virus help

[nikimcbee]

On my old computer, something has messed with Explorer. When I go to log on the internet, some program hijacks it at says I need to download their program . The virus scans don't pick anything up (I have norton) but it stops it from installing when you click on the window pop-up. The spyware programs also say everything is okay. Firefox runs, so I've re-downloaded IE7 and the security updates. But they didn't seem to help. Any ideas on how to find this program and kill it?

[SUBMAN1]

Originally Posted by nikimcbee

On my old computer, something has messed with Explorer. When I go to log on the internet, some program hijacks it at says I need to download their program . The virus scans don't pick anything up (I have norton) but it stops it from installing when you click on the window pop-up. The spyware programs also say everything is okay. Firefox runs, so I've re-downloaded IE7 and the security updates. But they didn't seem to help. Any ideas on how to find this program and kill it?

Run AdAware from Lavasoft. It should clean out 99% of everything, and then run Spybot after it since one will pick up what the other misses.

http://lavasoft.com/

http://www.safer-networking.org/index2.html

-S

[nikimcbee]

Originally Posted by SUBMAN1

Run AdAware from Lavasoft. It should clean out 99% of everything, and then run Spybot after it since one will pick up what the other misses.

http://lavasoft.com/

http://www.safer-networking.org/index2.html

-S

I have adaware, but something was blocking it from updating . I've got it updating and re-running scan. I re-installed IE7, it runs the first time but the second time it runs, it brings up the critical error window, please download the program. I'm making progress, I think...

[Monica Lewinsky]

Is it possible for you to remove that hard drive on a temp basis and put it another PC of yours ; then scan? The advantage of doing that it is not a bootable drive which might confuse the virus/spyware and remove it or kill it using the temp PC? I have had a lot of luck using this approach avoiding a total reformat of the bum hard drive.

Of course you expose the other machine a SLIGHT risk of the same infection ... but... by making a suspected h.d. as a secondary drive, it is SO MUCH EASIER to clean it up than beating yours brains out if using it as the boot drive in the secondary PC.

Just a suggestion.

[raymond6751]

I had a similar problem last year. I recall there was a program called Hijack This or something. Google with the word hijack and you may find it.

You have got a hijacker that has attached itself in your favourites, I think.

Anyway, good luck.

[nikimcbee]

Originally Posted by raymond6751

I had a similar problem last year. I recall there was a program called Hijack This or something. Google with the word hijack and you may find it.

You have got a hijacker that has attached itself in your favourites, I think.

Anyway, good luck.

Good idea, I'll look into that.

[Monica Lewinsky]

Originally Posted by raymond6751

I had a similar problem last year. I recall there was a program called Hijack This or something.

All that program does is tell you that you are screwed. It does very little to solve the problem other than stop the auto-starts that MIGHT be the cause of the problem[s].

[nikimcbee]

Originally Posted by Monica Lewinsky

Is it possible for you to remove that hard drive on a temp basis and put it another PC of yours ; then scan? The advantage of doing that it is not a bootable drive which might confuse the virus/spyware and remove it or kill it using the temp PC?

Of course you expose the other machine a SLIGHT risk of the same infection ... but... by making a suspected h.d. as a secondary drive, it is SO MUCH EASIER to clean it up than beating yours brains out if it is the boot drive.

Just a suggestion.

Ha, funny you should mention that. That's how I fixed my super old computer, I just took the hard drive out, plugged it in as a secondary drive and scanned it. I was able to recover what I wanted off the drive.

My other computer is okay (I think), it's just that something has messed with IE. Firefox runs just fine .