Spyware!?

[Leffe]

Operating System: Win XP sp1
Burning Software: Nero 5.8.14
Anti-virus Software: None
DAEMON Tools Version: 3.46

I don't get this? The other day I swept my computer for spyware with Ad-Aware and it found some that it tried to remove, but after a reboot a few of them always returned. I did the same with PestPatrol, Spybot - Search & Destroy, Spy Sweeper and HijackThis. Always the same result, the same spyware returned after a reboot. It's twaintec.dll and alchem.exe among others. So in my desperation I thought I would uninstall the latest software I had installed one at a time and do a new sweep and reboot after each removal. Well, the latest thing I installed was Daemon Tools 3.36. After uninstalling, reboot, sweeping, reboot again, my computer was suddenly clean! I used the computer as usual a few days and did a new sweep; still clean. I thought this can't be so just to be sure I installed Daemon Tools again and the spyware was there once more! I uninstalled swept and; clean again!

What's going on? What can be the explanation for this?

[Copytrooper]

Where did you get the installer package? Please download from our server only!
Daemon Tools does NOT contain any spyware!

[LocutusofBorg]

alchem.exe is a Browser Helper Object. If you google for yourself
you would already know that. It seems to me you visited a website
which infected you with alchem.exe which maybe installed all the other
Spyware. Visit:

http://sarc.com/avcenter/venc/data/pf/adware.clickalchemy.html

to find out more about this threat. Report back your results here!

[severach]

Operating System: NTFS
Burning Software: No software is on fire
Anti-virus Software: AVG
DAEMON Tools Version: 3.46

Many possibilities.

Your scanners are not providing enough coverage. As much as I hate it, McAfee AV is a required part of your scan arsenal. Too slow for me to use as an active scanner but it is the best at finding wierd stuff.

You failed to run the AdAware "Scan volume for ADS". This is quite different from Smart Scan. AdAware has just upgraded to SE which you will need to upgrade to.

You have been duped into using NTFS where the permissions can be set so your AV and AntiSpy programs are not permitted to examine the files no matter which system you put the drive in. If you want to play with NTFS you will need to learn about permissions and ownership until the scanners figure this one out.

The only way a program can protect itself under FAT32 is to open it's own files while running. No file on a FAT32 system is protected when the drive is pulled.

Always pull the drive and scan in a non infected system. You got the right tools, you just aren't using them all the way.

It is most certain that Daemon-Tools does not contain Adware, Spyware, or even nag screens so your problem should be unrelated.