There is a very good chance that you are seeing the effects of a
hijackware
infection!
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 the 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/data/prevention.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 as
well.**
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 Desktop Experience - since 2002
Jim said:
Hi: Yes, it happens without clicking on Internet Explorer.
I have not installed Internet Explorer 8. I am still using Iternet
Explorer
7.
PA Bear wrote:
Does this happen without clicking on the Internet Explorer (IE) icon?
Did you recently install IE8?
The above notwithstanding, there is a very good chance that you are
seeing
the effects of a hijackware infection!
Jim 2009 wrote:
Hi: I have WindowsXP Service pack 3. Icon page is the desktop.
Thanks
for
the information on posting. This is my first post.
PA Bear wrote:
Please state your IE version and full Windows version (e.g., WinXP
SP3;
Vista x64 SP2) when posting to this newsgroup.
What's "the Icon page"?
Jim 2009 wrote:
Hi all: When I start my computer and go to the Icon page I get this
error
message:
Windows Internet Explorer
Cannot find 'file///'
Make sure the path or internet address is correct.
I have to close this error message before I can use the programs.
How
can
I
fix this?
