search engines

[vidya]

Hello,

Since last couple of days, I am unable to view search
engines mainly 'google'. When i try to download, a
message comes up 'the page cannot be displayed'. When I
try to search anything in 'Yahoo' the same thing happens.
Any idea what could be wrong? thanks.

 

[Hans Le Roy]

Hi,

Search for a file called HOSTS (without extension). Open it and delete all
lines that contain 127.0.0.1 and yahoo.com, and the lines containing
127.0.0.1 and google.com. Save the file. Restart Windows.

Kind regards

Hans Le Roy
MS MVP Win/IE-OE

 

[GG]

I also found out that I had the qhosts virus.
http://206.204.212.69/avcenter/venc/data/trojan.qhosts.html
Check your pc for the qhosts virus too.
After removing the virus I still had the search problem.
I"m checking my hosts file now.

 

[GG]

I just located my hosts file.
I have the default host file that comes with XP on my machine and I still
can't search.
I have tried deleting the internet explorer and internet settings registry
keys from another pc but no luck.
This search error also occurs on another browser (opera).

My default hosts file found in c:\winnt\system32\drivers\etc\hosts
looks like this:

# Copyright (c) 1993-1999 Microsoft Corp.

#

# This is a sample HOSTS file used by Microsoft TCP/IP for Windows.

#

# This file contains the mappings of IP addresses to host names. Each

# entry should be kept on an individual line. The IP address should

# be placed in the first column followed by the corresponding host name.

# The IP address and the host name should be separated by at least one

# space.

#

# Additionally, comments (such as these) may be inserted on individual

# lines or following the machine name denoted by a '#' symbol.

#

# For example:

#

# 102.54.94.97 rhino.acme.com # source server

# 38.25.63.10 x.acme.com # x client host

127.0.0.1 localhost

 

[GG]

Check this out.
I have checked two pcs.
My pc has another hosts file found at c:\winnt\help\hosts

I suspect maybe the Qhost virus did this.
Another pc doesn't have any hosts file at c:\winnt\help

This is what that hosts file looks like.
(I have copied this hosts file to c:\download and renamed it hosts.bad)
(I am going to copy my default hosts from c:\winnt\system32\drivers\etc to
c:\winnt\help.)
I deleted the host file from c:\winnt\help but I still can't search. That's
why I copied the host file from Microsoft to c:\winnt\help.
(Does anyone else that cant search have a host file in c:\winnt\help?)

The other hosts file on my machine looks like this
c:\winnt\help\hosts:
88.88.88.88 elite

207.44.194.56 www.google.akadns.net

207.44.194.56 www.google.com

207.44.194.56 google.com

207.44.194.56 www.altavista.com

207.44.194.56 altavista.com

207.44.194.56 search.yahoo.com

207.44.194.56 uk.search.yahoo.com

207.44.194.56 ca.search.yahoo.com

207.44.194.56 jp.search.yahoo.com

207.44.194.56 au.search.yahoo.com

207.44.194.56 de.search.yahoo.com

207.44.194.56 search.yahoo.co.jp

207.44.194.56 www.lycos.de

207.44.194.56 www.lycos.ca

207.44.194.56 www.lycos.jp

207.44.194.56 www.lycos.co.jp

207.44.194.56 alltheweb.com

207.44.194.56 web.ask.com

207.44.194.56 ask.com

207.44.194.56 www.ask.com

207.44.194.56 www.teoma.com

207.44.194.56 search.aol.com

207.44.194.56 www.looksmart.com

207.44.194.56 auto.search.msn.com

207.44.194.56 search.msn.com

207.44.194.56 ca.search.msn.com

207.44.194.56 fr.ca.search.msn.com

207.44.194.56 search.fr.msn.be

207.44.194.56 search.fr.msn.ch

207.44.194.56 search.latam.yupimsn.com

207.44.194.56 search.msn.at

207.44.194.56 search.msn.be

207.44.194.56 search.msn.ch

207.44.194.56 search.msn.co.in

207.44.194.56 search.msn.co.jp

207.44.194.56 search.msn.co.kr

207.44.194.56 search.msn.com.br

207.44.194.56 search.msn.com.hk

207.44.194.56 search.msn.com.my

207.44.194.56 search.msn.com.sg

207.44.194.56 search.msn.com.tw

207.44.194.56 search.msn.co.za

207.44.194.56 search.msn.de

207.44.194.56 search.msn.dk

207.44.194.56 search.msn.es

207.44.194.56 search.msn.fi

207.44.194.56 search.msn.fr

207.44.194.56 search.msn.it

207.44.194.56 search.msn.nl

207.44.194.56 search.msn.no

207.44.194.56 search.msn.se

207.44.194.56 search.ninemsn.com.au

207.44.194.56 search.t1msn.com.mx

207.44.194.56 search.xtramsn.co.nz

207.44.194.56 search.yupimsn.com

207.44.194.56 uk.search.msn.com

207.44.194.56 search.lycos.com

207.44.194.56 www.lycos.com

207.44.194.56 www.google.ca

207.44.194.56 google.ca

207.44.194.56 www.google.uk

207.44.194.56 www.google.co.uk

207.44.194.56 www.google.com.au

207.44.194.56 www.google.co.jp

207.44.194.56 www.google.jp

207.44.194.56 www.google.at

207.44.194.56 www.google.be

207.44.194.56 www.google.ch

207.44.194.56 www.google.de

207.44.194.56 www.google.se

207.44.194.56 www.google.dk

207.44.194.56 www.google.fi

207.44.194.56 www.google.fr

207.44.194.56 www.google.com.gr

207.44.194.56 www.google.com.hk

207.44.194.56 www.google.ie

207.44.194.56 www.google.co.il

207.44.194.56 www.google.it

207.44.194.56 www.google.co.kr

207.44.194.56 www.google.com.mx

207.44.194.56 www.google.nl

207.44.194.56 www.google.co.nz

207.44.194.56 www.google.pl

207.44.194.56 www.google.pt

207.44.194.56 www.google.com.ru

207.44.194.56 www.google.com.sg

207.44.194.56 www.google.co.th

207.44.194.56 www.google.com.tr

207.44.194.56 www.google.com.tw

207.44.194.56 go.google.com

207.44.194.56 google.at

207.44.194.56 google.be

207.44.194.56 google.de

207.44.194.56 google.dk

207.44.194.56 google.fi

207.44.194.56 google.fr

207.44.194.56 google.com.hk

207.44.194.56 google.ie

207.44.194.56 google.co.il

207.44.194.56 google.it

207.44.194.56 google.co.kr

207.44.194.56 google.com.mx

207.44.194.56 google.nl

207.44.194.56 google.co.nz

207.44.194.56 google.pl

207.44.194.56 google.com.ru

207.44.194.56 google.com.sg

207.44.194.56 www.hotbot.com

207.44.194.56 hotbot.com

 

[GG]

Also, the date on the strange hosts file on my pc is 9/30/03

 

[Hans Le Roy]

Hi,

Hm - nothing wrong with the HOSTS file.

I have to leave, but you might read
http://www.mvps.org/inetexplorer/answers4.htm#search_engine Please let me
know if it helps.

Kind regards

Hans Le Roy
MS MVP Win/IE-OE

 

[medgirl]

I just located my hosts file.
I have the default host file that comes with XP on my machine and I still
can't search.

I had to delete more than one hosts file. The site recommended by the other
poster here guided me through how to fix it.
http://www.mvps.org/inetexplorer/answers4.htm#search_engine

 

[H Leboeuf]

What about this parasite.

http://www.f-secure.com/v-descs/delude.shtml

NAME: Delude
ALIAS: Trojan.BAT.Startpage.a
Delude is a trojan that is available on a web page. The web page contains a
code that uses a vulnerability in the Internet Explorer (MS03-032) to
execute.
More information about the vulnerability, including a fix, is available from
Microsoft at:
http://www.microsoft.com/security/security_bulletins/ms03-032.asp
VARIANT: Delude.A
The HTA code available on a web page downloads a file "partyboy.exe" from an
ftp site and runs it. This file is is packed with UPX. It is a batch file
which was compiled to executable binary (".exe") using a BatToExe tool.
When executed, it changes the Internet Explorer start page to find-now.info.
It prevents access to the most major search engines such as Google, Yahoo,
Lycos, MSN and AltaVista. To do this it replaces the following file: