Followed link from Yahoo search does not go to correct page

[Guest]

Recently, when I search in Yahoo and follow a link from the search, I am not
taken to the correct page on the first try. For example, I did a search on
Microsoft and the first result is:

Microsoft Corporation
Microsoft Corporation Microsoft Corporation The entry page to Microsoft's
Web site. Find software, solutions, answers, support, and Microsoft news. ...
Category: Business Software
www.microsoft.com - More from this site - Save - Block

This is the correct result. I clicked on the Microsoft corportation link
and was taken to the following site:

http://www.scottandscottllp.com/pra...rer=http://vod4all.biz/search.php?q=microsoft

If I click back and try the link again, I am taken to the Microsoft site.

I have run scans with both SpyBot and MS AntiSpyware Beta, both do not show
any spyware. I have also run Hijack This and found nothing out of the
ordinary. Norton Antivirus, with updated definitions, does not show any
viruses when I run a system scan.

I am not sure if it is a virus or spyware, but I have heard of something
that redirects your searches. Is this what I have? If it is or isn't, how
do I fix the problem?

Thanks

 

[Vanguard]

Recently, when I search in Yahoo and follow a link from the search, I am
not
taken to the correct page on the first try. For example, I did a search
on
Microsoft and the first result is:

Microsoft Corporation
Microsoft Corporation Microsoft Corporation The entry page to Microsoft's
Web site. Find software, solutions, answers, support, and Microsoft news.
...
Category: Business Software
www.microsoft.com - More from this site - Save - Block

This is the correct result. I clicked on the Microsoft corportation link
and was taken to the following site:

http://www.scottandscottllp.com/pra...rer=http://vod4all.biz/search.php?q=microsoft

If I click back and try the link again, I am taken to the Microsoft site.

I have run scans with both SpyBot and MS AntiSpyware Beta, both do not
show
any spyware. I have also run Hijack This and found nothing out of the
ordinary. Norton Antivirus, with updated definitions, does not show any
viruses when I run a system scan.

I am not sure if it is a virus or spyware, but I have heard of something
that redirects your searches. Is this what I have? If it is or isn't,
how
do I fix the problem?

Unlike Google, Yahoo demands that they track everywhere you go using their
search results. A search on "microsoft" had a link which is really:

http://rds.yahoo.com/_ylt=ArviMJKHU...MR347KLE&s=0&t=&m=43C6EEE4&x=0115AEA6F2D3E137

Notice that the link does NOT take you to Microsoft.com. It takes you to
their tracking server which will record when and where you navigated and
then redirect you there. That means you divulge your web habits plus you
must rely on their servers to get you there. If you notice, the *sponsored*
links do NOT go through Yahoo's tracking service (i.e., they are direct
links). Gee, I wonder why. I saw no option to turn off their tracking
service, so everytime you click on one of their unsponsored links means your
navigation gets recorded.

Google's Toolbar does the same thing but ONLY if you enable their advanced
options to use tracking (to provide you with statistics on the site so
obviously they need to create those statistics). If you turn the advanced
options off, the links change to take you directly to the site and not
through their tracking server. A Google search using their web page doesn't
use the tracking service of their toolbar.

Back when Google did this crap, they got a big stink about it from the
privacy advocates. Apparently Yahoo didn't learn. However, the URL you
show on the first click of the link is not to a Yahoo domain - but then you
didn't show what the URL was BEFORE you clicked on their link.
scottandscottllp.com is an auditing company, so maybe Yahoo is using them to
record your navigation to compile statistics for Yahoo and its advertisers;
see http://www.scottandscottllp.com/practice-areas.asp (not the "practice"
in the URL you showed). "Scott & Scott (www.scottandscottllp.com and
www.bsadefense.com) is a leading law and technology services firm dedicated
to helping senior executives assess and reduce the legal, financial, and
regulatory risks associated with software compliance. Scott & Scott's legal
and technology professionals provide software audit defense and software
compliance solutions, all protected by attorney-client and work-product
privileges."

So when you return to the link to click on it again, what is the URL of
*that* link *before* you click on it? Personally I would avoid using Yahoo
for web searching until their links actually point directly to whatever they
are supposed to match on. I wouldn't mind if they track my navigation when
using their services *if* they announced that fact *and* if they provided a
means of disabling it (or refusing to serve me if I chose to keep my
browsing private).

 

[Guest]

Thank you for the information, but when I go to Google the same thing occurs.
I do not have Google's toolbar installed. I navigated to Google by typing
www.google.com in the IE address bar. I then typed Microsoft into the Google
search bar on their page and was given the following results again:

Microsoft Corporation
The entry page to Microsoft's Web site. Find software, solutions, answers,
support, and Microsoft news.
www.microsoft.com/ - 23k - Jan 10, 2006 - Cached - Similar pages

Microsoft Update - Office Update - Support - Clip Art
More results from www.microsoft.com »

When I put the cursor on the Microsoft Corporation link the status bar shows
http://www.microsoft.com/. When I follow the link I am taken to:
http://www.casinocaesar.com/

I tried the search twice, the first time I went to the casino site then I
closed IE and went back to google and was sent to a server dealer.

What search engine do you recommend?

Thanks

 

[Vanguard]

Thank you for the information, but when I go to Google the same thing
occurs.
I do not have Google's toolbar installed. I navigated to Google by typing
www.google.com in the IE address bar. I then typed Microsoft into the
Google
search bar on their page and was given the following results again:

Microsoft Corporation
The entry page to Microsoft's Web site. Find software, solutions, answers,
support, and Microsoft news.
www.microsoft.com/ - 23k - Jan 10, 2006 - Cached - Similar pages

Microsoft Update - Office Update - Support - Clip Art
More results from www.microsoft.com »

When I put the cursor on the Microsoft Corporation link the status bar
shows
http://www.microsoft.com/. When I follow the link I am taken to:
http://www.casinocaesar.com/

I tried the search twice, the first time I went to the casino site then I
closed IE and went back to google and was sent to a server dealer.

What search engine do you recommend?

The status bar can be changed to display what the author of the web page
wants you to see. You need to right-click on the page and view the source
(if the author was stupid enough to leave that function enabled).

You ARE infected (which may be deliberate if you chose to install some
gambling software or AX controls). Time to use other malware scanners than
you have already tried. You could also use HijackThis and run the output
through http://hjt.networktechs.com/ (there are groups and forums to help
with HJT logs but I'd have to go look again). There is some info on using
HJT at http://castlecops.com/HijackThis.html, plus they have a forum for
HJT.

 

[Guest]

Again thank you for the help. I ran my Hijack This through the scanner and
removed the items they said to remove. If I right click on the Yahoo results
page, I can view the source code. I am not sure what I am looking for. I
will download other spyware detection programs. Are there any you would
recommend?

Thanks
Dave

 

[Vanguard]

Again thank you for the help. I ran my Hijack This through the scanner
and
removed the items they said to remove. If I right click on the Yahoo
results
page, I can view the source code. I am not sure what I am looking for. I
will download other spyware detection programs. Are there any you would
recommend?

Ad-Aware
Spybot S&D
ewido
HijackThis
aSquared
MS Antispyware
A *good* anti-virus program (the freebies have too low coverage); see
http://www.av-comparatives.org/.
Several of the online AV scanners (Trend, Symantec, McAfee, etc). Be warned
that they download an ActiveX control which runs as the local client to do
the scanning.
Prevx (the 1R is a pre-release or beta version and free)
BHO Demon
SpywareBlaster (which doesn't remove anything but nullifies the AX malware).
CWshredder
TDS-3 and TrojanHunter have trial versions

With HijackThis, I'd be careful of what they say to remove. Remember what
you yanked out?

 

[Vanguard]

Again thank you for the help. I ran my Hijack This through the scanner
and
removed the items they said to remove. If I right click on the Yahoo
results
page, I can view the source code. I am not sure what I am looking for. I
will download other spyware detection programs. Are there any you would
recommend?

The first thing you might want to do is to simply reboot into Windows' Safe
mode to see if the problem persists. It is something that gets loaded on
Windows startup, you can eliminate it maybe by using msconfig.exe.

 

[Fleuter10]

I am having the same exact problems when I use any of the search
engines (Google, Yahoo!, etc.)...

 

[Fleuter10]

I am having the same exact problems when I use any of the search
engines (Google, Yahoo!, etc.)...