well i had this whole long thing typed up to tell you about five seconds ago but something happened and i lost it and ive gtg but ill let you know l8ter.

And i am really really really really sorry about what i said yesterday but ive been having to do a lot of work on my dads pc and then mine starts acting up out of nowhere it gets frustrating gtg will let you know l8ter today. bye

I had this exact same problem, and after literally 24 hours of analyzing every inch of my computer, I solved the problem. I suspect that based on your descriptions of the problem (which I had as well), you are infected with a virus. It's unbelievable that none of my AntiVirus packages picked up this infection.

For me, everytime I restarted my computer, Limewire would automatically load up. Even if I closed it, it would just open back up again. On top of this, I could not even access the Task Manager in Windows XP to allow me to force a shutdown of Limewire. I hit CTRL-ALT-DEL and nothing would happen.

Anyways, here are the steps that need to be taken.

1) Uninstall Limewire. You can reinstall it at the end of these steps.

2) Disable System Restore in Windows. This can be done by right clicking on My Computer, selecting Properties, and then clicking on the System Restore tab. Then check the box Turn Off System Restore. Hit Apply, and then OK. If you are prompted to restart Windows, do so.

3) Now we need to fool the virus into allowing us to open the Task Manager. This can be done by copying the Task Manager executable file from the Windows directory. To do this, go to c:\windows\system32, select the file taskmgr.exe, right click on it, and select Copy. Go to the desktop, and click on an empty part of the desktop. Then right click on the desktop, and select Paste.

4) Double click on the taskmgr.exe file on your desktop. This should open the Task Manager. Click on the Performance tab. If you are in fact infected with a virus, you will likely (although not necessarily) see close to 100% CPU usage!! Now click on the Processes tab, followed by clicking twice on the CPU column header. What this does is order the files running on your computer based on the amount of CPU resources they are consuming in real time. If there is a process, other than System Idle Process, that is consuming close to 100% of the CPU, then it is this process (or file) that is infecting your computer. For me, and likely for a lot of you, that file will be winupdates.exe. Don't be tricked. This is not a Microsoft program. It's a virus masking itself as a legitimate file. Please remember the exact name of this process, because you will need it in a later step.

5) Click on this process to highlight it, then click the button End Process. A warning prompt should pop up. Click on Yes.

6) Now that this process is killed, we need to remove any references to it from the Registry. Once again, because this virus is blocking us from opening the Registry Editor, we need to trick the virus by copying the file to the desktop. Follow the same steps as in number 3, except this time, copy the following two files from their respective directories, and paste them on the desktop.

c:\windows\regedit.exe
c:\windows\system32\cmd.exe

7) Open regedit from the desktop. In the left window, click on My Computer so that it is highlighted. Now select Edit from the menu, followed by Find. In the Find box, type the name of the process that you ended from the Task Manager. If you recall, mine was winupdates. Do not include the .exe, just winupdates. Then click Find.

8) For the item that it found in the right window, click it to highlight it if it isn't highlighted already, and then right click on it, and select Delete. If a prompt pops up, select Yes or OK to confirm the delete.

9) Now, hit the F3 button once. This will find the next reference to that bad file. Follow step 8 again to delete the reference. Repeat steps 9 and 8 until the editor indicates that there are no more references to this file. Then exit the editor.

10) Finally, click on cmd.exe which you copied to the desktop. It will open the Command Prompt (which looks like DOS). Type the following commands in order, and hit Enter after each line:

cd c:\
cd program files
rd /s /q winupdates

11) Now restart your computer. Reinstall Limewire.

This should hopefully fix your problem.

Bobby Naini

Holy Cow Hes RIGHT!!!!

I kept getting this firewall alert telling me <Do you want to allow winupdates.exe to access the internet?> i suspected something fishy because it had already asked a couple of weeks ago and i have already had it automatically downloading them. So i said NO. Thank god i did. mine told me it was something like innosetup.exe trying to use winupdates.exe to do this. But theres one problem. I cant find my system32 folder!!! it has to be there but searching the hard drive cant find it and i also searched for tskmgr.exe with no luck. Where is it? i looked in the C:/windows directory but its not there.. plz help

another way io know hes right is ctrl alt del doesnt work. i cant open regesit either. this guy is right on the friggen ball!!!!!!!

It has also apparently eaten up my printer stuff because my printer suddenly disappeard evcen though the software and drivers are still there it tells me its not. also when i try to install a printer it says it cant because the <printer spooler service aint running>

I would edit these posts but for some reason my browser keeps telling me i followed an invalid link and i cant.

In C:/Windows/prefetch folder ther is a file with winupdates in the filename It has to do with this virus so DELETE IT!!

!!!!!! IT WORKED!!!!!!

YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS

Dude you are a GENIUS

his whole process takes20 minutes max and that includes redownloading and installing limewire. I promise that this guy is NOT BLOWING WIND!! some of you might be a little antsy to do this but follow his directions it WORKS. NO AUTO POP LW!!!! WOOOOOOHOOOOOOOO!

Hi.

Just to add to the steps that I posted earlier, also do the following:

1) Go to the following directory and delete any file with winupdates in the name.

c:\windows\prefetch

2) When you're done with all of my steps, plase make sure to go back into the System Properties by right clicking on My Computer, and unchecking the Turn Off System Restore box under the System Restore tab.

For those of you who can't seem to find taskmgr.exe, cmd.exe, or regedit.exe, I would suggest you do the following if you have not already done so:

Open My Computer. Select Tools from the menu, followed by Folder Options. Click on the View tab. Make sure that there is a check mark next to the following items:

Display the Contents of System Folders
Show Hidden Files and Folder

Now, make sure there are no checkmarks beside the following:
Hide protected Operating System Files.

Also, if you are using the Search function in Windows to locate these files, make sure that you do it in the following way:

1) Click on the Start button in Windows, and then select Search.

2) Select All Files and Folder

3) Enter the file name in the first box.

4) Click on More Advanced Options.

5) Make sure that the following all have checkmarks next to them:
Search System Folders
Search Hidden Files and Folders
Search Subfolders

Then once these are checked, click on Search.

I hope this helps! :-)

Bobby Naini

Another good idea is create a restore point after you have removed the virus. Then delete all but the latest resore points. Heres how.

Creating Point
1. Start
2. All Programs
3. Accesories
4. System Tools
5. System Restore
6. Follow onscreen instructions to create a restore point

To delete all but the restore point you just made

1. Right click on C:/ in My Computer

2. Click Properties

3. Click Disk Cleanup

4. Click Tab <More Options>

5. Under System Restore Click <Clean up...>

If youve had your computer for a while and never done this it might be taking up a lot of space. My aunts had 11.9gigs of her hard drive with JUST restore points!!

Thank you man for figuring that virus crap out. That really made me mad that with all of the protection i have i still got it but you knew EXACTLY what to do. THANKS

by the way, deleting restore points is OPTIONAL
you dont have to but i would and did

To sum up all of these posts in a correct order for those who are having trouble, here is everything in sequential order.

1) Go to the following directory and delete any file with winupdates in the name.

c:\windows\prefetch

2) When you're done with all of my steps, plase make sure to go back into the System Properties by right clicking on My Computer, and unchecking the Turn Off System Restore box under the System Restore tab.

Open My Computer. Select Tools from the menu, followed by Folder Options. Click on the View tab. Make sure that there is a check mark next to the following items:

Display the Contents of System Folders
Show Hidden Files and Folder

Now, make sure there are no checkmarks beside the following:
Hide protected Operating System Files.

Also, if you are using the Search function in Windows to locate these files, make sure that you do it in the following way:

1) Click on the Start button in Windows, and then select Search.

2) Select All Files and Folder

3) Enter the file name in the first box.

4) Click on More Advanced Options.

5) Make sure that the following all have checkmarks next to them:
Search System Folders
Search Hidden Files and Folders
Search Subfolders


1) Uninstall Limewire. You can reinstall it at the end of these steps.

2) Disable System Restore in Windows. This can be done by right clicking on My Computer, selecting Properties, and then clicking on the System Restore tab. Then check the box Turn Off System Restore. Hit Apply, and then OK. If you are prompted to restart Windows, do so.

3) Now we need to fool the virus into allowing us to open the Task Manager. This can be done by copying the Task Manager executable file from the Windows directory. To do this, go to c:\windows\system32, select the file taskmgr.exe, right click on it, and select Copy. Go to the desktop, and click on an empty part of the desktop. Then right click on the desktop, and select Paste.

4) Double click on the taskmgr.exe file on your desktop. This should open the Task Manager. Click on the Performance tab. If you are in fact infected with a virus, you will likely (although not necessarily) see close to 100% CPU usage!! Now click on the Processes tab, followed by clicking twice on the CPU column header. What this does is order the files running on your computer based on the amount of CPU resources they are consuming in real time. If there is a process, other than System Idle Process, that is consuming close to 100% of the CPU, then it is this process (or file) that is infecting your computer. For me, and likely for a lot of you, that file will be winupdates.exe. Don't be tricked. This is not a Microsoft program. It's a virus masking itself as a legitimate file. Please remember the exact name of this process, because you will need it in a later step.

5) Click on this process to highlight it, then click the button End Process. A warning prompt should pop up. Click on Yes.

6) Now that this process is killed, we need to remove any references to it from the Registry. Once again, because this virus is blocking us from opening the Registry Editor, we need to trick the virus by copying the file to the desktop. Follow the same steps as in number 3, except this time, copy the following two files from their respective directories, and paste them on the desktop.

c:\windows\regedit.exe
c:\windows\system32\cmd.exe

7) Open regedit from the desktop. In the left window, click on My Computer so that it is highlighted. Now select Edit from the menu, followed by Find. In the Find box, type the name of the process that you ended from the Task Manager. If you recall, mine was winupdates. Do not include the .exe, just winupdates. Then click Find.

8) For the item that it found in the right window, click it to highlight it if it isn't highlighted already, and then right click on it, and select Delete. If a prompt pops up, select Yes or OK to confirm the delete.

9) Now, hit the F3 button once. This will find the next reference to that bad file. Follow step 8 again to delete the reference. Repeat steps 9 and 8 until the editor indicates that there are no more references to this file. Then exit the editor.

10) Finally, click on cmd.exe which you copied to the desktop. It will open the Command Prompt (which looks like DOS). Type the following commands in order, and hit Enter after each line:

cd c:\
cd program files
rd /s /q winupdates

11) Now restart your computer. Reinstall Limewire

Another good idea is create a restore point after you have removed the virus. Then delete all but the latest resore points. Heres how.

Creating Point
1. Start
2. All Programs
3. Accesories
4. System Tools
5. System Restore
6. Follow onscreen instructions to create a restore point

To delete all but the last restore point you made

1. Right click on C:/ in My Computer

2. Click Properties

3. Click Disk Cleanup

4. Click Tab <More Options>

5. Under System Restore Click <Clean up...>

by the way, deleting restore points is OPTIONAL
you dont have to but i would and did