[swagatopablo]

Hi,
On every system start up I'm shown following message;
" Windows cannot find 'SSVICHOSST.exe'. Make sure you typed the name
correctly, and then try again. To search for a file, click the Start button,
and then click Search."
I simply cannot understand the reason & purpose of this error message. I even
cannot recall asking windows to find for me this file. Again this message appears sometimes even in the middle of any work, and whenever I click on OK button, all my start up & running application closes. Is it a virus? I scan my system regularly with updated anti virus & malware protection tools, but they do not give any alarm regarding this.
Could someone through light on this and suggest remedial action(s)? I'm using
Windows XP-Pro sp 2.0.

[help4me]

Your computer could be infected with Malware. Malware is software designed to infiltrate or damage a computer system without the owner's informed consent. It is a combination of the words malicious and software. The expression is a general term used by computer professionals to mean a variety of forms of hostile, intrusive, or annoying software or program code.

We would be grateful if you could please note the following:

• Please disable your resident security applications (such as AVG, Spybot, WinPatrol, etc.) before performing the below procedure so that they do not interfere with the process.
• Perform all the steps in the order listed to avoid any conflicts.
• If unsure, please stop and voice your doubts.
• You might be required to go offline during the disinfection process. Therefore, it is recommended to print them down for ease of reference.
  

If you stick to the above guidelines, all should go smoothly.

• STEP 1
  
  
  • Download ATF-Cleaner by Atribune.
  • Save the file to your Desktop.
  • Double-click on the file to run the program.
  • On the Main tab, check the Select All button.
  • Next, click on the Firefox tab (if active) and check the Select All button.
    
    Note: If you would like to preserve your saved passwords in Firefox, then click No at the corresponding prompt.
    
    
  • Now, click on the Opera tab (if active) and check the Select All button.
    
    Note: If you would like to preserve your saved passwords in Opera, then click No at the corresponding prompt.
    
    
  • Press the Empty Selected button and click OK to acknowledge the corresponding prompt.
  • Click on the Exit button to quit the program.
  
  
• STEP 2
  
  
  • Please click here to download Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware.
  • Save the file to your Desktop.
  • Double-click mbam-setup.exe and follow the prompts to install the program.
  • At the end, make sure a check mark is placed next to:
    
    
    • Update Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware
    • Launch Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware
    
    
    
  • Click Finish.
  • The program will download and update itself if it finds the necessity to do so. Please allow this.
  • Once the program has loaded, select Perform full scan, then click Scan.
    
    Note: Depending on your computer specifications, the scan may take some time to complete. Please wait patiently and do not interrupt the process.
    
    
  • When the scan is complete, click OK, and then Show Results to view the results.
  • Make sure that every entry is selected, and click Remove Selected.
  • Restart your computer.
  
  
• STEP 3
  
  
  • Please click here to download SUPERAntiSpyware (Free Version).
  • Save the file to your Desktop.
  • Double-click SUPERAntiSpyware.exe and follow the prompts to install the program.
  • Open SUPERAntiSpyware.
  • Under Configuration and Preferences, click the Preferences button.
  • Click the Scanning Control tab.
  • Under Scanner Options make sure the following fields checked:
    
    
    • Close browsers before scanning
    • Scan for tracking cookies
    • Terminate memory threats before quarantining
    
    
  • Click the Close button to leave the control center screen.
  • On the main screen, under Scan for Harmful Software click Scan your computer.
  • On the left, make sure you check mark C:\Fixed Drive.
  • On the right, under Complete Scan, choose Perform Complete Scan.
  • Click Next to start the scan. Please be patient while it scans your computer.
  • After the scan is complete, a Scan Summary box will appear with potentially harmful items that were detected. Click OK.
  • Make sure every entry has a check mark next to it and click Next.
  • A notification will appear that Quarantine and Removal is Complete. Click OK and then Finish to return to the main menu.
  • Restart your computer.
  
  
• STEP 4
  
  
  • Please visit the ESET Online Scanner, using Internet Explorer to initiate the scan.
    
    Note: If you are running Windows Vista, then you will need Administrative privileges to complete the latter part of the procedure. To do so, right-click on the Internet Explorer icon in the Start Menu and select the Run As Administrator option in the shell context menu.
    
    
  • Check mark the YES, I accept the Terms of Use box.
  • Click the Start button.
  • Click the Install button on the following screen.
  • Click Start. This will will initialize and update the scanner engine.
  • Check mark the box beside Remove found threats.
  • Click the Scan button. This will start the scan. Please be patient while it is in progress.
  • Restart your computer.
  
  
• STEP 5
  
  
  • Click on Start > Programs > Accessories > System Tools and select System Restore.
  • Choose the radio button marked Create a Restore Point on the first screen and click Next. Give the restore point a name then click Create. The new point will be stamped with the current date and time. Keep a note of this so you can find it easily should you need to use System Restore.
  • Next, click on Start > Run, type Cleanmgr and click on OK.
  • Click on the More Options tab.
  • Click the Clean Up button in the System Restore section to remove all previous restore points except the most recent one.
  
  This will remove any infected files that have been backed up by Windows. The files in "System Restore" are protected to prevent any programs changing those files. This is the only foolproof way to ensure the deletion of those files.
  
  Note: Please don't use it on a regular basis as this will clear all previous restore points. The feature might be very useful to revert your computer to working condition if something goes wrong.

Re-enable all your security applications and please return here and tell us how the computer seems to be operating.

Happy Safe Computing!

[swagatopablo]

Thank you very much for your advice. But please note that the link to download superantispyware in step 3 does not work and gives a page loading error. So I have not gone through the 1st two steps. Moreover, note that I do not use Firefox, nor Opera but only flock browser available at Flock Browser - The Social Web Browser How should I modify the steps on account of these?

The error is not with the immediate downloadable Sas .exe but your browser Swag.

Want to get fixed up? Change browsers temporarily.

[BeeCeeBee]

Is there some reason why you have not installed SP3? Any other updates missing?

These updates are designed, among other things, to correct security issues that effect your XP operating system. The most important and comprehensive of these is SP3. I am aware that if you look around the web there are those that warn against it. That is nonsensical and foolhardy.

You may not like Microsoft for other reasons but they are the best equipped to deal with issues that effect their own software. I would suggest you update immediately.

I find similarities in the two quotes posted below with the latter being posted on a different forum in May 2007.

Would you have any explanation for this obscurity?

The full forum address for the second quote will be supplied on request.

Originally Posted by swagatopablo

Hi,
On every system start up I'm shown following message;
" Windows cannot find 'SSVICHOSST.exe'. Make sure you typed the name
correctly, and then try again. To search for a file, click the Start button,
and then click Search."
I simply cannot understand the reason & purpose of this error message. I even
cannot recall asking windows to find for me this file. Again this message appears sometimes even in the middle of any work, and whenever I click on OK button, all my start up & running application closes. Is it a virus? I scan my system regularly with updated anti virus & malware protection tools, but they do not give any alarm regarding this.
Could someone through light on this and suggest remedial action(s)? I'm using
Windows XP-Pro sp 2.0.

SSVICHOSST.exe
Hi,
On every system start up I'm shown following message;
" Windows cannot find 'SSVICHOSST.exe'. Make sure you typed the name
correctly, and then try again. To search for a file, click the Start button,
and then click Search."
I simply dont understand the reason & purpose of this error message. I even
dont recall asking windows to find for me this file.
Could someone thru light on this and suggest remedial action(s)? I'm using
Windows XP-Pro.
Regards.

[swagatopablo]

Thank you for your advice. Off Course they are not similar, but same! I found the post in an website(the name of which I cannot remember now). I could not understand the answer. So I simply pasted the question here. Is that anything I should not do? Moreover I must admit that our administrator has got a striking memory who can recall a post at another website posted nearly 2 years ago.

Tell us exactly what issues you have with your machine and we shall endeavour to help.

[swagatopablo]

My problem is exactly as posted in the thread(or as pasted, I must admit.) I have followed the advice of help4me word by word. The softwares detected some malwares inside my PC and removed them. But the message of ssivchosst.exe simply refuses to go. Also I have tried updating but internet explorer encountered an error while updating and stopped it. Please help.

[RandyL]

I have read of some success removing this error message using SDFix. It seems it is a leftover from a previous infection.

Download SDFix and double click the exe file. This will create a text file.

Reboot into safe mode and open the text file.

The text file will display where SDFix was extracted to.

Copy the path into the run box and click ok.

Double click the RunThis.bat file.

Follow the prompts.

[Tootech]

It is probably because you have had malware on your PC, and after removal an entry has been left which looks for the file in order to run it.

The most obvious place for this would be in the startup options.

Click Start, then over to Run, then type MSCONFIG and press enter.

Click on the Startup tab and then look for an entry relating to SSVICHOSST.exe

Untick the box on the left hand side if you find it, click Apply, Close and Restart.

Hopefully....problem solved.

[RandyL]

Hi swag;

In regards to my above post if you need instructions or have questions about SDFix look at bleepingcomputer forums. They may be best suited to help with this program if you are unsure about it.

[RandyL]

There is another tool that purports to clean up this issue at Piyush Lab.

In the right column there is Heal_SSVICHOSST.

[swagatopablo]

So at last I have been able to remove that ****ing ssvichosst.exe with the help of SDFix. Thank you very much to freepchelp site and specially to administrator Randyl.

[RandyL]

That's fantastic. I'm happy to hear that the program worked and that you didn't have trouble with it.

Thanks for letting us know that it worked. This will help us in the future.

Might I ask what security programs you have installed? We want you stay clean in the future.

[swagatopablo]

Presently I have Avast Anti virus, Comodo firewall pro & Super antispyware free edition installed. Is that sufficient or can I get anything better for free? Please advise.

[BeeCeeBee]

All are good but since you have run the disinfection process you should already have Malwarebytes Anti Malware. Keep it and use it along with what you have. It is both Ok and recommended that you use more than one antimalware programs but only one antivirus and Avast is perfectly acceptable for that.