Why can't I use a search engine anymore?

  • Thread starter Thread starter David Johnston
  • Start date Start date
D

David Johnston

I am running Windows XP. Since about 4 days ago, every
time I try to search for a topic on the internet, I am
routed to a page that says "Are you trying to get to
google?". I have also typed in the address for Alta
Vista, and other search engines, each time getting routed
to a similar page. The page tells me that my computer is
trying to send me to a website that is pretending to be
google (or other search engine) and indicates that I must
have inadvertently installed a malicious program. I have
run Norton System works repeatedly, and nothing is
detected. The page gives me "instructions" for going
into my computer at windows\system32\drivers\etc and from
there either deleting the whole file, or anything in
there with "google" in it. This sounds suspiciously like
the old "bugbear" virus..trying to get me to torch my own
files. Has anyone else out there experienced this, and
is there anything I can do to get rid of this? Please
help.
 
-----Original Message-----
I am running Windows XP. Since about 4 days ago, every
time I try to search for a topic on the internet, I am
routed to a page that says "Are you trying to get to
google?". I have also typed in the address for Alta
Vista, and other search engines, each time getting routed
to a similar page. The page tells me that my computer is
trying to send me to a website that is pretending to be
google (or other search engine) and indicates that I must
have inadvertently installed a malicious program. I have
run Norton System works repeatedly, and nothing is
detected. The page gives me "instructions" for going
into my computer at windows\system32\drivers\etc and from
there either deleting the whole file, or anything in
there with "google" in it. This sounds suspiciously like
the old "bugbear" virus..trying to get me to torch my own
files. Has anyone else out there experienced this, and
is there anything I can do to get rid of this? Please
help.
.
Click to expand...
go to ie and type c:\windows\systems32\drivers\etc

then delete any host files you have...It worked for me
 
Those instructions are well-meaning, but wrong. Your computer is not
using the default hosts file. That file has been redirected in the
registry.

See http://vil.nai.com/vil/content/v_100719.htm for more information.

By the way, there is no patch for this particular exploit. I recommend a
workaround to disable running .hta files. I prefer using a personal
firewall to disallow Internet access to mshta.exe, but you can also
dissociate .hta files from the mshta.exe application. Either way, you
disable running .hta files.
 
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