No internet explorer

[Ben Stevenson]

I have Xp, SP2 and IE6.

I am posting from my children's laptop. My PC is internet dead when I
switched on today.
There was a window saying that IE is no longer active andi f I wanted to
activate. Clicked yes, but IE didnt come on. The TV icon in the Tray is not
there. Tried to access OE but "server can't be found".

Did the spyware and anti-virus checks and nothing much found. A few cookies
spyware and no virus. I need help please.
TIA

 

[Jim]

I have Xp, SP2 and IE6.

I am posting from my children's laptop. My PC is internet dead when I
switched on today.
There was a window saying that IE is no longer active andi f I wanted to
activate. Clicked yes, but IE didnt come on. The TV icon in the Tray is not
there. Tried to access OE but "server can't be found".

Did the spyware and anti-virus checks and nothing much found. A few cookies
spyware and no virus. I need help please.
TIA

If you have thumb drive / external usb drive , d/l Firefox through
laptop and install on PC ; see if you can get on internet that way .

 

[Ken Blake, MVP]

I have Xp, SP2 and IE6.

I am posting from my children's laptop. My PC is internet dead when I
switched on today.
There was a window saying that IE is no longer active andi f I wanted to
activate. Clicked yes, but IE didnt come on. The TV icon in the Tray is not
there. Tried to access OE but "server can't be found".

Did the spyware and anti-virus checks and nothing much found. A few cookies
spyware and no virus. I need help please.

I don't know, of course, that your problem is caused by malware, but
it's possible. So let me address your last paragraph above.

You say "Did the spyware and anti-virus checks." Not all anti-spyware
and anti-virus programs are equally good, so which ones did you use?
Are they up to date?

You say "A few cookies spyware and no virus." I don't care about the
cookies, but exactly what spyware did it find?

 

[PA Bear [MS MVP]]

NB: If you had no anti-virus application installed or the subscription had
expired *when the machine first got infected* and/or your subscription has
since expired and/or the machine's not been kept fully-patched at Windows
Update, don't waste your time with any of the below: Format & reinstall
Windows. A Repair Install will NOT help!

1. See if you can download/run the MSRT manually:
http://www.microsoft.com/security/malwareremove/default.mspx

NB: Run the FULL scan, not the QUICK scan! You may need to download the
MSRT on a non-infected machine, then transfer MRT.EXE to the infected
machine and rename it to SCAN.EXE before running it.

2. [WinXP ONLY!! =>] Run the Windows Live Safety Center's 'Protection' scan
(only!) in Safe Mode with Networking, if need be:
http://onecare.live.com/site/en-us/center/howsafe.htm

3. Run a /thorough/ check for hijackware, including posting requested logs
in an appropriate forum, not here.

Checking for/Help with Hijackware:
• http://aumha.net/viewtopic.php?f=30&t=4075

• http://mvps.org/winhelp2002/unwanted.htm
• http://inetexplorer.mvps.org/tshoot.html
• http://www.mvps.org/sramesh2k/Malware_Defence.htm
• http://www.elephantboycomputers.com/page2.html#Removing_Malware

**Chances are you will need to seek expert assistance in
http://spywarehammer.com/simplemachinesforum/index.php?board=10.0,
http://www.spywarewarrior.com/viewforum.php?f=5,
http://www.dslreports.com/forum/cleanup,
http://www.bluetack.co.uk/forums/index.php,
http://aumha.net/viewforum.php?f=30 or other appropriate forums.**

If these procedures look too complex - and there is no shame in admitting
this isn't your cup of tea - take the machine to a local, reputable and
independent (i.e., not BigBoxStoreUSA) computer repair shop.

 

[Ben Stevenson]

This is interesting. I am not that good on computers and don't exactly know
how to do that. Pls give me the steps on how to do that. I would like to do
it.
Thanks

 

[Ben Stevenson]

I use Ad-aware and Spyware Doctor. I always update before using.
Difficult to say which spyware it was. Those things are difficult to
understand for us old folks. I always delete them as recommended. Never had
any problems on that.

 

[Ben Stevenson]

My anti-virus is the free Avast. I always update before use at least once a
week. Windows Updates are on Automatic and are always downloaded when
issued.

1. See if you can download/run the MSRT manually:
http://www.microsoft.com/security/malwareremove/default.mspx
How do I downloaded that when my Internet connection is completely broken
and gone? If it is possible pls give me the steps.

2. [WinXP ONLY!! =>] Run the Windows Live Safety Center's 'Protection' scan
(only!) in Safe Mode with Networking, if need be:
http://onecare.live.com/site/en-us/center/howsafe.htm

Don'y know where is the Windows Live Safety Center. Need more help.

NB: If you had no anti-virus application installed or the subscription had
expired *when the machine first got infected* and/or your subscription has
since expired and/or the machine's not been kept fully-patched at Windows
Update, don't waste your time with any of the below: Format & reinstall
Windows. A Repair Install will NOT help!

1. See if you can download/run the MSRT manually:
http://www.microsoft.com/security/malwareremove/default.mspx

NB: Run the FULL scan, not the QUICK scan! You may need to download the
MSRT on a non-infected machine, then transfer MRT.EXE to the infected
machine and rename it to SCAN.EXE before running it.

2. [WinXP ONLY!! =>] Run the Windows Live Safety Center's 'Protection'
scan (only!) in Safe Mode with Networking, if need be:
http://onecare.live.com/site/en-us/center/howsafe.htm

3. Run a /thorough/ check for hijackware, including posting requested logs
in an appropriate forum, not here.

Checking for/Help with Hijackware:
• http://aumha.net/viewtopic.php?f=30&t=4075

• http://mvps.org/winhelp2002/unwanted.htm
• http://inetexplorer.mvps.org/tshoot.html
• http://www.mvps.org/sramesh2k/Malware_Defence.htm
• http://www.elephantboycomputers.com/page2.html#Removing_Malware

**Chances are you will need to seek expert assistance in
http://spywarehammer.com/simplemachinesforum/index.php?board=10.0,
http://www.spywarewarrior.com/viewforum.php?f=5,
http://www.dslreports.com/forum/cleanup,
http://www.bluetack.co.uk/forums/index.php,
http://aumha.net/viewforum.php?f=30 or other appropriate forums.**

If these procedures look too complex - and there is no shame in admitting
this isn't your cup of tea - take the machine to a local, reputable and
independent (i.e., not BigBoxStoreUSA) computer repair shop.
--
~Robear Dyer (PA Bear)
MS MVP-IE, Mail, Security, Windows Client - since 2002
www.banthecheck.com

I have Xp, SP2 and IE6.

I am posting from my children's laptop. My PC is internet dead when I
switched on today.
There was a window saying that IE is no longer active andi f I wanted to
activate. Clicked yes, but IE didnt come on. The TV icon in the Tray is
not
there. Tried to access OE but "server can't be found".

Did the spyware and anti-virus checks and nothing much found. A few
cookies
spyware and no virus. I need help please.
TIA

 

[PA Bear [MS MVP]]

Take the computer to a local, reputable and independent (i.e., not
BigBoxStoreUSA or Geek Squad) computer repair shop, Ben.

My anti-virus is the free Avast. I always update before use at least once
a
week. Windows Updates are on Automatic and are always downloaded when
issued.

1. See if you can download/run the MSRT manually:
http://www.microsoft.com/security/malwareremove/default.mspx
How do I downloaded that when my Internet connection is completely broken
and gone? If it is possible pls give me the steps.

2. [WinXP ONLY!! =>] Run the Windows Live Safety Center's 'Protection'
scan
(only!) in Safe Mode with Networking, if need be:
http://onecare.live.com/site/en-us/center/howsafe.htm

Don'y know where is the Windows Live Safety Center. Need more help.

NB: If you had no anti-virus application installed or the subscription
had
expired *when the machine first got infected* and/or your subscription
has
since expired and/or the machine's not been kept fully-patched at Windows
Update, don't waste your time with any of the below: Format & reinstall
Windows. A Repair Install will NOT help!

1. See if you can download/run the MSRT manually:
http://www.microsoft.com/security/malwareremove/default.mspx

NB: Run the FULL scan, not the QUICK scan! You may need to download the
MSRT on a non-infected machine, then transfer MRT.EXE to the infected
machine and rename it to SCAN.EXE before running it.

2. [WinXP ONLY!! =>] Run the Windows Live Safety Center's 'Protection'
scan (only!) in Safe Mode with Networking, if need be:
http://onecare.live.com/site/en-us/center/howsafe.htm

3. Run a /thorough/ check for hijackware, including posting requested
logs
in an appropriate forum, not here.

Checking for/Help with Hijackware:
• http://aumha.net/viewtopic.php?f=30&t=4075

• http://mvps.org/winhelp2002/unwanted.htm
• http://inetexplorer.mvps.org/tshoot.html
• http://www.mvps.org/sramesh2k/Malware_Defence.htm
• http://www.elephantboycomputers.com/page2.html#Removing_Malware

**Chances are you will need to seek expert assistance in
http://spywarehammer.com/simplemachinesforum/index.php?board=10.0,
http://www.spywarewarrior.com/viewforum.php?f=5,
http://www.dslreports.com/forum/cleanup,
http://www.bluetack.co.uk/forums/index.php,
http://aumha.net/viewforum.php?f=30 or other appropriate forums.**

If these procedures look too complex - and there is no shame in admitting
this isn't your cup of tea - take the machine to a local, reputable and
independent (i.e., not BigBoxStoreUSA) computer repair shop.
--
~Robear Dyer (PA Bear)
MS MVP-IE, Mail, Security, Windows Client - since 2002
www.banthecheck.com

I have Xp, SP2 and IE6.

I am posting from my children's laptop. My PC is internet dead when I
switched on today.
There was a window saying that IE is no longer active andi f I wanted to
activate. Clicked yes, but IE didnt come on. The TV icon in the Tray is
not
there. Tried to access OE but "server can't be found".

Did the spyware and anti-virus checks and nothing much found. A few
cookies
spyware and no virus. I need help please.
TIA

 

[Ken Blake, MVP]

I use Ad-aware and Spyware Doctor. I always update before using.
Difficult to say which spyware it was. Those things are difficult to
understand for us old folks. I always delete them as recommended. Never had
any problems on that.

You are not using the best anti-spyware software available. I
recommend that you run MalwareBytes Anti-Malware and SuperAntiSpyware.
The free version of each is OK.

You can either replace Ad-aware and Spyware Doctor with these two, or
run all four. It doesn't hurt to have more such programs; just don't
do scans with any two of them at once.