REDIRECTED during google or bing searches

[crashem]

Hi guys and girls-
When I do a search on google or bing get redirected to totally different sites, like some tv advertisment or a different directory like yellowpages. The back button will not work either when this happens. I have to close the browser (explorer 8) and start over. Yes I have tried other browser same thing (chrome). I have ran my gauntlet of protection and no fix. (Norton, Malwarebytes, spybot, Ccleaner) all are currently up to date.
Now for alittle history. I somehow got something or a couple of somethings that are very nasty on my computer. my nephews came home from school for the weekend and no telling what sites they visted.
but this is a list of things that started happening.

1.redirected during searches not all the time at first.
2. all restore points were disabled
3. could not open programs with out a lot of wait time to start and then only sometimes.
4. play empire earth and it would sometimes minimize and windows would display . the instruction at 0x00000000 reference memory at 0x00000000 could not be read. cancel it and then i could keep playing my game. the numbers might be all zeros or be diff. numbers. (only game played on this computer).
5. Sometimes I would get the above problem when i shut down but not always.
6. norton was informing me about every ten to twenty seconds that it blocked somesort of intrusion prevention to unauthorized access (a whole slew of different things.
7. my keyscrambler prevention software disappered.
8. and another maintence software that i had for a few years disappered(cannot think of the darn name.) I ran it once a week or so and it would fix the reg. or find other problems and i would let it fix the pc.
9. I could not in no way access windows update sites

I must have worked on my system for 2 weeks and nothing. I finally broke down and used notons techs to take over my system and 5 diff. people worked on my system for about 10 hrs. they found and fixed everything. the system was like it was new. HOWEVER the redirecting has returned and i would like to zero in on what could cause this problem

 

[crashem]

win xp 4 gigs of new mem.

 

[Gamingphreek]

Before I even get started, WHY WHY WHY is this computer still connected to the internet?? For all you know your machine could be a zombie in a botnet serving out all kinds of nasty information.

You can clean your "hosts" file which is probably the root of your Browser Redirection problems; however, the fact that they keep coming back probably means there is a virus present on the machine still (Don't let "Techs" remote into your system. 9/10 times they know less than anyone else on the planet, but enough to cause problems).

Honestly, you can keep wasting your time trying to track down this virus which you may or may not be able to thoroughly clean, or you can reformat and reinstall (Something guaranteed to make sure your computer is clean).

This brings me to my final point, *get rid of Windows XP*. The OS was released in 2002, it is 2011, it is out of date. XP is one big gaping security hole even fully patched, get rid of it.

-GP

 

[lowrider69]

I must have worked on my system for 2 weeks and nothing. I finally broke down and used notons techs to take over my system and 5 diff. people worked on my system for about 10 hrs. they found and fixed everything. the system was like it was new. HOWEVER the redirecting has returned and i would like to zero in on what could cause this problem

Format and reload the OS...it takes two hours, not ten hours, or two weeks. The trick is to keep it clean after you reinstall the OS.

 

[VirtualLarry]

Yeah, def. format.

 

[Slugbait]

Format and reload the OS...it takes two hours, not ten hours, or two weeks.

Actually, it takes me about two weeks...maybe a week for most other people. Heck, after the initial two hours, what am I supposed to do with the darn thing? Just surf the web?

It's so funny how often people say "format, it just takes a couple of hours"

I need to install tons of apps, wait as they all get patches downloaded and installed, and then configure each one. I need to customize my shell settings. There's lots to do in order to get my machine back to full productivity and configured just the way I like it.

Edit: Totally forgot about backing up data, favorites, etc. That alone can take hours. /edit

Once I'm finished, I create an image. When something nasty happens (like two days ago), and I think it necessary to flatten the machine, I simply drop the image...which takes about ten minutes. Then I get the latest updates, which depending on how old the image is, takes 30 to 60 minutes, and I'm back to full productivity speed again.

 

[Slugbait]

...HOWEVER the redirecting has returned and i would like to zero in on what could cause this problem

Start with msconfig and look for anything in the Startup tab that appears suspicious.

Get HijackThis and go thru each line...google the EXEs and whatnot. This is possibly something hidden in your registry that phones home asking for instructions and re-downloads. If you can't decipher it, upload it and let the experts chime in.

Get Autoruns...it's like msconfig on MLB-quality steroids. Look for anything rogue that is running.

Get SUPERAntiSpyware, download the latest definitions, and run a full scan.

 

[lowrider69]

Actually, it takes me about two weeks...maybe a week for most other people. Heck, after the initial two hours, what am I supposed to do with the darn thing? Just surf the web?

It's so funny how often people say "format, it just takes a couple of hours"

I need to install tons of apps, wait as they all get patches downloaded and installed, and then configure each one. I need to customize my shell settings. There's lots to do in order to get my machine back to full productivity and configured just the way I like it.

Edit: Totally forgot about backing up data, favorites, etc. That alone can take hours. /edit

Once I'm finished, I create an image. When something nasty happens (like two days ago), and I think it necessary to flatten the machine, I simply drop the image...which takes about ten minutes. Then I get the latest updates, which depending on how old the image is, takes 30 to 60 minutes, and I'm back to full productivity speed again.

Imaging is the way to go I agree, but most people don't do it. As for taking two weeks to reinstall everything that's ridiculous. Before I got into imaging I used to wipe and reload once in a rare while and I had a lot of applications and customizations and it would take me several hours at the most. Backing up data is not a big deal either.

Two hours is for a Windows installation, installing up to date drivers, installing all patches. So if you wipe the machine, reinstall the OS and have to reinstall all of your beloved software and spend several hours doing it at least it's on a system you know is clean. Or you can spend another two weeks hoping you removed all of the malware on the system.

 

[Slugbait]

Imaging is the way to go I agree, but most people don't do it.

I still have a copy of DriveImage 5.0 on a disc somewhere...

As for taking two weeks to reinstall everything that's ridiculous.

I can't skip school to do things like this...I have a job, a house, a 4-year-old, and an absolute shitload of apps, utilities and whatnot to install, patch and configure. And as far as the shell is concerned, let's just say that I don't use the wallpaper that comes with the OS...

Two hours is for a Windows installation, installing up to date drivers, installing all patches. So if you wipe the machine, reinstall the OS and have to reinstall all of your beloved software and spend several hours doing it at least it's on a system you know is clean.

Oh, for this I totally agree. It's just that it's never taken me just a few extra hours to install all of my other stuff beyond the OS. Seriously, I use my machine for doing tons of different things, much more than the average person. Hell, my last three procs have all been EE...I like getting things done fast.

But I've also cleansed some seriously dirty machines in the past for F&F, and have a better than average idea of what is what while I'm doing it. Have the right tools, know what you're looking at or looking for, and then there's a thrill in the challenge sometimes, too.

 

[lowrider69]

I've cleaned a ton of machines myself, i'm not new to it. I have also learned to put my ego aside at a certain point and just wipe a machine if I feel that a system has been compromised to a point of no return. In the OP's case he and other "techs" have spent two weeks trying to clean it, i'm sure he is busy as well like the rest of us doing other things. In his case I think he should wipe it.

Also any tech that says they can clean any machine no matter how infested it is and guarantee it'll be 100% clean when they're done is full of crap.

 

[Gamingphreek]

I've cleaned a ton of machines myself, i'm not new to it. I have also learned to put my ego aside at a certain point and just wipe a machine if I feel that a system has been compromised to a point of no return. In the OP's case he and other "techs" have spent two weeks trying to clean it, i'm sure he is busy as well like the rest of us doing other things. In his case I think he should wipe it.

Also any tech that says they can clean any machine no matter how infested it is and guarantee it'll be 100% clean when they're done is full of crap.

:thumbsup:

 

[crashem]

I am changing the way I do things on the machine. It seems that the best thing to do is wipe it. I have never done this before I have always been able to find the problems. Now does most everyone think i should go to win. 7? and then I will leave norton. I was thinking of using nod32, WSE, spybot, ccleaner, anyothers?

 

[Spacehead]

my nephews came home from school for the weekend and no telling what sites they visted.

If you even let them near your computer again make them use a limited account.

 

[Slugbait]

I was thinking of using nod32, WSE, spybot...

Not understanding why you need WSE.