Well i have an odd issue. First the background - my work PC got infected with a redirecting virus/trojan. When I would try to use google I would get the search results and then an additional browser tab would open and send me off to another site.
I got the PC virus free - however how when I use google - JUST for the search engine - the screen goes white and the status bar sits on "waiting for a response from google"and thats it.
I have reinstalled Firefox - didnt work
I have ran numerous scans - PC is still free of nasty bugs.
Anyone have any thoughts on this and or a remedy? (No im not buying a Mac)
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April 25th, 2008 07:53 AM #1tadpole
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Odd issue - search engine - viri etc
"Now go have a beer!"
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April 25th, 2008 09:23 AM #2Moderator
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Check your hosts file. If you're on Windows XP, it'll be in (for reasons known only to Microsoft) C:\WINDOWS\system32\drivers\etc - see if there's any entries that say Google, and delete them.
The man who gets angry at the right things and with the right people, and in the right way and at the right time and for the right length of time, is commended. - Aristotle (but not the Aristotle you're thinking of)
The important thing is not to stop questioning. Curiosity has its own reason for existing. - Albert Einstein
Mainly to keep a lid on the world's cat population. - Anon
I pressed the Ctrl key, but I'm still not in control!
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April 25th, 2008 10:03 AM #3tadpole
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Originally posted by Rosuav
Check your hosts file. If you're on Windows XP, it'll be in (for reasons known only to Microsoft) C:\WINDOWS\system32\drivers\etc - see if there's any entries that say Google, and delete them.
Thanks for the tip Rosuav - unfortunately there was no such entry in the file."Now go have a beer!"
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April 25th, 2008 11:54 AM #4Fire Bellied Toad
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Unfortunately, those things can get nasty. When I've run into situations like that (not recommending, just stating what I would do) is just reformat. Back up necessary information, format, start over.
Sure, I got a secret. More 'n one. Don't seem likely I tell 'em to you now, do it? Anyone off Titan colony knows better than to talk to strangers. You're talkin' loud enough for the both of us, though, ain't ya? I've met a dozen like you. Skipped off-home early. Minor graft jobs here and there. Spent some time in the lockdown, but less than you claim. And you're, what, a petty thief with delusions standing? Sad little king of a sad little hill.
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April 25th, 2008 12:44 PM #5Moderator
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Is this when you go to www.google.com or one of the country-specific ones? Try going to www.google.com.au or www.google.co.uk or any other Google-variant. Is that any different?
The man who gets angry at the right things and with the right people, and in the right way and at the right time and for the right length of time, is commended. - Aristotle (but not the Aristotle you're thinking of)
The important thing is not to stop questioning. Curiosity has its own reason for existing. - Albert Einstein
Mainly to keep a lid on the world's cat population. - Anon
I pressed the Ctrl key, but I'm still not in control!
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April 25th, 2008 01:36 PM #6tadpole
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Tried Google.au and a few other search engines - to no avail.
"Now go have a beer!"
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April 25th, 2008 09:47 PM #7Moderator
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There's probably something you could do to fix this, but it'd be a lot of work to try to diagnose it. The easiest thing would be what Elvion said.... full reinstall onto a clean HD.
At least your system is live enough to do the backup.The man who gets angry at the right things and with the right people, and in the right way and at the right time and for the right length of time, is commended. - Aristotle (but not the Aristotle you're thinking of)
The important thing is not to stop questioning. Curiosity has its own reason for existing. - Albert Einstein
Mainly to keep a lid on the world's cat population. - Anon
I pressed the Ctrl key, but I'm still not in control!
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April 26th, 2008 09:10 AM #8Administrator
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Re: Odd issue - search engine - viri etc
What kind of scans?Originally posted by Marston
I have ran numerous scans - PC is still free of nasty bugs.
I would try using these three first:
1) Lavasoft AdAware
2) Spybot Search and Destroy
3) SuperAntiSpyware (Free Edition)
I recently had a very weird piece of spyware that only #3 could get rid of.
Also, download HiJack This, which does some major scans and lets you find all sorts of possible problems. You have to kinda know what you are looking at to properly read the results and not ask it to delete something that shouldn't be deleted. But HiJack This seems to find EVERYTHING.Capitalization is the difference between "I had to help my Uncle Jack off a horse." and "I had to help my uncle jack off a horse."
There is never a good time for lazy writing!
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April 26th, 2008 04:10 PM #9Tree Frog
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A friend had this happen to her and she was able to cure it with an easy restoration of the registry, so what you want to do is go back to an old restore point before you had the problem. Windows automatically creates these for you, you only need to pick an appropriate date.
Accessories->System Tools->System Restore
This will return to a copy of the registry before you had the problem and hopefully stop loading the virus.
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