the Norton uninstaller 2 times and we still had to get rid of Norton remnant crap with ComboFix. The firewall and defender have been turned of, removed, reset, and re installed. Update has been updated, "fixed," and all that jazz using the windows update-fix-reset ulility.. Still no updates. I have tried any "solution" no matter how odd sounding I have found online or that has been suggested to no avail. If anyone has anything else to try, I am ready and willing to give it a whirl. Tonight if sacrificing a pure white unblemished lamb at midnight doesn't work, I have a voodoo witch doctor laid on to exorcise the computer. at 1:00................
Personally I think something in the registry is hosed up, but I can't imagine what it would be. I have even gone through the C drive file by file just looking for anything weird, (that was 22 straight well used hours....... NOT).
Background: This a friends computer. it's an acer aspire M5640 running Vista home premium 32 bit. It came with tons of crapware on it including The Norton Security Suite. I myself had nothing but problems with Norton 2008, but I run Ultimate 64, which Norton didn't support much last March (2008) when I got it, so I told him if he liked the Norton then I would give him my Security Suite as I wasn't using it and it had 2 legal activations left on it. Of course they just ran the free 90 days and then quit updating it when the trial period was over. I next hear from them about the computer when it can't connect to the internet and sometimes get to sites they weren't trying to go to. "Son' has discovered Limewire and is "sharing" music and movies. Also "Wife" saw a popup that she had a virus, click here to fix it, so she clicked. If there isnt' malware on this puppy, malware missed the best chance it will have in a while........
So I bring it home, plug it into my cable to see if it's updated (Step 1 in malware right?) and instantly have internet and find it can't update because it's "firewalled." I then find out it sometimes has a tendency to pick the website or search engine IT wants to pick not necessarily the one I typed in. First I uninstall Norton through Windows, run the Norton removal tool, and try updates again. Same error code. So I install the latest firefox and do the other malware removal steps, update Java (use JavaRa as well), update the flash player ect....... download and run Spybot, MalAware, delete all the Limewire crap I can find, get rid of the Internet Anti-virus crap, Win32AdloadR, video.exe and some stupid coupon downloader program (ie spyware), download and run Avast. I then proceed to get rid of as much of the crapware as I can that Acer put on the machine and do disk clean up and defrag. I then download and run SAS and do an HJT scan and it's time for my amateur malware specialist self to call in the pro's from Dover. So I do the malware thing HERE with a Unite ASAP pro, (in case anyone here wants to look at all 6 pages of the threads, it's easier than recounting all the steps for proof when I say "I have checked for Viruses and we think I am clean." ).
So Malware is pretty much ruled out. Norton may or may not be ruled out. I ran the Norton uninstaller 2 times and we still had to get rid of Norton remnant crap with ComboFix. The firewall and defender have been turned of, removed, reset, and re installed. Update has been updated, "fixed," and all that jazz using the windows update-fix-reset ulility.. Still no updates. I have tried any "solution" no matter how odd sounding I have found online or that has been suggested to no avail. If anyone has anything else to try, I am ready and willing to give it a whirl. Tonight if sacrificing a pure white unblemished lamb at midnight doesn't work, I have a voodoo witch doctor laid on to exorcise the computer. at 1:00................
Personally I think something in the registry is hosed up, but I can't imagine what it would be. I have even gone through the C drive file by file just looking for anything weird, (that was 22 straight well used hours....... NOT).
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