Do you know what spyware I have?

Here is some information from a Google support site. This seems to be a very malicious piece of spyware (ugh). If you google the words redirect virus, you’ll find lots of hits (assuming you don’t get redirected somewhere else :-)

Download Spybot Search and Destroy (free) and let it have a run. AVG anti-virus is also free and provides decent protection.

Also, don’t use Internet Explorer. Use Firefox, Safari, Chrome or Opera. I’m not an expert on browsers, but I do know that Firefox and Safari are much more secure than IE.

@kevbo: I ran avast!, spybot and adaware. Nothing. And as a religion, I don’t use IE. Ugh. I hate it. I am completely baffled by this heinous piece of spyware. I am using internet with a firewall and all of those protection software programs I listed above, as well as Firefox.
I’ll do some more checking, but right now it seems like my only option is a complete re-install. :-(

@Les. The links I provided above tell you how to get rid of this redirect virus. I think it revolves around downloading a program called Hijackthis, and going from there.

You might try cleaning your registry before doing a clean install.

Also, some of the viruses get activated on the first pass, so if you run two scans simultaneously, you have a better chance of spotting the dormant viruses.

Oh, but follow shilo’s advice.

LOL. Thanks for translating the sites for me. This may be a dumb question, but how can I download things if I can’t even navigate to the sites? I can’t even type in certain web addresses to get to these anti malware sites and to hijackthis.

Some of the symptoms that Les describes might also point to DNS cache poisoning. You can do a DNS vulnerability check to confirm.

—

@Les, how are you getting here to Fluther if your browser is redirecting willy-nilly?

It is redirecting me from some sites. I tried to type in the URL for “hijackthis”, nothing. Fluther seems to work OK, as does yahoo and the google site. It is strange. It’s as if the spyware knows you are going to go looking for ways to get rid of it, but stops you. I do have access to another computer, so I may have to download things from that system to then install on here.

lol, so you’ll just have a bunch of questions like:
“Who can answer with a hyperlink to (insert website here) the quickest?”

fireside: Yeah, no. I won’t taint the beauty of Fluther with all of that nonsense.

All of your tips have been fabulous, but I still can’t seem to navigate around. Super slow connection doesn’t help, either. Thanks for the help.

You got 2 options:

1. Start>All Programs>Accessories>System Tools>System Restore

or

2. Buy a Mac

Gee windex. Not helpful.

Why do people assume that people who don’t have macs don’t know anything? I have Windows for very specific reasons. Believe me. I am not completely computer illiterate.

sry windex…he’s got a 3rd
Linux and wine.

@Les: didn’t mean to get you upset. :(

“System Restore” has saved my life SO MANY times, I thought that was a good idea, sorry if it didn’t help.

I just don’t believe in those “VirusScannerProtectorPopupBlocker” programs.
Try going to a few sites that are selling these things.
I Promise you after visiting those sites, you’ll get some sort of a virus/trojan etc.

@windex. I’ll try a system restore. Thanks for that. :-)

I did it. And I didn’t have to system restore or reinstall windows. For now, there are no trojans on my computer (that I know of). Thanks for all the help.

let us know if you need any system files and/or programs to send you (since you might not be able to visit those sites and/or download them…)

use trend micro housecall its a online scanner and it’s free

or restore ur pc or switch to ubuntu