msnappau.exe, windialog.exe

Last Updated on Monday, 21 December 2009 07:48 Wednesday, 02 December 2009 10:12

Harmful - EXE

The file names msnappau.exe, windialog.exe have appeared in an virus analysis report detected/analyzed on 2 Dec 2009.  You can see the original report at threatexpert.com

msnappau.exe is a legitimate file called Updater for the MSN toolbar at "C:\Program Files\MSN Apps\Updater\..".
This virus creates a file with the same name in the temp folder. 

The virus installer may further download more harmful files from the internet. A good firewall can make your computer much safer by detecting such harmful activities and blocking them. Some good freeware recommendations would be ZoneAlarm Free Firewall, and Comodo Internet Security Free Edition (you can choose to install just the firewall from their security suite)

 It is always possible that there could be some legitimate application using the same file name, you should be in a better position to find that out, if the file/process on your computer belongs to some legitimate application or not by using special software like the Microsoft's Windows Defender and Sysinternal's Process Explorer.

It creates the file msnappau.exe, windialog.exe on the infected computer. You need to search and delete it. You should end any running process named msnappau.exe, windialog.exe from Task Manager, and also remove the file's entry from windows startup.

Boot in safe mode

Sometimes you will not be able to delete a file even if you find it, in that case you should boot in safe mode and then try to delete it/ them.

• How to boot in safe in windows XP

• How to boot in safe mode in windows Vista

View Hidden Files

Before you could delete msnappau.exe, windialog.exe and its associated files you need to search for them, and before doing that you need to enable to view hidden files and folders 

•  How to Enable to View Hidden Files and Folders in Windows XP
  •         How to Enable to View Hidden Files and Folders in Windows Vista

 Remove Processes from Task Manager 

You can find out if a process appearing in your task manager is useful or harmful by using Windows Defender to see the path of a currently running program/ process and its publisher, so as to differentiate malware processes from those belonging to legitimate publishers. You may find such processes listed under Unknown Publisher in windows defender.

How to use Windows Defender in windows XP

How to use Windows Defender in windows Vista

Or you can use Sysinternal's Process Explorer for easy detection and removal of virus processes.

• How to use Sysinternal's Process Explorer 

Removing entry from windows startup

The system configuration can be started in xp and in vista by typing msconfig in the run box/ start menu search box. In xp by clicking on Start > run . The windows startup is reversible, therefore you can check / uncheck any entry from windows startup any number of times.

After the system configuration window is open, Click on the Startup tab, that will list all the programs that are scheduled to start with windows. Expand the middle column using your mouse pointer so that you can see the full path of the program. Locate and uncheck  "msnappau.exe, windialog.exe " (look for any other suspicious names)  Press Apply , Press Close/Ok , Select  "restart" at the next prompt.

Deleting files

After restarting the computer, use the windows search utility to search for  "msnappau.exe, windialog.exe " and also search for any other suspicious names that you found and removed in the task manager or in the start up list. This search should find all its folders on the hard disk, delete the folders from the hard disk.
These are the files created by this virus installer
%Temp%\active.dll
%Temp%\detoured.dll
%Temp%\msnappau.exe
%Temp%\windialog.exe

Creates following registry keys

• [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\RunOnce]
  • NVIDIA Driver = "%Temp%\windialog.exe"

You need to delete them manually.

Using CCleaner

 Although you can easily get rid of the files in the temp folder simply by running a freeware like the CCleaner, and you will be much safer, if you set CCleaner to run automatically each time the computer starts. more about CCleaner on this link

Free tools to repair disabled registry, task manager problems

Whereas you can repair any the restrictions created by the virus, such as disabled registry tools/ disabled Task Manager etc using these free tools

Tools for Windows XP

Tools for Windows Vista

 Reprinted with permission from Threatexpert.com