Folder Options removed from Tools in Windows

W32.Rontokbro[a]mm OR W32/Rontokbro.gen[a]MM

Folder Options removed from Tools in Windows by a virus. The virus is called W32.Rontokbro[a]mm OR W32/Rontokbro.gen[a]MM

What it does is creating new files which looked like a folder but its actually a .exe file. Unless you’ve enabled the view extensions in the folder options or else you won’t see the .exe extension of the file. The file is approximately 43.7Kb and normally people will click to open it because it looked like a folder. So after you’ve open it, the virus will run each time during startup and keep on spreading and spreading… into the harddrives.

More troubles coming up. Normally when you click “Tools” in explorer, there’s a “folder options” underneath it. Once the pc is infected with the virus, the Folder Options will be missing, which disabled you to change the options to view the extension of the files. So when you see a new folder appeared from nowhere and you clicked to open it out of curiousity, the virus spread more again. Moreover, the virus disabled the registry edit where you will see this message “Registry edit is disabled by the administrator” everytime you try to edit the registry.

So how to clean the virus then? I found some solution from Symantec.

W32.Rontokbro[a]mm aka brontok.a

Removal of Virus that has removed Folder Options from Tools in Windows and creating Folders into folder when you click to open a folder

The following instructions pertain to all current and recent Symantec antivirus products, including the Symantec AntiVirus and Norton AntiVirus product lines.

1. Disable System Restore (Windows Me/XP).
2. Update the virus definitions.
3. Run a full system scan.
4. Delete any values added to the registry.

For specific details on each of these steps, read the following instructions.

1. To disable System Restore (Windows Me/XP)
If you are running Windows Me or Windows XP, we recommend that you temporarily turn off System Restore. Windows Me/XP uses this feature, which is enabled by default, to restore the files on your computer in case they become damaged. If a virus, worm, or Trojan infects a computer, System Restore may back up the virus, worm, or Trojan on the computer.

Windows prevents outside programs, including antivirus programs, from modifying System Restore. Therefore, antivirus programs or tools cannot remove threats in the System Restore folder. As a result, System Restore has the potential of restoring an infected file on your computer, even after you have cleaned the infected files from all the other locations.

Also, a virus scan may detect a threat in the System Restore folder even though you have removed the threat.

For instructions on how to turn off System Restore, read your Windows documentation, or one of the following articles:

• How to disable or enable Windows Me System Restore
• How to turn off or turn on Windows XP System Restore

Note: When you are completely finished with the removal procedure and are satisfied that the threat has been removed, reenable System Restore by following the instructions in the aforementioned documents.

For additional information, and an alternative to disabling Windows Me System Restore, see the Microsoft Knowledge Base article: Antivirus Tools Cannot Clean Infected Files in the _Restore Folder (Article ID: Q263455).

2. To update the virus definitions
Symantec Security Response fully tests all the virus definitions for quality assurance before they are posted to our servers. There are two ways to obtain the most recent virus definitions:

• Running LiveUpdate, which is the easiest way to obtain virus definitions.
  
  
  
• Downloading the definitions using the Intelligent Updater: The Intelligent Updater virus definitions are posted daily. You should download the definitions from the Symantec Security Response Web site and manually install them.

The latest Intelligent Updater virus definitions can be obtained here: Intelligent Updater virus definitions. For detailed instructions read the document: How to update virus definition files using the Intelligent Updater.

3. To run a full system scan

1. Start your Symantec antivirus program and make sure that it is configured to scan all the files.
   
   For Norton AntiVirus consumer products: Read the document: How to configure Norton AntiVirus to scan all files.
   
   For Symantec AntiVirus Enterprise products: Read the document: How to verify that a Symantec Corporate antivirus product is set to scan all files.
   
   
   
2. Run a full system scan.
3. If any files are detected, follow the instructions displayed by your antivirus program.

Important: If you are unable to start your Symantec antivirus product or the product reports that it cannot delete a detected file, you may need to stop the risk from running in order to remove it. To do this, run the scan in Safe mode. For instructions, read the document, How to start the computer in Safe Mode. Once you have restarted in Safe mode, run the scan again.
After the files are deleted, restart the computer in Normal mode and proceed with the next section.

Warning messages may be displayed when the computer is restarted, since the threat may not be fully removed at this point. You can ignore these messages and click OK. These messages will not appear when the computer is restarted after the removal instructions have been fully completed. The messages displayed may be similar to the following:

Title: [FILE PATH]
Message body: Windows cannot find [FILE NAME]. Make sure you typed the name correctly, and then try again. To search for a file, click the Start button, and then click Search.

4. To delete the value from the registry
Important: Symantec strongly recommends that you back up the registry before making any changes to it. Incorrect changes to the registry can result in permanent data loss or corrupted files. Modify the specified subkeys only. For instructions refer to the document: How to make a backup of the Windows registry.

1. Click Start > Run.
2. Type regedit
3. Click OK.
   
   Note: If the registry editor fails to open the threat may have modified the registry to prevent access to the registry editor. Security Response has developed a tool to resolve this problem. Download and run this tool, and then continue with the removal.
   
   
4. Navigate to and delete the following entries:
   
   HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run\"Bron-Spizaetus" = "C:\WINDOWS\PIF\CVT.exe"
   
   
5. Restore the following registry entries to their original values, if required:
   
   HKEY_CURRENT_USER\software\microsoft\windows\currentversion\Policies\System\"DisableRegistryTools" = "0"
   HKEY_CURRENT_USER\software\microsoft\windows\currentversion\Policies\System\"DisableCMD" = "0"
   HKEY_CURRENT_USER\software\microsoft\windows\currentversion\Policies\Explorer\"NoFolderOptions" = "0"
   
   
   
6. Exit the Registry Editor.
   
   Note: If the risk creates or modifies registry subkeys or entries under HKEY_CURRENT_USER, it is possible that it created them for every user on the compromised computer. To ensure that all registry subkeys or entries are removed or restored, log on using each user account and check for any HKEY_CURRENT_USER items listed above.

To delete the scheduled tasks added by the worm

Click Start, and then click Control Panel. (In Windows XP, switch to Classic View.)
In the Control Panel window, double click Scheduled Tasks.
Right click the task icon and select Properties from pop-up menu.
The properties of the task is displayed.
Delete the task if the contents of the Run text box in the task pane, matches the following:

%UserProfile%\Templates\A.kotnorB.com

Or just delete anything that you don’t recognize or remember that you created. Just delete anything suspicious.

Ok now you are almost done.

Open your folder options (Start > Control Panel > Folder Options). If you failed to do so, follow this step:

Run you regedit.exe again and browse to this code:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion

\Policies\NoFolderOptions

Data Type: DWORD = 00000001

Change the DWORD value to 00000000. You may need to restart your computer after that.

Now in the Folder Options, go to “View” tab, untick the option Hide extensions for known file types

Now browse carefully into you documents folder, since most of the time the worm will resides there. Try looking into you pictures folder (eg: My Pictures). If there’s a file that looks like a folder but ends something with .exe, delete it. Most of the time the name will be the duplication of the folder itself. (eg: D:\Documents\My Pictures\personal\personal.exe). The icon will be folder icon so be careful. If you happen to double click it, you will need to remove the virus again.

Check all folders in each drive just to make sure you are clean from it.

In the end, I managed to enable the registry edit and also my folder options again. Now my pc is finally clean from the Brontoks~ I’ve killed you Brontoks!!