Do a search for Mike Linns start up utility.
I have used it to get these things turned off.
He has not updated it in a few years, but I used to
use it all the time.
Yes, these things are a bugger, and I would spend hours getting them off customers computers.
Yep, generally when I’m removing viruses, I start with a few steps.
Run msconfig, and go to the “startup” tab and deselect everything. Then reboot in safe mode.
Then I go to Windows Explorer and do a search for all files modified within the last day or two, or from the time when the problems started. What you will usually find are a bunch of files with the same timestamp or very close scattered throughout the hard drive. If you have no idea what those are, it’s a pretty good indication they are associated with the virus. However, do not delete the files unless you know exactly what you are doing, or else you can hose up your Windows installation. But if you are confident they are from a virus, go ahead and delete them.
These two things alone, have pretty much gotten rid of most of the viruses I’ve encountered without having to wipe out the Operating System. Although in extreme cases, I will use Malwarebytes’ Anti-Malware to get rid of the real pesky ones.
YMMV