post-trojan cleaning, Hidden/System folders no longer hidden/system


  1. Posts : 24
    Windows 7 HP 64bit, SP1
       #1

    post-trojan cleaning, Hidden/System folders no longer hidden/system


    Greetings.

    Win7-64, Home Premium, SP1.

    I had a trojan infection last night, and successfully cleaned it using Combofix and MBAM, however, this morning I opened Windows Explorer, and noticed that hidden & system folders no longer have their hidden/system attributes, and they are all showing in Explorer, (folder options are set to hide these). This is true across all 3 of my hard drives.

    Photo Album - Imgur

    Is there an 'easy' fix to this, or should I start a repair install? I can't help but think that this is not a good thing at all. Can I just reset the hidden & system attributes for those folders, or am I in for a long day of reinstalling stuff?

    many thanks in advance for any help!
      My Computer


  2. Posts : 6,285
    Windows 10 Pro X64
       #2

    I don't find anything via a Google search. Looks like a Repair Install is your best bet.

    Lots of stuff on resetting file/folder permission but zip for attributes.
      My Computer


  3. Posts : 7,055
    Windows 7 Home Premium 32 bit
       #3

    Before a Repair Install, try Reenable II to restore any damage done by the malware.

    Since you have 64bit Windows, you have to download the lite Edition. Downloads

    Re-Enable II

    Help: here
    By now most of you will already know that viruses that disable such critical Windows features
    are very common. Once the virus disables any of the feature, common users have no choice
    but to reinstall the Windows or perform complicated registry changes.
    Re-Enable plans to change all this with a dead-simple tool
      My Computer


  4. Posts : 2,470
    Windows 7 Home Premium
       #4

    A few more options found here:

    Reset System and Hidden Attributes for Files or Folders Caused by Virus

    Windows Repair (All In One)

    An issue of concern is that ComboFix itself was reported to have malware (Sality) in an executable file.
    The problem was not resolved until this afternoon, and you mentioned that you ran CF last night.

    In your shoes, would be heading for the System Security forum, and posting your concerns there:
    System Security - Windows 7 Forums
      My Computer


  5. Posts : 25,847
    Windows 10 Pro. 64/ version 1709 Windows 7 Pro/64
       #5

    Please read this.
    Combofix infected
      My Computer


  6. Posts : 24
    Windows 7 HP 64bit, SP1
    Thread Starter
       #6

    Thanks to all for the replies. I knew that even after a repair, I wouldn't feel confident about the security of the system, even post-cleaning, so I went ahead and just wiped the entire partition and reinstalled Windows. I took the opportunity to go ahead and restructure my partitions, which I'd been wanting to do anyway.

    Again, many thanks to all who replied! I bookmarked this thread for future reference.
      My Computer


  7. Posts : 7,055
    Windows 7 Home Premium 32 bit
       #7

    That is of course a good thing you have done.

    Atleast now, you should start thinking of backing up your system regularly.

    There are many free backup software and the one most recommended here is Macrium Reflect free.

    You can also make a recovery CD so that you can restore the system even when it becomes non-bootable.

    Once you master the art of backing up and restoring, you need not go through the pain of reinstalling from scratch.
      My Computer


  8. Posts : 24
    Windows 7 HP 64bit, SP1
    Thread Starter
       #8

    jumanji said:
    That is of course a good thing you have done.

    Atleast now, you should start thinking of backing up your system regularly.

    There are many free backup software and the one most recommended here is Macrium Reflect free.

    You can also make a recovery CD so that you can restore the system even when it becomes non-bootable.

    Once you master the art of backing up and restoring, you need not go through the pain of reinstalling from scratch.
    Funny you mention Macrium. Part of the reason I restructured my partitions was to reduce the size of C:, to make it easier to image the partition. After installing windows, drivers, and favorite apps, I used Macrium to create a 'fresh' install image, and a rescue CD, and I'll leave those alone.

    I'm pretty religious about backing up most things. I've been using Syncback to backup folders such as My Docs, Music, Pics, etc. But this time I captured the whole C: partition. I feel better now :)
      My Computer


 

  Related Discussions
Our Sites
Site Links
About Us
Windows 7 Forums is an independent web site and has not been authorized, sponsored, or otherwise approved by Microsoft Corporation. "Windows 7" and related materials are trademarks of Microsoft Corp.

© Designer Media Ltd
All times are GMT -5. The time now is 06:31.
Find Us