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Web Pages keep changing in Windows XP

S

Starguard

Limp Gawd
Joined
Jul 28, 2003
Messages
332
I have an eMachines computer runnig Windows XP that was reciently Hi-Jacked. A very good friend of mines gave me a CD he made for me that had almost every type of Anti Virus, Anti-Spam and Trojan/Worm hunting software on the legal market, and I still have thse crazy trouble when surfing the web. Everytime I try and move from one webpage to the next, I keep getting mis-directed to Marketing websites that I don't want to go to.So far I've run

Norton Syetemworks
Hijack This
Webroot Spyware
Spybot
SuperGeeks
Panda
Spyhunter
Trojans Fisrt Aid Kit
adaware
spywarestop
pestpatrol
fixblast
fxsasser
Kasperspy Antivirus
Xpantispy
Stinger
and Stopzilla

none of these have been able to solve this problem! :(

I've completely run out of ideas..Any suggestions?
 
have you updated the software? these idiots(spyware creaters) are always putting new shit out there, it seems there is an update to adaware every 3 days. if you havent updated the software, do that, that should fix it right up

in extreme cases like this, where nothing i do will fix the horrible spyware infection.. i just format, fixes things right up
 
tell me if this is accurate:

you have an icon on your desktop that sez "portal searching". the icon image is that of your default browser. it appeared suddenly and will not go away. several other icons (at least 3) appeared with it, but after you deleted them they dissappeared even tho the portal searching icon came back when you rebooted. also, everytime you run adaware it shuts your machine down but norton thinks everything is fine.
 
starhawk said:
tell me if this is accurate:

you have an icon on your desktop that sez "portal searching". the icon image is that of your default browser. it appeared suddenly and will not go away. several other icons (at least 3) appeared with it, but after you deleted them they dissappeared even tho the portal searching icon came back when you rebooted. also, everytime you run adaware it shuts your machine down but norton thinks everything is fine.
Click to expand...

where the hell did you get that from? i just re read the post, and there was nothing about that in there... :confused:
 
:rolleyes: i had a similar experience once with those additional symptoms...

:D so tell me, was i on the mark or did i miss it by a continent like usual?
 
I'd look through the proxy settings for IE and the DNS-server settings in your internet connection.
They should most likely be, respectively, empty and set to automatic.
 
lithium726 said:
in extreme cases like this, where nothing i do will fix the horrible spyware infection.. i just format, fixes things right up
Click to expand...

I took you advice and now everythings running fine. This computer is still rather new and hasn't been used much so there wasn't a lot of data to be lost. Now all I have to do is re-load everything that was wiped out during the re-format and I should be good from there ;)

Thanks everyone!!!
 
For future reference: Hijack This just tells you what has happened, it doesnt fix it. You use that info in HT to go and google your way out of the spyware....

Its not a true removal tool.
 
Bullitt said:
For future reference: Hijack This just tells you what has happened, it doesnt fix it. You use that info in HT to go and google your way out of the spyware....

Its not a true removal tool.
Click to expand...

Thats not completely accurate. Hijackthis won't uninstall spyware but it can stop spyware from loading with Internet Explorer and startup and other BHOs. Most times I fix a spyware issue on someones PC I first run Hijackthis and check all rougue products and remove them. Then I run spybot and adaware right after eachother. After that I run Hijackthis one more time to make sure nothing has reinstalled itself. I then reboot the PC, spybot and adaware will pop up if they didn't get all the problems the first time around. I then run Hijackthis again and if everything looks ok I install SpywareBlaster, update it and enable all protection.

Of course I always use the latest Hijackthis as well as recently updated Spybot and Ad-Aware definitions.

I haven't had any problems using this combination - works great.
 
Bullitt said:
For future reference: Hijack This just tells you what has happened, it doesnt fix it. You use that info in HT to go and google your way out of the spyware....

Its not a true removal tool.
Click to expand...


its always fixed things for me, whenever there is a hijacker that is steeling someones homepage, hijack this fixes it right up, along with adaware and spybot, as someone else said.

i dont know what version of hijack you are using, but mine removes
 
good call on reformatting the drive. sometimes it is the only good option.


i would like to be the first to welcome you do a nice clean hard drive that is currently ad/spy/mal ware free. if you would please take a moment to look in your seat back pocket you will notice a handy safty card that covers the following safe flying.... errr.... i mean computing tips.

  • Keep all antivirus software up to date
  • keep ad aware and spybot up to date
  • dont go to porn sites... get it from bittorrent if you must
  • stay away from anime/magna sites. they are a big place to get infected
  • in case of an emergency oxygen masks WILL NOT fall from above your computer. at this point put you head between your knees and kiss your ass goodbye



[edit] wow, i think i have been on too many plane trips recently. oh well, there is some good information in there IMO [/edit]
 
I vote starhawk and starguard have a stick fight for their names. I can't tell them apart when they start posting the same thread (which they have done several times). :p
 
What site do they direct you too?

You've got some good spyware programs in your long list so if all of them miss it, try CWShredder. This "CoolWebSearch" spyware is nasty enough that it got its own removal tool while all the other spy-removal apps run and hide in fear.

I'm assuming you have also killed any random apps in your start->run->"msconfig" menu/startup tab as well? Familiarity with the startup locations in your registry and services.msc(also available from the run menu) is also imperative if you want to be able to combat these nasties like a pro. You have to learn sooner or later because you WILL get more spyware. I have fear for joe user in this new era of computing.

I have stopped taking the easy way out all the time (read: reformatting). As a computer focused individual... err... geek.. whatever... I felt I might as well become well-versed on the topic. Sure, formatting ensures you get that fresh out the box performance to go along with it, but I been trying to remove it first for the challenge, and in the process learn alot. Not much to lose or hose up when you may format anyway. So before others foam at the mouth, there is no harm in getting your hands dirty in the registry on a system that is about to get waxed anyway. A novice can format a drive.... this self-proclaimed comp geek would rather not go down without a fight.

Also, if you rely on formatting all the time, you should be prepared to forgo doing anything even relatively shady on your comp. No Peer to Peer, No pr0n, No searching for No-Cd checks, the works. How many web-sites can you really TRUST anyway.
 
the one i was referring to has a similar story to CoolWebSearch. however, i was referring to the Portalsearching spyware. it got its own removal tool as well, the Portalsearching spyware uninstaller.

seems that portalsearching got its name from 2 things. it originated on the search website owned by portal searching and it creates a shortcut to that particular site on your desktop (along with other undesireable sites). thing is, the portalsearching icon doesn't go away even tho the others do. if you delete it, it will reappear when you reboot.

trouble is that it acts sort of like hiv/aids on your comp. it rendered my norton a/v useless, the program was missing something like avmain.exe (i was in a dead panic so i don't recall exactly). it also will shut down your comp if you try to use ad-aware, etc.
 
CoolWebSearch was one of the sites I kept getting directed to. All of the others were sites trying to sell me things :(
 
So.... how did it go? You know what to do then bro. CWShredder. My site was even Cool____ something else but the thing detects the different variants. I found this just using cool as the keyword and looking for viruses and spyware on google... no matter the official name was CoolWebSearch even though mine was different. My GF was actually the one who got this after letting some frinds online :mad: I was just taking a stab in the dark but I'm pretty damn certain this is your problem.
 
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