Computer Help Needed

[Son of Clyde]

For some reason all my Google searches are redirecting me to other sites. I was trying to access a specific Community College site and I was redirected here:
http://www-college.org/default.php?showFrame=5&link=175&pid1=afcusas&pid2=0081&pid3=10300&pid4=0002&pid5=college%20community
Apparently these redirects are leading me to sites that make money from the number of hits they receive.
I did a Google search for Russian Woman Discussion and I was led to this page:
http://www.toseeka.com/search.php?q=Women_Of_Russia&source=look_r+015+001_keyword_Women_Of_Russia

[Shadow]

http://www.spybot.com/
Install this, check and immunize your PC. Update and run regularly (like every month).
It catches most of the malware. Do not be alarmed if the first time it will find 3250 problems 

[Son of Clyde]

Shadow, I do use this and it detected nothing.
I just did a search for Wikipedia and got a page for a car dealership.

[SANDRO43]

SoC, you could try alternative anti-malwares like Lavasoft's or Super AntiSpyware, what is not caught by one could be caught by others.

Another, simpler remedy you might try is deleting all the cookies on your machine (Control Panel, Internet Options) AND rebooting.

[Bruno]

Install this, check and immunize your PC....

Correction... not "your PC" but "your windows version"...

I have a PC with Linux... not adware, no virus, no spyware, no trojan in the last year...

Clyde, it can be a lot of thing... have you a backup of your "register keys" from before the problem... have you install some free windows software ( some of them are full of spyware and adware... in the running process, have you some new one who was not there before... some malicious software are able to block anti-virus or spyware detector once running.... sometime, they stop the firewall too...

But the problem can be more simple... a lot of site work with cookies... Google too... sometime, original cookies are changed by a bad one... so delete your internet cache, delete cookie, delete your java cache... if not work, uninstall the microsoft explorer and install again a clear new version...

At the extreme, install windows again... was needed by me previously, around one time each 3 month....

If you have a old computer, install linux on it... and use these old computer like "filter" ( firewall, virus filter, and only one commected to the net )... continue to use windows on your own computer... only internet via linux box...

I think that in the past, Dan have use so method for his office... office computers with windows but one Linux box for connect internet...

Now, the main question... Clyde, why have you visited porno site or download illegal game copy... main source of problem for windows... 

[Shadow]

Correction... not "your PC" but "your windows version"...

I have a PC with Linux... not adware, no virus, no spyware, no trojan in the last year...

I have a laptop with Windows XP, same result for over 2 years. In the last 5 years I had to re-install Windows only once..
Linux is not better, just less used which makes it not interesting as target.

Clyde be sure to check if you have the latest version of Spybot. Sometimes after a new version the old one stops getting updates.
For a more detailed check, go to the task manager and see which processes are running. Als check your installed software and remove any kind of toolbar. If you have Spybot immunization on it will ask you for any registry change to allow or disallow.. These changes are logged so you can see what changes were made even if you allow.

[Bruno]

I have a laptop with Windows XP, same result for over 2 years. In the last 5 years I had to re-install Windows only once..
Linux is not better, just less used which makes it not interesting as target.

Both system have around the same security level but the working method is radicaly different... on Linux, you have almost no right for make something... you need to be administrator for have full right... with windows when you are the only user, you have the administrator right directly... now, with Vista, it is on the right track... but the system is so much heavy...

About Linux used less... it is 25% of computer who use these system ( agree, mainly server, where security is a vital  parameter )... on embedded system ( your new satelite receiver, your big screen LCD tv, your recent washing machine, ... ), Linux is number one... OS X from Apple is around 10% of the market... but OS X is based on free BSD who is a Linux version...

Now, China, with a big part of world population, is using Yellow Dog ( a self developed Linux version )... Africa is using mainly Kubuntu ( free shipped CD for people without internet connection )...

Windows is loosing now... why buy a Windows Vista Home edition at 350 euro when your computer with Pentium 4 have only cost 299 euro !!! And i don't speak about the pro version who is over 500 euro...

Next month, it is the lauch of the Play-station 3 in Europa... Linux is the only system supported on it...

The problem of windows now is not the quality of software but the delay between release and the delay for patch security holes... curious to know if Dan use a windows server or a apache server ( Linux ) 

PS : don't try to "convert" anybody... but in the last year, some of my friend have shift happily to Linux, specialy when the game producer use openGL ( in place of directX ) and give a Linux binary...

[Son of Clyde]

It's gone. I downloaded two new programs, Fixwareout and AVG Anti-Spyware. I used Hijack this to create a log file and was advised by someone to run the other two programs. It worked very well. Thanks for the help.

[SANDRO43]

Glad to hear your sickness is over. Could you share WHAT its cause was ? Tracking cookie, trojan, bad oysters ?

[Son of Clyde]

Glad to hear your sickness is over. Could you share WHAT its cause was ? Tracking cookie, trojan, bad oysters ?

It was a Trojan that disguises itself as a Google search engine and redirects searches. I had 62 Cookies and 2 Trojans that Spybot Search and Destroy did not detect but the new software did detect.
http://free.grisoft.com/doc/20/lng/us/tpl/v5
http://www.experts-exchange.com/Software/Internet_Email/Anti-Virus/Q_21592111.html?qid=21592111
http://downloads.subratam.org/Fixwareout.exe
http://www.tomcoyote.org/

[viking]

SOC

What are those programs? I never heard of them. Which one goes first?

[Son of Clyde]

Create a Hijackthis system log first.

Download and run Fixwareout second. You will see a command prompt and will be asked to reboot your computer. It will do the repairs while your system reboots.

Download AVG next and do a full system scan and then let it repair all the bad stuff.

Create another Hijackthis system log and compare it to the first one.

The tomcoyote site is very good and will give you many answers.

[catzenmouse]

SoC,

 Do you have a firewall? Reason I ask is that I've had one for quite awhile now and have never had any problems like that or needed to run a bunch of stuff to clean up. Wondering if that might be something to look into if you don't use one.

Ken

[Son of Clyde]

Yes Ken, the Wireless Router is Firewalled and I have the Windows Firewall turned on. This seems to be a problem beginning in 2007 with Google although there were reports of the same problem in 2005. I am wondering if it happened after all the Windows updates on 02/14/07. Maybe this redirect trickled through. I have no idea if maybe there was a problem with mail.ru and it could have originated in the FSU. My wife reads her mailru emails on my pc and opens attachments.

[catzenmouse]

 A couple of more thoughts/questions. Sorry to be a pest but I'd like to find out what may be different as I know we both have routers on a cable connection and Vonage phones.

 Did you upgrade to Internet Explorer 7 recently? I heard too many weird things about the Windows firewall so we don't use it. I have the McAffee suite and use that firewall instead.

 It could easily be from an attachment through mail.ru I guess. Does your firewall/virus program scan e-mail attachments?

Anyway, How's Iryna doing settling in again? Say "Priviet!" from both of us.

Ken

[viking]

I upgraded to IE7.0 and ever since then I find that many web sites are coming up as  "IE cannot dispaly this page". Even when I went to tomcoyote and seleced a forum I received this message. I have run Adaware, Spybot, AVG, Norton and more. Cleaned out cache, cookies, temp internet files, history and still get the same thing. Anyone else experience this?

[prince_alfie]

I switched to Mac many years ago and hadn't had any problems since

[catzenmouse]

Viking,

 That was one of the reasons I was asking. We did not upgrade to IE 7 as I read about many issues with sites displaying oddly etc. I use Firefox myself but Elena is comfortable with IE so we have both browsers at home and have not had any issues like have been mentioned.

Ken
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 Alfie,

   Another comment just so you can comment huh?

[Son of Clyde]

A couple of more thoughts/questions. Sorry to be a pest but I'd like to find out what may be different as I know we both have routers on a cable connection and Vonage phones.

> Did you upgrade to Internet Explorer 7 recently?<

Yes about 6 weeks ago.

>I have the McAffee suite and use that firewall instead.<

I use Norton antivirus but there is no firewall.

>Does your firewall/virus program scan e-mail attachments?<

Norton does a scan. When I had ZoneAlarm there was a problem scanning incoming mail and the firewall would shut it down and there would be no protection at all. Windows and Linxis firewalls seem to be fairly safe when used together.

>Anyway, How's Iryna doing settling in again? Say "Priviet!" from both of us.<

Will do, we will try to phone soon when things quiet down.

[jb]

Clyde,

Has anyone ever recommended that you switch to either Mozilla Firefox, or Opera as a browser?  You would avoid a lot of junk stuff with another browser besides IE.

[catzenmouse]

SoC,

 Look forward to chatting again.

 RE: PC, when your subscription to Norton runs out (or before if they offer this as an upgrade) I would get something like McAfee Security Center which has the firewall, the virus killer, a spam killer, phising protection, identity protection, pop-up blocker, ad ware killer, etc. Since I got this and set it up I have not had a problem with any of the malicious issues out there. Well worth the peace of mind and lack of time dealing with problems. A good source of information for Windows related stuff and other options is Woody's Windows Watch newsletter. They are on top of Microsoft and will let you know the real deal about what the upgrades/updates are like and if they are worth bothering with and if so, how to make them work the right way.

Ken

[Son of Clyde]

Thanks Ken.
jb I am lazy and very much accustomed to IE but have been trying Opera and Firefox. There are still programs that will only work with IE. Some people complain about Opera because it is not open source. I like it because it is easy to use.

[Cold Warrior]

This is called pharming, basically hijacks your DNS lookup and redirects you to pages of their choice. Always change your router default password, a new vulnerability can redirect your on-line banking to a spoofed page and steal your password, account numbers etc.