IE Browser Hijack

I have a new HP zx5000 notebook with Norton Antivirus preinstalled. Yesterday my IE browser 6.01 started to doing weird things. Which modified my default start and search pages. My browser now has a new start page (pornographic) and a new search page.
My question is, I think I have to edit the windows registry and find out hijack extensions. (which file extensions I have to delete?)
Do you think this is safe or I need to buy software for this problem?
Thanks in advance

 

Dagreek,
Thank you for your info. I already scan (Norton) my computer it took 26 minutes and detected 30 viruses, fixed and deleted. Norton report was “found 1-infected and 29-at risk files”.
I think my problem is adware/spyware problems. Last night I installed “Spybot Search & Destroy” software, I run already twice but it didn’t help. (found 68 infected files and fixed)
My browser hijack situation started after I connect the RoadRunner cable. Last week I used only phone line everything was ok.
Thank you again

 

Regarding the change of the Start Page, it has happened to me as well. After going to a site, and then leaving, I noticed that the next time I loaded IE, my page went to a different site. I didn't make any changes. My normal start page was Google, it ended up going to some other search page. It looks like some sites have this set in their site code to make the changes without asking.

There's 1 way to modify your system so that the home page is not changable. You're gonna have to use the MMC and modify your policies. Take care in making any changes in this area, you may have problems if you change the wrong thing. If you're not confident in making changes, you can use other software "Tewaking" programs to do the same changes.

1. Start -> Run -> MMC
2. File -> Open -> Goto C:WINDOWSSYSTEM32 & open GPEDIT.MSC
3. User Configuration -> Windows Settings -> Internet Explorer Maintenance -> URLs
4. Double Click on Important URL's
5. Put Check Mark in Customize Home Page URL
6. Enter the HTTP:// link you want as your Start Page
7. Click Apply, Save & Exit
8. Restart system and you should be set

This will put a locked URL as your start page. To make changes, you must re-do the above steps to make changes. You can also run programs like TweakXP and make the same changes to IE and the OS itself.

-Vb-

 

That is a weird thing to happen, usally I'm not not saying you but the way it happens is you go to some site. It will prompt you blah blah yes or no and if you say yes it will make that page your new home page. Some sites also will just bring up something that says "make www.whatever.com your home page OK or cancel it can happen like that too. If it wasen't those 2 ways then I would suspect adware/spyware. There are free programs that do a good job finding and removing them. The one I use is called SpyBot Search & Destroy I learned of it through techtv and I run it everyweek. It has free updates too.

Go to this site:
http://www.safer-networking.org/en/download/index.html

Download version 1.3 install that. Once its installed it will walk you through the steps you need but make sure you do the update and get the latest protections. Also do this update weekly. Use the immunize function also it will protect you from many know spyware's Lastly do a scan of the computer and remove anything you don't want. Sometimes it pulls up things it considers to be spyware like the google search bar. The programs not making a mistake the program counts anything that tracks your searching habbits as spyware so beware of this, you might want to read the list of problems and unselect things you trust or want to keep like google search bar. Also know that it is all reversable it saves the changes incase you want to revert back to your original settings so no worries. It even makes restore points for you. I hope this helps and solves your problem, if you haven't done so I'd also recommend you do a virus scan of your entire system when you have time.


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You may also download the free version of Ad-Aware and Spyware Blaster. In addition to Spybot those programs find almost all programs that shouldn't be on there. For certain nasty hijackers there is a small program called HWShredder that you could try out. A firewall wouldn't hurt either, in case there are keyloggers on your computer.

Good luck!

 

As far as Spyware detection goes I've found that using both Spybot Search & Destroy and Ad-Aware works well. I will warn you that Spybot will detect the Ad-aware quarintine as spyware so just make sure you don't delete it.

 

Venombite,
thank you for your clear explanation, as soon as I go to home I'll try, hopefully I'll fix the problem.
Best regards

 

If you're advance enough, download the software "hijackthis", it'll list all the exploits that are done on your browser (both the good and bad ones). Look for any suspiciously named tags, and search in google to decide if you should remove it or not.

I got a life, but it's currently up for auction.

 

For future reference, if any of those things pop up that say yes or no, NEVER SAY YES, unless, of course, you are installing flash player or something. If you say yes, the website can install anything it wants onto your computer. If you do happen to visit any shady websites, turn up your protection level and make sure all of your firewalls are up. The spybot resident (icon in tray) helps blacklist some things as well. Note that by "shady websites" I refer to anything from crack archives to pornography. Delete your cookies and temporary files often. Make sure that whenever you do something to remove viruses, manually change your website. If it stays on the website you want after a few reboots, then the virus is probably gone. I recommend downloading Mozilla firefox, a faster and more secure browser than Internet Explorer. Download and install all windows updates, including Service Pack 2. Manually update all anti-virus and spyware utilites and scan again. After a little defragmentation you should be in ship-shape.

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