mjed0
Thread Starter
- Joined
- Aug 14, 2002
- Messages
- 78
I have a huge problem with Internet Explorer 6 and would like some advice please. I run windows ME and have disabled system restore.
I was on a website today when suddenly there were three or four popups (all of them were ANTI-spyware related) which I closed by right-clicking them from the task bar. Once I got the last one closed the page on my screen changed to a different page which comes up as "about:blank". The page features a large "search the web" list of links. I did not at any point click on the links.
I believe the website that brought me to this annoying spyware was tvtone.com but I wouldn't advise you go there! It seems ironic that a spyware program would display links to "anti spyware" information.
Anyhow, now my HOMEPAGE has changed to this about:blank page. The page appears before I'm even online so it must be a file on my computer somewhere. If I change my homepage back to Yahoo, it defaults back to the spyware one when I refire my Browser.
I've tried everything I can think of including running two anti-virus programs, cleaning my cookies, history, and temporary internet files, cleaning my registries etc. The anti-virus software can't find anything amiss, and even when my computer is as clean as I can possibly make it, the annoying about:blank page is there as my homepage.
One thing the about:blank page seems to do is to affect the active X settings as I am unable to run Panda online virus scan.... when I try it says my security settings won't allow it. I lessened the browser security to prompt before allowing active X and it still won't let me run the online virus scan - when I try, the annoying three or four popups and about:blank page are back.
I went into startup under MSCONFIG and can't find anything new running there.
I also went into ADD/REMOVE via control panel, and there is something suspicious there called "SEARCH ASSISTANT UNINSTALL". I am thinking this is the culprit, however, it says "Uninstal uncucessful" when I try to remove it.
I have also tried doing a fix on Internet Explorer 6 via add/remove in control panel, but the same thing is still occuring.
Do any of you know what this SEARCH ASSISTANT program that changes my homepage is, and how I can get rid of it? I am unable to run any online virus scans and my own AV software won't detect it. It only seems to be effecting my Internet Explorer Browser and Netscape still seems OK.
One last point, with just the ONE about:blank window open, zone alarm is displaying THREE different lots of Internet Explorer running. Is this a trojan?
Please help. Any advice would be appreciated.
Thanks in advance,
Mjed
I was on a website today when suddenly there were three or four popups (all of them were ANTI-spyware related) which I closed by right-clicking them from the task bar. Once I got the last one closed the page on my screen changed to a different page which comes up as "about:blank". The page features a large "search the web" list of links. I did not at any point click on the links.
I believe the website that brought me to this annoying spyware was tvtone.com but I wouldn't advise you go there! It seems ironic that a spyware program would display links to "anti spyware" information.
Anyhow, now my HOMEPAGE has changed to this about:blank page. The page appears before I'm even online so it must be a file on my computer somewhere. If I change my homepage back to Yahoo, it defaults back to the spyware one when I refire my Browser.
I've tried everything I can think of including running two anti-virus programs, cleaning my cookies, history, and temporary internet files, cleaning my registries etc. The anti-virus software can't find anything amiss, and even when my computer is as clean as I can possibly make it, the annoying about:blank page is there as my homepage.
One thing the about:blank page seems to do is to affect the active X settings as I am unable to run Panda online virus scan.... when I try it says my security settings won't allow it. I lessened the browser security to prompt before allowing active X and it still won't let me run the online virus scan - when I try, the annoying three or four popups and about:blank page are back.
I went into startup under MSCONFIG and can't find anything new running there.
I also went into ADD/REMOVE via control panel, and there is something suspicious there called "SEARCH ASSISTANT UNINSTALL". I am thinking this is the culprit, however, it says "Uninstal uncucessful" when I try to remove it.
I have also tried doing a fix on Internet Explorer 6 via add/remove in control panel, but the same thing is still occuring.
Do any of you know what this SEARCH ASSISTANT program that changes my homepage is, and how I can get rid of it? I am unable to run any online virus scans and my own AV software won't detect it. It only seems to be effecting my Internet Explorer Browser and Netscape still seems OK.
One last point, with just the ONE about:blank window open, zone alarm is displaying THREE different lots of Internet Explorer running. Is this a trojan?
Please help. Any advice would be appreciated.
Thanks in advance,
Mjed