Help I think my browsers been hijacked!

[sammi]

I'm having a heck of a time here tonight and I wonder if anyone can assist me? All of a sudden this afternoon when I go onto IE, my home page (always has been the DIS) doesn't show anymore and a huge add saying "Home Search" with the Windows logo on shows up. There are tons of sales "links" to click onto. When I use the "Tools" and change it back to the DIS and try it again, it goes right back to this page! Ughhhhhh.....

I scanned using Spy Bot and Ad aware but nothing helps. I'm also getting pop ups too.

I tried System restore (running xp) twice to two different dates but a notice comes up saying that it can't restore my PC.

Am I in a ton of trouble here or is this easy to straighten out?

How in the heck did this happen?

TIA

 

[auntpolly]

Have you tried repairing IE? -- the same thing happened to me and that worked.

 

[SyracuseWolvrine]

Download and run CWShredder from http://www.spywareinfo.com/~merijn/downloads.html

after doing that, update and run both adaware and spybot again

 

[sammi]

auntpolly how do you repair IE? I'm really not that computer smart.

Could Spy Bot and Ad-aware have missed this or is this a type of virus.?

 

[auntpolly]

Believe me - I don't even know why this worked for me or how I knew to try it so I'm no expert!!!

I have been using a mac for awhile and can't remember what things look like on a PC, but go in to - think it was "add and remove programs (?). Act like you want to add or remove Internet Explorer and it'll give you the option to "repair".

Can't hurt and it might help. Let me know what happens!

 

[iNTeNSeBLue98]

Run an anti-spyware program like Ad-Aware, SpyBot, etc. Don't do anything in add/remove programs if you're not sure what you're doing there. Did you Restart after running the spyware removal programs? Try that and see if your setting are restored - you may need to reset your homepage.

 

[auntpolly]

Actually I think it was my internet provider's help desk (I love all the help desks!) that told me to repair IE when Alexa hijacked me. I don't think running repair would hurt anything even if that's not the problem.

 

[Pooh93]

This happened to us a few days ago and I can't get mine straightened out either. Maybe I'll try to download the link listed here. I've run Spybot several times and restarted and am still having the same problem. It's extremely FRUSTRATING! Why don't all these hackers spend their time doing something constructive and postive instead of trying to ruin everything!

 

[sammi]

Oh Pooh I agree with you! I've never had this happen before and always had positive results with my Norton Systemworks for virus's but this has got me baffled.

I'm running both Spybot and Ad-aware again in hopes that maybe something will help. I've told my DS what's happening.....and he says he'll look at this when he gets home from work. Geez I'm having trouble sleeping too as I'm trying to figure out a solution to this.

Does anyone know if this is a virus? How the heck did we get this? I hate having to turn on my PC and not get the DIS as my home page!

And yeah Pooh some people just want to stir up trouble!

 

[Dan Murphy]

Spybot S&D?? Also, both that and Ad-aware with current defintion updates? Windows criticals all up to date? Try Panda scan also, very good....

http://www.pandasoftware.com/activescan/com/activescan_principal.htm

 

[sammi]

Hi Dan! Yes I've run both scans with updated files too but absolutely nothing........this "thing" continues. My Windows updates are all up to date too.

I'll wait until DS comes home from work and try the Panda scan too. What scares me is I can't even do a System Restore..........I've tried that tiwce with no results.

I'll try searching around the net to see if I can find a solution......I may have to try and call my ISP to see if they have any solutions.

Thanks all for giving me some support anyway.

 

[SyracuseWolvrine]

CWShredder (I posted the link earlier in this thread) may be able to get rid of the problem for you.

If not, download HijackThis from the same website. Post your hijackthis log to a computer security forum, and the experts will tell you what to get rid of. Don't get rid of anything before hearing from an expert, as you have the potential to drastically screw up your computer if you do.

 

[WeirdEyes]

I had this same thing happen to me a couple of weeks ago. Luckily, I work for a software development company that has a network dept. I brought my PC in for them to look at. They had to re-format my hard drive and re-install everything. It took me about 4 hours to back everything up and took network 2 days to repair my machine. They said I didn't have a virus. We're still clueless as to what happened. Mine was so bad that I couldn't even get on the internet except for a site called errorplace.com. And I'm computer literate! I have Charter as my internet provider and they could see me on-line, but I only got the erroplace web site. Very strange!!!! Good luck!

 

[cabmom]

http://www.globetechnology.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20040617.gttwhijac17/BNStory/Technology/

Read this...I work in IT and this was given to the dept today.

 

[sammi]

Thanks Eric I'll get my DS to try this when he gets home.

WeirdEyes I am thinking that I may have to get in touch with a tech too to reinstall everything. Ughh........

Wow cabmom this is really widespread isn't it?I've never heard of this problem until last night! I've bookmarked the Globe's article and I'll let DS read this. I never new that this stupid problem ever existed!Some people just can't find anything better to do with their time...........

Dan I'm running Panda scan now and so far it's telling me that there are 198 files infected???? What??? I've run my Norton scan twice and nothing.

 

[sammi]

Well my DS and I have ran all the scans and still this blasted thing is still there. I can't believe this stuff.........we've owned a PC for about 5 years and this is the worst thing we've been through. Boy I'd like to get my hands around the guy who thought this up.......

My other DS says he'll come up this weekend and take a look at it. If that doesn't work I guess we'll have to take it into the technician and get him to reinstall Windows.

Thanks all for everything.....I've kept all the links you've given me.

 

[oogieboogie]

Got the same one on DH's PC. I posted the hijack log on the spywareinfo forum. I've done all the normal steps and it's still there. So I'm waiting from an answer from the techies there.

In the meantime, change your browser to something that doesn't get hijacked. I've change my default browser to mozilla and I have all my favorites imported, and my surfing speed just went up.

go to http://www.mozilla.org

They're created by the netscape people who wanted to share their browser as an open source project. Mozilla's harder to hack into and it has an automatic pop-up blocker built into the browser.

I had Mozilla for a long time now for a backup browser, but after tonight, it's my default browser.

Good luck

 

[Fantasmic303]

I can be of no help and I admit that, but I just wanted to step in to say....



I read the subject of this thread as I skimmed the page, and I swore it said "trowsers" instead of browsers.



Granted, I know it would've been misspelled anyway, but I felt really bad for whomever had their pants hijacked....

 

[OceanAnnie]

I had a friend have the same problem. He had to back up all of his stuff off of his computer. Then he had to delete the whole hard drive and reformat & reinstall the whole thing.

Not fun.

 

[sammi]

oogieboogie thanks for the link I may have to try that if all else fails.Keep us updated on your response from the spyware forum. I can't believe all this just to get someone to buy stuff?

OceanAnnie I think that may be what we'll need to do too but I have a feeling that it can happen again too.

Fantasmic303 I'm sitting here having a laugh at your post and I can understand how you could have "mistaken" the title of my thread! lol!