Need help... possible browser hijacked

[lane]

Hey. This is actually Lane's wife, Kim. (who just so happens to be on this site more than he is. lol) I know there are several computer savvy people here and I really need some help from you, if you can. I don't know where else to turn, and frankly would rather trust people I sort of know, than those I don't know at all. When my dad died in '08 I lost my 'computer tech guy' and have been floatin' it alone ever since. The problem is that I think my browser may have been hijacked and I don't know how to fix it. I have tried going to helpful websites, but almost every website I try to go to gets redirected to a number of different advertisement websites. Also, I can just be on the net, sometimes even here at the Zone, and all of a sudden a new tab will open with an advertisement blinking and a voice wanting me to buy something. It won't even let me click off or "x" out without hitting the "OK" button indicating that I want to leave. Not sure if this is a hijacking or just an out and out virus.

I uninstalled my old free virus protection a while ago, Avira (just updated it last night, but said if I wanted to quarantine anything it found I had to BUY the advanced product), and installed a better recommended free one, Microsoft Security Essentials. I did a full scan, took about 2 hours or so. It did a good job, got rid of some Java virus or other bug, but it did not fix this browser/redirect advertisement problem.

I have tried to search online, but keep getting redirected to more ad pages. Tried to find help from the browser itself, but don't really know what to look at or look for. Any help you can offer me would really be appreciated. As the world is today, the world stops with no computer. Thanks.

 

[5Stars]

Many moons ago, the same thing happened to me. Someone told me to clean my registers and it went away. I don't know if that is the problem though...

 

[lane]

How do you clean your registers?

 

[5Stars]

How do you clean your registers?

Well, I had to buy some software to do it. You can find some on the web thru google. Depending on what operating system you have, some register cleaners are free.

What operating system do you use?

 

[gbrittain]

I am certainly no tech guru, but I would start with trying these two things.

1. If you are using Internet Explorer as your browser, go to tools, and select Internet Options. Then select the Advanced tab. Look down towards the bottom and hit the reset button.

2. Follow this link (if possible given what is gong on with your computer):

http://download.cnet.com/Malwarebytes-Anti-Malware/3000-8022_4-10804572.html?tag=mncol;txt

Install the free version of Malwarebytes and then run a scan.

Can't say this is full proof, but I have had similar situations and this helped me out.

 

[lane]

Well, I had to buy some software to do it. You can find some on the web thru google. Depending on what operating system you have, some register cleaners are free.

What operating system do you use?

windows xp

we use firefox browser

bookmarks work fine, but can't search through google search engine most of the time. sometimes it will work, but usually get redirected. our whole computer eventually freezes.

 

[lane]

I am certainly no tech guru, but I would start with trying these two things.

1. If you are using Internet Explorer as your browser, go to tools, and select Internet Options. Then select the Advanced tab. Look down towards the bottom and hit the reset button.

2. Follow this link (if possible given what is gong on with your computer):

http://download.cnet.com/Malwarebytes-Anti-Malware/3000-8022_4-10804572.html?tag=mncol;txt

Install the free version of Malwarebytes and then run a scan.

Can't say this is full proof, but I have had similar situations and this helped me out.

thank you for helping. we downloaded the program and ran the quick scan, which turned up nothing. maybe that means the antivirus i downloaded earlier did it's job.

perfect example of what we are going through: right before we were fixing to type this response, a new tab opened and a big flashy screen with a man's voice announced we had won a $1000 WalMart card. LOL! i'm delirious...

 

[Kangaroo]

Here you go this is a free one you have what sounds like spyware on your PC

http://www.safer-networking.org/en/index.html

 

[Reality]

You have malware if you are getting popup ads especially when you are not clicking on anything.

Try downloading and running this:
http://fileforum.betanews.com/detail/Spybot-Search-Destroy/1043809773/1

-Reality

 

[ajk23az]

windows xp

we use firefox browser

bookmarks work fine, but can't search through google search engine most of the time. sometimes it will work, but usually get redirected. our whole computer eventually freezes.

I had this problem also on my old laptop. I downloaded a program called "HijackThis", created a log file, and posted it on this website, "GeeksToGo".

They analyzed the log file for me and told me exactly how to remove it. It was awesome. There were a bunch of programs I had to download to follow their instructions and it was a little tedious, but it was in depth and definitely got the job done.

 

[5Stars]

thank you for helping. we downloaded the program and ran the quick scan, which turned up nothing. maybe that means the antivirus i downloaded earlier did it's job.

perfect example of what we are going through: right before we were fixing to type this response, a new tab opened and a big flashy screen with a man's voice announced we had won a $1000 WalMart card. LOL! i'm delirious...

Did you do a restore?

 

[Kangaroo]

Did you do a restore?

make sure you back up everything before you do that

 

[lane]

Quite frankly, I'm terrified of Restore. I am no computer tech person and don't even know how to back up. I know, I should learn, it is the 21st century. lol. Hard for me to learn without a teacher by my side, though. I am a visual and tactile learner. Show me once, let me do it with supervision once, and I've got it. Tell me how to do it and I'll never get it. Anyway...

I was wondering if we just bought a new computer would that solve our problem, or would the problem follow us to our new one? I know this is internet related and I don't know if our new browser/internet experience would be ruined or if it would truly be starting over fresh. In other words, is it our computer that is trashed or is it our account? Our computer is a little cheap eMachines that gives us headaches anyway (we only got this one because it was the only one WalMart had left that still had XP and didn't want to tangle with Vista), we've had it for two years exactly, and perhaps it's time for a new one anyway. Really want to try out that Windows 7 everyone's talking about and we really want a Dell.

 

[BrAinPaiNt]

Quite frankly, I'm terrified of Restore. I am no computer tech person and don't even know how to back up. I know, I should learn, it is the 21st century. lol. Hard for me to learn without a teacher by my side, though. I am a visual and tactile learner. Show me once, let me do it with supervision once, and I've got it. Tell me how to do it and I'll never get it. Anyway...

I was wondering if we just bought a new computer would that solve our problem, or would the problem follow us to our new one? I know this is internet related and I don't know if our new browser/internet experience would be ruined or if it would truly be starting over fresh. In other words, is it our computer that is trashed or is it our account? Our computer is a little cheap eMachines that gives us headaches anyway (we only got this one because it was the only one WalMart had left that still had XP and didn't want to tangle with Vista), we've had it for two years exactly, and perhaps it's time for a new one anyway. Really want to try out that Windows 7 everyone's talking about and we really want a Dell.

If you had a different computer it would not follow you.

If you did a complete restore of the hard drive it would get rid of it as well.

Problem is I don't know if emachines come with the software. (restore disk)

Try going here and trying this first...

http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/combofix/how-to-use-combofix

You might want to print out the instructions and give it a try.

 

[lane]

Thanks, Brain. Just went and read about it, perhaps they should call it RamboFix. Sounds pretty seriously hardcore. It advises not to use it unless you are asked to by a helper (I'm assuming one of theirs) and unless you have a trained person with you. But if I did use it and screwed everything up, we'd have to get a new computer, right? lol. I'm glad you provided me with a link, it's the only way I can access any websites that pertain to cleaning your computer up. They are completely blocked now. If I never see the word "redirect" on our computer again it will be too soon.

 

[Wimbo]

If you had a different computer it would not follow you.

If you did a complete restore of the hard drive it would get rid of it as well.

Problem is I don't know if emachines come with the software. (restore disk)

Try going here and trying this first...

http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/combofix/how-to-use-combofix

You might want to print out the instructions and give it a try.

This.

 

[BrAinPaiNt]

Thanks, Brain. Just went and read about it, perhaps they should call it RamboFix. Sounds pretty seriously hardcore. It advises not to use it unless you are asked to by a helper (I'm assuming one of theirs) and unless you have a trained person with you. But if I did use it and screwed everything up, we'd have to get a new computer, right? lol. I'm glad you provided me with a link, it's the only way I can access any websites that pertain to cleaning your computer up. They are completely blocked now. If I never see the word "redirect" on our computer again it will be too soon.

You do not have to buy a new computer unless you want to.

You always have the option of wiping the hard drive completely clean and reinstalling windows XP. That is if you have the restore disk or a windows XP cd.

Since it is a crappy emachine and you say you want another...there is nothing wrong with just getting another one if you have the money for it.

Concerning the program link I gave you...you can just follow the instructions and do what they say. You seem to already be at the point that you are thinking of buying a new computer...so even if you somehow manage to screw it up...you are not worse off than you already are.

Also...if you are getting blocked when you try to search sites that can help, you might want to try and download a different browser. Either Opera or google Chrome. Sometimes these programs that hijack a browser will not bother other browsers.

In the end you sound very nervous to try some things and it also seems like you kind of want a new computer anyway, so maybe you should just do that.

 

[lane]

After much thought and attempts to wrap my brain around what could have happened, it just occurred to me, it is my search engine that has been hijacked, not the browser! I immediately typed in "search engine hijacked" into my Google search engine, got the 2500 links page, clicked on two or three of them, and what happened? Got redirected to ad pages every time! I give up.

 

[lane]

You do not have to buy a new computer unless you want to.

You always have the option of wiping the hard drive completely clean and reinstalling windows XP. That is if you have the restore disk or a windows XP cd.

Since it is a crappy emachine and you say you want another...there is nothing wrong with just getting another one if you have the money for it.

Concerning the program link I gave you...you can just follow the instructions and do what they say. You seem to already be at the point that you are thinking of buying a new computer...so even if you somehow manage to screw it up...you are not worse off than you already are.

Also...if you are getting blocked when you try to search sites that can help, you might want to try and download a different browser. Either Opera or google Chrome. Sometimes these programs that hijack a browser will not bother other browsers.

In the end you sound very nervous to try some things and it also seems like you kind of want a new computer anyway, so maybe you should just do that.

You are very perceptive.

 

[The Fonz]

Kim

First download and install+ scan your pc with these software - All free :

1- clamwin anti virus download here
2-Clam Sentinel to work with clamwin download here
3-the free version of Malwarebytes download here
4- ccleaner download here

Now after you reboot log in to you windows in a safe mode as an administrator ( press F8 before windows start) to get that option.

go to control panel -users- create a new account - delete your old account after your back up your data and use the new user you just created..good luck

hope that will help