Unwanted proxy server 31 May 2015 at 4:53PM in Techie Stuff 12 replies 1.4K views

skipness

The family laptop is unable to connect to the internet because a proxy server has been configured (by a game children have played perhaps?)
Removing the proxy server by going to the advanced options doesn't work because the proxy's details reinsert themselves after deletion.
System restore also seems ineffective.
Any ideas please?

bsod

uninstall whatever was installed, install malwarebytes to scan the system, failing that re-install the browser and browser profile or reset it to default settings. Searching the net for the proxy server reference will probably produce some useful detail on what you have picked up.

Crinkmeister

Are you using an antivirus package?

Strider590

Don't do anything that requires credentials until this is sorted, and unknown proxy server is a "man in the middle" attack waiting to happen.

forgotmyname

Or the proxy server was installed by your AntiVirus or Firwall?

What did it change it to?

AndyPix

definitely smells like malware ..
Download malwarebytes from a clean machine and install it from a usb stick on the "broken" one.

Do a scan and see what happens

Andy

skipness

The "proxy" is 127.0.0.1 which apparently means "local host"

Under exceptions it states <-loop back>

marty2be2000

So your laptop is trying to use itself as a proxy server, with a bypass of itself configured.

skipness

O.K., how do I remove this setting. The usual changing of Internet options doesn't work so I assume there is a registry setting or something that causes the problem to recur :-(

tavernman

Have you scanned using Malwarebytes ? https://www.malwarebytes.org/

interstellaflyer

skipness wrote: »

O.K., how do I remove this setting. The usual changing of Internet options doesn't work so I assume there is a registry setting or something that causes the problem to recur :-(

Have you gone to add/remove programs? If you know the rough date that it was installed you should find it, I've done this a few times when my daughter has downloaded programs from download sites. Sometimes just removing the program works, other times you need to go into you browser setting and change a few settings, I can't remember the exact procedure but there are plenty of tutorials on the net, once you can get the computer back on the net then download and run Malwarebytes as others have said, however, be carefull when downloading as these things come from download sites so be sure you are clicking the right button.