Loss of Search Engine Access

[Guest]

While searching for bulk candy sales, we ran into a storm or porn. The norton anti-virus blocked everything and dutifully notified us each time. A full system scan indicated not threats. Spy-Bot was run and found about 35 spy-ware pick-ups, we fixed all but 1, Windows Media-we enjoy the CD info-seeker aspect of this software. However we have since been unable to access certain sights and discovered that most of the sited were search engine sights, Google, Yahoo, AskJeeves. We did a system restore to a point two weeks ago, a date which we marked as safe. We still have the problem. It displays DNS error, all of the right ports are open, and we are 128 bit able.
AMD Athlon 2400
Win XP
1 Gg DDR PC2700
Nvidia GeForce 5200 128 Mgb
SoundBlaster 24 bit Advan HD
Lynksys G series Wireless access Via Cable Modem
Thanks

 

[t.cruise]

Some spyware/malware/worms edit the hosts file, making it impossible to go to certain
sites, or redirecting to other sites. Although you might have removed the
spyware/malware/worm, you might still have to manually edit the Hosts file. Here are the
directions from the SARC site:

a.. Windows XP
1.. Click Start > Search.
2.. Click All files and folders.
3.. In the "All or part of the file name" box, type:

hosts


4.. Verify that "Look in" is set to "Local Hard Drives" or to (C.
5.. Click More advanced options.
6.. Check Search system folders.
7.. Check Search subfolders.
8.. Click Search.
9.. Click Find Now or Search Now.
10.. For each Hosts file that you find, right-click the file, and then click Open With.
11.. Deselect the "Always use this program to open this program" check box.
12.. Scroll through the list of programs and double-click Notepad.
13.. When the file opens, delete all the entries in the Hosts file except for the
following line:

127.0.0.1 localhost


14.. Close Notepad and save your changes when prompted.
Then reboot your system, and hopefully that will be the fix.
--

T.C.
t__cruise@[NoSpam]hotmail.com
Remove [NoSpam] to reply

While searching for bulk candy sales, we ran into a storm or porn. The norton anti-virus

blocked everything and dutifully notified us each time. A full system scan indicated not
threats. Spy-Bot was run and found about 35 spy-ware pick-ups, we fixed all but 1, Windows
Media-we enjoy the CD info-seeker aspect of this software. However we have since been
unable to access certain sights and discovered that most of the sited were search engine
sights, Google, Yahoo, AskJeeves. We did a system restore to a point two weeks ago, a date
which we marked as safe. We still have the problem. It displays DNS error, all of the
right ports are open, and we are 128 bit able.

 

[Jim Byrd]

Hi Badger - Download and run:
http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/regs_edits/RestoreSearch2.REG to restore
your default Search functionality. You'll have to manually re-select any
Customizations you may have had, however.

--
Please respond in the same thread.
Regards, Jim Byrd, MS-MVP



In

 

[Guest]

t.cruise,
thanks good info but unfortunatly it didn't really help. It did flush out some java host spys and I followed your instructions and it romvoed them, in doing so it flushed two trojan horses that Norton could not deal with, so it quarrantened them. I still cannot gain access to any crediable search engine and get rerouted to a .net area (Com.net) when attempting to go to Yahoo. Its not like I need the yahoo or google main pages but my IE toolbar is set to googgle default then onto the next likliest search engine, it goes down its entire list looking for an engine to perform my searches on with ZERO results and always the DNS error page. I so F ing frustrated with these popups, adds for "enhancements" I wish I could just block ALL types of popups AND unsolicited adds/spy-ware. I am beside myself, I guess the only choice I have left is pay 129.00 american and let some one from BestBuy fix it, but then again, for another 300 dollars I could just buy a new computer.
--
Not so smart as people think I am

Some spyware/malware/worms edit the hosts file, making it impossible to go to certain
sites, or redirecting to other sites. Although you might have removed the
spyware/malware/worm, you might still have to manually edit the Hosts file. Here are the
directions from the SARC site:

a.. Windows XP
1.. Click Start > Search.
2.. Click All files and folders.
3.. In the "All or part of the file name" box, type:

hosts


4.. Verify that "Look in" is set to "Local Hard Drives" or to (C.
5.. Click More advanced options.
6.. Check Search system folders.
7.. Check Search subfolders.
8.. Click Search.
9.. Click Find Now or Search Now.
10.. For each Hosts file that you find, right-click the file, and then click Open With.
11.. Deselect the "Always use this program to open this program" check box.
12.. Scroll through the list of programs and double-click Notepad.
13.. When the file opens, delete all the entries in the Hosts file except for the
following line:

127.0.0.1 localhost


14.. Close Notepad and save your changes when prompted.
Then reboot your system, and hopefully that will be the fix.
--

T.C.
t__cruise@[NoSpam]hotmail.com
Remove [NoSpam] to reply

While searching for bulk candy sales, we ran into a storm or porn. The norton anti-virus

blocked everything and dutifully notified us each time. A full system scan indicated not
threats. Spy-Bot was run and found about 35 spy-ware pick-ups, we fixed all but 1, Windows
Media-we enjoy the CD info-seeker aspect of this software. However we have since been
unable to access certain sights and discovered that most of the sited were search engine
sights, Google, Yahoo, AskJeeves. We did a system restore to a point two weeks ago, a date
which we marked as safe. We still have the problem. It displays DNS error, all of the
right ports are open, and we are 128 bit able.

AMD Athlon 2400
Win XP
1 Gg DDR PC2700
Nvidia GeForce 5200 128 Mgb
SoundBlaster 24 bit Advan HD
Lynksys G series Wireless access Via Cable Modem
Thanks

 

[t.cruise]

Before doing that, go to:

http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/top10faqs.htm

Click on: Why doesn't Search work?
--

T.C.
t__cruise@[NoSpam]hotmail.com
Remove [NoSpam] to reply

t.cruise,
thanks good info but unfortunatly it didn't really help. It did flush out some java host

spys and I followed your instructions and it romvoed them, in doing so it flushed two
trojan horses that Norton could not deal with, so it quarrantened them. I still cannot
gain access to any crediable search engine and get rerouted to a .net area (Com.net) when
attempting to go to Yahoo. Its not like I need the yahoo or google main pages but my IE
toolbar is set to googgle default then onto the next likliest search engine, it goes down
its entire list looking for an engine to perform my searches on with ZERO results and
always the DNS error page. I so F ing frustrated with these popups, adds for
"enhancements" I wish I could just block ALL types of popups AND unsolicited
adds/spy-ware. I am beside myself, I guess the only choice I have left is pay 129.00
american and let some one from BestBuy fix it, but then again, for another 300 dollars I
could just buy a new computer.

--
Not so smart as people think I am

Some spyware/malware/worms edit the hosts file, making it impossible to go to certain
sites, or redirecting to other sites. Although you might have removed the
spyware/malware/worm, you might still have to manually edit the Hosts file. Here are the
directions from the SARC site:

a.. Windows XP
1.. Click Start > Search.
2.. Click All files and folders.
3.. In the "All or part of the file name" box, type:

hosts


4.. Verify that "Look in" is set to "Local Hard Drives" or to (C.
5.. Click More advanced options.
6.. Check Search system folders.
7.. Check Search subfolders.
8.. Click Search.
9.. Click Find Now or Search Now.
10.. For each Hosts file that you find, right-click the file, and then click Open With.
11.. Deselect the "Always use this program to open this program" check box.
12.. Scroll through the list of programs and double-click Notepad.
13.. When the file opens, delete all the entries in the Hosts file except for the
following line:

127.0.0.1 localhost


14.. Close Notepad and save your changes when prompted.
Then reboot your system, and hopefully that will be the fix.
--

T.C.
t__cruise@[NoSpam]hotmail.com
Remove [NoSpam] to reply

While searching for bulk candy sales, we ran into a storm or porn. The norton

anti-virus
blocked everything and dutifully notified us each time. A full system scan indicated not
threats. Spy-Bot was run and found about 35 spy-ware pick-ups, we fixed all but 1, Windows
Media-we enjoy the CD info-seeker aspect of this software. However we have since been
unable to access certain sights and discovered that most of the sited were search engine
sights, Google, Yahoo, AskJeeves. We did a system restore to a point two weeks ago, a date
which we marked as safe. We still have the problem. It displays DNS error, all of the
right ports are open, and we are 128 bit able.

AMD Athlon 2400
Win XP
1 Gg DDR PC2700
Nvidia GeForce 5200 128 Mgb
SoundBlaster 24 bit Advan HD
Lynksys G series Wireless access Via Cable Modem
Thanks