FRST Tutorial - How To Use Farbar Recovery Scan Tool - Malware Removal Guides and Tutorials

10/29/2014 FRST Tutorial - How to use Farbar Recovery Scan Tool - Malware Removal Guides and Tutorials
Geeks to Go Forum Downloads Live Chat

324,540 topics 1.5 million 23 in chat
Security Operating Systems Hardware Software Development Community Discussion View New Content
Security Malware Removal Guides and Tutorials
Welcome to Geeks to Go - Register now for FREE
Geeks To Go is a helpful hub, where thousands of friendly volunteers serve up answers and support. Get free advice from the experts. Register now to gain access to all of our
features, it's FREE and only takes one minute. Once registered and logged in, you will be able to create topics, post replies to existing threads, give reputation to your fellow
members, get your own private messenger, post status updates, manage your profile and so much more. This message and all ads will be removed once you have signed in.
Create an Account Login to Account
FRST Tutorial - How to use Farbar Recovery Scan Tool

Started by emeraldnzl , Nov 18 2013 05:41 PM
emeraldnzl Posted 18 November 2013 - 05:41 PM
Farbar's Recovery Scan Tool
Farbar Recovery Scan Tool (FRST) is a diagnostic tool incorporating

the ability to execute prepared script solutions on malware infected
machines. It will work equally well in normal or safe mode and where a machine has boot up problems it will work
efficiently in the Windows Recovery Environment. It's ability to work in the recovery environment makes it particularly
useful in dealing with problems associated with machines experiencing difficulty when booting up.
**********************************************************
Donation Information
While FRST is free it is the product of hours of work by Farbar. The program contains many thousands of lines of code,
and is updated often. In addition to maintaining the tool Farbar spends countless hours supporting forum helpers and
their malware victims. If you find his FRST tool helpful and would like to make a donation to support his efforts simply
click the Paypal button below:
(https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=3636066)
Tutorial Information
http://www.geekstogo.com/forum/topic/335081-frst-tutorial-how-to-use-farbar-recovery-scan-tool/ 1/48
This tutorial has been created by emeraldnzl (http://www.geekstogo.com/forum/user/229568-emeraldnzl/) in

consultation with farbar (http://www.geekstogo.com/forum/user/329828-farbar/) and with the kind co-operation of
BC (http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/) (Bleeping Computer) and G2G
(http://www.geekstogo.com/forum/index.php?) (Geeks to Go). Permission of both emeraldnzl and Farbar is required
prior to using or quoting from the tutorial at other sites. Also note this tutorial was originally authored to offer guidance
to helpers offering malware removal assistance at various forums.
Translations
French: http://assiste.forum...p?f=162&t=28467 (http://assiste.forum.free.fr/viewtopic.php?f=162&t=28467)
German: http://www.trojaner-...-anleitung.html (http://www.trojaner-board.de/145752-frst-anleitung.html)
Polish: http://www.fixitpc.p...very-scan-tool/ (http://www.fixitpc.pl/topic/23904-frst-tutorial-obs%C5%82ugi-farbar-

recovery-scan-tool/)
Table of Contents
1. Introduction (http://www.geekstogo.com/forum/topic/335081-frst-tutorial-how-to-use-farbar-recovery-scan-
tool/page__view__findpost__p__2350712)
2. Canned Speeches/Download link (http://www.geekstogo.com/forum/topic/335081-frst-tutorial-how-to-use-farbar-
recovery-scan-tool/page__view__findpost__p__2350717)
3. Output (http://www.geekstogo.com/forum/topic/335081-frst-tutorial-how-to-use-farbar-recovery-scan-
4. Default Scan Areas (http://www.geekstogo.com/forum/topic/335081-frst-tutorial-how-to-use-farbar-recovery-scan-
5. Fixing (http://www.geekstogo.com/forum/topic/335081-frst-tutorial-how-to-use-farbar-recovery-scan-
1.Processes
2.Registry
3.Internet
4.Hosts
5.Services/Drivers
6.NetSvcs
7.One Month Created Files and Folders and One Month Modified Files and Folders
8.AlternateDataStreams
9.Unicode
10.Files to move or delete
11.Some content of TEMP
12.Known DLLs
13.Bamital & volsnap Check
14.EXE ASSOCIATION
15.Restore Points
16.Memory info
17.Drives and MBR & Partition Table
18.LastRegBack
19.Addition.txt
6. Directives/Commands (http://www.geekstogo.com/forum/topic/335081-frst-tutorial-how-to-use-farbar-recovery-
scan-tool/page__view__findpost__p__2350720)
7. Examples of use (http://www.geekstogo.com/forum/topic/335081-frst-tutorial-how-to-use-farbar-recovery-scan-

1.CloseProcesses:
2.CMD:
3.DeleteJunctionsInDirectory:
4.DeleteKey:
5.DeleteQuarantine:
6.DisableService:
7.EmptyTemp:
8.File: and Folder:
9.FindFolder:
10.Hosts:
11.ListPermissions:
12.Move:
13.nointegritychecks on:
14.Reboot:
15.Reg:
16.RemoveDirectory:
17.Replace:
18.RestoreQuarantine:
19.SaveMbr:
20.SetDefaultFilePermissions:
21.testsigning on:
22.Unlock:
23.VerifySignature:
8. Other features (http://www.geekstogo.com/forum/topic/335081-frst-tutorial-how-to-use-farbar-recovery-scan-

Optional Scans
Drivers MD5
Shortcut.txt
Search features
Trusted helpers and experts who have the requisite access may keep abreast of the latest tool
developments at the FRST Discussion Thread
(http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/forums/t/360106/farbar-recovery-scan-tool/) .
Advertisement
Introduction
One of FRST's strengths is it's simplicity. It is designed to be user friendly. Lines containing references to infected items
can be identified, copied from the log, pasted into Notepad and saved. Then with a press of a button the tool does the
rest. This allows for great flexibility, as new infections appear they can be identified and included in a fix.
What it will work with
Farbar's Recovery Scan Tool is designed to run on Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows 7 and Windows 8 Operating
Systems. There are two versions, a 32-bit and a 64-bit version.
Note: FRST64 is not designed to run on XP 64-bit systems.
Diagnosis
FRST creates a log covering specific areas of the Windows Operating System. This can be used for initial problem analysis
and to tell you some information about the system.
The tool is under constant development, part of which includes the addition of new malware identification labels.
Accordingly, it is strongly recommended to regularly update. If the computer is connected to the internet there will be an
automatic check for available updates when FRST is opened. A notification will appear and the latest version can then be
downloaded.
Where new infection manifests or update is not possible e.g. no internet connection for whatever reason, the expert
needs to be abreast of latest developments in the malware infection field to enable early pinpointing of the problem. The
lay user should seek expert help when new infections appear or when they find difficulty in identifying the problem on
their machine.
By default, like many other scanners, FRST applies whitelisting. This avoids very long logs. If you do want to see a full log;
then the relevant box on the Whitelist section should be unchecked. Be prepared for a very long log that may have to be
uploaded as an attachment for analysis.
FRST not only whitelists the default MS entries from the registry section but in some cases (like
ShellIconOverlayIdentifiers) also whitelists the safe entries from third party programs too.
In the case of Services and Drivers the whitelist covers not only the default MS services but also all other legitimate
services and drivers.
Any service or driver file without a company name is not whitelisted.
No security program (AV or Firewall) is whitelisted.
The SPTD service is not whitelisted.
Preparation for use
Make sure FRST is run under administrator privileges. Only when the tool is run by a user that has administrator
privileges will it work properly. If a user doesn't have administrator privileges you will see a warning in the header of
FRST.txt about it.
In some cases a security program will prevent the tool from running fully. Generally there won't be a problem but be alert
to the possibility that when a scan is requested that a security program may prevent the running of the tool. When fixing
it is preferred to disable programs like Comodo that might prevent the tool from doing its job.
A general recommendation to everyone is that when you are dealing with a rootkit, it is better to do one fix at the time
and wait for the outcome before running another tool.
It is not necessary to create a registry backup. FRST makes a backup of the registry hives the first time it runs. The backup
is located in %SystemDrive%\FRST\Hives (in most cases C:\FRST\Hives) and will not be overwritten by the subsequent
runs of the tool
Running FRST
The user is instructed to download FRST to the Desktop. From there it is a simple matter to double click the FRST icon,
accept the disclaimer, and run it. The FRST icon looks like this:
(http://s739.photobucket.com/user/emeraldnzl/media/FRSTicon.jpg.html)
Note: You need to run the version compatible with the user's system. There are 32-bit and 64-bit versions. If you are
not sure which version applies, have the user download both of them and try to run them. Only one of them will run on
the system, that will be the right version.
Once FRST is opened the user is presented with a console looking like this:
(http://s739.photobucket.com/user/emeraldnzl/media/FRSTconsolelatest.jpg.html)
Canned Speeches
Example instruction for the malware helper expert to have the user run FRST in normal mode:
Please download [url=http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/download/farbar-recovery-scan-tool/]Farbar Recovery Scan Tool[/url] and save it to

your Desktop.
[color=green][b]Note[/b]: You need to run the version compatible with your system. If you are not sure which version applies to your system dow
nload both of them and try to run them. Only one of them will run on your system, that will be the right version.[/color]
[LIST]
[*]Right click to run as administrator (XP users click run after receipt of Windows Security Warning - Open File). When the tool opens click
[b]Yes[/b] to disclaimer.
[*]Press [b]Scan[/b] button.
[*]It will produce a log called [b]FRST.txt[/b] in the same directory the tool is run from.
[*]Please copy and paste log back here.
[*]The first time the tool is run it generates another log ([b]Addition.txt[/b] - also located in the same directory as FRST.exe/FRST64.exe). Plea
se also paste that along with the FRST.txt into your reply.
[/LIST]
Example instruction to run FRST on Vista, Windows 7 and Windows 8 in the Recovery Environment (RE):
[LIST]
[*]On a clean machine, please download [url=http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/download/farbar-recovery-scan-tool/]Farbar Recovery Scan To
ol[/url] and save it to a flash drive.
[color=green][b]Note[/b]: You need to run the version compatible with your system.[/color]
Plug the flashdrive into the infected PC.
[*]If you are using Windows 8 consult [url=http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/tutorials/windows-8-recovery-environment-command-prompt/

]How to use the Windows 8 System Recovery Environment Command Prompt[/url] to enter System Recovery Command prompt.
If you are using Vista or Windows 7 enter [b]System Recovery Options[/b].
[color=#0000FF][b]To enter System Recovery Options from the Advanced Boot Options:[/b][/color]
[LIST]
[*]Restart the computer.
[*]As soon as the BIOS is loaded begin tapping the[b] F8[/b] key until Advanced Boot Options appears.
[*]Use the arrow keys to select the [b]Repair your computer[/b] menu item.
[*]Select [b]US[/b] as the keyboard language settings, and then click [b]Next[/b].
[*]Select the operating system you want to repair, and then click [b]Next[/b].
[*]Select your user account an click [b]Next[/b].
[/LIST]
[color=green][b]Note[/b]: In case you can not enter System Recovery Options by using F8 method, you can use Windows installation disc,
or make a repair disc. Any Windows installation disc or a repair disc made on another computer can be used.
To make a repair disk on Windows 7 consult: http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/2083-system-repair-disc-create.html[/color]
[color=#0000FF][b]To enter System Recovery Options by using Windows installation disc:[/b][/color]

[LIST]
[*]Insert the installation disc.
[*]Restart your computer.
[*]If prompted, press any key to start Windows from the installation disc. If your computer is not configured to start from a CD or DVD, check
your BIOS settings.[/*]
[*]Click [b]Repair your computer[/b].
[*]Select [b]US[/b] as the keyboard language settings, and then click [b]Next[/b].
[*]Select the operating system you want to repair, and then click [b]Next[/b].
[*]Select your user account and click [b]Next[/b].
[/LIST]
[*][color=#008000][b]On the System Recovery Options menu you will get the following options:[/b][/color]
[b]Startup Repair
System Restore
Windows Complete PC Restore
Windows Memory Diagnostic Tool
Command Prompt[/b]
Select [b]Command Prompt[/b]
[*][color=#FF0000][b]Once in the Command Prompt:[/b][/color]

[LIST]
[*]In the command window type in [b]notepad[/b] and press [b]Enter[/b].
[*]The notepad opens. Under File menu select [b]Open[/b].
[*]Select "Computer" and find your flash drive letter and close the notepad.
[*]In the command window type [b][color=#FF0000]e[/color]:\frst[/b] (for x64 bit version type [b][color=#FF0000]e[/color]:\frst64[/b]) and pr
ess [b]Enter[/b]
[b]Note:[/b] Replace letter [color=#FF0000]e[/color] with the drive letter of your flash drive.
[*]The tool will start to run.
[*]When the tool opens click Yes to disclaimer.
[*]Press [b]Scan[/b] button.
[*]It will make a log (FRST.txt) on the flash drive. Please copy and paste it to your reply.
[/LIST]
[/LIST]
Once FRST has completed its scan it will save notepad copies of the scan in the same location that FRST was started from.
On the first scan both an FRST.txt log and an Addition.txt log will be produced. On subsequent scans, unless specifically
requested (see optional scans in the Console), FRST will only produce a FRST.txt log.
Copies of logs are saved at %systemdrive%:\FRST\Logs (in most cases this will be C:\FRST\Logs).
Fixes
FRST has a range of commands and switches that can be used both to manipulate the computer's processes and to fix
problems you have identified.
To fix identified problems, copy and paste the line from the FRST.txt log to a text file named fixlist.txt using Notepad.
The fixlist.txt is saved in the same location the tool is saved to. In the case of a normal or safe mode scan this will be the
Desktop. In the case of a recovery environment scan it will be a flash drive.
Note: It is important that Notepad is used. The fix will not work if Word or some other program is used.
Example instruction for a fix carried out in normal or safe mode i.e. within Windows
Download attached [b]fixlist.txt[/b] file and save it to the Desktop.
[u][b]NOTE.[/b][/u] It's important that both files, [b]FRST/FRST64[/b] and [b]fixlist.txt [/b]are in the same location or the fix will not work.
[b][color=red]NOTICE: This script was written specifically for this user, for use on that particular machine. Running this on another machine
may cause damage to your operating system[/color][/b]
Run [b][color=#0000FF]FRST/FRST64[/color][/b] and press the [b]Fix[/b] button just once and wait.
If for some reason the tool needs a restart, please make sure you let the system restart normally. After that let the tool complete its run.
When finished FRST will generate a log on the Desktop (Fixlog.txt). Please post it to your reply.
Example instructions to run a fix in the Recovery Environment (RE):
Open notepad. Please copy the contents of the quote box below. To do this highlight the contents of the box and right click on it and select cop
y. Paste this into the open notepad. Save it on the flash drive as [b]fixlist.txt[/b]
[quote]
Script goes here
[/quote]
[color=red][b]NOTICE: This script was written specifically for this user, for use on that particular machine. Running this on another machine
may cause damage to the operating system
[/b][/color]
On Vista or Windows 7: Now please enter System Recovery Options.
On Windows XP: Now please boot into the PE (Preinstallation Environment) disk.
Run [b]FRST/FRST64[/b] and press the [b]Fix[/b] button just once and wait.
The tool will generate a log on the flashdrive ([b]Fixlog.txt[/b]) please post it in your reply.
Items moved by the fix are kept in %systemdrive%\FRST\Quarantine, in most cases this will be C:\FRST\Quarantine
until clean up and deletion of FRST
For detailed information about preparing fixes see the Fixing section in the tutorial.
Download Links
Direct Download Links
The latest version of Farbar's Recovery Scan Tool may be downloaded from http://www.bleepingc...very-scan-tool/
(http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/download/farbar-recovery-scan-tool/)
Output
Header
Here is an example header:
Quote
Scan result of Farbar Recovery Scan Tool (FRST.txt) (x64) Version: 08-10-2014 01
Ran by Someperson (administrator) on SOMEPERSON-PC on 10-10-2014 11:26:18
Running from C:\Users\Someperson\Desktop
Loaded Profile: Someperson (Available profiles: Someperson & Administrator)
Platform: Windows 7 Professional Service Pack 1 (X64) OS Language: English(US)
Internet Explorer Version 11
Boot Mode: Normal
Tutorial for Farbar Recovery Scan Tool: http://www.geekstogo...very-scan-tool/
(http://www.geekstogo.com/forum/topic/335081-frst-tutorial-how-to-use-farbar-recovery-scan-tool/)
Perusal of the header can be very helpful:
First line: tells whether it has been run on a 32 or 64-bit machine. The version of FRST is also shown. The version number
is particularly important. An old version may not have the most up to date functionality.
Second line: shows what user ran the tool and under what permissions. This can alert you to whether the user has the
appropriate permission rights. The line also shows you the computer name together with what date and time the tool was
run. Sometimes a user will inadvertently post an old log.
Third line: tells you where FRST was run from. This may be relevant for fix instruction if it has run from somewhere
other than the Desktop.
Fourth line: tells you what account (profile) the user is logged in under i.e. the loaded user hive. Next, in parenthesis, the
"Available profiles" records all profiles on the machine including those that are not currently loaded.
Note: When you log into Windows, only the user hive of the logged on user is loaded. If the user logs into another
account without restarting (by using "Switch user" or "Log off"), the second user hive gets loaded but the first one
doesn't get unloaded. In that situation FRST will list the registry entries of both the users but doesn't list the registry
entries specific to any other users because those hives are not loaded.
Fifth line: records the version of Windows on the machine including Service Pack number together with the language
used. This may alert you to a problem with updates if the Service Pack is not the latest.
Sixth line: gives you the version of Internet Explorer.
Seventh line: tells you what mode the scan was run under.
Following that there is a line showing the tutorial link.
Note 2: The information in a header run in the Recovery Environment is similar although it is necessarily truncated as
user profiles are not loaded.
Alerts that can show in the header
When there are boot problems you may see something like "Attention: Could not load system hive". That tells you that
system hive is missing. Restoring the hive using LastRegBack: may be a solution.(see below).
"The current controlset is ControlSet001" or "The current controlset is ControlSet002" - The notification tells you which
CS on the system is default CS. Why do you need it? Normally you don't need it, but in a case where you want to look into
or manipulate the CS that will be loaded when Windows booted, then you know which CS should be looked into or
manipulated. Doing anything to other available CS has no effect on the system.
Default Scan Areas
On the first run outside the recovery environment a FRST.txt log and an Addition.txt log are generated. Thereafter, if an
Addition.txt scan is required then the appropriate box needs to be checked/ticked before running the scan. An
Addition.txt log is not produced when FRST is run in the recovery environment.
Scans run in normal mode:
Farbar Recovery Scan
Processes
Registry
Internet
Services
Drivers
NetSvcs
One Month Created Files and Folders
One Month Modified Files and Folders
Files to move or delete
Some content of TEMP
Bamital & volsnap Check
LastRegBack:
Additional Scan (available only outside Recovery Environment)
Security Center
Installed Programs
Restore Points
hosts content
Scheduled Tasks
Loaded Modules
Alternate Data Streams
Safe Mode
EXE Association
MSCONFIG/TASK MANAGER disabled items
Accounts
Faulty Device Manager Devices
Event log errors
Memory info
Drives
MBR & Partition Table
Optional Scans
List BCD
Drivers MD5
Shortcut.txt (available only outside Recovery Environment)
Addition.txt (available only outside Recovery Environment)
Scan run in the Recovery Environment:
Farbar Recovery Scan
Registry
Services
Drivers
NetSvcs
One Month Created Files and Folders
One Month Modified Files and Folders
Files to move or delete
Some content of TEMP
Known DLLs
EXE ASSOCIATION
Restore Points
Memory info
Drives
MBR & Partition Table
LastRegBack:
Fixing
Care, Very Important: Farbar Recovery Scan Tool is non invasive and in scan mode it cannot harm a machine. It just scans
what is there and compiles a report.
However FRST is also very effective at carrying out instructions given to it. When applying a fix; if it is asked to remove
an item; in 99% of cases it will do so. While there are some safeguards built in they are necessarily broad based and
designed not to interfere with removal of infection. The user needs to be aware of that. Used incorrectly (that is if
requested to remove essential files), the tool can render a computer unbootable.
If you are unsure about any items in a FRST report always seek expert help before administering a fix.
Fixlog header
Like the scan header the Fixlog header contains information that is useful.
Here is an example header:
Quote
Fix result of Farbar Recovery Tool (FRST written by Farbar) (x64) Version: 12-10-2014 02
Ran by Owner at 2014-10-12 20:07:49 Run:7
Running from C:\Users\Owner\Downloads
Loaded Profile: Owner (Available profiles: Owner)
Boot Mode: Normal
First line: tells you similar information to the scan header.
Second line: tells you date and time the fix was run. It also tells you the Run number.
Third line: tells you where the fix was run from.
Fourth line: tells you what account (profile) the user is logged in under.
Fifth line: tells you what mode the fix was run under.
Processes
There are two reasons why you might want to stop a process. First, you may want to stop a security program that might
get in the way of a fix. Secondly, you may want to stop a bad process and then remove the folder or file associated with it.
To stop a process include the appropriate lines from the FRST scan.
Example:
Quote
(Symantec Corporation) C:\Program Files\Norton Security Suite\Engine\5.2.2.3\ccSvcHst.exe
(IObit) C:\Program Files\IObit\Advanced SystemCare 6\ASCService.exe
A Fixlog.txt will be generated with this label Process name => Process closed successfully
If you have a bad process and wish to remove the associated file or folder you need to include the item separately in your
fix like this:
Example:
Quote
Geeks to Go Blog Community (Spigot, Inc.) C:\Program Files (x86)\Common Files\Spigot\Search Settings\SearchSettings.exe Sign In Create Account
(Spigot Inc) C:\Program Files (x86)\Common Files\Spigot\Search Settings\SearchSettings64.exe
C:\Program Files (x86)\Common Files\Spigot
Registry
Registry entries (keys or values) that are taken from FRST log and included in the fixlist to be deleted, will be deleted.
FRST has a powerful deletion routine for keys and values. All the keys and values that resist deletion due to insufficient
permissions or null embedded characters will be deleted. The only keys that will not be deleted are those keys that are
protected by a kernel driver. Those keys/values should be deleted after the kernel driver that is protecting them is
removed or disabled.
Copy and pasting the items from a log into a fix triggers FRST to perform one of the two actions on the listed registry key:
1. Restoring the default key or

2. deleting the key.
When the entries from the log related to winlogon values (Userinit, Shell, System), LSA, and AppInit_DLLs
are copied to the fixlist.txt the tool restores the default Windows values.
Note: With AppInit_DLLs where there is one bad path, FRST removes that particular path from the Applnit_DLLs
value without removing the rest.
No need for any batch or regfix. The same applies to some other important keys that might be hijacked by the malware.
Note: FRST does not touch the files the registry keys are loading or executing. Files to be moved must be listed
separately with the full path without any additional information.
Except for one case (see below) the Run and Runonce entries if copied to the fixlist.txt will be removed from the
registry. The files they are loading or executing will not be removed. If you wish to remove them you must list them
separately.
For example, to remove the bad run entry along with the file you would list them in the fixlist.txt as follows (the first line
being copied directly from the log):
Quote
HKLM\...\Run: [bad] "C:\Windows\bad.exe" [x]

C:\Windows\bad.exe
Example
Quote
HKLM\...\Run: [3ktQnKPKDDuPsCd] C:\Users\Someperson 3\AppData\Roaming\xF9HhFtI.exe [334848 2012-08-03] ()

C:\Users\Someperson 3\AppData\Roaming\xF9HhFtI.exe
There is one case where a Run value is not removed but reset to its default path. In that case you will see this line in
the log:
Quote
HKLM\...\Run: [MSC] - "c:\Program Files\Microsoft Security Client\mssecex.exe" -hide -runkey [x] <===== ATTENTION
(File name is altered)
When that line is included in fixlist the default entry will be restored.
In the case of Notify keys; where they are included in the fixlist.txt; if they are among the default keys the tool restores
the value (DllName) data related to that key. If the key is not a default key it will be removed.
The Image File Execution Options entries when included in the fixlist.txt will be removed.
When a file or shortcut in the Startup folder is detected, FRST lists the file on the Startup: entries. If the file is a shortcut
the next line will list the shortcut target ( i.e. the executable that is run by the shortcut). To remove both the shortcut and
the target file you need to include both of them.
Example:
Quote
Startup: C:\Users\rob\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Startup\runctf.lnk

ShortcutTarget: runctf.lnk -> C:\Users\rob\1800947.exe ()
Note: The first line only moves the shortcut. Listing the second line moves the 1800947.exe file. If you only list the
second line, the executable file will be removed but the shortcut will remain in Startup folder. The next time the system
is started it will throw an error when the shortcut tries to run the executable and doesn't find it.
Internet
Apart from a few exceptions, items copied to fixlist.txt will be removed. Where folders/files are involved they must be
copied separately to the fix.
Note: In the case of HKLM DefaultScope (hijacked or missing) however, it will be reset, not deleted. This applies to FF
and Chrome as well.
Note 2: In the case of StartMenuInternet hijacking for IE, FF and Chrome. The default entries will be whitelisted.
when the entry appears on FRST log, there should be something wrong with the path in the registry. The entry can be
included in the fixlist and the default registry entry will be restored.
Internet Explorer
Where the home page is pasted into fixlist.txt the value will be removed returning the browser setting to the default
postion. The listing would be entered like this (the line is entered directly from the log):
Quote
HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Start Page = http://search.condui...&ctid=CT3244149 ()
Where internet search providers are involved the item can be pasted into fixlist.txt and the key will be deleted. The items
are entered as follows:
Quote
SearchScopes: HKLM-x32 - {EEE6C360-6118-11DC-9C72-001320C79847} URL = http://search.sweeti...q={searchTerms} ()

SearchScopes: HKCU - {EEE6C360-6118-11DC-9C72-001320C79847} URL = http://search.sweeti...q={searchTerms} ()
Toolbars and BHO's (Browser Helper Objects) can be copied into the fix and the Key will be deleted. Accompanying
files/folders must be entered separately if they need to be moved.
Example:
Quote
BHO: PriceGongBHO Class - {1631550F-191D-4826-B069-D9439253D926} - C:\Program

Files\PriceGong\2.1.0\PriceGongIE.dll (PriceGong)
BHO: WhiteSmoke US New Toolbar - {462be121-2b54-4218-bf00-b9bf8135b23f} - C:\Program
Files\WhiteSmoke_US_New\prxtbWhit.dll (Conduit Ltd.)
BHO-x32: Yontoo - {FD72061E-9FDE-484D-A58A-0BAB4151CAD8} - C:\Program Files (x86)\Yontoo\YontooIEClient.dll
(Yontoo LLC)
C:\Program Files\PriceGong
C:\Program Files\WhiteSmoke_US_New
C:\Program Files (x86)\Yontoo
ActiveX objects can be pasted into the fix and the item will be removed. Just enter the line like so:
Quote
DPF: {8AD9C840-044E-11D1-B3E9-00805F499D93} http://java.sun.com/...indows-i586.cab

(http://java.sun.com/...indows-i586.cab)
Firefox
FRST lists FF keys (if present) regardless of whether FF is installed or not.
Where the home page is pasted into fixlist.txt the value will be removed. Next time Firefox is started it will revert to its'
default homepage. The listing would be entered like this (the line is entered directly from the log):
Quote
FF Homepage: hxxp://www.ask.com/
For Add-ons, Extensions and Plugins the entry from the log can be entered in the fixlist and the item will be moved.
Where there is a file to be moved for either an Add-on, or an Extension, it must be entered separately. For Plugins both
the registry entry and the file will be deleted (see below).
Example for an Add-on or Extension:
Quote
FF HKCU\...\Firefox\Extensions: [{5a95a9e0-59dd-4314-bd84-4d18ca83a0e2}] - C:\Program Files (x86)\Wajam\Firefox\

{5a95a9e0-59dd-4314-bd84-4d18ca83a0e2}.xpi
FF Extension: No Name - C:\Program Files (x86)\Wajam\Firefox\{5a95a9e0-59dd-4314-bd84-4d18ca83a0e2}.xpi [2013-
02-08]
For Firefox Plugins, processing the entry will delete both elements, no need to include a file path.
Example for a Plugin:
Quote
Content of fixlist:
*****************
FF Plugin-x32: @tools.bdupdater.com/BonanzaDealsLive Update;version=3 - C:\Program Files
(x86)\BonanzaDealsLive\Update\1.3.23.0\npGoogleUpdate3.dll (BonanzaDeals)
FF Plugin-x32: @tools.bdupdater.com/BonanzaDealsLive Update;version=9 - C:\Program Files
(x86)\BonanzaDealsLive\Update\1.3.23.0\npGoogleUpdate3.dll (BonanzaDeals)
*****************
HKLM\Software\Wow6432Node\MozillaPlugins\@tools.bdupdater.com/BonanzaDealsLive Update;version=3 => Key

deleted successfully.
C:\Program Files (x86)\BonanzaDealsLive\Update\1.3.23.0\npGoogleUpdate3.dll => Moved successfully.
HKLM\Software\Wow6432Node\MozillaPlugins\@tools.bdupdater.com/BonanzaDealsLive Update;version=9 => Key
deleted successfully.
C:\Program Files (x86)\BonanzaDealsLive\Update\1.3.23.0\npGoogleUpdate3.dll not found.
==== End of Fixlog ====
All other items; when the line is entered in fixlist.txt, it will be removed. Files/folders must be entered separately (just the
path) to be moved.
Chrome
FRST lists Chrome keys (if present) regardless of whether Chrome is installed or not.
Google Chrome DefaultSearchProvider is not fixed through FRST. In that case you will need to fix using the
"Settings" facility.
If the DefaultSearchProvider item is for some reason included in a fix FRST will return a label like this ==> The
Chrome "Settings" can be used to fix the entry.
Where you see something like this:
Quote
CHR Plugin: (Silverlight Plug-In) - c:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Silverlight\4.1.10329.0\npctrl.dll No File

CHR Plugin: (Shockwave Flash) - C:\Users\Farbar\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\Application\27.0.1453.94\gcswf32.dll
No File
This means that that particular file is missing and the plugin is not available. Including the entry in Fixlist will not remove
the entry.
"No file" entries can be removed by refreshing Google Chrome plugins cache.
To refresh Google Chrome plugins cache and remove the orphans, do the following:
Quote
Open Chrome.
Copy and paste the following in the address bar and press Enter:
chrome://plugins
You will get a page with all the plugins listed. There is an option to disable each plugin.
Press "Disable" under each plugin involved. Then press "Enable".
Close Chrome.
Deleting the extension folder using FRST does effectively remove the extension. It cannot run, and does not do any harm
to Chrome's operation, but the extension name remains in the prefs file. For that reason it is better to use Chrome's own
tools in this instance.
Processing a Registry type of an extension will delete both elements at once if found (no need to include a second line
pointing the file). You might see something like this in the FRST log:
Quote
CHR HKLM-x32\...\Chrome\Extension: [ejnmnhkgiphcaeefbaooconkceehicfi] - C:\Program Files

(x86)\DealPly\DealPly.crx
CHR HKLM-x32\...\Chrome\Extension: [ejpbbhjlbipncjklfjjaedaieimbmdda] -
C:\Users\Agata\AppData\Local\CRE\ejpbbhjlbipncjklfjjaedaieimbmdda.crx
Just include the lines in the fixlist and you will get this report after the fix:
Quote
HKLM\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Google\Chrome\Extensions\ejnmnhkgiphcaeefbaooconkceehicfi => Key deleted

successfully.
"C:\Program Files (x86)\DealPly\DealPly.crx" => File/Directory not found.
HKLM\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Google\Chrome\Extensions\ejpbbhjlbipncjklfjjaedaieimbmdda => Key deleted
successfully.
C:\Users\Agata\AppData\Local\CRE\ejpbbhjlbipncjklfjjaedaieimbmdda.crx => Moved successfully.
Where you see this:
Quote
CHR HKLM\SOFTWARE\Policies\Google: Policy restriction <======= ATTENTION

GroupPolicy: Group Policy on Chrome detected <======= ATTENTION
Some adware use Group Policy to block changes to extensions.
Include the lines in fixlist and you see the following in the Fixlog.txt report.
Quote
HKLM\SOFTWARE\Policies\Google => Key deleted successfully.

C:\Windows\system32\GroupPolicy\Machine => Moved successfully.
C:\Windows\system32\GroupPolicy\GPT.ini => Moved successfully.
Where you see this:
Quote
Error reading preferences. Please check "preferences" file for possible corruption. <======= ATTENTION
"Preferences" is the core configuration file for Chrome where all the user's settings are saved there. There are cases
where malware corrupts "Preferences" file or just makes a zero byte preferences file. FRST alerts you to the problem.
The best action is to remove the "Preferences" file and restart Chrome.
Where you do wish to remove something other than a registry type of extension then instructions at FF above apply to
Add-ons, extensions, plugins and to all other items.
For browsers (Opera, Avant, Safari) that are not shown in the log then the best option is a complete uninstall followed by
a reboot and reinstall.
Winsock
Items not on the default list will show in the log. If a catalog 5 entry is listed to be fixed, FRST will do one of two things:
1. In the case of hijacked default entries, it will restore the default entry.
2. In case of custom entries, it will remove it and re-number the catalog entries.
Where there are catalog 9 entries to be fixed, it is recommended to use "netsh winsock reset".
Where there are still custom catalog 9 entries to be fixed, they can be listed to be fixed. In that case FRST will remove the
entries and re-number the catalog entries.
Care: a broken chain will prevent a machine connecting to the Internet.
A broken internet access due to missing winsock entries will be reported on the log like this:
Quote
Winsock: Missing Catalog5 entry, broken internet access. <===== ATTENTION.
To fix the issue, the entry can be included in the fixlist.txt like this:
Winsock: Missing Catalog5 entry, broken internet access. <===== ATTENTION.
In a case of ZeroAccess infection we might get a log like this:
Quote
Winsock: Catalog5 01 mswsock.dll File Not found () ATTENTION: The LibraryPath should be
"%SystemRoot%\system32\NLAapi.dll"
Winsock: Catalog5 06 mswsock.dll File Not found () ATTENTION: The LibraryPath should be
"%SystemRoot%\System32\mswsock.dll"
Winsock: Catalog9 01 mswsock.dll File Not found ()
Winsock: Catalog9 02 mswsock.dll File Not found ()
Winsock: Catalog5-x64 01 mswsock.dll File Not found () ATTENTION: The LibraryPath should be
"%SystemRoot%\system32\NLAapi.dll"
Winsock: Catalog5-x64 06 mswsock.dll File Not found () ATTENTION: The LibraryPath should be
"%SystemRoot%\System32\mswsock.dll"
Winsock: Catalog9-x64 01 mswsock.dll File Not found ()
Winsock: Catalog9-x64 02 mswsock.dll File Not found ()
When included in the fixlist, FRST will reset the Catalog5 entries but doesn't do anything to problematic Catalog9 entries
and tells you to use "netsh winsock reset" to deal with them.
A full fix script would look like this:
Winsock: Catalog5 01 mswsock.dll File Not found () ATTENTION: The LibraryPath should be "%SystemRoot%\system32\NLAapi.dll"
Winsock: Catalog5 06 mswsock.dll File Not found () ATTENTION: The LibraryPath should be "%SystemRoot%\System32\mswsock.dll"
Winsock: Catalog5-x64 01 mswsock.dll File Not found () ATTENTION: The LibraryPath should be "%SystemRoot%\system32\NLAapi.dll"
Winsock: Catalog5-x64 06 mswsock.dll File Not found () ATTENTION: The LibraryPath should be "%SystemRoot%\System32\mswsock.dll"
cmd: netsh winsock reset
Note: the cmd: netsh winsock reset included in the fix.
The Fixlog generated after the fix would look like this:
Quote
QuoteWinsock: Catalog5 entry 000000000001\\LibraryPath was set successfully to

%SystemRoot%\System32\NLAapi.dll
Winsock: Catalog5 entry 000000000006\\LibraryPath was set successfully to %SystemRoot%\System32\mswsock.dll
Winsock: Catalog5-x64 entry 000000000001\\LibraryPath was set successfully to
%SystemRoot%\System32\NLAapi.dll
Winsock: Catalog5-x64 entry 000000000006\\LibraryPath was set successfully to
%SystemRoot%\System32\mswsock.dll
========= netsh winsock reset =========
"Successfully reset the Winsock Catalog. You must restart the computer in order to complete the reset."
========= End of CMD: =========
Note: In certain situations the netsh winsock reset command may not work. When that happens have the user reboot
the machine and run cmd: netsh winsock reset again.
Tcpip
Tcpip and other entries when included in the fixlist.txt will be deleted.
hosts
When there are custom entries in Hosts (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hosts_(file)) , you will get a line in Internet
section on FRST.txt log saying "There are more than one entries detected in hosts" (see Addional Scan).
If the hosts file is not detected, there will be an entry about not being able to detect hosts.
To reset the hosts just copy and paste the line into the fixlist.txt and the hosts will be reset. You will see a line in Fixlog.txt
confirming the reset.
Services and Drivers
The Services and Drivers are formatted as follows:
RunningState StartType ServiceName; ImagePath [Size CreationDate] (CompanyName)
RunningState - the letter beside the number represents the Running State:
R=Running
S=Stopped
U=Undetermined.
The "StartType" numbers are:
0=Boot,
1=System,
2=Auto,
3=Demand,
4=Disabled
5=Assigned by FRST when it is unable to read the start type
FRST scans for a number of known infections and verifies the digital signature of the files for Services and Drivers.
Where a file is not digitally signed it will be reported.
Example:
Quote
==================== Services (Whitelisted) =================
R2 DcomLaunch; C:\Windows\system32\rpcss.dll [512512 2010-11-20] (Microsoft Corporation) [File not signed]

R2 RpcSs; C:\Windows\system32\rpcss.dll [512512 2010-11-20] (Microsoft Corporation) [File not signed]
To fix a file that is not signed it needs to be replaced with a good copy. Use the Replace: command.
To remove a bad service or driver service the line from the scan log is copied to fixlist.txt. The tool closes any service
entry that is included in the fixlist.txt and removes the service key, but it will not remove the file. The file should be
included separately. There is one exception - see below.
For example to remove the bad service or driver entry along with the file you would list them in the fixlist.txt as follows:
Quote
R2 Bad service; C:\Windows\System32\Bad service.exe

C:\Windows\System32\Bad service.exe
Quote
R3 WajamUpdater; "C:\Program Files (x86)\Wajam\Updater\WajamUpdater.exe" [109064 2013-01-09] (Wajam)

C:\Program Files (x86)\Wajam\Updater\WajamUpdater.exe
There is one exception with Windows Management Instrumentation where it has been hijacked by Ransomware. In
that case you will see something like:
Quote
S2 Winmgmt; C:\PROGRA~2\dfgujiynkowgcsquunu.bfg [x]
When that line is included in fixlist it will restore the Parameters.
Note: FRST will report success or failure of stopping services that are running. Regardless of if the service is stopped
or not, FRST attempts to delete the service. Where a running service is deleted FRST will inform the user about
completing the fix and the need to restart. Then FRST will restart the system. You will see a line at the end of Fixlog
about the needed restart. If a service is not running, FRST will delete it without forcing a restart.
Example for drivers:
Quote
S0 442564429e863a90; C:\Windows\System32\Drivers\442564429e863a90.sys [75208 2012-06-26] ()

C:\Windows\System32\Drivers\442564429e863a90.sys
NetSvcs
Known legitimate entries are whitelisted. As with other areas scanned and which have a white list it does not mean that
items appearing in FRST.txt are all bad, just that they should to be checked.
The NetSvc entries are listed each on a line, like this:
Quote
NETSVC: NMSSvc -> C:\Windows\system32\smcservice.dll (Oak Technology Inc.) ATTENTION! ====> ZeroAccess
NETSVC: pMgt -> C:\Window\System32\dstor.dll (No File)
NETSVC: WUSB54GCSVC -> No ServiceDLL Path.
The first entry is labelled with the infection =====> ZeroAccess and needs to be dealt with.
The second entry means there is a ServiceDll in the registry entry which is associated with pMgt service but the file is
missing.
The third entry means the WUSB54GCSVC has no ServiceDll entry in the registry. The second and the third entries are
left overs.
Note: that listing Netsvc only removes the associated value from the registry. The associated service should be listed
for deletion separately.
Looking at the above example. There is a Service listed further back in the FRST log associated with the item showing in
NETSVC; it looks like this:
Quote
R2 NMSSvc; C:\Windows\System32\smcservice.dll [6656 2009-07-13] (Oak Technology Inc.) ATTENTION! ====>

ZeroAccess
To remove the Netsvc value, the associated service in the registry and the associated DLL file, the full script would look
like this:
Quote
NETSVC: NMSSvc -> C:\Windows\system32\smcservice.dll (Oak Technology Inc.) ATTENTION! ====> ZeroAccess
R2 NMSSvc; C:\Windows\System32\smcservice.dll [6656 2009-07-13] (Oak Technology Inc.) ATTENTION! ====>
ZeroAccess
C:\Windows\System32\smcservice.dll
One Month Created Files and Folders and One Month Modified Files and Folders
The scan reports the file or folder's created date and time. The "Modified" scan reports the file or folder's modified date
and time. The size (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File_size) of (number of bytes contained) the file is also shown. A folder
will show 00000000 as the folder itself has no bytes.
FRST adds notations to certain log entries:
C - Compressed
D - Directory
H - Hidden
L - Symbolic Link
N - Normal (does not have other attributes set)
O - Offline
R - Readonly
S - System
T - Temporary
To remove a file or folder in the one month list just copy and paste the whole line to fixlist.txt like this:
2013-03-20 22:55 - 2013-03-20 22:55 - 00000000 ____D C:\Program Files (x86)\SearchProtect

2010-10-12 01:06 - 2008-11-07 18:18 - 0000406 _____ c:\Windows\Tasks\At12.job
2010-10-12 01:06 - 2008-11-07 18:17 - 0001448 ____S c:\Windows\System32\Drivers\bwmpm.sys
Listing the Symbolic Link attribute is especially helpful in recognizing the folders created by the ZeroAccess infection.
Example:
Quote
2013-07-14 18:17 - 2013-07-14 18:17 - 00000000 ___DL C:\Windows\system64
Before listing those Folders to be moved the DeleteJunctionsInDirectory: FolderPath should be used (it can be
used in any mode).
Example:
DeleteJunctionsInDirectory: C:\Windows\system64
To fix other files/folders the path could be listed in the fixlist.txt:
c:\Windows\System32\Drivers\badfile.sys
C:\Program Files (x86)\BadFolder
If you have more files with similar file name and wanted to move them with one script the wild card * can be used (Note -
that will not work for Folders):
So you can either list those files like:
C:\Windows\Tasks\At1.job
Or just:
C:\Windows\Tasks\At*.job
To remove files/folders with space in the path, there is no need to put them in the quote marks, you can simply put the
path in the fixlist:
C:\Program Files (x86)\SearchProtect
AlternateDataStreams
FRST lists ADS as a part of Addition.txt scans like so:
Quote
==================== Alternate Data Streams (whitelisted) ==========

AlternateDataStreams: C:\Windows\system32\Drivers\qhjmiqwlh.sys:changelist
AlternateDataStreams: C:\Windows\System32\legitfile:malware.exe
AlternateDataStreams: C:\test:malware.exe
AlternateDataStreams: C:\ProgramData\TEMP:1CE11B51
If the ADS is on a legitimate file/folder the fix will be copy and paste the whole line from the log into the fixlist.
Example:
AlternateDataStreams: C:\Windows\System32\legitfile:malware.exe
If it is on a bad file/folder the fix will be:
C:\test
In the first case FRST only removes the ADS from the file/folder.
In the latter case the file/folder will be removed.
Unicode
To fix an entry with a Unicode characters in it, the fixlist.txt should be saved in Unicode otherwise the unicode characters
will be lost. The best way to deal with a line with unicode is to save the fixlist.txt and upload it.
Example:
2013-07-07 19:53 - 2013-07-07 19:53 - 00000000 ____D C:\
To move the above folder:
Copy and paste the entry into the open notepad, select Save As..., Under Encoding: select Unicode, give it fixlist name
and save it.
If you save it to a normal notepad without selecting Unicode; notepad will give you a warning, if you go on and save it,
after closing it and opening it again you will get:
Quote
2013-07-07 19:53 - 2013-07-07 19:53 - 00000000 ____D C:\??????
And FRST will not be able to process it.
Files to move or delete:
Files listed in this section are those that either, are bad, or are files in a bad location.
Examples of legitimate files are the files that users have downloaded and saved to the User's directory. Another example
is when a legitimate third party software keeps one of its files in User's directory. That is a bad practice by any software
vendor and those files should be moved even if they are legitimate. We have seen many infections hiding their fabricated
files (seemingly legitimate but malware files) in that directory and running it from there.
Like Modified files the way files/folders are dealt with in a fix is the same as in the One Month Created Files and Folders
section above.
Some content of TEMP:
This is a non-recursive scan limited to some particular extensions to get a basic idea of whether a malware file is placed in
Temp root. This section is not visible if no files meet the requirements of the search. That does not mean that Temp is
empty or malware free (e.g. malware could be in a subfolder not expanded by FRST) just that it does not meet the
particular search parameters. For a more comprehensive cleanup of temp files, use of the EmptyTemp: command is an
option.
Known DLLs
Some items in this section if missing or patched or corrupted could cause boot issues. Accordingly this scan only appears
when the tool is run in RE (Recovery Environment) mode.
Items are whitelisted unless they need attention.
Care is required in dealing with items identified in this section. Either a file is missing or it appears to have been modified
in some way. Expert help is recommended to ensure the problematic file is correctly identified and dealt with in the
appropriate way. In the majority of cases there is a good replacement on the system that should be found with the Search
function of FRST. Please see the Directive section (Examples of use) of this tutorial on how to replace a file and Other
features section for how carry out a search.
Bamital (http://www.microsoft.com/security/portal/threat/encyclopedia/entry.aspx?Name=Win32%2FBamital) and

volsnap (http://home.mcafee.com/virusinfo/virusprofile.aspx?key=457262#none) malware check.
Modified system files alert you to possible malware infection. Where infection is identified care needs to be taken with
remedial action. Expert help should be sought as removal of a system file could render a machine unbootable.
When a file is not digitally signed you will see something like this one taken from a Zekos infection in a Bamital section:
Quote
C:\Windows\System32\rpcss.dll
[2011-05-21 16:29] - [2010-11-20 15:27] - 0512512 ____A (Microsoft Corporation)
8529DD0C546A5EC5B51572EEBE8D2D06
ATTENTION ======> If the system is having audio adware rpcss.dll is patched. Google the MD5, if the MD5 is unique the
file is infected.
In that case the file needs to be replaced with a good copy. Use the Replace: command.
When a malware made custom entry in BCD is found you will see the following line in the Bamital section:
Quote
TDL4: custom:26000022 <===== ATTENTION!
The entry in BCD might render a system unbootable if the bootkit malware was removed and the BCD entry left behind
without attention. When the entry is included in the fixlist, the malware custom entry is removed from BCD and the
default value is restored.
The safest way to boot to Safe Mode is to use F8 key at boot. In some cases the users use "System Configuration Utility"
to boot to Safe Mode. In case the Safe Mode is corrupted the computer gets locked and the system will not boot to normal
mode because it is configured to boot to Safe Mode. In that case you will see
Quote
safeboot: ==> The system is configured to boot to Safe Mode <===== ATTENTION!
To fix the issue include the above line in the fixlist. FRST will set the normal mode as the default mode and the system will
come out of the loop.
Note: This applies to Vista and later Windows versions.
EXE ASSOCIATION
Note: the "EXE ASSOCIATION" will appear on the FRST.txt log when FRST is run from the Recovery Environment.
When FRST is run outside Recovery Environment the section will appear on the Addition.txt
Lists file associations for shell spawning values for .exe registry settings like this:
HKLM\...\.exe: exefile => OK

HKLM\...\exefile\DefaultIcon: %1 => OK
HKLM\...\exefile\open\command: "%1" %* => OK
In cases where the exe association is hijacked you will see ATTENTION! instead of OK. You might see other lines, for
example, when the user's key has been hijacked.
As with other registry entries you can just copy and past the entries with the issue in the fixlist.txt and they will be
restored or taken care of. No need to do registry fixes.
Restore Points
The restore points are listed.
Note only in Windows XP can the hives be restored using FRST. The restore points listed on Vista and above should be
restored from RE (Recovery Environment) using Windows System Recovery Options.
Note2: the "Restore Points" will appear on the FRST.txt log when FRST is run from the Recovery Environment. When
FRST is run outside Recovery Environment the section will appear on the Addition.txt
To fix include the line for the one you want to restore into the fixlist.txt script.
Example from an XP machine:
Quote
RP: -> 2010-10-26 19:51 - 024576 _restore{3216E3D3-FBC5-40AC-B583-63C1B9EE2B6F}\RP83

To restore the hives from the Restore Points 82 (dated 2010-10-24) the line will be copied and pasted to the fixlist.txt like
so:
For a fix to restore from backup software (FRST saved Hives, ERUNT or CF) on Vista and above, refer to the Directive
section of this tutorial.
Memory info
Tells you the amount of RAM (Random Access Memory) installed on the machine together with the available physical
memory and percentage of free memory. Sometimes this can help explain a machine's symptoms. For example the
number shown may not reflect the hardware position the user believes is present. RAM reported may appear lower than
what is actually on the machine. This can happen when the machine cannot actually access all the RAM it has. Possibilities
include faulty RAM or Motherboard slot problem or something preventing the BIOS recognising it (e.g. BIOS may need to
be upgraded). Also, for 32 bit systems with more than 4GB of ram installed, the maximum amount reported will only be
4GB. This is a limitation on 32-bit applications.
Processor information, page file size, page file space available, virtual memory and virtual memory available are also
listed.
Note: the "Memory info" will appear on the FRST.txt log when FRST is run from the Recovery Environment. When
FRST is run outside Recovery Environment the section will appear on the Addition.txt
Drives and MBR & Partition Table
Enumerate what primary (http://windows.microsoft.com/en-nz/windows-vista/what-are-partitions-and-logical-drives)

and extended partitions are on the machine, their size, and how much free space there is. Removable drives attached to
the machine at time of the scan are included.
Note: the "MBR & Partition Table" will appear on the FRST.txt log when FRST is run from the Recovery Environment.
When FRST is run outside Recovery Environment the section will appear on the Addition.txt
The MBR (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Master_boot_record) (Master Boot Record) code is listed.
You may see:
Quote
"ATTENTION: Malware custom entry on BCD on drive "Somedrive": detected." Check for MBR/Partition infection".
As with other complex infections expert help is recommended to find the correct solution. A wrong move here will render
the users computer unbootable.
In some cases there will be other malware infection labels earlier in the FRST log which will point to a solution. In other
cases, a fix may be necessary with a command using the RE (Recovery Environment). See the Directives section in this
tutorial.
Where there is an indication of something wrong with the MBR an MBR check may be appropriate. To do this an MBR
dump needs to be obtained. This is how:
Run the following fix with FRST in any mode:
Quote
SaveMbr: drive=0 (or appropriate drive number)
By doing this there will be MBRDUMP.txt saved where FRST/FRST64 has been downloaded to.
Note: while an MBR dump can be obtained either in Normal mode or RE some MBR infections are able to forge the
MBR while Windows is being loaded. Accordingly it is recommend to do it in RE.
LastRegBack
FRST looks into the system and lists the last registry backup made by the system. The registry backup contains a backup
of all the hives. It is different from the LKGC (Last Known Good Configuration) backup of the control set.
There are a number of reasons why you might want to use this backup as a solution to a problem but a common one is
where loss or corruption has occurred.
You might see this in the FRST header:
Quote
"Attention: Could not load system hive"
To fix just include the line in fixlist like this:
Quote
LastRegBack: >>date<< >>time<<
Example:
LastRegBack: 2013-07-02 15:09
Addition.txt
The Additions scan is generated the first time FRST is run. On subsequent scans it is not carried out unless it is specifically
requested in an optional scan (see box in Console). It lists the following:
Security Center
- You might find that the list contains leftovers of a previously uninstalled security program. In that case the line can be
included in the fixlist.txt to be removed.
There are some security programs (like Spybot S&D) that prevent removal of the entry if they are not fully uninstalled. In
that case instead of a confirmation of removal on the Fixlog you will see:
Quote
Security Center Entry => The item is protected. Make sure the software is uninstalled and its services is removed.
Installed Programs - Lists all installed programs.
- FRST has a build-in database for flagging a number of adware/PUP programs.
Example:
Quote
DictionaryBoss Firefox Toolbar (HKLM\...\DictionaryBossbar Uninstall Firefox) (Version: - Mindspark Interactive

Network) <==== ATTENTION
Zip Opener Packages (HKCU\...\Zip Opener Packages) (Version: - ) <==== ATTENTION
It is strongly recommended to uninstall the flagged program before running an automated tool to remove adware
programs. The uninstaller of the adware program removes the majority of its entries and reverses the configuration
changes.
- In cases where programs are not shown in the user's installed programs list, but are there, FRST will list them and
append them with a label like this:
Quote
Google Update Helper (x32 Version: 1.3.22.3 - Google Inc.) Hidden
These programs are not necessarily bad... just hidden. They have a value in the registry called "SystemComponent" with
a REG_DWORD set to 1. Those programs are not visible in Add/Remove Programs (xp) or Programs and
Features (Vista above) and the user can't uninstall them from there. FRST can remove "SystemComponent" and make
the program visible to the user.
If the entry from Addition.txt log is included in the fixlist.txt you will get:
Quote
HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\Adwarestuff \\SystemComponent => Value deleted
successfully.
Note: This fix only makes the program visible, it doesn't uninstall the program. The program should be uninstalled by
the user.
As stated above not every hidden program is bad. There are a lot of legitimate programs (including MS programs) that
are hidden for good reasons.
Custom CLSID - lists custom CLSID entries created in user hive
Example:
Quote
CustomCLSID: HKU\S-1-5-21-1659004503-1801674531-839522115-1003_Classes\CLSID\{AB8902B4-09CA-4bb6-B78D-
A8F59079A8D5}\localserver32 -> rundll32.exe javascript:"\..\mshtml,RunHTMLApplication ";eval("epdvnfou/xsjuf)
(=tdsjqu!mbohvbhf>ktds (the data entry has 247 more characters). <==== Poweliks?
To fix malicious entries just add them to the fixlist.txt and FRST will remove them.
Note: legitimate third party software can create a custom CLSID so care should be exercised as legitimate ones should
not be removed.
Restore Points - Refer Restore Points earlier in the tutorial
Hosts content - Refer Hosts earlier in the tutorial
Scheduled Tasks
- Scheduled Tasks not whitelisted are shown. When an entry is included in a fixlist.txt the task itself is fixed.
Please note that FRST only removes the registry entries and moves the task file but does not move the executable.
If the executable is bad it should be added in separate line to the fixlist.txt to be moved.
Note that malware can use a legitimate executable (e.g. using sc.exe to run its own services) to run its own file. In other
words you need to check the executable to ascertain if it is legitimate or not before taking action.
Loaded Modules
Loaded Modules are white listed based on the presence of a company name. That is, items without a company name are
shown. Keep this in mind because there could be a case of a bad module with a company name not showing in this scan.
Alternate Data Streams - Refer Alternate Data Streams earlier in the tutorial
Safe Mode
- The default entries are whitelisted. So if the section is empty, there is no custom entry on the system.
If any of the main keys (SafeBoot, SafeBoot\Minimal and SafeBoot\Network) are missing, it will be reported. In that case
it should be repaired manually.
If there is a malware made entry, it could be included in the fixlist.txt for removal.
EXE Association
-The default entries are whitelisted so unless there are modified or additional entries nothing will show in the report.
When any default modified entry is included in the fixlist.txt, the default entry will be restored. Any user key, if included
in the fixlist.txt, will be deleted.
MSCONFIG/TASK MANAGER disabled items
-The log is useful where a user has used MSCONFIG to disable malware entries instead of removing them. Or, they have
disabled too much and can't get some needed services or applications to run properly.
Example:
Quote
==================== MSCONFIG/TASK MANAGER disabled items =========
(Currently there is no automatic fix for this section.)
MSCONFIG\Services: gupdate => 2

MSCONFIG\Services: gupdatem => 3
MSCONFIG\Services: gusvc => 3
MSCONFIG\startupfolder: C:^Users^baman^AppData^Roaming^Microsoft^Windows^Start
Menu^Programs^Startup^HijackThis.exe => C:\Windows\pss\HijackThis.exe.Startup
MSCONFIG\startupreg: MSC => "c:\Program Files\Microsoft Security Client\msseces.exe" -hide -runkey
MSCONFIG\startupreg: swg => "C:\Program Files\Google\GoogleToolbarNotifier\GoogleToolbarNotifier.exe"
They read as follows:
MSCONFIG\Services: ServiceName => Original start type
Disabled items in startup folder:
MSCONFIG\startupfolder: Original Path (replaced "\" with "^" by Windows) => Path to backup made by Windows.
Disabled Run entries:
MSCONFIG\startupreg: ValueName => Path to the file.
Currently FRST only lists those entries. There is no fix at the moment. The legit entries could be enabled again by the
user. In case of malware entries, the file could be removed first. Then the user can be instructed to enable the item so that
they appear on the main log to be removed.
Accounts
-Lists all accounts on the system. Account Name (account SID -> Privileges - Enabled/Disabled) => Profile path
Example:
Quote
Administrator (S-1-5-21-12236832-921050215-1751123909-500 - Administrator - Enabled) => C:\Users\Administrator

Someperson (S-1-5-21-12236832-921050215-1751123909-1001 - Administrator - Enabled) => C:\Users\Someperson
Guest (S-1-5-21-12236832-921050215-1751123909-501 - Limited - Disabled)
HomeGroupUser$ (S-1-5-21-12236832-921050215-1751123909-1003 - Limited - Enabled)
Faulty Device Manager Devices

Event log errors:
- Application errors
- System errors
- Microsoft Office Sessions
- CodeIntegrity Errors
Memory info - Refer Memory info earlier in the tutorial
Drives
MBR & Partition Table - Refer Drives and MBR & Partition Table earlier in the tutorial
Directives/Commands
All the commands/directives in FRST should be on one line as FRST processes the script line by line.
Quick reference of Directives/Commands
Note: Directives/Commands are not case sensitive.
For use only in Normal Mode, Safe Mode
CloseProcesses:
DeleteKey:
EmptyTemp:
Reboot:
VerifySignature:
For use in Normal Mode, Safe Mode and in the Recovery Environment (RE)
cmd:
DeleteJunctionsInDirectory:
DeleteQuarantine:
DisableService:
File: and Folder:
FindFolder:
Hosts:
ListPermissions:
Move:
nointegritychecks on:
Reg:
RemoveDirectory:
Replace:
RestoreQuarantine:
SaveMbr:
SetDefaultFilePermissions:
testsigning on:
Unlock:
For use only in the Recovery Environment (RE)
LastRegBack:
RestoreErunt:
Restore From Backup:
RestoreMbr:
Examples of use
CloseProcesses:
Closes all the none essential processes. Helps to make fixing more effective and faster.
Example:
CloseProcesses:
When this directive is included in a fix it will automatically apply a reboot. There is no need to use the Reboot: directive.
The CloseProcesses: directive is not needed and not available in the Recovery Environment.
CMD:
Occasionally you need to run CMD command. In that case you must use "CMD:" directive.
The script will be:
Quote
CMD: >Command<
If there is more than one command, start each line with CMD: to get an output log for each command.
Example:
CMD: copy /y c:\windows\minidump\*.dmp e:\

CMD: bootrec /FixMbr
The first command will copy the minidump files to flash drive ( if the drive letter for flash drive is E).
The second command is used to fix the MBR in Windows Vista and Windows 7.
Note: Unlike the native or other FRST directives the cmd commands should have the proper cmd.exe syntax, like use of
" quotes in case of a space in the file/directory path.
DeleteJunctionsInDirectory:
To remove junctions use the following Syntax:
Quote
DeleteJunctionsInDirectory: Path
Example:
DeleteJunctionsInDirectory: C:\Program Files\Windows Defender
DeleteKey:
To delete keys that are locked due to insufficient permissions, and keys that contain embedded-null characters.
The syntax is:
Quote
DeleteKey: Key
Example:
DeleteKey: HKLM\Software\something\something
DeleteKey: HKEY_USERS\S-1-5-21-946498238-3666816333-1564132055-1000\Software\aname
DeleteKey: hkcu\Software\Dit\searchbar
Note: Because the deletion is meant to cover all kinds of keys (even classes keys that are often targeted) the feature
is only available outside RE.
For keys that are protected by a running software (those keys have access denied) you need to use Safe Mode (to
circumvent the running software) or delete the main components before using the command.
The DeleteKey: has the ability to delete registry symbolic links.
Note: If the listed key for deletion is a registry link to another key, the (source) key which is the registry symbolic link,
will be deleted. The target key will not be deleted. This is done to avoid removing both a bad registry symbolic link that
might point at a legitimate key and the legitimate key itself. In a situation where both the source key and the target key
are bad, then they both should be listed for deletion.
DeleteQuarantine:
After finishing with cleaning, the %SystemDrive%\FRST (usually C:\FRST) folder made by FRST tool should be removed
from the computer. In some cases the folder can't be removed manually because the %SystemDrive%\FRST\Quarantine
folder contains locked or unusual malware files or directories. The DeleteQuarantine: command will remove the
Quarantine folder.
Tools that move files as opposed to deleting files should not be used to delete C:\FRST as those tools just move the files
to their own directory and it remains on the system anyway.
The command just needs to be included in a fixlist.txt like so:
Quote
DeleteQuarantine:
DisableService:
To disable a service or driver service you can use the following script:
Quote
DisableService: ServiceName
Example:
DisableService: sptd
DisableService: Schedule
DisableService: Wmware Nat Service
FRST will set the service to Disabled and the service will not run at the next boot.
Note: The service name should be listed as it appears in the registry or FRST log, without adding anything. For
example quotation marks are not required.
EmptyTemp:
The following directories are emptied:

- Windows Temp.
- Users Temp folders
- IE, FF and Chrome cache, Cookies and History.
- Recently opened files cache.
- Flash Player cache.
- Java cache.
- Explorer thumbnail cache and network qmgr?.dat files.
- Recycle Bin.
When EmptyTemp: directive is used the system will be rebooted after the fix. No need to use Reboot: directive.
Also no matter if EmptyTemp: is added at the start, middle, or end of the fixlist it will be executed after all other fixlist
lines are processed.
Important: When the EmptyTemp: directive is used items are permanently deleted. They are not moved to
quarantine.
Note: The directive is turned off in the Recovery Environment to prevent harm.
File: and Folder:
Are used to see a file specifications or the content of a folder.
Quote
File: path
Folder: path
Example
File: C:\Windows\System32\Drivers\afd.sys
Folder: C:\Windows\Boot
Quote
========================= File: C:\Windows\System32\Drivers\afd.sys ========================
MD5: 1C7857B62DE5994A75B054A9FD4C3825
Creation and modification date: 2012-09-27 01:44 - 2011-12-28 05:59
Size: 0498688
Attributes: ----A
Company Name: Microsoft Corporation
Internal Name: afd.sys
Original Name: afd.sys.mui
Product Name: Microsoft Windows Operating System
Description: Ancillary Function Driver for WinSock
File Version: 6.1.7600.16385 (win7_rtm.090713-1255)
Product Version: 6.1.7600.16385
Copyright: Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.
====== End Of File: ======
========================= Folder: C:\Windows\Boot ========================
2012-09-27 08:49 - 2010-11-20 14:40 - 0383786 ____A () C:\Windows\Boot\PCAT\bootmgr

2012-09-27 08:47 - 2010-11-20 14:30 - 0485760 ____A (Microsoft Corporation) C:\Windows\Boot\PCAT\memtest.exe
2009-07-14 02:55 - 2009-07-14 03:17 - 0085056 ____A (Microsoft Corporation) C:\Windows\Boot\PCAT\en-
US\bootmgr.exe.mui
2009-07-14 07:35 - 2009-07-14 04:11 - 0043600 ____A (Microsoft Corporation) C:\Windows\Boot\PCAT\en-
US\memtest.exe.mui
2009-06-10 22:31 - 2009-06-10 22:31 - 3694080 ____A () C:\Windows\Boot\Fonts\chs_boot.ttf
2009-07-13 22:17 - 2009-06-10 22:31 - 3876772 ____A () C:\Windows\Boot\Fonts\cht_boot.ttf
2009-07-13 22:17 - 2009-06-10 22:31 - 1984228 ____A () C:\Windows\Boot\Fonts\jpn_boot.ttf
2009-07-13 22:17 - 2009-06-10 22:31 - 2371360 ____A () C:\Windows\Boot\Fonts\kor_boot.ttf
2009-07-13 22:17 - 2009-06-10 22:31 - 0047452 ____A () C:\Windows\Boot\Fonts\wgl4_boot.ttf
2012-09-27 08:48 - 2010-11-20 15:32 - 0672640 ____A (Microsoft Corporation) C:\Windows\Boot\EFI\bootmgfw.efi
2012-09-27 08:48 - 2010-11-20 15:32 - 0669568 ____A (Microsoft Corporation) C:\Windows\Boot\EFI\bootmgr.efi
2012-09-27 08:48 - 2010-11-20 15:33 - 0611200 ____A (Microsoft Corporation) C:\Windows\Boot\EFI\memtest.efi
2009-06-10 22:31 - 2009-06-10 22:31 - 0262144 ____A () C:\Windows\Boot\DVD\PCAT\BCD
2009-07-13 23:12 - 2009-06-10 23:06 - 3170304 ____A () C:\Windows\Boot\DVD\PCAT\boot.sdi
2009-06-10 23:14 - 2009-06-10 23:14 - 0004096 ____A () C:\Windows\Boot\DVD\PCAT\etfsboot.com
2013-03-03 18:19 - 2009-06-10 15:14 - 0001024 ____A () C:\Windows\Boot\DVD\PCAT\nl-NL\bootfix.bin
2009-07-14 07:35 - 2009-06-11 00:14 - 0001024 ____A () C:\Windows\Boot\DVD\PCAT\en-US\bootfix.bin
2009-06-10 22:31 - 2009-06-10 22:31 - 0262144 ____A () C:\Windows\Boot\DVD\EFI\BCD
2009-07-13 23:12 - 2009-06-10 23:06 - 3170304 ____A () C:\Windows\Boot\DVD\EFI\boot.sdi
2012-09-27 08:48 - 2010-11-20 11:19 - 1474560 ____A () C:\Windows\Boot\DVD\EFI\en-US\efisys.bin
====== End of Folder: ======
FindFolder
To search for a folder.
Wild cards are allowed. If you need to search for more than one folder the search terms should be separated by a
semicolon ;
Example
Quote
FindFolder: google
FindFolder: *google*;adobe
Both of the foregoing would work.
Hosts:
To reset the hosts. Also, see hosts in the Fixing section.
ListPermissions:
Used to list permissions on the files/directories/keys included in the script.
Quote
ListPermissions: path/key
Example:
Listpermissions: C:\Windows\Explorer.exe
Listpermissions: C:\users\farbar\appdata
ListPermissions: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\services\Tcpip
ListPermissions: HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\services\afd
Move:
At times renaming or moving a file, specially when it is done across the drives, is troublesome and MS Rename command
might fail. To move or rename a file use the following script:
Quote
Move: source destination
Example
Move: c:\WINDOWS\system32\drivers\afd.sys c:\WINDOWS\system32\drivers\afd.sys.old

Move: c:\WINDOWS\system32\drivers\atapi.bak c:\WINDOWS\system32\drivers\atapi.sys
The tool moves the destination file to the Quarantine (if present) then moves the source file to destination location.
Note: Renaming can be carried out when using the Move: directive.
Note 2: The destination path should contain the file name even if the file is currently missing in destination directory.
This applies to Vista and later Windows versions.
When the integrity checks function is disabled you will see the following line under on the FRST log:
Quote
nointegritychecks: ==> Integrity Checks is disabled <===== ATTENTION!
It means the BCD is changed to skip integrity checks at boot. To enable the integrity checks copy and paste the above line
into the fixlist.
In some unbootable computer disabling the integrity checks resolves the boot issue until we enable the function again. To
disable the function for troubleshooting puposes or making backup in normal mode before reinstalling Windows use the
following syntax:
Reboot:
To force a restart.
It doesn't matter where in the fixlist you put it. Even if you put it at the start, the reboot will be carried out after all the
other fixes are completed.
Note: This command will not work and is not needed in the Recovery Environment.
Reg:
To manipulate Windows Registry use the following script:
Quote
Reg: reg command
Example:
Reg: reg query "hklm\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Drivers32"

Reg: reg add hklm\system\controlset001\services\sptd /v Start /t REG_DWORD /d 0x4 /f
Reg: reg delete "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Shared Tools\MSConfig\startupreg\SweetIM"
Note: Unlike the native FRST directives, the Reg command should have the proper reg.exe syntax, like use of " quotes
in case of space in key name.
RemoveDirectory:
To remove (not move) directories with limited perms and invalid paths or names. This directive should be used for
directories that resist the usual move operation. If it is used in Safe Mode it should be very powerful and in RE it should
be most powerful.
The script will be:
Quote
RemoveDirectory: path
Replace:
To replace a file use the following script:
Quote
Replace: source destination
Example
Replace: c:\WINDOWS\ServicePackFiles\i386\afd.sys c:\WINDOWS\system32\drivers\afd.sys

Replace: c:\WINDOWS\ServicePackFiles\i386\atapi.sys c:\WINDOWS\system32\drivers\atapi.sys
The tool moves the destination file (if present) to Quarantine then copies the source file to destination location.
It will not move the source file and the source file is still in its original location. So in the above example afd.sys in i386
directory will be there for future.
Note: The destination path should contain the file name even if the file is currently missing in destination directory.
RestoreQuarantine:
You can restore the whole content of Quarantine or restore single or multiple file(s) or folder(s) from Quarantine.
To restore the whole content of Quarantine the syntax is either:
RestoreQuarantine:
Or:
RestoreQuarantine: C:\FRST\Quarantine
To restore a file or folder the syntax is:
Quote
RestoreQuarantine: PathInQuarantine
Example:
Quote
RestoreQuarantine: C:\FRST\Quarantine\C\Program Files\Microsoft Office

RestoreQuarantine: C:\FRST\Quarantine\C\Users\Someperson\Desktop\ANOTB.exe.xBAD
To find the path in the Quarantine you can use:
Folder: C:\FRST\Quarantine
Or:
CMD: dir /a/b/s C:\FRST\Quarantine
Note: If a file already exists (outside Quarantine) in the destination path, FRST will not overwrite it. The original file
will not be moved and will remain in Quarantine. If however, you still need to restore the file from Quarantine then the
file in the destination path should be renamed/removed.
Restore From Backup:
The first time the tool is run it copies the hives to %SystemDrive%\FRST\Hives (usually C:\FRST\Hives) directory as a
back up. It will not be overwritten by subsequent running of the tool. If something went wrong either one of the hives
could be restored. The syntax will be:
Quote
Restore From Backup: HiveName
Examples:
Restore From Backup: software

Restore From Backup: system
RestoreErunt:
To restore hives from Erunt: the script would be:
Quote
RestoreErunt: path
Restoring from backups made by CF (ComboFix) the script would be:
RestoreErunt: cf
RestoreMBR:
To restore the MBR, FRST will use MbrFix that is saved on the flash drive to write a MBR.bin file to a drive. What is
needed is the MbrFix/MbrFix64 utility, the MBR.bin to be restored and the script showing the drive:
Quote
RestoreMbr: Drive=#
Example:
RestoreMbr: Drive=0
(Note: The MBR to be restored should be named MBR.bin and should be zipped and attached).
SaveMbr:
Refer Drives and MBR & Partition Table section in the tutorial.
To make a copy of MBR the following syntax is used:
Quote
SaveMbr: Drive=#
Example:
SaveMbr: Drive=0
Note: By doing this there will be MBRDUMP.txt made on the flash drive that should be attached to the post by the user.
SetDefaultFilePermissions:
Created for locked system files. It sets group "Administrator" as owner and depending on the system gives/grants access
rights to the groups.
Note: that it will not set Trusted-installer as the owner but still it could be used for system files that are locked by the
malware.
The script will be:
Quote
SetDefaultFilePermissions: path
testsigning on:
Applys to Windows Vista and later.
Malware will sometimes add an item to the BCD

(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boot_Configuration_Data#Boot_Configuration_Data) (Boot Configuration Data) to
escape integrity checks at startup. The malware needs to be cleaned from the machine and then the default BCD restored.
Care manipulating the BCD is delicate work that if done wrongly will render a machine unbootable.
When FRST locates evidence of this sort of tampering it will report like this:
Quote
testsigning: ==> Check for possible unsigned malware driver <===== ATTENTION!
Where the malware is still present on the machine there will also be a (hidden) unsigned driver showing in the log like
this:
Quote
0 442564429e863a90; C:\Windows\System32\Drivers\442564429e863a90.sys [75208 2012-06-26] ()
Also the user might say that he has seen this on his desktop:
"I've just noticed something, in the bottom right of my desktop it says Test Mode, Windows 7, Build 7601. I've never
noticed that before"
The full removal script will be:
0 442564429e863a90; C:\Windows\System32\Drivers\442564429e863a90.sys [75208 2012-06-26] ()

C:\Windows\System32\Drivers\442564429e863a90.sys
Beside removing the malware driver, FRST will remove the value that is added to BCD. No further action is necessary.
Sometimes however other tools will have partially cleaned the machine but not repaired the BCD. In those cases the
following may be used:
In a situation where; after setting testsigning to its default (turning it off); something goes wrong, then to enable the
testsigning for further troubleshooting use the following command:
Quote
testsigning on:
Unlock:
This directive, in the case of file/directories, sets group "Administrator" as owner, grants access to everyone and works
recursively when applied on directories. It should be used for bad files/directories.
In the case of registry items it sets group "Administrators" as owner and grants the groups the usual access and works
only on the key applied. It can be used for both bad and legitimate keys.
The script will be:
Quote
Unlock: path
Sometimes the usual move operation doesn't work due to permissions. You will notice it when you get "Could not move
File/Directory" on the Fixlog.txt. In that case you can use the "Unlock:" directive on those files or folders.
Example
Unlock: C:\Windows\badfile.exe
Unlock: C:\Windows\System32\badfile.exe
To remove the file/folder altogether just add the path separately to the fix:
Unlock: C:\Windows\System32\bad.exe
C:\Windows\System32\bad.exe
You can use the command to unlock the registry items where a registry item is locked. For example if you are running the
fix in the recovery mode and the current control set is ControlSet001 the following would apply:
Unlock: hklm\system\controlset001\badservice\subkeyname
To remove the entry use Reg: directive. The full syntax would be:
Unlock: hklm\system\controlset001\badservice\subkeyname
Reg: reg delete hklm\system\controlset001\badservice /f
VerifySignature:
To check the digital signature for a file.
Quote
VerifySignature: path
Example
VerifySignature: C:\Windows\notepad.exe
Other features
Optional Scans
By checking a box under Optional Scan FRST will scan the requested items.
Drivers MD5
Will produce a list of drivers and their MD5sums that will look like this:
Quote
========================== Drivers MD5 =======================
C:\Windows\System32\drivers\ACPI.sys 3D30878A269D934100FA5F972E53AF39
C:\Windows\System32\Drivers\acpiex.sys AC8279D229398BCF05C3154ADCA86813
C:\Windows\System32\drivers\acpipagr.sys A8970D9BF23CD309E0403978A1B58F3F
C:\Windows\System32\drivers\acpitime.sys 5758387D68A20AE7D3245011B07E36E7
C:\Windows\system32\drivers\afd.sys 239268BAB58EAE9A3FF4E08334C00451
These can then be checked for validity.
Shortcut.txt
Will produce a list of shortcuts that will look like this:
Quote
==================== Shortcuts =============================
Shortcut: C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Torrent.lnk -> C:\Program Files\uTorrent\uTorrent.exe

(BitTorrent, Inc.)
Shortcut: C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Media Center.lnk ->
C:\Windows\ehome\ehshell.exe (Microsoft Corporation)
Shortcut: C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Microsoft Security Essentials.lnk -> C:\Program
Files\Microsoft Security Client\msseces.exe (Microsoft Corporation)
Shortcut: C:\Users\Someperson\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\CCleaner\CCleaner.lnk -
> C:\Program Files\CCleaner\CCleaner.exe (Piriform Ltd)
Shortcut: C:\Users\Someperson\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\CCleaner\Uninstall
CCleaner.lnk -> C:\Program Files\CCleaner\uninst.exe (Piriform Ltd)
Shortcut: C:\Users\Someperson\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Accessories\Command
Prompt.lnk -> C:\Windows\System32\cmd.exe (Microsoft Corporation)
ShortcutWithArgument: C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Mozilla Firefox.lnk -> C:\Program
Files\Mozilla Firefox\firefox.exe (Mozilla Corporation) -> hxxp://www.sweet-page.com/?
type=sc&ts=1393154122&from=tugs&uid=531364863_1782_000B768F
ShortcutWithArgument: C:\Users\Someperson\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Start
Menu\Programs\Accessories\System Tools\Internet Explorer (No Add-ons).lnk -> C:\Program Files\Internet
Explorer\iexplore.exe (Microsoft Corporation) -> hxxp://www.sweet-page.com/?
ShortcutWithArgument: C:\Users\Public\Desktop\Mozilla Firefox.lnk -> C:\Program Files\Mozilla Firefox\firefox.exe
(Mozilla Corporation) -> hxxp://www.sweet-page.com/?
The hijacked entries can be included in a fixlist.txt to be fixed.
Example:
ShortcutWithArgument: C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Mozilla Firefox.lnk -> C:\Program Files\Mozilla Fire
fox\firefox.exe (Mozilla Corporation) -> hxxp://www.sweet-page.com/?
ShortcutWithArgument: C:\Users\Someperson\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Accessories\System Tools\Int
ernet Explorer (No Add-ons).lnk -> C:\Program Files\Internet Explorer\iexplore.exe (Microsoft Corporation) -> hxxp://www.sweet-page.c
om/?type=sc&ts=1393154122&from=tugs&uid=531364863_1782_000B768F
ShortcutWithArgument: C:\Users\Public\Desktop\Mozilla Firefox.lnk -> C:\Program Files\Mozilla Firefox\firefox.exe (Mozilla Corporati
on) -> hxxp://www.sweet-page.com/?type=sc&ts=1393154122&from=tugs&uid=531364863_1782_000B768F
Note: FRST removes the argument from shortcuts except for Internet Explorer (No Add-ons).lnk shortcut. That
shortcut argument by default is not empty (the argument is -extoff) and is used to run Internet Explorer without add-
ons. It is vital for troubleshooting IE issues so this shortcut argument will be restored.
Also note that if you run another removal tool to remove the argument from Internet Explorer (No Add-ons).lnk,
FRST will not list it under ShortcutWithArgument: and so the argument can't be restored with FRST any more. In that
case the user can restore the argument manually.
To restore the argument manually the user should navigate to Internet Explorer (No Add-ons).lnk:
Right-click and select Property.
In Target box Add two spaces and then -extoff to the listed path.
Click Apply and OK.
Search features
Search Files
There is a Search Files button on the FRST Console. To search for files you can type or copy and paste the names you wish
to search for into the Search box. Wild cards are allowed like afd.sys*. If you need to search for more than one file the file
names should be separated by a semicolon ;
So each of the following options would work:
afd.sys
afd.sys*
afd.sys;ndis.sys
afd.sys*;ndis.sys*
When the Search Files button is pressed the user is informed that the search is started, a progress bar appears, then a
message pops up indicating that the search is completed. A Search.txt log is saved at the same location that FRST.exe is
located.
The found files are listed along with creation date, modification date, size, attribute, company name and MD5 in the
following format:
Quote
================== Search: ndis.sys ===================
[2004-08-04 11:00] - [2008-04-13 20:20] - 0182656 ____N (Microsoft Corporation)
c:\WINDOWS\system32\drivers\ndis.sys
1DF7F42665C94B825322FAE71721130D
[2004-08-04 11:00] - [2008-04-13 20:20] - 0182656 ___AC (Microsoft Corporation)

c:\WINDOWS\system32\dllcache\ndis.sys
1DF7F42665C94B825322FAE71721130D
[2008-04-13 20:20] - [2008-04-13 20:20] - 0182656 ____N (Microsoft Corporation)

c:\WINDOWS\ServicePackFiles\i386\ndis.sys
1DF7F42665C94B825322FAE71721130D
[2008-11-07 17:47] - [2004-08-04 11:00] - 0182912 ____C (Microsoft Corporation)

c:\WINDOWS\$NtServicePackUninstall$\ndis.sys
558635D3AF1C7546D26067D5D9B6959E
There are cases where a legitimate system file is missing or corrupted causing boot issues and there is no replacement on
the system. When Search Files option is used in Recovery Mode (Vista and above) the search includes the files in X: too
(the virtual boot drive). In some cases it can be a life saver. An example is missing services.exe that could be copied from
X:\Windows\System32 to C:\Windows\System32
Note: The X: Partition will only contain 64bit executables for 64bit systems.
Search Registry
There is a Search Registry button on the FRST Console. You can type or copy and paste the item(s) names you wish to
search for into the Search box. If you wish to search for more than one item, the names should be separated by a
semicolon ;
An individual search would look like this:
websearch
A search for multiple items would look like this:
websearch;dealply;searchprotect
Note: The Registry search function will only work outside RE.
Contrary to a file search, when carrying out a registry search, adding wild cards to the search terms should be avoided
because the wildcard characters will be interpreted literally. Where an asterisk ("*", also called "star") is added to the
start or end of a registry search term, FRST will ignore it and will search for the search term without the asterisk.
Comment to the tutorial may be made here (http://www.geekstogo.com/forum/topic/335083-frst-tutorial-

comment/) .
Tutorial revisions:
08/30/2013 Added ADS (Alternate Data Streams) under the "Fixing" section
08/31/2013 Loaded Modules - added to Additional Scan list in the "Output" section
08/31/2013 Loaded Modules - added to Addition.txt in the "Fixing" section
08/31/2013 5=Assigned by FRST when it is unable to read the start type - added to The "StartType" numbers are: under the "Fixing" section
09/11/2013 addition of clarifications Run values, StartMenuInternet hijacking, Chrome explanations, Services
09/11/2013 attribute N added
09/11/2013 paragraph added covering Unicode
09/11/2013 explanatory note added to DeleteJunctionsInDirectory:
09/24/2013 Security Center and Safe Mode scan explanations added to Addition.txt
11/01/2013 Winsock: Catalog5 section amended to carry out the netsh winsock reset after reboot where it doesn't work first time
11/19/2013 Fixing - information about Fixlog header added
12/15/2013 DeleteJunctionsInDirectory: now able to be used in any mode
12/15/2013 Winsock: Catalog5 section amended for inclusion of broken internet access fix example
12/30/2013 RemoveDirectory: and SetDefaultFilePermissions: added to Commands/Directives
12/30/2013 Explanation of what the Unlock: directive sets, added:
12/30/2013 Further explanation added to the Search Feature.
01/19/2014 Statement added that FRST will not work with XP 64-bit machines
01/19/2014 Whitelisting explanation added
01/19/2014 Header example amended and updated
01/22/2014 Explanation note added for Applnit_Dlls fixing under Registry
01/29/2014 Search explanation amended to record that X: search happens in Recovery Mode
01/29/2014 Search explanation amended to record that X: search happens in Recovery Mode
02/12/2014 Installed programs list explanation under Addition.txt amended to cover hidden programs
02/12/2014 Disabled items from MSCONFIG report added under Addition.txt
03/04/2014 Console image and Optional Scan list updated
03/06/2014 Reboot: command added
03/14/2014 RestoreQuarantine: command added
03/14/2014 Optional Scans, Drivers MD5 and Shortcut.txt added
03/15/2014 Example fix added for when Group Policy is used to block changes to Google Chrome extensions
03/18/2014 Winsock entries section explanation expanded for more clarity
04/24/2014 ListPermissions: command added
04/24/2014 Explanation of how FRST deals with Services fixes added under the Fixing
04/24/2014 SaveMbr: added to listing at the head of Directives/Commands section
05/02/2014 DeleteKey: added to Directives/Commands
05/08/2014 Exe Association explanation added under the Addition.txt heading in the Fixing section
05/16/2014 The Search Features section updated with the Search Files section amended for clarification and the Search Registry feature added
06/02/2014 The Chrome section in Fixing amended to cover "Preferences" file error
06/10/2014 VerifySignature: command added.
06/10/2014 Registry explanation expanded under the Fixes section
06/24/2014 Default Scan Areas explanation and listing amended for clarity
07/22/2014 Firefox explanation expanded to record that FF keys are listed whether or not FF is installed
07/22/2014 The Deletekey: command has the ability to delete registry symbolic links
07/29/2014 Custom CLSID list added to the Additions scan
08/11/2014 EmptyTemp: directive added
08/14/2014 Java cache added to EmptyTemp: list and Processor information added under Memory info
08/19/2014 Chrome section amended. All items except DefaultSearchProvider can now be fixed through FRST
08/24/2014 DeleteJunctionsInDirectory: paragraph amended
08/27/2014 Explanation of "Some content of TEMP:" added
08/27/2014 Hosts: command added
08/27/2014 Some names updated and Platform: added to example header
08/28/2014 In One Month Created Files and Folders and One Month Modified Files and Folders section, a note added that a wild card will not work for Folders.
08/28/2014 Explanation of where a section will be found in and outside RE for scan areas EXE ASSOCIATION, Restore Points and Memory info added.
08/31/2014 Polish translation link added
09/02/2014 Under LastRegBack an explanation of the LKGC acronym added in parenthesis
09/02/2014 Under Installed Programs an explanation of flagging of adware/PUP programs added
09/02/2014 An explanation added under Loaded Modules
09/02/2014 An explanation of fixing plugins in Firefox added
09/07/2014 Explanation of Firefox Add-ons, Extensions and Plugins simplified
09/07/2014 Chrome registry items show regardless of whether Chrome is installed
09/08/2014 CloseProcesses: directive added
09/19/2014 Heading output updated
10/11/2014 Example header updated to include profile information
10/11/2014 Addition.txt updated to include Account information
10/11/2014 Whitelist information under Introduction updated
10/13/2014 FindFolder: directive added
10/15/2014 Fixlog header example and explanation updated
10/16/2014 Explanation of RE header added under FRST header example
Advertisement
Back to Malware Removal Guides and Tutorials Next Unread Topic
Geeks to Go Forum Security Malware Removal Guides and Tutorials
Forums Downloads Members Connect With Us
View New Content View all categories Status Updates Add on Facebook
Terms of Use Upload file View Member List Follow on Twitter
The Moderating Team New files since last visit Today's Top Posters
Highest Reputation Files from past 7 days Overall Top Posters
Content
Help
Community Forum Software by IP.Board

Licensed to: Geeks to Go, Inc.

FRST Tutorial - How To Use Farbar Recovery Scan Tool - Malware Removal Guides and Tutorials

Diunggah oleh

Informasi Dokumen

Judul Asli

Hak Cipta

Format Tersedia

Bagikan dokumen Ini

Bagikan atau Tanam Dokumen

Opsi Berbagi

Apakah menurut Anda dokumen ini bermanfaat?

Apakah konten ini tidak pantas?

Hak Cipta:

Format Tersedia

FRST Tutorial - How To Use Farbar Recovery Scan Tool - Malware Removal Guides and Tutorials

Diunggah oleh

Hak Cipta:

Format Tersedia

10/29/2014 FRST Tutorial - How to use Farbar Recovery Scan Tool - Malware Removal Guides and Tutorials

Geeks to Go Forum Downloads Live Chat

Security Malware Removal Guides and Tutorials

Welcome to Geeks to Go - Register now for FREE

Create an Account Login to Account

FRST Tutorial - How to use Farbar Recovery Scan Tool

emeraldnzl Posted 18 November 2013 - 05:41 PM

Farbar's Recovery Scan Tool

Farbar Recovery Scan Tool (FRST) is a diagnostic tool incorporating

This tutorial has been created by emeraldnzl (http://www.geekstogo.com/forum/user/229568-emeraldnzl/) in

French: http://assiste.forum...p?f=162&t=28467 (http://assiste.forum.free.fr/viewtopic.php?f=162&t=28467)

German: http://www.trojaner-...-anleitung.html (http://www.trojaner-board.de/145752-frst-anleitung.html)

Polish: http://www.fixitpc.p...very-scan-tool/ (http://www.fixitpc.pl/topic/23904-frst-tutorial-obs%C5%82ugi-farbar-

7. Examples of use (http://www.geekstogo.com/forum/topic/335081-frst-tutorial-how-to-use-farbar-recovery-scan-

8. Other features (http://www.geekstogo.com/forum/topic/335081-frst-tutorial-how-to-use-farbar-recovery-scan-

emeraldnzl Posted 18 November 2013 - 05:47 PM

What it will work with

Preparation for use

emeraldnzl Posted 18 November 2013 - 06:43 PM

Please download [url=http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/download/farbar-recovery-scan-tool/]Farbar Recovery Scan Tool[/url] and save it to

Plug the flashdrive into the infected PC.

[*]If you are using Windows 8 consult [url=http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/tutorials/windows-8-recovery-environment-command-prompt/

If you are using Vista or Windows 7 enter [b]System Recovery Options[/b].

[color=#0000FF][b]To enter System Recovery Options by using Windows installation disc:[/b][/color]

Select [b]Command Prompt[/b]

[*][color=#FF0000][b]Once in the Command Prompt:[/b][/color]

Download attached [b]fixlist.txt[/b] file and save it to the Desktop.

Example instructions to run a fix in the Recovery Environment (RE):

On Vista or Windows 7: Now please enter System Recovery Options.

Direct Download Links

emeraldnzl Posted 18 November 2013 - 06:45 PM

Here is an example header:

Perusal of the header can be very helpful:

Sixth line: gives you the version of Internet Explorer.

Following that there is a line showing the tutorial link.

Alerts that can show in the header

Default Scan Areas

Scans run in normal mode:

Farbar Recovery Scan

Additional Scan (available only outside Recovery Environment)

Scan run in the Recovery Environment:

Farbar Recovery Scan

emeraldnzl Posted 18 November 2013 - 06:46 PM

Here is an example header:

First line: tells you similar information to the scan header.

(Symantec Corporation) C:\Program Files\Norton Security Suite\Engine\5.2.2.3\ccSvcHst.exe

1. Restoring the default key or

HKLM\...\Run: [bad] "C:\Windows\bad.exe" [x]

HKLM\...\Run: [3ktQnKPKDDuPsCd] C:\Users\Someperson 3\AppData\Roaming\xF9HhFtI.exe [334848 2012-08-03] ()

Startup: C:\Users\rob\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Startup\runctf.lnk

HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Start Page = http://search.condui...&ctid=CT3244149 ()

SearchScopes: HKLM-x32 - {EEE6C360-6118-11DC-9C72-001320C79847} URL = http://search.sweeti...q={searchTerms} ()

BHO: PriceGongBHO Class - {1631550F-191D-4826-B069-D9439253D926} - C:\Program

DPF: {8AD9C840-044E-11D1-B3E9-00805F499D93} http://java.sun.com/...indows-i586.cab

FRST lists FF keys (if present) regardless of whether FF is installed or not.

Example for an Add-on or Extension:

FF HKCU\...\Firefox\Extensions: [{5a95a9e0-59dd-4314-bd84-4d18ca83a0e2}] - C:\Program Files (x86)\Wajam\Firefox\

Example for a Plugin:

HKLM\Software\Wow6432Node\MozillaPlugins\@tools.bdupdater.com/BonanzaDealsLive Update;version=3 => Key

==== End of Fixlog ====

Where you see something like this:

CHR Plugin: (Silverlight Plug-In) - c:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Silverlight\4.1.10329.0\npctrl.dll No File

CHR HKLM-x32\...\Chrome\Extension: [ejnmnhkgiphcaeefbaooconkceehicfi] - C:\Program Files