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View Full Version : Manual Removal Guide for RegistryHelper



Friday
2008-11-28, 17:59
The following instructions have been created to help you to get rid of "RegistryHelper" manually.
Use this guide at your own risk; software should usually be better suited to remove malware, since it is able to look deeper.

If this guide was helpful to you, please consider donating towards this site (http://www.safer-networking.org/index.php?page=donate).

Threat Details:

Categories:
malware

Description:
RegistryHelper claims to be an antispyware solution that shows harmless entries as high risk problems. If the user wants to fix these false positives he has to purchase a license.
Removal Instructions:

Desktop:

Please remove the following files from your desktop.
To check where they are pointing to, right-click them and choose "Properties" from the context menu appearing.

Shortcuts named "Disk Cleaner.lnk" and pointing to "<$PROGRAMFILES>\Disk Cleaner\DiskCleaner.exe".
Shortcuts named "Disk Cleaner.lnk" and pointing to "<$PROGRAMFILES>\Disk Cleaner\*.exe".
Shortcuts named "Disk Cleaner.lnk" and pointing to "<$PROGRAMFILES>\Disk Cleaner\*.exe".
Shortcuts named "Registry Helper.lnk" and pointing to "<$PROGRAMFILES>\Registry Helper\RegistryHelper.exe".
Shortcuts named "Registry Helper.lnk" and pointing to "<$PROGRAMFILES>\Registry Helper\*.exe".
Shortcuts named "Registry Helper.lnk" and pointing to "<$PROGRAMFILES>\Registry Helper\*.exe".

Start Menu:

Please remove the following items from your start menu.
To check where they are pointing to, right-click them and choose "Properties" from the context menu appearing.

Items named "Disk Cleaner Help.lnk" and pointing to "<$PROGRAMFILES>\Disk Cleaner\help.chm".
Items named "Disk Cleaner.lnk" and pointing to "<$PROGRAMFILES>\Disk Cleaner\DiskCleaner.exe".
Items named "Disk Cleaner.lnk" and pointing to "<$PROGRAMFILES>\Disk Cleaner\*.exe".
Items named "Disk Cleaner.lnk" and pointing to "<$PROGRAMFILES>\Disk Cleaner\*.exe".
Items named "Uninstall Disk Cleaner.lnk" and pointing to "<$PROGRAMFILES>\Disk Cleaner\uninst.exe".
Items named "Visit our Website.lnk" and pointing to "<$PROGRAMFILES>\Disk Cleaner\Disk Cleaner.url".
Items named "Registry Helper Help.lnk" and pointing to "<$PROGRAMFILES>\Registry Helper\help.chm".
Items named "Registry Helper.lnk" and pointing to "<$PROGRAMFILES>\Registry Helper\RegistryHelper.exe".
Items named "Registry Helper.lnk" and pointing to "<$PROGRAMFILES>\Registry Helper\*.exe".
Items named "Registry Helper.lnk" and pointing to "<$PROGRAMFILES>\Registry Helper\*.exe".
Items named "Uninstall Registry Helper.lnk" and pointing to "<$PROGRAMFILES>\Registry Helper\uninst.exe".
Items named "Visit our Website.lnk" and pointing to "<$PROGRAMFILES>\Registry Helper\Registry Helper.url".

Autorun:

Please use Spybot-S&D (http://www.safer-networking.org/index.php?page=spybotsd), RunAlyzer (http://www.safer-networking.org/index.php?page=runalyzer) or msconfig.exe to remove the following autorun entries.

Entries named "Disk Cleaner" and pointing to "?<$PROGRAMFILES>\Disk Cleaner\DiskCleaner.Exe*".
Entries named "Disk Cleaner" and pointing to "?<$PROGRAMFILES>\Disk Cleaner\*.exe".
Entries named "Disk Cleaner" and pointing to "?<$PROGRAMFILES>\Disk Cleaner\*.exe".
Entries named "Registry Helper" and pointing to "?<$PROGRAMFILES>\Registry Helper\RegistryHelper.Exe*".
Entries named "Registry Helper" and pointing to "?<$PROGRAMFILES>\Registry Helper\*.exe".
Entries named "Registry Helper" and pointing to "?<$PROGRAMFILES>\Registry Helper\*.exe".

Installed Software List:

You can try to uninstall products with the names listed below; for items identified by other properties or to avoid malware getting active again on uninstallation, use Spybot-S&D (http://www.safer-networking.org/index.php?page=spybotsd) or RunAlyzer (http://www.safer-networking.org/index.php?page=runalyzer) to locate and get rid of these entries.

Products that have a key or property named "Disk Cleaner".
Products that have a key or property named "Registry Helper".
Products that have a key or property named "Registry Helper Screen Saver".

Files:

Please use Windows Explorer or another file manager of your choice to locate and delete these files.

The file at "<$COMMONAPPDATA>\Registry Helper\Registry Helper Log.txt".
The file at "<$COMMONAPPDATA>\Registry Helper\Report.HTML".
The file at "<$COMMONAPPDATA>\Registry Helper\Settings\BackupOptions.efs".
The file at "<$COMMONAPPDATA>\Registry Helper\Settings\Ignored.efs".
The file at "<$COMMONAPPDATA>\Registry Helper\Settings\Options.efs".
The file at "<$COMMONAPPDATA>\Registry Helper\Settings\RegistryHelper.ini".
The file at "<$COMMONAPPDATA>\Registry Helper\Settings\Results.efs".
The file at "<$COMMONAPPDATA>\Registry Helper\Settings\Settings.efs".
The file at "<$COMMONAPPDATA>\Registry Helper\Settings\StatusInfo.efs".
The file at "<$FAVORITES>\Click to Delete Invalid Entries.URL".
The file at "<$FAVORITES>\Links\Click to Delete Invalid Entries.URL".
The file at "<$STARTMENU>\Click to Delete Invalid Entries.URL".
The file at "<$LOCALSETTINGS>\Temp\DiskCleanerSetup.exe".
The file at "<$PROGRAMFILES>\Disk Cleaner\AdvisorLetters.exe".
The file at "<$PROGRAMFILES>\Disk Cleaner\delete_junk_files_grey.jpg".
The file at "<$PROGRAMFILES>\Disk Cleaner\Disk Cleaner.url".
The file at "<$PROGRAMFILES>\Disk Cleaner\DiskCleaner.exe".
The file at "<$PROGRAMFILES>\Disk Cleaner\ErrorFound.wav".
The file at "<$PROGRAMFILES>\Disk Cleaner\get_activation_key.gif".
The file at "<$PROGRAMFILES>\Disk Cleaner\header.jpg".
The file at "<$PROGRAMFILES>\Disk Cleaner\help.chm".
The file at "<$PROGRAMFILES>\Disk Cleaner\letter.htm".
The file at "<$PROGRAMFILES>\Disk Cleaner\letter1.htm".
The file at "<$PROGRAMFILES>\Disk Cleaner\letter2.htm".
The file at "<$PROGRAMFILES>\Disk Cleaner\letter3.htm".
The file at "<$PROGRAMFILES>\Disk Cleaner\tech_guy.gif".
The file at "<$PROGRAMFILES>\Disk Cleaner\uninst.exe".
The file at "<$PROGRAMFILES>\Disk Cleaner\vbrun60sp5.exe".
The file at "<$PROGRAMFILES>\Registry Helper\__removelinks.bat".
The file at "<$PROGRAMFILES>\Registry Helper\AdvisorLetters.exe".
The file at "<$PROGRAMFILES>\Registry Helper\background.jpg".
The file at "<$PROGRAMFILES>\Registry Helper\delete_invalid_entries_grey.jpg".
The file at "<$PROGRAMFILES>\Registry Helper\ErrorFound.wav".
The file at "<$PROGRAMFILES>\Registry Helper\header.gif".
The file at "<$PROGRAMFILES>\Registry Helper\help.chm".
The file at "<$PROGRAMFILES>\Registry Helper\letter.htm".
The file at "<$PROGRAMFILES>\Registry Helper\letter1.htm".
The file at "<$PROGRAMFILES>\Registry Helper\letter2.htm".
The file at "<$PROGRAMFILES>\Registry Helper\letter3.htm".
The file at "<$PROGRAMFILES>\Registry Helper\letter4.htm".
The file at "<$PROGRAMFILES>\Registry Helper\letter5.htm".
The file at "<$PROGRAMFILES>\Registry Helper\logo.jpg".
The file at "<$PROGRAMFILES>\Registry Helper\print_16.gif".
The file at "<$PROGRAMFILES>\Registry Helper\Registry Helper.url".
The file at "<$PROGRAMFILES>\Registry Helper\RegistryHelper.exe".
The file at "<$PROGRAMFILES>\Registry Helper\RegistryHelperSetupCB.exe".
The file at "<$PROGRAMFILES>\Registry Helper\RegistryHelperSetupTR.exe".
The file at "<$PROGRAMFILES>\Registry Helper\uninst.exe".
The file at "<$PROGRAMFILES>\Registry Helper\vbrun60sp5.exe".
The file at "<$PROGRAMFILES>\SafeApp Screen Savers\RestoreRHScreenSaver.REG".
The file at "<$PROGRAMFILES>\SafeApp Screen Savers\RestoreSSTimeOut.bat".
The file at "<$PROGRAMFILES>\SafeApp Screen Savers\SetSSTimeOut.exe".
The file at "<$PROGRAMFILES>\SafeApp Screen Savers\uninstSSREGHLP.exe".
The file at "<$SYSDIR>\Registry Helper Screen Saver dir\expire.scf".
The file at "<$SYSDIR>\Registry Helper Screen Saver dir\ping.txt".
The file at "<$SYSDIR>\Registry Helper Screen Saver dir\Registry Helper Screen Saver.swf".
The file at "<$SYSDIR>\Registry Helper Screen Saver dir\saver.dat".
The file at "<$SYSDIR>\Registry Helper Screen Saver dir\saver.ini".
The file at "<$SYSDIR>\Registry Helper Screen Saver dir\saver1.dll".
The file at "<$SYSDIR>\Registry Helper Screen Saver dir\saver2.dll".
The file at "<$SYSDIR>\Registry Helper Screen Saver.scr".
The file at "<$DESKTOP>\Click to Delete Invalid Entries.URL".
Make sure you set your file manager to display hidden and system files. If RegistryHelper uses rootkit technologies, use our RootAlyzer (http://forums.spybot.info/downloads.php?id=8) or our Total Commander anti-rootkit plugins (http://forums.spybot.info/downloads.php?id=3).
You will have to use a global search for files without a name specified. Be extra careful, because just the name might not be enough to identify files!

Important: There are more files that cannot be safely described in simple words. Please use Spybot-S&D (http://www.safer-networking.org/index.php?page=spybotsd) to remove them.

Folders:

Please use Windows Explorer or another file manager of your choice to locate and delete these folders.

The directory at "<$COMMONAPPDATA>\Registry Helper\Full Backups".
The directory at "<$COMMONAPPDATA>\Registry Helper\Item Backups".
The directory at "<$COMMONAPPDATA>\Registry Helper\Settings".
The directory at "<$COMMONAPPDATA>\Registry Helper\Startup Manager".
The directory at "<$COMMONAPPDATA>\Registry Helper".
The directory at "<$PROGRAMS>\Registry Helper".
The directory at "<$PROGRAMFILES>\Registry Helper".
The directory at "<$PROGRAMFILES>\SafeApp Screen Savers".
The directory at "<$PROGRAMFILES>\Disk Cleaner".
The directory at "<$PROGRAMS>\Disk Cleaner".
The directory at "<$SYSDIR>\Registry Helper Screen Saver dir".
Make sure you set your file manager to display hidden and system files. If RegistryHelper uses rootkit technologies, use our RootAlyzer (http://forums.spybot.info/downloads.php?id=8) or our Total Commander anti-rootkit plugins (http://forums.spybot.info/downloads.php?id=3).
You will have to use a global search for files without a name specified. Be extra careful, because just the name might not be enough to identify folders!

Registry:

You can use regedit.exe (included in Windows) to locate and delete these registry entries.

Delete the registry key "Disk Cleaner" at "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\".
Delete the registry key "DiskCleaner.exe" at "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\App Paths\".
Delete the registry key "RegistryHelper.exe" at "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\App Paths\".
Delete the registry key "Registry Helper" at "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\".
Delete the registry key "SafeApp Software, LLC." at "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\".
If RegistryHelper uses rootkit technologies, use our RegAlyzer (http://www.safer-networking.org/index.php?page=regalyzer), RootAlyzer (http://forums.spybot.info/downloads.php?id=8) or our Total Commander anti-rootkit plugins (http://forums.spybot.info/downloads.php?id=3).

Final Words:

If neither Spybot-S&D nor self help did resolve the issue or you would prefer one on one help,
Please read these instructions (http://forums.spybot.info/showthread.php?t=288) before requesting assistance,
Then start your own thread in the Malware Removal Forum (http://forums.spybot.info/forumdisplay.php?f=22) where a volunteer analyst will advise you as soon as available.