Links don't display - redirects to click.linksynergy (Solved)

[kaotik123]

So recently I began having a problem when I click on some links. Mainly affiliate type links. But I get the firefox error message that page could be found but it is trying to connect to click.linksynergy.
This happens on many different links, in all browsers.
I have cleared and reset my hosts file, scanned for viruses, searched registry for linksynergy, disabled all browser extensions/addons... but still nothing seems to work.
Any help would be appreciated. Thanks

 

[Elixer]

What OS?
Have you tried Spybot search & destroy and malware bytes?

 

[kaotik123]

Its windows 8.1.
And yes I have run both malwarebytes and spybot

 

[Ketchup]

Clean out your browser cache.
Have you checked your ad-ons yet?
Check your start-up programs list.

Let us know if you have any questions about these or still can't shake it.

 

[kaotik123]

Cleared cache..
Checked add-ons
Nothing strange in start up programs list.

 

[Ketchup]

And are you still having the issue? If so, what AV did you run?

 

[kaotik123]

Yes unfortunately..
I ran spybot and malwarebytes..
Thanks for your help

 

[Ketchup]

Spybot and Malwarebytes are malware removal tools, not virus removal tools, although I am a bit surprised they didn't catch this. Try the free versions of AVG or Norton:
http://www.avg.com/us-en/free-antivirus-download
https://us.norton.com/downloads-trial-norton-antivirus

 

[kaotik123]

Also, same thing happens when I click on the sponsored google ad pages at the top of google searches. Except this time is saids www.googleadservices.com can't be connected.
So I assume it has happened because of an installed ad blocker maybe. Weird that it happens across all browsers though.
I have just uninstalled all AV (bitdefender, malwarebytes and spybot) and I'm just running windows defender now. Also have removed adblock plus and ghostery from my brower addons. Can't think of anything else that would be blocking the ads except for maybe a modified file left behind from one of these programs.
Any other ideas?

 

[kaotik123]

Spybot and Malwarebytes are malware removal tools, not virus removal tools, although I am a bit surprised they didn't catch this. Try the free versions of AVG or Norton:
http://www.avg.com/us-en/free-antivirus-download
https://us.norton.com/downloads-trial-norton-antivirus

Oh ok.. Well I also ran a scan with bitdefender anti-virus before I deleted it and it didn't find anything
Is there a file on the computer that stores a list of websites that tells all the browsers to block? Think maybe an adblocker program could have added these domains to the list.

 

[Ketchup]

What browser(s) have you tried? Download a browser you haven't installed before and see if it works.

 

[kaotik123]

I have tried IE, Firefox and chrome and a couple chromium based and firefox based browsers as well. Still the same :/
EDIT: Just downloaded and installed Opera as well.. Still the same thing.

 

[Ketchup]

OK. This makes me wonder what you have been doing on the back-end. You mentioned resetting the hosts file and doing things in the registry. Is your hosts file generic now or do you still have custom lines in there? What all have you done in the registry?

If there was a time to give us some history on the situation, now would be it.

 

[Ketchup]

Your hosts file should look exactly like this:

# Copyright (c) 1993-2009 Microsoft Corp.
#
# This is a sample HOSTS file used by Microsoft TCP/IP for Windows.
#
# This file contains the mappings of IP addresses to host names. Each
# entry should be kept on an individual line. The IP address should
# be placed in the first column followed by the corresponding host name.
# The IP address and the host name should be separated by at least one
# space.
#
# Additionally, comments (such as these) may be inserted on individual
# lines or following the machine name denoted by a '#' symbol.
#
# For example:
#
# 102.54.94.97 rhino.acme.com # source server
# 38.25.63.10 x.acme.com # x client host

# localhost name resolution is handled within DNS itself.
# 127.0.0.1 localhost
# ::1 localhost

 

[kaotik123]

Success!!
Ok so I tether from my phone to my laptop to go on on the internet. I thought I would try the links on my phone to see if they would work (I assumed they would) but they didn't... Then I realised I had AdAway for android installed on my phone. I disabled the app and now the links works on my laptop and phone! Rejoice! Thanks so much for your time and assistance. Really appreciate it. Now to reinstall all those programs and browsers I uninstalled!

 

[Ketchup]

Glad you figured it out!