i have recently found alot of viruses on my computer mainly in my temp folder. If i were to delete these files from temp would it afect my system.

also i am having great difficulty with getting rid of SMSS.exe

i have used the latest version of hackthis and after analysis from their program it said that i must delete SMSS.exe because it usually originates from windows/system32 whereas this one did not. Also when i switch the computer off it takes alot of time for it to switch off and then asks to end task SMSS.exe after which it switches off straightaway and without problem.

So i deleted the specified registry in hackthis

and now that i have done another scan it does not find it however it is still on my process list and i still have the same problem. Here is a copy of my latest hackthis log
Logfile of HijackThis v1.98.2
Scan saved at 16:20:27, on 29/10/2004
Platform: Windows XP SP1 (WinNT 5.01.2600)
MSIE: Internet Explorer v6.00 SP1 (6.00.2800.1106)

Running processes:
C:\WINDOWS\System32\smss.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\winlogon.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\services.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\lsass.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\svchost.exe
C:\WINDOWS\System32\svchost.exe
C:\Program Files\Sygate\SPF\smc.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\LEXBCES.EXE
C:\WINDOWS\system32\LEXPPS.EXE
C:\WINDOWS\system32\spoolsv.exe
C:\Program Files\Alwil Software\Avast4\aswUpdSv.exe
C:\Program Files\Alwil Software\Avast4\ashserv.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\gearsec.exe
C:\Program Files\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\VS7Debug\mdm.exe
C:\WINDOWS\System32\svchost.exe
C:\WINDOWS\System32\wuauclt.exe
C:\WINDOWS\Explorer.EXE
C:\Program Files\ATI Technologies\ATI Control Panel\atiptaxx.exe
C:\WINDOWS\SOUNDMAN.EXE
C:\Program Files\Pinnacle\InstantCDDVD\InstantWrite\iwctrl.exe
C:\Program Files\Messenger Plus! 3\MsgPlus.exe
C:\Program Files\Alwil Software\Avast4\ashDisp.exe
C:\PROGRA~1\ALWILS~1\Avast4\ashmaisv.exe
C:\WINDOWS\System32\ctfmon.exe
C:\Program Files\Common Files\Real\Update_OB\realsched.exe
C:\Program Files\Spybot - Search & Destroy\TeaTimer.exe
C:\Program Files\ZZZ\Accurate Popup Killer\popupkiller.exe
C:\Program Files\SpywareGuard\sgmain.exe
C:\Program Files\SpywareGuard\sgbhp.exe
C:\Documents and Settings\Saqib Riaz\Start Menu\Programs\Spyware removers\hijackthis.exe

R0 - HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Start Page = http://www.google.co.uk/
R0 - HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Local Page =
O2 - BHO: CCHelper - {0CF0B8EE-6596-11D5-A98E-0003470BB48E} - C:\Program Files\Panicware\Pop-Up Stopper Pro\CCHelper.dll
O2 - BHO: SpywareGuard Download Protection - {4A368E80-174F-4872-96B5-0B27DDD11DB2} - C:\Program Files\SpywareGuard\dlprotect.dll
O2 - BHO: (no name) - {53707962-6F74-2D53-2644-206D7942484F} - C:\Program Files\Spybot - Search & Destroy\SDHelper.dll
O3 - Toolbar: Pa&nicware Pop-Up Stopper Pro - {B1E741E7-1E77-40D4-9FD8-51949B9CCBD0} - C:\Program Files\Panicware\Pop-Up Stopper Pro\popuppro.dll
O3 - Toolbar: &Radio - {8E718888-423F-11D2-876E-00A0C9082467} - C:\WINDOWS\system32\msdxm.ocx
O4 - HKLM..\Run: [ATIPTA] C:\Program Files\ATI Technologies\ATI Control Panel\atiptaxx.exe
O4 - HKLM..\Run: [SoundMan] SOUNDMAN.EXE
O4 - HKLM..\Run: [IW_ControlCenter] C:\Program Files\Pinnacle\InstantCDDVD\InstantWrite\iwctrl.exe
O4 - HKLM..\Run: [MessengerPlus3] “C:\Program Files\Messenger Plus! 3\MsgPlus.exe”
O4 - HKLM..\Run: [avast!] C:\Program Files\Alwil Software\Avast4\ashDisp.exe
O4 - HKLM..\Run: [ashMaiSv] C:\PROGRA~1\ALWILS~1\Avast4\ashmaisv.exe
O4 - HKLM..\Run: [TkBellExe] “C:\Program Files\Common Files\Real\Update_OB\realsched.exe” -osboot
O4 - HKLM..\Run: [SmcService] C:\PROGRA~1\Sygate\SPF\smc.exe -startgui
O4 - HKCU..\Run: [ctfmon.exe] C:\WINDOWS\System32\ctfmon.exe
O4 - HKCU..\Run: [SpybotSD TeaTimer] C:\Program Files\Spybot - Search & Destroy\TeaTimer.exe
O4 - Startup: SpywareGuard.lnk = C:\Program Files\SpywareGuard\sgmain.exe
O4 - Global Startup: Accurate Popup Killer.lnk = C:\Program Files\ZZZ\Accurate Popup Killer\popupkiller.exe
O6 - HKCU\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Restrictions present
O6 - HKCU\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Control Panel present
O8 - Extra context menu item: E&xport to Microsoft Excel - res://C:\PROGRA~1\MICROS~3\Office10\EXCEL.EXE/3000
O9 - Extra button: (no name) - {08B0E5C0-4FCB-11CF-AAA5-00401C608501} - C:\WINDOWS\System32\msjava.dll
O9 - Extra ‘Tools’ menuitem: Sun Java Console - {08B0E5C0-4FCB-11CF-AAA5-00401C608501} - C:\WINDOWS\System32\msjava.dll
O9 - Extra button: Add to Restricted Zone - {B06300D0-CCDE-11d2-92D3-0000F87A4A55} - C:\WINDOWS\System32\webzone.dll
O9 - Extra ‘Tools’ menuitem: Add to R&estricted Zone - {B06300D0-CCDE-11d2-92D3-0000F87A4A55} - C:\WINDOWS\System32\webzone.dll
O9 - Extra button: Add to Trusted Zone - {BF80219A-CCDD-11d2-92D3-0000F87A4A55} - C:\WINDOWS\System32\webzone.dll
O9 - Extra ‘Tools’ menuitem: Add to Tr&usted Zone - {BF80219A-CCDD-11d2-92D3-0000F87A4A55} - C:\WINDOWS\System32\webzone.dll
O9 - Extra button: Real.com - {CD67F990-D8E9-11d2-98FE-00C0F0318AFE} - C:\WINDOWS\System32\Shdocvw.dll
O9 - Extra button: Messenger - {FB5F1910-F110-11d2-BB9E-00C04F795683} - C:\Program Files\Messenger\MSMSGS.EXE
O9 - Extra ‘Tools’ menuitem: Messenger - {FB5F1910-F110-11d2-BB9E-00C04F795683} - C:\Program Files\Messenger\MSMSGS.EXE
O14 - IERESET.INF: START_PAGE_URL=http://www.timecomputers.com
O16 - DPF: {23B7A816-3647-49D2-9756-6F41CE8F9201} (ddm_download.ddm_control) - http://bins.dynamicdesktopmedia.com/cab/ddm_control.CAB
O16 - DPF: {6414512B-B978-451D-A0D8-FCFDF33E833C} (WUWebControl Class) - http://v5.windowsupdate.microsoft.com/v5consumer/V5Controls/en/x86/client/wuweb_site.cab?1098908650496
O16 - DPF: {74D05D43-3236-11D4-BDCD-00C04F9A3B61} (HouseCall Control) - http://a840.g.akamai.net/7/840/537/2004061001/housecall.trendmicro.com/housecall/xscan53.cab
O16 - DPF: {8E0D4DE5-3180-4024-A327-4DFAD1796A8D} (MessengerStatsClient Class) - http://messenger.zone.msn.com/binary/MessengerStatsClient.cab

i am on windows xp home edition SP1 using adaware se personal, avast antivirus 4.1 home, spybot search and destroy, spyguarder and baster.

i think that should protect me for now

THANKS4da help

Get and us my HijackThis Analyzer and use the online analyzer. Both can be found through the link in my signature.

Be careful smss.exe could be a system file, see the link http://www.liutilities.com/products/wintaskspro/processlibrary/smss/ and http://www.neuber.com/taskmanager/process/smss.exe.html check fully before you delete anything.

What made you think that you should be trying to get rid of smss.exe?

A search of google.com for smss.exe returns many hits.

i have used the latest version of hackthis and after analysis from their program it said that i must delete SMSS.exe because it usually originates from windows/system32 whereas this one did not.
See his log. It is a system file, no other smss.exe mentioned there. ;)

I saw that there was only one smss.exe in the log.

I did miss the bit you quoted, that’s why I thought it strange he was trying to get rid of it. Not that he had got rid of the one not in windows\system32.