Help me fix my computer
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Post Fiend
Joined: Nov 2001
Posts: 7,698
Likes: 4
From: Neenah, Wisconsin
Help me fix my computer
Ok...theres something somewhere on my computer that keeps reseting my homepage to a lousy search page...i've tried spybot, adaware, and norton...any other ideas?
Posting Guru
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 1,157
Likes: 0
From: Wichita, KS
Check start-->programs-->startup--look for something there that you don't recognize.
Win98, Me, or XP--run-->"msconfig"-->enter, click on startup tab, and look for odd program names. That's sort of vague, I know, 'cause most everything in it is oddly named. I cleaned out one of those search page deals on my brother's computer, it pointed to c:\windows\fonts.hta. Look for something that doesn't belong. Better yet, uncheck pretty much everything except stuff you can really recognize, like Norton, and see if that helps. Norton usually catches stuff like that IF the pattern files are up to date.
Win98, Me, or XP--run-->"msconfig"-->enter, click on startup tab, and look for odd program names. That's sort of vague, I know, 'cause most everything in it is oddly named. I cleaned out one of those search page deals on my brother's computer, it pointed to c:\windows\fonts.hta. Look for something that doesn't belong. Better yet, uncheck pretty much everything except stuff you can really recognize, like Norton, and see if that helps. Norton usually catches stuff like that IF the pattern files are up to date.
Posting Guru
Joined: Apr 2003
Posts: 2,123
Likes: 2
From: WA
CWShredder should get rid of it, it works for most the stupid search pages brought up from spyware. Check out http://www.net-integration.net/tools...tml#cwshredder
Still kicking!!
Joined: May 2003
Posts: 6,061
Likes: 6
From: Kalispell, Mt.
It sounds like you got what I had. Xupiter ring a bell for the search page? Thats exactly what it did to me.
go to http://www.javacoolsoftware.com/index.html and download Spywareblaster... it will remove Xupiter and a bunch of its derivatives and about 2500 other spyware thingies that will ruin your puter.
It wouldn't let me update my virus scan, couldn't do a system restore..was basically helpless.
I ended up reformatting before I found it and that was a real pain.
go to http://www.javacoolsoftware.com/index.html and download Spywareblaster... it will remove Xupiter and a bunch of its derivatives and about 2500 other spyware thingies that will ruin your puter.
It wouldn't let me update my virus scan, couldn't do a system restore..was basically helpless.
I ended up reformatting before I found it and that was a real pain.
Last edited by Fordlover1951; Apr 29, 2004 at 11:11 PM. Reason: add more info
Senior User
Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 342
Likes: 0
From: Detroit, MI
If all else fails:
1. Download http://www.kephyr.com/spywarescanner/
2. Run it, and then print out all the manual removal instructions (yes, many things have to be removed manual, and it will suck).
3. Once you have your instructions, disconnect your Internet connection.
4. I'm assuming you have 2k/XP - open task manager, processes tab. Close anything that doesn't make sense or you don't recognize.
5. Open Regedit*****, go to HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVerision\Ru n and wipe out any enteries that you don't recognize.
6. Commence your manual remove of any spyware and junk you may have. Be sure to 'reset IE to defaults'... I'm sure you'll have that in the instructions...
The above is a summary and should be performed by a professional - if your not comfy with it, restore your pc from a rescue disk (if you have one), go buy a real firewall appliance, get good a/v software & use something other than IE.. mozilla or opera... that should keep you safe for good. Man I love opera!
1. Download http://www.kephyr.com/spywarescanner/
2. Run it, and then print out all the manual removal instructions (yes, many things have to be removed manual, and it will suck).
3. Once you have your instructions, disconnect your Internet connection.
4. I'm assuming you have 2k/XP - open task manager, processes tab. Close anything that doesn't make sense or you don't recognize.
5. Open Regedit*****, go to HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVerision\Ru n and wipe out any enteries that you don't recognize.
6. Commence your manual remove of any spyware and junk you may have. Be sure to 'reset IE to defaults'... I'm sure you'll have that in the instructions...
The above is a summary and should be performed by a professional - if your not comfy with it, restore your pc from a rescue disk (if you have one), go buy a real firewall appliance, get good a/v software & use something other than IE.. mozilla or opera... that should keep you safe for good. Man I love opera!
Elder User
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 925
Likes: 0
From: northwest,sc
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Senior User
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 315
Likes: 0
download this Highjack this
Create and Unzip to a folder not your Desktop or the Temp folder, doubleclick HijackThis*****, and hit "Scan".
Plus, look this
startup programs- useless
Create and Unzip to a folder not your Desktop or the Temp folder, doubleclick HijackThis*****, and hit "Scan".
Plus, look this
startup programs- useless
Last edited by TrunkSlammer; Apr 30, 2004 at 02:56 PM.
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Senior User
Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 208
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From: Virginia
Ryan50
Your computer is infected with the Cool Web Search browser hijacker. Merijn.com (link below) has the best program for removing it. None of the usual spyware or antivirus programs are successful in removing it. There are a number of variants and Merijn has got cures for almost all of them. I've had to use it twice in the last month and it worked perfectly each time. (OK--so I'm slow to learn and went back to the same site twice.) Merijn lists a couple of things you can do to prevent it from reinfecting your computer. My experience is that they are only about half effective.
http://www.spywareinfo.com/~merijn/cwschronicles.html
RussA
Your computer is infected with the Cool Web Search browser hijacker. Merijn.com (link below) has the best program for removing it. None of the usual spyware or antivirus programs are successful in removing it. There are a number of variants and Merijn has got cures for almost all of them. I've had to use it twice in the last month and it worked perfectly each time. (OK--so I'm slow to learn and went back to the same site twice.) Merijn lists a couple of things you can do to prevent it from reinfecting your computer. My experience is that they are only about half effective.
http://www.spywareinfo.com/~merijn/cwschronicles.html
RussA
Senior User
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 192
Likes: 1
There's a million and one different anti-spyware proggies out there. Ad-Aware is my perferance (www.lavasoft.de), but Spybot is good too.
Laughing Gas
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 913
Likes: 2
From: Pensacola, FL
we had the same problem on our desktop, and i traced the site where i got infected back to uproar.com, playing family feud at home. finally got tired of haveing to mess with it, so i fdisked the hdd and started from scratch. but got the wifes new laptop yesterday, and am ordering mine tonite, so the desktop is going away anyway.
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