I picked up a cheap laptop (Dell Inspiron 1000) with Windows XP Home Edition, SP 1. I do NOT have the OEM CD.

I did all the Microsoft security and SP2 updates and then downloaded RootKit Revealer also. Ran that.

RKR says that there is a hidden line in the Registry at HKLM/System/ControlSet001/Services. Google says that the line (asc3550i) is indicative of general malware (there is a revealed line of asc3550p, but that seems to be clean).

I can't find the offending malware file under any of its given possible names, but that is beside the point. Question is this: How can I edit hidden lines in the windows registry file? I can't even find the Windows Registry to begin with, but regedit doesn't help me al all.

I will eventually see about dual booting the thing with Fedora (linux for laptops web site seems to show that Core 3 or above will work), but I can't let a rootkitted lappy on the web.

How can I edit registry lines that are "hidden?"

Thanks,

Moxieman

This is right. Thank you for considering other web users.

Of course, once in dual-boot, you could adopt a policy of only using fedora when online. This will save you greif in the long run. Meanwhile - that rootkit:

Removing rootkits in windows usually involves third-party tools.
http://searchwindowssecurity.techtar...086474,00.html
http://searchwindowssecurity.techtar...086476,00.html

------------------
Thanks, I read the sites, but like I said, I ran RootKit Revealer and it detected this hidden line in Registry. How and where can I find concealed lines in the registry so I can delete them? Visible lines I can edit with regedit, but regedit doesn't touch concealed lines.

Edit -- Found it: Little bugger's in WINDOWS/System32/Config Thanks all,