question from relative computer novice - help please!!

brummiebabe

Evening everyone

I've asked queries on here before & you've always helped - so thought I'd ask for advice again!!

Have been having problems with my PC since yesterday. It froze completely, then started saying windows had encountered a problem, & had to shut down. Checked the error report which said it was something to do with 'my web search' on my toolbar. Disabled this, ran security check which found a 'downloading' threat (which Norton said was resolved) and a 'tracing cookie' which was fixed.

Have run the full security check 2 or 3 times since then - each time a tracing cookie has been found & fixed.

Now, the 'google' page just doesn't look right - when you click on a link it redirects it to something totally obscure!! I also can't access my email account due to 'errors on the page'

I have no idea what's going on but would guess it's got some kind of virus? Any idea what to do from here? Luckily MSE is still working. The problems seem to be linked to the 'google search' tool & my 'windows live' email. Also, my facebook page won't display properly!!

Sorry if I sound thick, but have no idea what a cookie is & if this would cause these problems, or what to do from here?

Any ideas/advice?

Thanks x

Cat695

right sounds like you have a virus.....get rid of crappy norton and download something that actually detects viruses....like AVG or Aviar (they are both free)

down load one or the other first.....then disconnect from the internet

remove norton

install ONE of thos antivirus and then run it.......THEN connect back to the internet and update the virus checker and run it again

Ice_2

it sounds to me like your browser has been hacked...
install Firefox
and uninstall IE if that is what you are running...
once you have uninstalled the browser that has been hacked...
you can re-install it from M$ if you like...
that should sort it...

Donnie

Hijack This

Save HJTsetup.exe to your desktop.

Double click on the HJTsetup.exe icon on your desktop.
By default it will install to C:\Program Files\Hijack This.
Continue to click Next in the setup dialogue boxes until you get to the Select Addition Tasks dialogue.
Put a check by Create a desktop icon then click Next again.
Continue to follow the rest of the prompts from there.
At the final dialogue box click Finish and it will launch Hijack This.
Click on the Do a system scan and save a log file button. It will scan and then ask you to save the log.
Click Save to save the log file and then the log will open in notepad.
Click on "Edit > Select All" then click on "Edit > Copy" to copy the entire contents of the log.
Come back here to this thread and Paste the log in your next reply.
DO NOT have Hijack This fix anything yet. Most of what it finds will be harmless or even required.

exup

the browser homepage may have been hijacked.

can try spyware blaster
http://www.javacoolsoftware.com/spywareguard.html
and hijack this
http://www.download.com/Trend-Micro-HijackThis/3000-8022_4-10227353.html


and also come good info on hijacking here
http://www.computerhope.com/issues/ch000578.htm

as for AVG - it isnt the be all and end all. it does miss stuff aswell -
spyware blaster is quite good in this regard. or any other malware blocker
also see if you can get a firewall such as zonealarm.

tradetime

Ice wrote: »

and uninstall IE if that is what you are running...
once you have uninstalled the browser that has been hacked...
you can re-install it from M$ if you like...
that should sort it...

Erm, I'm no expert, but I'm not sure uninstalling IE is a good idea, IE is integrated into windows, one of the reasons it causes so many problems, people who have tried to uninstall it before have on occaision run into all sorts of problems.
I'd d/l and use Firefox by all means, but I'd leave IE where it is.

brummiebabe

Just wanted to say thanks for all the advice - my computer crashed shortly after so am going to try some of the suggestions later! Will let you know how I get on!

Ice_2

Ice wrote: »

it sounds to me like your browser has been hacked...
install Firefox
and uninstall IE if that is what you are running...
once you have uninstalled the browser that has been hacked...
you can re-install it from M$ if you like...
that should sort it...

if your browser has been hi-jacked and you have no other then the simplest solution would be to uninstall it if however it is IE then if you have a disc go to
start
control panel
all programs
at the right-hand side there will be add / remove programms in windows...
go into here and un-install IE
then pop the disc/windows xp into the drive and re-install it or go to M$ on another browser such as firefox or chrome for google and re-install from them..either way the hi-jacked IE will be gone...

I don't know of any other way than this bar in formatting the whole system which seems abit harsh under the circumstances...
hths

shadowdragon

Ice wrote: »

if your browser has been hi-jacked and you have no other then the simplest solution would be to uninstall it if however it is IE then if you have a disc go to
start
control panel
all programs
at the right-hand side there will be add / remove programms in windows...
go into here and un-install IE
then pop the disc/windows xp into the drive and re-install it or go to M$ on another browser such as firefox or chrome for google and re-install from them..either way the hi-jacked IE will be gone...

I don't know of any other way than this bar in formatting the whole system which seems abit harsh under the circumstances...
hths

this is a spyware/malware/virus problem and uninstalling your browser wont make any difference. You need to remove the source of the problem (the actual infection).

Until you know what has infected your system you wont be able to fix it.

Grab malwarebytes antimalware software, Adaway, and spybot and a virus checker (all updated) and then do a full system scan. If these programs cant fix your infections, they will at least tell you what they are. You can then do some research on the particual infection and find a fix.

It may be that the only real solution is a reinstallation of your OS. but try the above first.

brummiebabe

Ok I'm totally stuck now!! Any antivirus address I enter is coming up as 'Internet explorer cannot display this website!' but other website addresses (eg moneysaving expert) it goes straight to!!!

Any further ideas?

When it redirects (eg on Google) it goes through go.google.com - don't know if anyone else has had this or how to go about resolving it!!

Also, if I do a free Microsoft 'full security scan' do I need to uninstall norton or can you do both together?

Sorry for what may seem daft questions -but I don't want to cause any more problems than I already have!!

Donnie

You need to use Malwarebytes to remove your infection.
Instructions here.

I'll provide a direct link for you in case you cannot download from Malwarebytes. here.