help! smtp denies access with submit forms?

[psh]

please help!
i have recently started using gmail and therefore got rid of outlooks services.
a week passed with no problems!
until i tried to enter a competition and send in my answer using a submit form.
but it came up with this "No <xml> data file found
Please upload the data xml file
Either sendmail or smtp is not properly configured on your system.
Please contact your hosting provider to correct this problem."
another example was i tried to upload my music files on another site but when pressing the submit form again it came up with "error on page" in the bottom left corner with the usual warning sign.
i can honestly say this has never happened before when i was using outlook.
its only since i started using gmail.
i have contacted my "isP" which is bulldog and they said its a setting in gmail?
but on looking through all my settings in gmail there is nothing about that!
there is only a section on "pop" and how to recieve through gmail into outlook.

so if anyone has any ideas whats causing it?
or are there any other settings ive missed?
please let me know as the computer is shortly heading for the nearest exit (window!)
thanks
psh

[TurcoLoco]

Well I do not use gmail so I won't be much help with its settings but just wanted to mentioned a few things that might help you troubleshoot the problem a bit more informed perhaps:

pop is used for receiving e-mail and smtp protocol is used for sending e-mail.
Is gmail configured to relay the e-mails to another e-mail client or used alone to receive and send messages?

Where is this 'submit form' button located at? On a web page? A personal site that you have created the code yourself or is it a commercial site?
I'd check the browser settings to make sure that is not where the problem is, for example for IE: Tool > Internet Options > Programs > E-mail.

Hopefully I didn't misunderstand the issue but if so please provide more details.

~TL

[psh]

yes i think gmail is only configured to send and recieve my personal emails and not what you suggested. i have tried relaying it through outlook but it doesnt solve the problem it only adds my mail to the inbox!

the submit forms are all on commercial sites!
and i never had a problem with them until i started using gmail?

i have looked in the internet options and under email there is not an option to set gmail up as the main internet program, only outlook, hotmail, msn explorer etc.
it is currently still set to microsoft outlook,
should i possibly change this setting?
if gmail was listed then maybe i would not have this problem?

thanks for your help
please let me know.

[TurcoLoco]

This site does explain all that info clearly which should take care of the problem.

Let me know if for some reason it doesn't.

~TL

[psh]

ok i have studied the page you gave me,
and downloaded google talk as it had a feature to enable gmail to open from web site email links instead of opening outlook, nice and handy but hasnt solved the submit forms problem.
they still come up with the same message.
the way i see it is im not telling my computer that gmail is the main program for all email tasks, including browsing!
and it would help if gmail came up in the choices on the internet programs settings!
do you think this could be caused by any other setting in my computer at all?
i mean what exactly controls the submit forms and allows access?
your smtp right?
its not looking good is it.
please fire anything else you may have at me and ill try my best to resolve this.
thanks again
psh

[TurcoLoco]

ok i have studied the page you gave me,
and downloaded google talk as it had a feature to enable gmail to open from web site email links instead of opening outlook, nice and handy but hasnt solved the submit forms problem.
they still come up with the same message.
the way i see it is im not telling my computer that gmail is the main program for all email tasks, including browsing!
and it would help if gmail came up in the choices on the internet programs settings!
do you think this could be caused by any other setting in my computer at all?
i mean what exactly controls the submit forms and allows access?
your smtp right?
its not looking good is it.
please fire anything else you may have at me and ill try my best to resolve this.
thanks again
psh

Ok, scratch all that and cause I went ahead and messed around with it and the easiest way to get this to work is to download and install GMail Notifier.
Even though this little patch did the trick, GMail still will not show up under the Internet Options > Programs > E-mail list but that won't matter as the only key that tell the e-mail links in documents or web pages to use the appropriate e-mail program would be the mailto key under: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes
The configuration in this key is what matters and installing GMail Notifier does just that and also you will have a handy system tray icon based shortcut to configure its options and check your inbox as well...

I have tested this and confirmed to be working. I also made a copy of the related registry key (.zip file) in case you have problems, you could download, extract and compare it to yours. If yours look different, you can merge the attached one by double-clicking on it but of course your Windows installation would have to be on C drive which is the common location.

~TL

[jholland1964]

As you say, things don't look wonderful. Let me go through all these logs and I will get back to you ASAP.
You are correct when you say different tools look for different things. That is why a person shouldn't rely on just one. That isn't AVG Ant virus but AVG anti-spy...yes, leave it on the computer, you will find it invaluable.
Give me a bit and I will get back to you.
I am going to move this thread to our SpywareCentral Forum since this is now what you know for sure what you are dealing with.
Judy

[psh]

ok i will leave it installed for now but it is only a trial version right so in thirty days its no good anyway!
i already have pc tools spyware doctor monitoring constent.
is that not enough?
i guess its the big arguement of too many virus programs etc running against each other right?
but i think one of each is sufficient isnt it?
saying that ive still got viruses so god knows!
i look forward to your advice.
psh

[jholland1964]

With AVG Anti-spy at the end of the 30 day trial, certain extensions will be deactivated and the program will turn into a feature-limited freeware version. This can be used as a scanner and can be updated for new threats found. If you look at PP's instructions he specifically says;

-- Uncheck Resident Shield
-- Uncheck Automatic Updates
-- Uncheck Start with Windows

so if you followed the instructions above it WILL not be acting as a constant scanner or shield. I would keep the program, it should be updated manually to add new definitions before each scan. It does find and remove many Trojans, an anti-virus program does not generally protect against, locate or remove Trojans. Which you now have on the computer and some were found and all ready cleaned by AVG. Keep the program.

You are correct, too many programs running may actually lessen the protection BUT, first of all this generally refers to anti-virus programs and firewalls...and the rule is ONE of each on a computer. The spyware/malware scanner programs are just that, scanner programs, you should only use those for scanning the computer once a week OR when you notice a problem. You are NOT running multiple anti-virus programs, from what I can see in your logs you have ONE anti-virus program and that is the PC Tools Anti-virus, all the others you have run or are running are anti-malware/spyware programs, and no, you do not have too many. They don't look for, find or remove viruses.
I am still going through your logs and will get back to you asap.
Judy

[jholland1964]

Ok psh,
Have gone through your logs and you do have some not so nice items showing in both the Kaspersky and AVG Anti-spy, several show they have been removed or quarantined but we need to be absolutely certain.
These, and possibly some others, are what are showing in your logs;
Backdoor.IRC.Zapchast is a backdoor trojan that installs an Internet Relay Chat (IRC) server on the infected machine without the user's knowledge.
Backdoor.IRC.Zapchast installs IRC server script and configuration files that allow the infected machine to be used as a server. Certain IRC channels specified in the configuration files connect to the server, making the infected machine vulnerable to remote attackers. Backdoor.IRC.Zapchast is spread by email spam with a link purporting to be a postcard for the user. Backdoor.IRC.Zapchast may also install Parite.B.
C:\Documents and Settings\paul\My Documents\BitTorrent Downloads\Nero7.5.9.0 Premium Reloaded>>>infected by
Backdoor.Win32.Agent.ajy
RarSFX: infected - 5
Trojan-Downloader.BAT.Ftp.ab>>> The 'Trojan-Downloader.BAT.Ftp' trojan is usually a batch script that opens a connection to a remote ftp site (using a built-in Windows ftp client) in order to download one or more files and to activate them. Such trojans are commonly used my malware writers to update or download malicious files to an already compromised computer.
Trojan.Win32.Pakes

Now attempts were made by AVG Anti-spy to remove and Quarantine some of these, though several showed just in the Kaspersky.

Here are the steps I would like you to take.
First of all update your anti-virus program.
Update the AVG-Anti-spy, just in case there has been an update since you downloaded the program.

Download the ATF-Cleaner from the previous link
that ~TL gave you.
Save it to your desktop.

Enable Viewing of Hidden Files and Folders

Read how to Boot to Safe Mode

Once you have done that shut down the computer. Disconnect the cable from the internet if you are NOT on dial-up.
Now reboot the computer to SAFE MODE

RUN ATF-Cleaner.exe.
-- Click on ATF-Cleaner to run it
-- Where it says Select Files To Delete, Check the Select All Option
-- Click Empty Selected > OK > EXIT

Run a FULL SYSTEM SCAN with your Anti-virus program.
Allow it to FIX or Quarantine EVERYTHING found.

Please Launch AVG Anti-Spyware.
-- Click on the Scanner button and choose the Settings Tab.
---> Under How to act?, click on Recommended action and choose Quarantine to set default action for detected malware.
--->Under Reports make sure Automatically generate report after every scan is selected and UNCHECK the Only if threats were found box.
-- Leave everything else at their default settings and Select the Scan tab and CLICK Complete System Scan to scan your machine.
-- Upon completion of the scan, Click Apply all actions to place any detected baddies in Quarantine.
-- AFTER clicking Apply all actions, Click on Save Report and select Save the report to your Desktop.

Do NOT Reboot. Remain in SAFE MODE.
Once you have completed the above scans then you need to do a file search for the following files on the computer.

Double click on My Computer.
Double Click on "C" drive.
Go to;
C:\WINDOWS\system32\i
C:\WINDOWS\system32\include
C:\WINDOWS\system32\setup.dll

Delete all items noted in RED. Not the entire system32 folder just those noted in red.

Shut down the computer. Re-attach the internet hook up. Reboot the computer in NORMAL mode.
Go online and do one more Kaspersky scan and save the log.
Do a NEW HJT scan and save the log.
Post back here with the new AVG log, the new Kaspersky log, and the new HJT log.
Judy