System Restore

The easiest thing to do is to run a System Restore to get your computer back to a time when this problem wasn’t an issue. You can either do it from your desktop if the mouse is working or from Safe Mode if you can’t. Follow these directions for System Restore:

1. Go to Start, then All Programs.
2. Select Accessories and then System Tools. Click on System Restore.
3. You will see a Welcome Screen here - click on Restore my computer to an earlier time.
4. Click Next. You will see the Select a Restore Point page. Select the date you want (one before the problem started) and click Next. You will then confirm the date and click Next.
5. The computer will shut down and reboot. You will see a Restoration Complete page. Click Ok.

If you can only run in Safe Mode, follow these steps:

1. Start the computer and then press F8 (or F1 or F2 - whatever your computer uses to get into Safe Mode).
2. Type in: %systemroot%\system32\restore\rstrui.exe
3. Your system will restore as above.

Run Chkdsk

Running a check disk can often restore the icons on your desktop. There are two ways to do this. From My Computer:

1. Go to the Disk you want to check and right click it.
2. Choose Properties and choose Tools.
3. Click ‘Check Now’ under ‘Error Checking’. You will see the CHKDSK options:
   1. Choose ‘Automatically fix file system errors’ if you want to repair errors.
   2. Choose ‘Scan for and attempt recovery of bad sectors’ if you want to repair errors and bad sectors and recovery readable information.
4. Click Start

You can also run it from the cmd prompt:

1. Go to Start and then Run.
2. You will see the open box. Type cmd. Press Enter.
3. Type in: chkdsk volume:/f. Press Enter.

Windows Repair Install

If all else fails, you can run a repair install from the original Windows CD. Insert the CD in the drive and follow the directions on the screen. Make sure that you are doing a repair install and not a recovery or you will lose your data. It is a good idea to have as much of your data backed up as possible in case there is a problem with the repair.

Run Hijack This

Hijack This is a program that works for many people experiencing malware problems. It will search the hard drive and registry and remove problems in these areas. Click on the link to download the program.

Once you’ve gotten your icons back, be sure to run a few good antivirus programs to make sure the problem doesn’t reappear. If you are looking for advice on which antivirus program to use, check out this Filetonic review article.

Connection Speeds

What type of Internet connection do you have? Are you using dialup or cable? If you are using dialup, it’s possible that the connection is so slow that the computer is timing out before the installation can be completed. Try going to a wireless hotspot (if you have wireless capabilities of course) - you can find them in cafés, airports and even most McDonalds these days. Once you’re connected at the hotspot, see if you can complete a download installation. Obviously, this only works if we’re talking about a laptop. For a desktop, you’re going to need another solution.

Offline Download

Some programs will let you download to your desktop and then do the installation from there. This can be helpful as it will take less time to download this way and you may be able to get it done before the system times out. You will get an icon on your desktop with the software on it. You can always purchase an antivirus CD and install it directly from the drive on your computer. Many antivirus programs such as Norton and McAfee are available for purchase as CDs from your local computer store. You will still need to download updates to keep your software up to date, but this may take less time and not hang up as easily.

Get a Download Manager

If you find that many of your downloads are getting stuck halfway through, you may get help from a download manager program such as Flashget These freeware programs split downloads into different parts so that if your download gets interrupted, you can pick up right where you left off without bits and pieces either missing or left on your computer.

If you are looking for a good antivirus software program, check out our Filetonic antivirus software reviews. The information on this page can help you make the best choice. If the problem is indeed related to your connection, you might want to consider changing to cable or DSL. More and more things on the Internet are available for download, and while some of these workarounds can help with this problem, it will continue to be an issue in the future.

What is the mst120.dll file?

Honestly, there isn’t much information available on this particular file. I did find out that the mst120.dll file is part of Microsoft Windows operating systems. As such, it could be important enough that you shouldn’t just dump it into the recycle bin. It has some functionality with Windows® NetMeeting® and in the Windows operating system, so personally, I would be reluctant to simply dispose of it. I’d rather clean it. However, some viruses do take on legitimate operating system names, so you can never be sure.

Deleting the mst120.dll file

If you did delete the mst120.dll file, you would probably end up needing to repair your registry. The absence of this file could lead to problems within the registry. If you have Windows® NetMeeting® on your computer, uninstalling it will not remove the files because the Windows File Protection feature actually replaces the files. Additionally, registry entries are not overwritten unless you uninstall Windows® NetMeeting® and then reinstall it. However, although this might sound like a tempting way to get rid of the Trojan, it is most likely memory resident and so, it will simply show up again.

Removal of Trojans

If the anti-spyware/anti-virus application that you have did not remove the virus from your computer, use a different application to do so. ParetoLogic Anti-Virus Plus is a reliable program that should be able to do the trick for you. You can use this application by downloading it from the following link: Anti-Virus Plus where you can also read up on the application. If you prefer, you can use a different anti-spyware/anti-virus application in your attempt to remove this virus. However, a word of caution must be mentioned here. Never install too many of these programs on your computer at one time as they might interfere with each other, failing to complete their task.

The warning that “someone else is logged on” or “someone else is using your computer” can have a simple explanation behind it. Typically, more than one user account has been opened up on the computer or an application has not been closed and it is still running. Make sure that you have closed out all of your applications before attempting to shut down your computer.

User Accounts

Three typical types of user accounts can be set up on a computer: administrator, limited, and guest. If you click on the Start button, you should see the option “log off.” If you click on this option, a box pops up that offers you two options: “switch users” or “log off.” Clicking on “switch users” takes you to a box that shows you which user is logged on along with the option to click on your account in order to switch accounts. Doing so will allow your current programs to continue to run in the background while allowing the new user to open and run programs on the computer.

Go through these steps to see if you have more than one user account set up on your computer. Perhaps you have been opening more than one account to use the computer. You can always edit the number of users by going into the control panel and selecting user accounts.

Scanning for Trojans, Dialers, Viruses and Spyware

I am going to take the time here to address your concern that you don’t want someone else to have access to your computer. I have two tips for you. The first one involves scanning your computer on a regular basis for intruders including spyware, Trojans, dialers, and viruses. Get yourself a reliable, up-to-date anti-spyware/anti-virus application and run it on a regular basis. If you already have one, take advantage of its ability to help keep your computer free from intruders and run it every time that you visit suspicious websites, receive questionable emails, or surf the web frequently.

A few free applications are available including AVG from AVG Technologies or Ad-Aware from Lavasoft. I can also recommend the following application that is designed for maximum security: Anti-Virus Plus. In addition, Filetonic recently reviewed a bunch of the latest anti-virus applications, many of which blend virus and spyware protection in one. You can read our reviews here.

Setting up a Password on Internet Access

If you are concerned that someone will tap into your Internet access, you can contact the provider to get more information on how to create a password. Typically, the password must be given the first time that a new computer accesses your connection if you have a password in place.

Well, this is a bit tricky to diagnose without knowing more about the advice offered by the technicians you saw. It seems to me that if your computer is running processes without your instructions, then you must have a virus or malware program running on your system that is issuing instructions. However, if this were the case, I am sure that your technicians would have made the same assumption. Basically, you should stop all the processes that your computer is running, shut it down completely, and try to regain control.

Troubleshooting Malware and Corrupt Files

My best guess is definitely that you have a malware infection or a problem with corrupted system files, and it sounds quite advanced. The longer that a malware program runs rampant on your computer, the more damage it can do. Some malware programs are designed to provide the hacker that created them with remote control of your computer, which means that your computer can be controlled remotely without your knowledge. It seems to me that there is a good likelihood that this is going on in your system. You should run an updated antivirus scan, as well as an adware security program. If the security program finds any faults or infected code, it will isolate the problematic files and allow you to delete them.

Using Windows Activity Monitor

To learn more about the processes that are running, look in the Utilities folder and find and open the Activity Monitor. If you click on the CPU percentage tab, the processes will be displayed in order of the processing power they are using. If there are any discrepancies between the CPU percentages, or some processes that are using vastly more processing power, you can try stopping them. Also, if you see processes running that seem suspicious, you can stop these as well.

Remote Technical Assistance

There is a good chance that you might require some advanced technical assistance. At Filetonic we recommend these remote specialists. You can contact these technicians and they will work with you to determine the details of your computer issue and work for a resolution.

If you are unable to repair the processes, you might also consider saving your data to external storage and reformatting your hard drive. This will effectively remove any and all corrupt file code, and offer a relatively blank slate upon which to reinstall your operating system.

If you think that you have viruses or other malware programs running on your computer, its best to download a free virus scan, or buy a subscription to an antivirus protection program as soon as possible. Most of the time, people use the term virus to refer to any and all computer infections, but there are different kinds of malware programs that perform different dangerous operations. Viruses typically self-replicate, move through your system and destroy files. If a virus runs on your computer for a significant amount of time, there is a good chance that it will render your system inoperable.

Different Types of Computer Malware Programs

Another common malware program is the Trojan. Trojans sneak onto your computer inside innocent looking files or applications, and then record your personal information, like passwords and account numbers, and relay them to the programmer. Trojans install secret back doors to your system than give the programmer remote control of your system that is then vulnerable to a number of violations. Other computer problems, like Spyware and Adware vary from annoying to extremely destructive and potentially criminal.

Software Anti-Virus Programs

To get rid of the viruses on your computer, you can first try a software program. There are a number of really good programs that are available for free download, such as Avast or AVG. Both these programs also offer pro versions for purchase, but the free programs work really well. Install the program, and run it on your system. The program will identify and isolate any problems, and you can then delete them from your system. For Adware and Spyware problems, Adaware offers a really good free version. With any antivirus, run the program, and then remove the faults. Then run the program again until it comes back clean.

Ways to Prepare to Format your Hard Drive

If your computer responds to these steps, then you can get rid of the viruses without formatting your computer. In the event that the corruption is advanced, you might have to check back for information and advice on how to wipe your hard drive clean and format your hard drive. While your computer is still operational, you should create backup copies of all your important data. If you are unable to restore your system with the software options, you will have to format, and lose all your saved information.

Related Articles

2009 Antivirus Reviews

Free Antivirus Programs

Delete Hosts

Once your computer is free of viruses and malware, the first thing you should try is deleting the hosts file on your C drive. Go to Start and then to My Computer and choose the C: drive. On the top, click on the Search tab and type in ‘host’ (without the quotes). Delete anything that comes up for host file and restart your machine. Many times this will solve Google search problems.

Clean Cache and Cookies

Sometimes, cleaning your cache and deleting your cookies will allow Google to start working again. The instructions depend on which browser you are using - here are the directions for Internet Explorer and Firefox:

• IE: First, clean the cache. When you are in Internet Explorer, go to Tools and then Internet Options. Go to the General tab. Choose Delete. In Temporary Internet Files click on Delete Files. Click Ok and close Internet Options. To delete cookies, follow the same directions, but in General tab, you’re going to click Delete and then to the Cookies section. Delete Cookies, click Ok and close Internet Options.
• Firefox: To clean the cache, go to Tools, Options and Advanced. Choose the Network tab in Offline Storage and click Clear Now. Close Options. To delete the cookies, got to Tools, Options and Privacy. In the Cookies section, choose Show Cookies and then choose Remove all cookies. Close the dialog box and options.

Getting rid of viruses and deleting the hosts should get Google back up and running. If these fixes don’t work for you, let us know if you are getting an error message when you try to use Google.

Depending on how you use your computer, many of the free antivirus programs are indeed decent choices. We recently reviewed about 20 of the latest and most popular 2009 antivirus programs on the market and I was impressed with quite a few of the free offerings.

In the past, free anti-virus programs were fairly limited in their abilities, requiring a great deal of user interaction. For example, automatic updates and real-time blocking were virtually unheard of with free protection. If you had a free antivirus program on your computer, viruses could come in at will and you would have to manually update the program and then scan the entire system in order to find and remove infections. The problem with this is that between scans, viruses could get in and do their damage.

Today’s Free Anti-Virus Programs have Grown Up

Many of the free antivirus programs on the market today have grown up and now offer real-time protection and automatic updates. This stops viruses from ever arriving in the first place. Many offer more sophisticated options such as root kit detection and spyware protections. Keep in mind that some of the freebies are still barebones programs, so read the features and make an informed decision.

Filetonic’s Antivirus Reviews

Read our recent reviews and look for a free anti-virus program that best meets your needs. One of the best free ones in the list is Avast which provides both virus and spyware protection as well as real time blocking. It is available for free to home users for personal use only. It should do an adequate job of securing your computer. It may lack the more advanced features that you’re accustomed to with Norton, so weigh your options.

Antivirus Resource Usage

Another trend that I noticed is that the newest antivirus programs are emphasizing smaller footprints and lower resource usage requirements. These programs must run at all times in order to be effective so this is a good move in the right direction.

A Word of Warning

When searching for free antivirus programs, beware of imposters. We’ve had many visitors to our site tell us of horror stories related to clicking a pop-up ad for a free antivirus program - then the free program turned out to be a spyware program or virus which then wreaked havoc on the user’s system. Look for products from reputable developers or recommended from sites that you trust. Download the program that you want before Norton expires as added protection. Norton should be able to detect the imposters.

How to Boot Up in Safe Mode

Turn the power on and immediately begin to press the F8 key on your keyboard. Select “Last known good configuration.” Press enter. Your prompts might vary somewhat, but you should get the idea. Once you are in safe mode, you can select to restore your computer’s operating system. You won’t lose any of your stored data except for any applications that you installed after the “system restore” date that you select. Start→ All Programs→ Accessories→ System Tools→ System Restore. Select “Restore my computer to an earlier time,” and click on next.

Next, delete any unwanted files, folders, and applications. Empty the recycle bin. Defrag your computer. To do so, follow this path: Start→ All Programs→ Accessories→ System Tools→ Disk Cleanup.

If you want to uninstall this application, you should be able to do so now. However, I recommend reading through all of these suggestions before doing so.

Security Applications

Many security applications start up almost as soon as you boot up your computer. In fact, they often attempt to access updates through your Internet connection as soon as they start up. When this occurs, it can easily lead to a problem, especially if you do not have high speed Internet access. Problems will occur.

Norton 360 and Live Update

If you think the problem could be related to the “Live Update” feature, you can disable this at least temporarily to see if that solves the problem. Simply go to the Norton’s control panel and disable the “Live Update” feature.

Norton 360 and Vista

If you are using Windows Vista, that can lead to an incompatibility issue with Norton 360. Sometimes, the system will appear to freeze and in some cases, it might actually do so. Norton 360 takes a long time to install its updates as well, and it uses a great deal of resources when doing so.

Check the Applications Listed to Load at Start Up

Since Norton 360 is such a resources hog, it is best not to have too many applications begin at start up. Check to see which programs are scheduled to load when the computer boots up and switch some of them to not to load. This will conserve resources and minimize the chances that Norton 360 will encounter a problem loading due to lack of resources. For example, if you have instant messenger or Pidgin set to load at install, disable them and see if that helps.

How to Disable Programs from Loading at Start Up

To check and edit the list of programs that load at start up, follow this set of directions:

1. Click Start.
2. Click Run.
3. Type “msconfig” in the box.
4. In the dialog box that opens, click on “start up.” This will show you the programs that are currently loading when your computer starts up.
5. Select the programs that you wish to disable and click on the disable button in the lower right hand corner. If you make a mistake and stop the wrong program, simply select the program and enable it by clicking on the enable button.

Defining Malware
It may help here to put up a condensed dictionary for the bad things that can happen to your computer. This isn’t all of them, but these are the things that are most often referred to as “viruses.”

1. Malware - These are files that are made specifically to harm your computer. It is the blanket term for worms, viruses, Trojans and spyware.
2. Backdoor - A backdoor program is one that allows a hacker to access and execute tasks on your computer remotely. It is usually used to spread attacks to other computers.
3. Adware - These generate ads and popups on your computer. Not all adware is considered malware, although most people find them annoying.
4. Trojan - This file looks like something that you innocently download or forward to a friend, but it causes malicious activity to your system.
5. Spyware - This monitors your Internet activity and sends your computer’s information to a remote server.
6. Worm - This is a program that spreads to other computers using your email address book or the Internet.
7. Virus - This program clones itself to infect files and programs on your computer. It is usually localized to one machine. These can be harmless or can crash your entire computer system.

Removing Malware
Because hackers have nothing better to do than sit around thinking up new ways to harm your computer, many companies have come up with programs that are continually updated to protect your system. I’m sure you have an antivirus program and are updating it regularly, right? Right? If, for some reason you have left your system open to hackers, you must download a quality program and start using it right away.

It is a good idea to have several layers of protection such as Spybot, Ad-Aware and ParetoLogic Antivirus Plus so that one can catch what others miss. Check out the Spyware link on the right side of the Filetonic website for several articles on various antispyware programs. We have recently reviewed the latest crop of antivirus applications for 2009. View the reviews here.