help!! My PC has been raped!

[top fuel]

It's been given things it doesn't want to know about.

Serious point tho:

My default search engine in Ms Explorer (eg when you type things into the address bar) is the only one I use, but somehow it has been changed to 1 called "123Mania" which is riddled with links for italian pornography, and similar pop-ups too. How can I change it back to the MSN search???



Also, there seem to be a few pop-ups that keep occuring even when I am not using the internet explorer, just because it is connected, I thought that they were triggered by websites??
repeat offenders are:

Capital One
E-Bay shops
"WeatherCast"
"ClockSync"

from memory.

Any help with either matter would be great, I've tolerated this for too long already now.

Cheers,

Paul


>>> Edited by top fuel on Saturday 28th February 14:04

[Godfrey H]

Sounds like you have been hijacked by the cool web search trojan go to www.spywareinfo.com/~merijn/index.html and get CWShredder. What OS are you using?

>> Edited by Godfrey H on Saturday 28th February 15:12

[top fuel]

XP home

>> Edited by top fuel on Saturday 28th February 15:13

[top fuel]

It said that it wasn't found on my computer

[Godfrey H]

Ok also go to www.grc.com/stm/shootthemessenger.htm
and get shoot the meesenger. To prevent further problems run Windows XP update and load up all CRITICAL updates. Also get and run spybot and spysweeper.

[Godfrey H]

Ok you've got one of the other hijacks then. You need to run hijackthis and send me the log. While I knock up some instructions run shootthemessenger please.

[Godfrey H]

Spysweeper can be found at :
www.webroot.com/wb/products/spysweeper/index.php
and Spybot at
www.safer-networking.org/index.php?page=download

Get these two, when you run them update the definitions before doing a scan. Then let me know if your PC search function is still hijacked.

[top fuel]

I love this,

The spysweeper one said you need this if you "spend more than 5 hours a week online" tI think I've been online 5hours today alone!

Thanks for you help. Just downloading the 3rd on. will report back.

[Godfrey H]

Hmmmmm,if you spend that much time on line you need to run Shields-UP at www.grc.com also unplug and pray and finally if you don't use it secure netbios (file and printer sharing) access. I take it you are running "proper" firewall software and not just relying on the Microsoft built-in firewall? Anyway first things first deal with the hijack.

[top fuel]

It's the fact that the PC is on all day, and always connected to the Network. It needs to be because it's my only source of Music I have up at uni. Most CDs are at home.

[Godfrey H]

Ok, you need to pay particular attention to network security then.

[top fuel]

I was Raped!!

"Lycos Sidesearch is a Web search tool that has been reported to stealth-install itself without user permission."

[Godfrey H]

Godfrey H said:

Hmmmmm,if you spend that much time on line you need to run Shields-UP at <a href="http://www.grc.com">www.grc.com</a> also unplug and pray and finally if you don't use it secure netbios (file and printer sharing) access. I take it you are running "proper" firewall software and not just relying on the Microsoft built-in firewall? Anyway first things first deal with the hijack.

Ok if the hijack is now fixed you need to pay attention to the above, all the information is on the GRC site.

>> Edited by Godfrey H on Saturday 28th February 16:23

[top fuel]

123mania has gone, but now so has MSN search?!?

[Godfrey H]

Click on Start then Search, Internet search, and finally customize

[top fuel]

No, I still get the page cannot be displayed error.

[Godfrey H]

Have you loaded up the the critical updates and rebooted your PC?

[top fuel]

nope

[top fuel]

Done, but still not playing ball.

[Godfrey H]

Ok something else going on then. Go to
www.spywareinfo.com/~merijn/index.html
and get Hijackthis. Create a new directory to install it in. Close all other windows and run Hijackthis. Save the log as a text file and email it to me via my PH profile.