Problems with access and weird links

G

Guest

I can't open emails in my hotmail account and I cannot access ebay selling
either. I also have problems accessing MSN website. When I'm on a website
words are highlighted like they have a link I click on them and it takes me
to a website called NT Search. Does anyone know why this is happening? --
Jess
 
A

Altrüs

Hi,

While some websites use such methods for advertising, if you
find this occurs on all websites, there is a significant
chance that this is the result of a spyware or adware
installation on your system.

I located the website that seems to run this program, and an
uninstallation program is available. You can download below,
however, you may wish to read the rest of the post before
downloading it, or you may opt not to download it.

http://www.ntsearch.com/ntsearch-uninstall.exe

Now, while I haven't tried the uninstaller, I would question
the wisdom of downloading an uninstaller from the same
people who installed the program which is causing you to see
these ads. Usually, these programs are downloaded in a
sneaky manner, and can lead to all sorts of problems. Going
further, the fact that you have this program implies that
you may be harbouring other programs that you don't know
about. So, let's get rid of any of these kind of programs.

The removal of these programs is made simple with the use of
some free programs which automatically detect and remove
adware or spyware components. We'll assume a worst-case
scenario and systematically go through the various places
these programs may have hidden themselves in.

First we'll have you shut down all third party objects (you
can enable them
once you are finished with everything).

Open Internet Explorer, and click on Tools, Internet
Options, and then click on the Advanced Tab.

Under the 'Browsing' section, uncheck the box named, "Enable
third-party browser extensions (requires restart)".

Click on OK.

Before going any further, you'll want to download the
following programs. Don't run them yet, though! Instead,
we'll download them and install them now, and we'll reboot
into safe mode before running them.

To eliminate malware disguised as BHO's, you'll want to
download BHOCop. You can download BHOcop, here:

http://support.honour.ca/bin/bhocop.zip

Once you download the file, run the setup program, and
install the program. You may wish to make a shortcut
somewhere, or else recall where it's installed in case you
forget, or the shortcut isn't placed on your desktop.

We'll now have you download some programs which shall aid
you in the actual removal of spyware programs which may be
running (and causing these problems).

First, download AdAware. This is an excellent program which
detects and deletes spyware, and other malware programs.
AdAware is available from:

http://www.lavasoftusa.com/support/download/

After downloading and installing AdAware, *be sure to update
it*. This will ensure you are protected against the latest
threats. But don't run it yet! :)

Next, we'll get CWShredder. This neat program catches
variants which may have been missed by AdAware. CWShredder
is available from:

http://www.spywareinfo.com/~merijn/files/cwshredder.zip

Once again, be sure to update it to ensure the latest threat
protection, but it's not necessary to run it yet.

You'll note that, in some cases, versions of spyware are
particularly malicious - removing them can cause you to lose
your internet connection. Therefore, we'll download the next
two programs as precautionary measures. If, after running
these programs, you are unable to connect to the internet,
you may need to run these programs to fix the connection.

They are available here:

http://www.cexx.org/lspfix.htm

and

http://www.tacktech.com/pub/winsockfix/WinsockFix.zip

Directions for the last program can be found here:
http://www.tacktech.com/display.cfm?ttid=257

** Note: You'll only need to run these programs in the event
that removal of the evil programs causes some good
components to break. Otherwise, you can safely continue:

Don't forget to also update your antivirus definitions.

Lastly, you may find it necessary to rename your HOSTS file.
This step is used if you find yourself unable to connect to
specific sites. Instructions can be found here:
http://support.honour.ca/ldbh.solutions.php#blockers

The above procedures should help you remove these programs
and return your computer to a functional state.

After installing and updating these programs, reboot your
computer into safe mode. Instructions on rebooting into
safe-mode are available here:

http://www.pchell.com/support/safemode.shtml

Once you have entered safemode, run the programs. You may
choose to first re-scan your computer, then run BHOCop,
followed by AdAware and CWShredder.

Once all the scans are complete, restart your computer. If
you have problems connecting to the internet, you'll want to
run the two programs you downloaded for this very case,
LSPfix, and Winsock Fix.

The above measures should help you eliminate any traces of
spyware, and should bring your computer back to normal.

More information about Adware and Spyware is available here:

http://mvps.org/winhelp2002/unwanted.htm

Best Regards,

Altrus



: I can't open emails in my hotmail account and I cannot
access ebay selling
: either. I also have problems accessing MSN website. When
I'm on a website
: words are highlighted like they have a link I click on
them and it takes me
: to a website called NT Search. Does anyone know why this
is happening? --
: Jess
 
F

Frank Saunders, MS-MVP

Jess said:
I can't open emails in my hotmail account and I cannot access ebay
selling either. I also have problems accessing MSN website. When
I'm on a website words are highlighted like they have a link I click
on them and it takes me to a website called NT Search. Does anyone
know why this is happening? -- Jess

First eliminate any scumware.
See
Dealing with Unwanted Malware, Parasites, Toolbars and Search Engines
http://mvps.org/winhelp2002/unwanted.htm

Note that AdAware and SpyBot S & D will each catch some things the other
won't. Also, each needs to be updated with the program's update function
before every use, even when just downloaded. There's also a lot more to do
than just those two programs. CWShredder is also available here:
http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/regs_edits/cwshredder.zip
**Post your HijackThis log to
http://forums.spywareinfo.com/ or the Spyware forum at
http://forum.aumha.org/ for expert analysis, not here.**
Alternative download pages for Ad-Aware, Spybot, HijackThis and CWShredder
may be found on this page:
http://aumha.org/a/parasite.htm.

If nothing there helps, please post back to this thread.

--
Frank Saunders, MS-MVP, IE/OE
Please respond in Newsgroup only. Do not send email
http://www.fjsmjs.com
Protect your PC
http://www.microsoft.com/security/protect/
 

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