Posted on 01/15/2011 7:52:33 AM PST by Lando Lincoln
My computer is infected with malware that hijacks Google. I have swept with Webroot and Avast! No luck. Help?
I prefer not to get into the registry - I lack the skills.
I will be out for awhile, so thanks to all in advance.
Just do a system restore to a date prior to when the infection happened. Don’t install any new anti-malware programs or uninstall programs, etc. The system restore will get you back to where you were - good as new.
Recent malware is good enough to stop restore points from working.
Plus these new ones hide out in temp folders and reappear even AFTER a system restore.
Ya gotta kill ‘em where they live ;-)
Try this Microsoft program...
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/en/details.aspx?FamilyID=AD724AE0-E72D-4F54-9AB3-75B8EB148356&displaylang=en
....Worked for me.
I tried Malwarebytes,Spy-Bot. And I use AVG. And they did not find it.
“Linux (and Mac) are rock solid and virus proof.”
They’re virus proof?
I’d try the system restore first - before loading any new programs or unloading any old ones. If it doesn’t work - then go to the triple-bypass surgery.
Either help this FReeper fix the problem, or shut the hell up. It is not at all difficult to go into the registry to fix this problem. Some laptops come with a loaded Trojan that keeps defaulting the browser to the unwanted engine.
So far as claiming that Mac, Lin-sux, (Linux) etc. don't do this is not at all true. It happens to them also. There is no such thing as a perfectly secure OS.
I went to Security Essentials 6 months ago and absolutely LOVE it! It is by far the very best out there. McAfee and Norton are ripoffs and don't do half of what SE does. And SE is completely free. For the advanced professional version, the service is outstanding and the protection is amazing.
It was designed and created just for Windows. AND IT WORKS!
Almost. Unlike windows, nothing can be installed unless you give explicit permission.
You may have a version of what is called “SmitFraud”. There are many variant of this and it can be removed by following these steps:
1. Download smitfraudfix here: http://siri.geekstogo.com/SmitfraudFix.php use one of the mirrors. Download it on your computer or a friends.
2. Turn off your system restore. Many times, system restoration files will hide other installations of the malicious software.
3. Boot into safe mode WITHOUT NETWORKING and install the smitfraudfix.
4. Run smitfraudfix. When it completes, it will perform a disk clean up.
5. When it is done, restart the computer in normal mode. You may notice that your desktop background is gone, that is normal. Check and see if you are able to browse the web without problem. If so, then turn your system restoration back on.
Once you get cleaned up a FReeper made a good recommendation IMHO. Use a tool like Clonezilla to create an image of your system drive and save it on an external partition that stores images only. If you make sure you save your docs, favorites, etc. somewhere other than your system drive and run into trouble..pop in your Clonezilla CD and your good as new in a half hour or less.
That is not true.
Windows is a flawless virus.
Also, make sure you have the latest version of Java installed and the old versions are removed.
Use JavaRa for that. Excellent program.
I stand corrected !
Thanks P-F. And thanks to all. Avast! worked and cleaned it up. It took a boot scan on start-up. And it was the free version...
Here is the site:
Avast is a good program, but SE is by far better. I have had some minor problems using Avast in the past. They do not cover everything as thoroughly as Microsoft.
If you have a desktop PC, Rollback RX will work wonders. You can always go back in time to the state Windows last worked right. And when you do, just delete the infected snapshot.
Voila!
Wow, you are a complete a$$. I’m sure I’m not the first person to tell you that.
Exactly... You folks involved with the “fixing”, if you’re not involved with the viruses themselves, I have noticed that you advertise on the websites the hijacked browser takes you to. I notice that these phoney websites pop up, when you enter key words of the problems you are having. Nice biz you’re in...
More or less the thing about Linux that makes it secure you cannot make any changes to your system unless you are Root in other words you have to be administrator to make changes to your OS.
The other thing is you can have different partitions for Home,Root, Boot or any other variant having your Home directory on a separate partition means you can completely reinstall your system and not touch your personal files.
Linux is nothing like it used to be it is much like windows as most functions are just point and click, you can also run a dual boot system say windows an ubuntu use ubuntu to surf the net an windows for other things! Go here to read up on Linux also you can download a distro and try it out without installing!!
If you ran Linux for awhile I promise you you would find yourself booting into windows less often.
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