IE Problem...

[michael04]

Hi,

In the last few days ive been having a problem with IE, where the browser window (normally the one that i first opened) abruptly changes to an annoying website with various security popups (www.silvermagnet.com/???.html - not linking the full site, woried it could spread somehow). This has caused me to lose websites that i am on, and has crashed programs that i am running, because it starts up IE to go to the website if IE is not already open.

I have tried the rollback feature of windowsxp, went back a week but it didnt work, and deleting temporary files etc. hasnt worked. I have also run Ad-aware6.0 and discovered a few things (all data-miners) but with them deleted, this website still pops up.

Just wondering if anyone who is more computer literate than I could suggest a way of fixing this. Also, I recently wiped and reinstalled my entire system, and ever since the processes tab of the windows task manager has been completely blanked out (not greyed, but it is blocked so that i cannot see what processes are running). This is very unusual, because the listing at the bottom still says the amount of processes that are running, i just cant view/close them.

Thanks alot for any suggestions,
Mike.

 

[confoundicator]

First try this. Open IE. Click "Tools." Click "Internet Options." Change your homepage to anything except for www.silvermagnet.com/???.html.

If that works disregard the rest of this message.

Are you running any virus protection at all?

If not you can download AVG Antivirus for free (Google will find it). Also I would download SpyBot Search & Destroy (Google). After you install those, update the definitions and run full scans (with Ad-aware too).

I also like to check the popular spot in the registry for viruses:
My Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
This is the spot where trojans drop those pesky registry entries that make programs start up when you reboot. If you see anything suspicious then copy the programs's name into Google (example: 134115ack.exe) and see what it returns.

If the problem persists there's always:
fdisk format reinstall
doo da
doo da


He that but looketh on a plate of ham and eggs to lust after it, hath already committed breakfast with it in his heart. -C.S. Lewis

 

[michael04]

Thanks, ive realised its a virus, and it seems to have control over internet explorer, because when i went on google and searched exactly "AVG Antivirus" it would automatically close the browser. simply searching "AVG" worked though. The problem i have now is, that when i click on the link to the website that has AVG on it, the browser automatically closes it too. Going to check out download.com or a P2P network, will hopefully find a copy there.
Thanks again for the help, i'll post again if i still cant find a solution.

EDIT: Ive managed to download a copy of AVG, but when i run the .exe file, it closes automatically. I believe there is a program running that is preventing me from openeing it, but because i cant see what tasks are running (described in my first post) i have no way of closing it.<P ID="edit"><FONT SIZE=-1><EM>Edited by michael04 on 06/03/04 11:22 AM.</EM></FONT></P>

 

[Auburn9698]

Have you tried CWShredder yet? (If ya can get to it)

Think this is where I got it, and it fixed stuff nothing else did. <A HREF="http://www.spywareinfo.com/~merijn/cwschronicles.html" target="_new">http://www.spywareinfo.com/~merijn/cwschronicles.html</A>

<font color=blue>War</font color=blue> <font color=orange>Eagle</font color=orange>
"I am not a role model." - Charles Barkley
{FTM}

 

[michael04]

Thanks for the suggestions so far. I'm trying to fix it, but ive recently discovered that it is blocking access to Windows Update aswell, so i cant download any updates available from there. If it comes to it, I will reformat, but i'm trying to avoid this, so if anyone has come across something similar, please post anything you tried to remove it. Thanks alot!

 

[confoundicator]

Here is an excellent site if you are up against an unknown virus that won't go away. Just be sure to read the FAQ and follow the directions before posting there.

<A HREF="http://forum.gladiator-antivirus.com/index.php?showforum=170" target="_new">Gladiator Security Forum</A>

Make sure to come back and let us know how it goes. Good luck!

He that but looketh on a plate of ham and eggs to lust after it, hath already committed breakfast with it in his heart. -C.S. Lewis

 

[Ned_Flanders]

thats 1 resiliant virus...closing down IE!

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