How to remove System.exe

System.exe

Last Updated on Thursday, 10 March 2011 13:04 Wednesday, 06 January 2010 16:42

The file name System.exe has appeared in a virus analysis report.

This filename has been used by several different viruses. I will try to update this info often. It tries to delete several registry keys on the computer. It has a keylogger component. It can send automatic emails.

It may download more harmful files and run them. A good firewall can detect harmful online activities and prevent them. Some good freeware are ZoneAlarm Free Firewall, and Comodo Internet Security Free Edition (you can choose to install just the firewall from their security suite)

It is a keylogger as well, which hooks its keylogger file with internet explorer, therefore do not open internet explorer until you remove the virus. Use another browser instead.

As a cross reference, you can see other reports of viruses that use the file name system.exe on this link.

Statutory Warning: It is possible that some legitimate application may be using the same name as that of the virus. Use Windows Defender or SysInternal Process Explorer to differentiate between them.

Using System Restore

If you know the duration since your computer is infected, you can try to restore your computer at a prior date, that will be an easy way to undo the changes done by the virus

Using System Restore in windows XP

Using System Restore in windows Vista

Boot in safe mode

Sometimes you can not delete a file. You should boot in safe mode and then try to delete it.

How to boot in safe in windows XP

How to boot in safe mode in windows Vista

View Hidden Files

You need to enable to view hidden files and folders before searching.

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

Press Ctrl Alt Del keys to open the Task Manager. Select Processes tab. You will see a list. Look for the name System.exe in it. Select if found and press the End Process button. It will ask for your confirmation to end that process. Select Yes. You can end one process at a time.

You can find out if a process in Task Manager is good or bad by using Windows Defender. It shows the path of a process and its publisher. Harmful processes may be shown 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.

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. You can check / uncheck any entry from windows startup any number of times.

Open system configuration window. Click on the Startup tab. You will see a list all the programs that are scheduled to start with windows. Expand the middle column using your mouse pointer. That will show you the full path of the program. Locate and uncheck System.exe (also look for any other suspicious names) Press Apply , Press Close/Ok , Select "restart" at the next prompt to restart the computer

Deleting files and Folders

The computer will restart now. After restarting, delete the files listed below. Boot in safe mode or boot in the dos prompt if needed. You can use windows search utility to search for System.exe to see if there are more instances of this file on the computer

1) Variation 1

Files

C:\Windows\System32\drivers\System.exe
C:\Windows\winx.log 2) Another variation see report C:\Windows\System32\system32\system.exe 3) third variation , this is a variant of trojan virus bifrost, see report FilesC:\Documents and Settings\[UserName]\Application Data\addons.dat
C:\Windows\System32\system32\system.exe
C:\Windows\System32\system32\logg.dat
%Temp%\java.exe
Folder C:\Windows\System32\system324) Another variation , see report Files
C:\Windows\System32\paltalk\logg.dat
C:\Windows\System32\paltalk\system.exe
C:\Windows\System32\Photo-00060.jpgFolder
C:\Windows\System32\paltalk5) Another variation, see report (This is a variant of Bifrost trojan)
Files
C:\Documents and Settings\[UserName]\Application Data\addons.dat
C:\Windows\System32\prefetch\system.exe
C:\Windows\System32\prefetch\system.exe-up.txt
C:\Windows\System32\prefetch\xp.dat
%Temp%\system.exe-up.txtFolder
C:\Windows\System32\prefetch
(There are some more files which are the installers of this virus, we do not know their names, they could be removed, as well as the files and sub folders in the Temp folder once you run CCleaner ) Registry Keys
Some of the registry keys added by this virus can be automatically cleaned, if you delete its files and then run the Registry menu of CCleaner program, for others you can refer to threatexpert report mentioned above Using CCleaner

You can easily remove the files in the temp folder by running CCleaner. You can set CCleaner to run automatically each time the computer starts

Do not forget to run CCleaner > Registry menu to remove the obsolete registry entries.