Internet Explorer Question

[mykidsmylife]

Could anyone tell me what is going on with my computer? I can't type in a web address and go to that in the address window. It will only go to places I have saved in my favorites or home page. If I want to go to a website I have to change my home page in the tool menu. I can navigate thru any website I eventually get to....just cant type the URL in the address window and go there.

I run XP and have all the Microsoft updates. It just has me stumped. Plus the recharger cord on my laptop is broke and I REALLY miss that and hate this stupid one anyways :sad:

:help:

 

[Ems]

Yeah, something funky is definitely going on there. If I were you I would just download Mozilla Firefox, lots of people prefer it to Internet Explorer.

Link: http://www.mozilla.com/firefox/

 

[joephys]

Shhhh, if it becomes to popular, all the people who write spy ware and stuff will start writing it for that.

 

[mduros]

Shhhh, if it becomes to popular, all the people who write spy ware and stuff will start writing it for that.

Sorry, Firefox is already publishing lists of new vulnerabilities almost weekly. Still a tad better than IE, but not as safe as it was when it first came out.

 

[dougall]

Shhhh, if it becomes to popular, all the people who write spy ware and stuff will start writing it for that.

They do already..


besides you could switch to Opera..

and MKML, try a virus scan and/or malware scan. if you don't have anything current or installed on your PC try Housecall

 

[mduros]

Could anyone tell me what is going on with my computer? I can't type in a web address and go to that in the address window. It will only go to places I have saved in my favorites or home page. If I want to go to a website I have to change my home page in the tool menu. I can navigate thru any website I eventually get to....just cant type the URL in the address window and go there. :help:

Sounds like you got infected with spyware. Besides, installing something like Firefox, go to download.com and download, install and run Ad-Aware SE Personal Edition 1.06 by Lavasoft. This should clean off the spyware sufficiently to run IE again. You may have to run it in safe mode to have it clean everything off properly.
Good luck,
Mary.

 

[tomdkat]

Sounds like a spyware infection to me as well (or a hi-jacked browser).

Install and run the following:

• Ad-Aware
• Spybot S&D
• Spy Sweeper
• X-Cleaner

Run Ad-Aware first, then Spybot, then Spy Sweeper, then run X-Cleaner.

Spy Sweeper is a commercial product, but their trial is great and will find a TON of stuff. When done with the Spy Sweeper scan, you can uninstall it unless you want to buy it.

Be sure to run updates on Ad-Aware, Spybot, and Spy Sweeper before scanning.

When done running these apps, you should have a clean system. Make sure you have Service Pack 2 (SP2) installed and make sure the Windows firewall is enabled. I recommend Zone Alarm over the Windows firewall but that's a different discussion.

I also concur with switching from IE to Mozilla Firefox, Mozilla Seamonkey, or Opera. However, if you're not wanting to learn a new browser start scanning your system more frequently for spyware. malware, etc.

EDIT: Tell me you have anti-virus software installed? If you don't, install the free version of AVG.

Good luck!

Peace...

 

[ScottoMacD]

Yes it's a browser hijack for sure.

I'm not a big fan of most of the spywares out there now a days.

They all work but they also all seem to have their little glitches that drive me nuts.

Since you are running XP you should download the free microsoft one "Antispyware". considering that it is a microsoft product it actually works very well and is updated very often. Because well it's microsoft and they have to help fix there crappy products.

After the spyware is removed using whatever prog you decide to use. The next thing you have to do is fix the browser.

Go here http://www.cybertechhelp.com/download/file/hijack-this
and download HiJack This.

It is a program to show if and what has been hijacked in IE.

When you run it it will give you a log. You can save it as a notepad file and then post it here and we can clean it up from there.

You log will look something like this:

R1 - HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Default_Page_URL = http://ie.redirect.hp.com/svs/rdr?TY... io&pf=desktop
R1 - HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Default_Search_URL = http://ie.redirect.hp.com/svs/rdr?TY...rio&pf=desktop
R0 - HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Start Page = http://wilkes.net/
R0 - HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Start Page = http://ie.redirect.hp.com/svs/rdr?TY... io&pf=desktop
R1 - HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Internet Connection Wizard,ShellNext = http://rhapsody.com/hpoem
O2 - BHO: AcroIEHlprObj Class - {06849E9F-C8D7-4D59-B87D-784B7D6BE0B3} - C:\Program Files\Adobe\Acrobat 7.0\ActiveX\AcroIEHelper.dll
O2 - BHO: Google Toolbar Helper - {AA58ED58-01DD-4d91-8333-CF10577473F7} - c:\program files\google\googletoolbar2.dll
O2 - BHO: NAV Helper - {BDF3E430-B101-42AD-A544-FADC6B084872} - c:\Program Files\Norton Internet Security\Norton AntiVirus\NavShExt.dll
O3 - Toolbar: Norton AntiVirus - {42CDD1BF-3FFB-4238-8AD1-7859DF00B1D6} - c:\Program Files\Norton Internet Security\Norton AntiVirus\NavShExt.dll

But longer and will be specific to your cpu not this one that I grabbed off the web.

One more thing. Join here http://www.cybertechhelp.com/forums/index.php?

They are an awesome group of people that can help you out anytime in a pinch. Even with all my geekiness they have gotten me out of a couple of dousy jams.

Even if you don't join you can always go there and browse and search for similar problems that they have already helped people with.

Geez I sound like I own the site...they should pay me for the free advertising.

 

[mykidsmylife]

Thank you all!! To answer a few questions. Yes I have all the Microsoft updates as well as their free anti-spyware downloaded as well. Yes I have a virus scan (PCillian) and I keep it updated.

I will follow all instructions and let y'all know how it goes

Thanks again for all the help. AC people ROCK!

 

[tomdkat]

Since you are running XP you should download the free microsoft one "Antispyware". considering that it is a microsoft product it actually works very well and is updated very often.

I recently tried this out on a XP machine I was working on and it didn't find anything when I did my first scan with it. I scanned the system using the Microsoft tool after scanning with Ad-Aware and Spybot and it didn't find anything. Then I scanned with Spy Sweeper and it found additional stuff, along with X-Cleaner (free). The cool thing about Spy Sweeper is it also protects the system from various kinds of system changes (like apps trying to install themselves to start when the system starts, etc) over and above spyware scanning.

I do second your recommendation for running HiJack This, great tool.

Peace...