XP Browser problems

[Kathy MacAthur]

Not sure if this is the correct group but I couldn't find an ie 6 browser
group - sure hope someone can help.

Today I must have picked up a bug (spyware) that automatically hyperlinks
words through my browser. (book, camera, flowers etc.) So when I'm looking
at a page (even my own website) it hyperlinks certain words. The link takes
me to this search engine (http://www.runsearch.com/top/go.php?qq=books )

How do I get rid of this pesky critter? I am furious that someone would
hijack my brower in such a way. I am using Windows XP. I have the
firewall set up to prevent this kind of thing - or at least so I thought.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

 

[Shenan Stanley]

Not sure if this is the correct group but I couldn't find an ie 6
browser group - sure hope someone can help.

Today I must have picked up a bug (spyware) that automatically
hyperlinks words through my browser. (book, camera, flowers etc.) So
when I'm looking at a page (even my own website) it hyperlinks
certain words. The link takes me to this search engine
(http://www.runsearch.com/top/go.php?qq=books )

How do I get rid of this pesky critter? I am furious that someone
would hijack my brower in such a way. I am using Windows XP. I
have the firewall set up to prevent this kind of thing - or at least
so I thought.

You'll want to look at the THIRD step of these tips for your answer - but
all may help you in some way...

First - turn on that firewall...
http://www.microsoft.com/WindowsXP/home/using/howto/homenet/icf.asp
If you are getting "Messenger Service" popups - this will also remedy those.


Make sure you have all the updates (critical) installed from:
http://windowsupdate.microsoft.com/
(Scan for updates, Review and Install)


Get rid of the spy/ad/mal-ware..
(Yes - using MORE than one of these.. I recommend at least the first
three.)

Spybot Search and Destroy
http://www.safer-networking.org/

Lavasoft AdAware
http://www.lavasoft.de

Hijack This!
(For browser Hijacks - also look into CWS Shredder)
http://mjc1.com/mirror/hjt/

And Assortment of Others:
http://www.merijn.org/downloads.html


After you cleanup your PC somewhat of spy/ad/mal-ware, verify your antivirus
software is updated and run a full scan of your computer. If you have no
antivirus software - get one NOW!
http://www.grisoft.com/us/us_dwnl_free.php


Empty your Temporary Internet Files and shrink the size it stores to about
80-120MB..
- Open ONE copy of Internet Explorer.
- Select TOOLS -> Internet Options.
- Under the General tab in the "Temporary Internet Files" section, do the
following:
- Click on "Delete Cookies" (click OK)
- Click on "Settings" and change the "Amount of disk space to use:" to
something between 80MB and 120MB. (Betting it is MUCH larger right now.)
- Click OK.
- Click on "Delete Files" and select to "Delete all offline contents"
(the checkbox) and click OK. (If you had a LOT, this could take 2-10 minutes
or more.)
- Once it is done, click OK, close Internet Explorer, re-open Internet
Explorer.


Uninstall any software you do not use often/ever. (If you have something
installed but never use it, uninstall it. If you go through Control
Panel -> Add/Remove Programs and see things you seldom if ever use, it is to
your advantage to remove it.)


Update all of your hardware drivers (find the manufacturers of your video
card, motherboard, sound card, modem, network card and so on - go to their
web pages, look for Windows XP drivers there and download/install the newest
ones.)

 

[Kathy MacAthur]

Hello Shenan:

Thanks for responding. Your message is helpful. I went to MS Update and it
indicated 42 critical updates, 25 Windows XP updates and 2 driver updates.
If I let MS do these what are the odds something is going to go wrong.
That's a lot of updates...

I'm now going to the spyware search companies you mention.

Thanks,

Kathy

 

[Shenan Stanley]

Hello Shenan:

Thanks for responding. Your message is helpful. I went to MS Update
and it indicated 42 critical updates, 25 Windows XP updates and 2
driver updates. If I let MS do these what are the odds something is
going to go wrong. That's a lot of updates...

I'm now going to the spyware search companies you mention.

Kathy,

Wow. That's a LOT. Sounds like you don't even have SP1.

Here is how I would handle it.

Instructions (With Broadband):
-------------------------------------
If you have broadband(Cable/DSL/ISDN) and a couple hundred megabytes of free
space, do the following:

Download the Windows XP SP1a for Windows XP Network Install from here:
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/...79-fa3a-48bf-ade5-023443e29d78&displaylang=en
Short Link: http://tinyurl.com/5svk

Save it somewhere safe.

Download the Update Rollup 1 for Microsoft Windows XP from here:
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/...00-d7be-48e3-abcc-961602bd72c2&displaylang=en
Short Link: http://tinyurl.com/r4lh

Save it somewhere safe.

If you have a CD burner, burn these to CD later - in case you ever need to
re-install. That way you can patch your computer fairly well before ever
having to hook the machine to the Internet.

Now, run the SP1a file. Follow the directions, let it install and reboot
when it is done. It will take some time. After you reboot, run the second
file and follow the directions and let it install - reboot again.


ALTERNATE Instructions (No Broadband):
-------------------------------------------------
If you do not have broadband, do the following:

Download the Windows XP SP1a for Windows XP Express Install from here:
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/...f8-1684-4202-b2d0-c6a43430f12a&displaylang=en
Short Link: http://tinyurl.com/6lab

To start the installation immediately, click Open or Run this program from
its current location.

After that has installed and you have rebooted, download the other large
update from here:
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/...00-d7be-48e3-abcc-961602bd72c2&displaylang=en
Short Link: http://tinyurl.com/r4lh

To start the installation immediately, click Open or Run this program from
its current location.


After Install Instructions:
------------------------------
You should revisit the http://windowsupdate.microsoft.com/ page now and
select a FEW of the critical updates and install them. Reboot.. Play
around, if the computer seems fine still, repeat until you have installed at
least all of the "Critical Updates". The other updates are not critical -
some are recommended, but you can follow the "if it's not broke, don't fix
it" rule more confidently with these updates.

Good Luck!