my computer's been hijacked

[Kteacher]

Everything was fine last night, now my email and internet are messed up, there's a new toolbar and I'm getting a gazillion pop-ups (and my 17-y/o son is still sleeping so he can't fix it for me )

 

[lynxstch]

run your anti virus program to thoroughly scan your computer..but the most likely cause is that spyware has 'hijacked' your computer..download either adaware, spybot, or spysweeper..then run the programs..this will take care of the problem..www.spyware.com,www.adaware.com, or www.spysweeper.com are the site you can find those programs..good luck!

 

[Alex]

Which toolbar is it. A couple of the new ones are nasty...

 

[Kteacher]

I have no idea where this toolbar came from, but it's definitely not rated G

 

[mad4themouse]

After you rid yourself of this pest, you may want to install Spyware Blaster

I've had this program on my computer for a couple of months now. It doesn't remove spyware, it prevents it from being installed int he first place. Since I've installed it, I've had no problems with hijackings, having my homepage reset or unwanted toolbars. It's free to download.

Also, if you don't have a firewall and antivirus program running, you're leaving yourself open to attack. I bought the Norton AntiVirus/Firewall/AntiSPAM software bundle from BestBuy back in December and basically got it for free once the rebates came back. Check today's ads to see if there are similar offers out there for either Norton or McAfee.

Good luck ridding yourself of that pest! They can be real pains to remove completely.

 

[Dan Murphy]

I use Ad-Aware http://www.lavasoftusa.com/ every several days. You can download, using the link on the left side of this page. Just follow the steps. Also, Spybot http://www.safer-networking.org/ is a good one to use in conjunction, both togeter seem to do a good job of elininating spyware.

As said, run a virus scan (making sure your software AND definitions are current, and current as of this week, they change almost daily). Make sure you are up to date on your Windows 'criticals' here, http://v4.windowsupdate.microsoft.com/en/default.asp

 

[SugarBear]

I had a couple of parasites on my computer and SpyBot got rid of them.

 

[antnee]

its amazing how they can just take over your pc with little or no warning. Bad enough my mailbox get tons of junk I dont wnat but now my computer and inbox does as well

Good Luck

 

[browneyes]

I'd run the antivirus and spyware stuff, but first I'd dump my cache after I deleted the toolbar.

 

[meandtheguys]

Wake that boy up! Heaven knows we were not meant to deal with these things alone! Good luck, and have a great day!

Michelle

 

[katerkat]

Would Spybot take care of my problem? Something keeps resetting my homepage to an annoying search engine. I've run my virus checker and Adaware, but it's still doing it.

 

[Towncrier]

I just did a quick search and came up with a link to Hijack Blaster. You might give it a try.

http://www.pcworld.com/downloads/file_description/0,fid,22955,00.asp

 

[Dan Murphy]

Go to the home page you want to use, then, at the top, go to Tools> Internet Options>Use Current>OK.

If you have previously, before doing this, run Spybot and/or AdAware (I run both), and an antivirus scan (current issue and definitions) and your Windows criticals are current, and you have cleared your cache, you should not have a problem. I say, should not. I also do use MailWasher Pro, Pop-Up Stopper from www.panicware.com and also Zone-Alarm firewall in addition to a firewall router. I try to stay safe, LOL.

 

[katerkat]

Originally posted by Dan Murphy
Go to the home page you want to use, then, at the top, go to Tools> Internet Options>Use Current>OK.

Yup, I do that every time I restart the stupid computer. But every time I turn it on, it reverts back to the search engine page. Stupid hijackers. I'm gonna try that program TC linked. (And ban DH from the computer, since these problems only happen when he uses it!)

 

[Nebsky]

Go into your control panel and go to add remove programs.
Alot of the "toolbars" are in listed as programs and can be uninstalled. Usually they are in the bottom part of the list.

Uninstall it, reboot your CPU. Then drive to Best Buy, Circuit City or any other store that offers computer products.

Get Firewall, Anti-Virus protection and install it.

Also, go to Cnet.com and get spybot search and destroy. It is a free download. Install it on your cpu and then run it. Any spyware that is on you cpu is deleted.
Another thing to block pop ups, go to Yahoo.com and get thier pop up blocker. Its also free and does a great job...

 

[Pete's Mom]

Originally posted by Kteacher
(and my 17-y/o son is still sleeping so he can't fix it for me )

Methinks he is "pretending" to be asleep...perhaps he knows what happened.

 

[Kteacher]

I asked 2 of my 17 y/o son's friends to help me-they fixed everything while I was at a Girl Scout event with my daughter Of course they also rest my home page with a huge banner that reads "We Love You Jean!!"

 

[jfulcer]

Ok, after you have run Spybot and Adaware it still does it... What do you do?

You most likely will have some variants of some pretty nasty nasty spyware. What I am going to suggest to you is a little more difficult that just running the spybot and adaware (and all the others listed) but CAN and WILL find and remove spyware that is lurking on your machine that others cannot find.

It's a nifty little program called "HijackThis". It was written by a guy that got sick and tired of hijackings and wanted to provide a way to identify how you are infected and correct it. You can download it at:

http://www.spywareinfo.com/~merijn/

or

http://216.180.233.163/~merijn/index.html

This software will identify all running processes on your machine, everything that gets run at bootup, toolbars that have been installed - all kinds of really detailed geek stuff. It will create a 'log'. Then you go to this Web Forum:

http://www.spywareinfo.com/forums/

and post your log. Guys that know everything about computers being hijacked will tell you <i>exactly</i> what to do to get rid of the garbage. I myself had to resort to this to clean up a friends machine recently.

It may seem scary, but you can do it.