Personal experiences with Vista and IE7 security

Midway · 03-20-2007, 09:08 PM

Before I installed NIS '07 I had F-Secure's Vista Beta installed plus PCTools firewall. When I was testing NIS's ability to uninstall clean I was checking to see if Windows firewall was turned back on. To my surprise SecCenter reported that PC Tools firewall was on and working. How could this be if I had uninstalled it? I deleted every instance of it in the registry plus the files that were left on the hard drive, plus the hidden ones, with no effect.

I have seen this reported before in XP, programs that were uninstalled still showing up in SecCenter like this:

I searched around but couldn't find a solution for this so I asked about it in another forum. Someone replied that it could be done by deleting a folder in the system32 directory, wbem I think it was called. It would be rebuilt on reboot and PCTools would not show up anymore.

So I tried to delete the folder but it mentioned that another process was using it. I then logged out and back into my Admin account and still no success. I then booted into safe mode and STILL could not delete this folder.

I then had a brainstorm and pulled out some Linux Live CD's I had. I first tried PCLinuxOS which let me browse the Windows directory but could not delete this folder as well. Next I tried Ubuntu but it could not mount the Windows partition for some reason. Then I tried Mepis and got the same results as I did with PCLOS. I could not believe I couldn't delete this folder using Linux! MS must really have beefed up security but in this case I wished it didn't lol. So I guess I will have to live with PCTools entry.

My next experience was when I was testing NIS by going to some "dark" sites such as cracks and warez where you are sure to pick something up. In the old days I wouldn't dream of trying this with IE6, I would have much preferred using Firefox with NoScript. But since it was my intention to catch something I browsed these sites using IE7. I was searching for a crack for Nero because it being so popular it would be targeted for nasties more (btw I use Ashampoo Burning Studio 6). But to my dismay, I couldn't pick anything up! One site wanted to install something called "Data Services Data Control" (now why would a crack site want to do this? lol) but IE7 blocked it. I even went to sites Google identified as being "dangerous" but still nothing. After an hour or so I gave up, shaking my head. The feeling is akin to going into a lion's den wanting to be eaten but none will have anything to do with you, lol.

So there are my real world experiences with Vista's security.

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lcx · 03-20-2007, 09:57 PM

You can just run
winmgmt /resetrepository
to reset wmeb settings to factory condition.

However I recommend you run "winmgmt /backup somefile" before you run the reset command so in case anything goes wrong you can restore it.

Also you can create a Vista Live CD (its called Vista WinPE) which helps in recovery and maintenance task. I rather trust Vista bits than other OSes to muck with NTFS.

Midway · 03-20-2007, 10:35 PM

Thanks Icx but that didn't work either.

If I can figure out what this other process is and shut it down then maybe it can be done.

Znod · 03-21-2007, 01:45 AM

I had a similar experience with PC-Cillan beta. Trend Micro got interested and tried to help me "disappear" the partly uninstalled program--which was harmless. I tried lots of their suggestions to no avail. I used the next real excuse to clean-reintall Vista and, of course, no more PC-Cillan. By the way, even a repair install did not do the trick.

Midway · 03-21-2007, 10:07 AM

Since it is not really affecting anything, it isn't worth losing Ultimate over it.

Znod · 03-21-2007, 10:41 AM

Definitely not.

ProCookie · 03-21-2007, 10:58 AM

Wow what a story, Surly there must be some way to get rid of that folder? But like you said its probably not worth it as its doing no harm

Snuffy · 03-21-2007, 11:52 AM

If any of you want to test Vista Manager, on your PC Cillian stuff, I found it has a great uninstaller...even when you can not use the normal program uninstaller. and add/remove does not work.
Adware 2007 B1 and B2 both failed to install correctly for me.. therefore I could not uninstall them. Nothing worked, at all SAFE MODE, login as ADMIN, nothing...

VistaManager :heart: did uninstall and even found the leftover items :flowercool: and removed them ... now testing Adware 2007 B3..

Midway · 03-21-2007, 08:53 PM

I tried VistaManager but it did not have PC Tools on the list. Someone had sent me a link to a uninstaller that MS came out with and it didn't list it either.

Curious thing is that I am running as a Standard User with a separate Admin account and when I installed these uninstaller programs they did not show up in my menu. I found them on the Admin menu instead. These are the only programs that I have noticed that installed that way.

lcx · 03-25-2007, 02:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Midway

Thanks Icx but that didn't work either.

If I can figure out what this other process is and shut it down then maybe it can be done.

Stop winmgmt service before you run reset.

Midway · 03-25-2007, 08:58 PM

It worked!

Turning off WMI service beforehand was the ticket.

There were two side effects though. One is that for some reason my USB cardreader drivers had to be reinstalled. Second is that SecCenter no longer saw Norton installed so I had to uninstall/reinstall it. No big deal though.

Many thanks, Icx!

03-20-2007, 09:08 PM	#1
Midway Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: SW MS, USA Posts: 168	Personal experiences with Vista and IE7 security Before I installed NIS '07 I had F-Secure's Vista Beta installed plus PCTools firewall. When I was testing NIS's ability to uninstall clean I was checking to see if Windows firewall was turned back on. To my surprise SecCenter reported that PC Tools firewall was on and working. How could this be if I had uninstalled it? I deleted every instance of it in the registry plus the files that were left on the hard drive, plus the hidden ones, with no effect. I have seen this reported before in XP, programs that were uninstalled still showing up in SecCenter like this: I searched around but couldn't find a solution for this so I asked about it in another forum. Someone replied that it could be done by deleting a folder in the system32 directory, wbem I think it was called. It would be rebuilt on reboot and PCTools would not show up anymore. So I tried to delete the folder but it mentioned that another process was using it. I then logged out and back into my Admin account and still no success. I then booted into safe mode and STILL could not delete this folder. I then had a brainstorm and pulled out some Linux Live CD's I had. I first tried PCLinuxOS which let me browse the Windows directory but could not delete this folder as well. Next I tried Ubuntu but it could not mount the Windows partition for some reason. Then I tried Mepis and got the same results as I did with PCLOS. I could not believe I couldn't delete this folder using Linux! MS must really have beefed up security but in this case I wished it didn't lol. So I guess I will have to live with PCTools entry. My next experience was when I was testing NIS by going to some "dark" sites such as cracks and warez where you are sure to pick something up. In the old days I wouldn't dream of trying this with IE6, I would have much preferred using Firefox with NoScript. But since it was my intention to catch something I browsed these sites using IE7. I was searching for a crack for Nero because it being so popular it would be targeted for nasties more (btw I use Ashampoo Burning Studio 6). But to my dismay, I couldn't pick anything up! One site wanted to install something called "Data Services Data Control" (now why would a crack site want to do this? lol) but IE7 blocked it. I even went to sites Google identified as being "dangerous" but still nothing. After an hour or so I gave up, shaking my head. The feeling is akin to going into a lion's den wanting to be eaten but none will have anything to do with you, lol. So there are my real world experiences with Vista's security. __________________ Mitch Dell Dimension 8300, P4 3.0GHz HT, 1.5GB RAM, 2GB RB, 250 + 80GB HDD, Nvidia 6800XT, X-Fi XtremeGamer Fatal1ty Pro, Surfbeam satellite modem Vista Ultimate User
(Offline)

03-20-2007, 09:57 PM	#2
lcx Junior Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Posts: 7	You can just run winmgmt /resetrepository to reset wmeb settings to factory condition. However I recommend you run "winmgmt /backup somefile" before you run the reset command so in case anything goes wrong you can restore it. Also you can create a Vista Live CD (its called Vista WinPE) which helps in recovery and maintenance task. I rather trust Vista bits than other OSes to muck with NTFS.
(Offline)

03-20-2007, 10:35 PM	#3
Midway Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: SW MS, USA Posts: 168	Thanks Icx but that didn't work either. If I can figure out what this other process is and shut it down then maybe it can be done. __________________ Mitch Dell Dimension 8300, P4 3.0GHz HT, 1.5GB RAM, 2GB RB, 250 + 80GB HDD, Nvidia 6800XT, X-Fi XtremeGamer Fatal1ty Pro, Surfbeam satellite modem Vista Ultimate User
(Offline)

03-21-2007, 01:45 AM	#4
Znod ABXpert Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Phoenix AZ Posts: 3,136	I had a similar experience with PC-Cillan beta. Trend Micro got interested and tried to help me "disappear" the partly uninstalled program--which was harmless. I tried lots of their suggestions to no avail. I used the next real excuse to clean-reintall Vista and, of course, no more PC-Cillan. By the way, even a repair install did not do the trick. __________________ [CENTER][sigpic][/sigpic] [COLOR="DeepSkyBlue"][/COLOR][URL=http://homepage.mac.com/donv1/.Pictures/Vista/Bannerxx.jpg][B]Larger Sig Pic Linked Here[/B][/URL][/CENTER]
(Offline)

03-21-2007, 10:07 AM	#5
Midway Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: SW MS, USA Posts: 168	Since it is not really affecting anything, it isn't worth losing Ultimate over it. __________________ Mitch Dell Dimension 8300, P4 3.0GHz HT, 1.5GB RAM, 2GB RB, 250 + 80GB HDD, Nvidia 6800XT, X-Fi XtremeGamer Fatal1ty Pro, Surfbeam satellite modem Vista Ultimate User
(Offline)

03-21-2007, 10:41 AM	#6
Znod ABXpert Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Phoenix AZ Posts: 3,136	Definitely not. __________________ [CENTER][sigpic][/sigpic] [COLOR="DeepSkyBlue"][/COLOR][URL=http://homepage.mac.com/donv1/.Pictures/Vista/Bannerxx.jpg][B]Larger Sig Pic Linked Here[/B][/URL][/CENTER]
(Offline)

03-21-2007, 10:58 AM	#7
ProCookie Special Member - Vista Babble Promoter Join Date: Aug 2006 Posts: 1,676	Wow what a story, Surly there must be some way to get rid of that folder? But like you said its probably not worth it as its doing no harm __________________ [COLOR="Red"][B][SIZE="2"]ALL THINGS WINDOWS 7 AND MORE! [URL="http://www.edgarstudios.co.uk"]VISIT MY BLOG[/SIZE][/URL][/B][/COLOR]
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03-21-2007, 11:52 AM	#8
Snuffy Elite Members Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: S.W. Kansas Posts: 2,841	Vista Manager Uninstaller If any of you want to test Vista Manager, on your PC Cillian stuff, I found it has a great uninstaller...even when you can not use the normal program uninstaller. and add/remove does not work. Adware 2007 B1 and B2 both failed to install correctly for me.. therefore I could not uninstall them. Nothing worked, at all SAFE MODE, login as ADMIN, nothing... VistaManager :heart: did uninstall and even found the leftover items :flowercool: and removed them ... now testing Adware 2007 B3.. __________________ [COLOR="DarkRed"]The only Stupid Question is the one you failed to Ask![/color] [COLOR="Blue"]Beta Tester since Pre Win 95.[/COLOR]
(Offline)

03-21-2007, 08:53 PM	#9
Midway Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: SW MS, USA Posts: 168	I tried VistaManager but it did not have PC Tools on the list. Someone had sent me a link to a uninstaller that MS came out with and it didn't list it either. Curious thing is that I am running as a Standard User with a separate Admin account and when I installed these uninstaller programs they did not show up in my menu. I found them on the Admin menu instead. These are the only programs that I have noticed that installed that way. __________________ Mitch Dell Dimension 8300, P4 3.0GHz HT, 1.5GB RAM, 2GB RB, 250 + 80GB HDD, Nvidia 6800XT, X-Fi XtremeGamer Fatal1ty Pro, Surfbeam satellite modem Vista Ultimate User
(Offline)

03-25-2007, 08:58 PM	#11
Midway Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: SW MS, USA Posts: 168	It worked! Turning off WMI service beforehand was the ticket. There were two side effects though. One is that for some reason my USB cardreader drivers had to be reinstalled. Second is that SecCenter no longer saw Norton installed so I had to uninstall/reinstall it. No big deal though. Many thanks, Icx! __________________ Mitch Dell Dimension 8300, P4 3.0GHz HT, 1.5GB RAM, 2GB RB, 250 + 80GB HDD, Nvidia 6800XT, X-Fi XtremeGamer Fatal1ty Pro, Surfbeam satellite modem Vista Ultimate User
(Offline)

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