[dba-Tech] Compromised Internet Explorer?

Marty,

That winmsd thing, isn't that a shortcut to one of the utilities that
you'd normally have to dig way down deep into the Windows XP menus to
get at?

Steve Erbach

On 5/5/05, MartyConnelly <martyconnelly at shaw.ca> wrote:
> I found a reference to winsockfix in this forum site I often visit for
> XP problems
> http://www.windowsbbs.com
> http://www.windowsbbs.com/showthread.php?t=44261&highlight=winsockfix
> I usually read through posts here for caveats on windows utilities
> before I try or download
> and sure enuff I found one with a pointer here
> 
> http://www.tek-tips.com/faqs.cfm?fid=4625
> 
> Special Note For Win XP Service Pack 2 Users:
> 
> Service Pack 2 adds a new command to repair the Winsock corruption
> problem that can be caused by adware, spyware, or some other causes.
> You should use this instead of the utility WinsockFix:
> netsh winsock reset catalog
> 
> Using this command should normally not do any harm, so if you have
> unsolvable connection problems or spurious disconnections, try it. It
> does remove all nonstandard LSP (Layered Service Provider) entries from
> the Winsock catalog, which are usually adware or spyware entries, but if
> you happened to have a legitimate one installed, it would also be
> removed and would have to be reinstalled.
> 
> If you're really curious, you can use the command:
> 
> netsh winsock show catalog
> 
> before and after resetting the catalog to find out whether any entries
> were in fact removed and which ones these were. Another way to get at
> the same information is to run
> 
> winmsd
> 
> and select Components, Network, Protocol. The Layered Service Providers
> in the list should be of the MSAFD or RSVP ... Service Provider type.
> All others are likely malevolent and should disappear after the reset
> command shown above.
> 
> WinSockFix
> http://www.softpedia.com/public/cat/12/4/12-4-47.shtml
> 
> WinSockFix offers a last resort if your Internet connectivity has been
> corrupted due to invalid or removed registry entries.
> It can often cure the problem of lost connections after the removal of
> Adware components or improper uninstall of firewall applications or
> other tools that modify the XP network and Winsock settings.
> If you encounter connection problems after removing network related
> software, Adware or after registry clean-up; and all other ways fail,
> then give WinSock XP Fix a try.
> It can create a registry backup of your current settings, so it is
> fairly safe to use.
>