Help, My internet search is not searching properly!

First off, I know how to use the computer, but I do not know the technical names for any of the actions.
Here is the problem:

I have Internet explorer, Firefox, and Google Chrome. I use either google, or yahoo when I do searches. No matter which one I am using, when I go to a search engine and type in what I want, it brings up the results, but when I click on any link it goes to an entirely different website that has nothing to do with what I am searching for.

Sometimes I can go back, do it again and it will work, other times I can't get off the website. Only twice has it ever gone to a porn site, most of the time it's just random. It's driving me nuts! What's wrong with this thing?!
Also I can type the website I want directly into the url place and it will work just fine.

I have a Compaq Presario CQ56 with a wireless internet set up, and I use Comcast for my internet if that helps at all.

It doesn't do this on the Admin's desktop, just mine.

Trojan more than likely.....do a virus scan

reply to post by lilowl53


Most likely your browser has been hijacked by adware. I would download malwarebytes and run that to see if it comes up with anything. Do you have virus protection software installed? Good Luck!

reply to post by loves a conspiricy


concur ,,, virus..... download-----Kaspersky-- it's free for 3o-days i own mine love it... try it for free

Sounds like a virus. Use Norton for a scan.

First, download Malwarebytes anti-malware from here
Install> decline trial> update> run quickscan, not full scan. Then we need to reset your hosts file. You can do that here

After restarting, run a quick virus scan with this.

If that does the trick, great. If not, let me know, and we'll take it from there.

Hope that helps.

reply to post by lilowl53


Ouch, it sounds like you have been poisoned by CW. This is one hell of a virus, and malware, kaspersky, avg, and the rest will not help you. Most of the people that have encountered this particular virus have had to re format their hard drives, and re install windows.

You can attempt a rootkit cleanup with this www.sophos.com... , but it doesn't always work, depends on the virus version your infected with.
I had it, and had to completely wipe my drives as it can easily remain after just a windows uninstall/ install, it also sends your browser history to several marketing companies, so deal with it now. If you need instructions on how to reformat, PM me and I will post them in the thread.

I also wanted to add that I find it disturbing that every tech question that comes up here is answered with "malware bytes" the programs good, but not that good.

*you will know its CW for sure if you see the coolsearch site or other similar wording comes up in search sessions, and if your redirects are marketing sites or work at home deals. The other clear way to tell that its CW is if when you type a site into your address bar, and click go, that it redirects, and the big giveaway is that by pressing refresh the instant after you press go takes you to the correct site.

F-Secure Free Online Scanner is good if you don't want install anything.

www.f-secure.com...

Really does sound like a bug has got in there.
Lots of free anti virus sites to get you help like antivir or spybot and even a-squared..

Just as a bit of future information, you could always try the new YACY search function.

You can even become a peer!!

I only found out about it this morning and posted a thread about it earlier;
YACY search engine launch slows site due to media response

I hope it helps in the future...

reply to post by DrunkNinja

I also wanted to add that I find it disturbing that every tech question that comes up here is answered with "malware bytes" the programs good, but not that good.

It's because mbytes is a starting point when you're dealing with a computer over the internet. You don't immediately pull out the big guns, or reformat peoples hard drives until you know it's called for. You also don't make immediate assumptions on which type of infection they have based on what they have written in a forum.

I find it disturbing when techs want to go to extremes before they find out how simple or complicated the infections are.

reply to post by Klassified


When the symptoms of cancer show doctors shouldn't prescribe asprin. There are very few viruses that do what the op has described, and none of them can be resolved with malware bytes, never mind the fact that every single person that owns a computer knows what malware bytes is, probably because its so over suggested.

Out of curiosity what would you have suggested the op do after malware bytes shuts down midscan and freeze's the comp, which is most likely what the op is going through right now ?

*also, malware bytes is not the starting point, asking the client what anti virus they are using now is, from there you get the client to utilize their existing software, and if they don't have an anti virus installed you would use an online scanner, as program downloads such as malware bytes can trigger vampire programming in the new breed of virus, hence the midscan computer freeze. and the reason I find its immediate suggestion of download disturbing.

It would seem that telling someone to download programs is making the assumption that they don't have one installed, and I gave the op options as well as a proper symptom list that will aid in the diagnosis, and yes if it is CW you reformat if it can't be resolved by the link I gave there is no two ways about it.

reply to post by Klassified


Worked!

Thanks!

Thank you everyone for your suggestions and help! I am hoping that thing is gone for good now.
Just wondering tho...is keeping my WiFi on all the time allowing me to be attacked? It's a locked system, but it never gets turned off. I never download junk or click on attachments, so I am not sure how I got this thing in the first place.

reply to post by Thebel


I did this as well, found ones the other didn't. Thank you!

reply to post by lilowl53


If your actual internet connection is secured with a nice password, then you wont get any attacks as you imagine.
Computers are normally attacked from connecting to the internet, ie, a website or an email.

These websites and emails can sometimes contain hidden files, like cookies, that download to your system without your knowledge. Sometimes, the most innocent of sites can have some serious issues behind it.

Some sites get hacked and viruses spread that way. You may have even clicked open an email which directed you to a web site that you visited out of curiosity... these types of attacks are common.

It does seem that it is nothing you have intentionally done through going to any particular type of web site, I'd say you've been to an innocent site/link and picked up this issue without your knowledge and the damage gets worse over time..

There are lots of ways to help yourself protect your computer. Depending on how often you use it depends on how often you have to run any system scans using anti virus or malware programmes.

I have three progs that I run at least twice a month and I'm online everyday
I use;
Avira
Spybot
A-squared

All of which are completely free to download and use unless you choose to pay for them. Have been using these for years and have had a very good record with them... They are light and do not use up too much system resources.

Most of this stuff comes from email or random websites - ads and such. I deal with this weekly - I have a good enterprise antivirus and about 35 users and 60 computers. Most times the trojan/virius whatever, wont allow you to get to any of the antivirus sites to download programs. I have a small thumb drive that I have downloaded CCleaner Avast and Malwarebytes to. I start the computer in safe mode and run and rerun these programs -- I have found that once is usually not enough. Sometimes it takes a little more - a registry search or controlling the start up with msconfig. PLEASE stay away from the tool bars I find a lot of crap comes from these. You can remove most of these through the ad/remove programs utility.

Just as a tip that I very seldom see but is an incredible time saver. I have a device that I bought from Frys et al that plugs into sata or ide drives and turns them into a USB drive. I have found that if I take the drive out of the computer that won't boot, set it up as a USB drive and run chkdsk on it - the drive is fixed and I don't have to format and reload (which can eat up a whole day) works 90 percent of the time and the USB device only costs 15 -20 bux. One of the most useful tools in my kit.

reply to post by DrunkNinja


I won't argue with you. I've been designing, building, and working on systems for about 25 years. I have a good idea of what I'm doing. And I have nothing to prove to you or anyone else. I'd like to say I know it all, but none of us does. I learn everyday.

A fellow ATSer asked for help, and I was happy to oblige. Though I normally don't frequent this topic because of the very thing you did in this thread.

I said a starting point, not the starting point. And that was in this case. Another case might have been a different starting point.

Originally posted by DrunkNinja
reply to post by Klassified

 

When the symptoms of cancer show doctors shouldn't prescribe asprin. There are very few viruses that do what the op has described, and none of them can be resolved with malware bytes, never mind the fact that every single person that owns a computer knows what malware bytes is, probably because its so over suggested.

Out of curiosity what would you have suggested the op do after malware bytes shuts down midscan and freeze's the comp, which is most likely what the op is going through right now ?

*also, malware bytes is not the starting point, asking the client what anti virus they are using now is, from there you get the client to utilize their existing software, and if they don't have an anti virus installed you would use an online scanner, as program downloads such as malware bytes can trigger vampire programming in the new breed of virus, hence the midscan computer freeze. and the reason I find its immediate suggestion of download disturbing.

It would seem that telling someone to download programs is making the assumption that they don't have one installed, and I gave the op options as well as a proper symptom list that will aid in the diagnosis, and yes if it is CW you reformat if it can't be resolved by the link I gave there is no two ways about it.

edit on 29-11-2011 by DrunkNinja because: (no reason given)

There are all kinds oif viri that act like this, most of the time I can get them using these tools - I have to deal with this once or twice a week and have been doing computer stuff professionally since 1980.

Malware bytes works well and regularly - I swear by it. When my users have problems with their home computers I recommend this and it usually works.