Hello All!
I am stuck...
I have a Dell Inspiron 6000 on a wireless network with Windows XP (SP3) running McAffee Internet Security, last updated about 30 days ago. The firewall is enabled.
I noticed sometime after the last week of November that my browser (IE6) wasn't working correctly...google is set as the homepage. When I googled something the results were fine but I couldn't access the sites through the links. Clicking on the links brought me to commercial searches with the same search strings and a horde of advertisements. I could, however, cut and paste the link from the result into the address bar and get there. I ran the McAfee Internet Security full scan and it came back clean. When I realized that it seemed like the antivirus wasn't updating (about a week ago) I tried to go to the McAfee site and got a blank page. I tried to go to Norton, Symantec, McAfee, AVG, etc. and got blank pages. I can go to Microsoft's home page and navigate the site but can't get to the updates page.
I found the "8 things" thread on this forum and read through that - I can't download many of the recommended programs directly - I had to use my wife's computer to save them to a flashdrive and then copy them to my computer. I upgraded the Java and now have IE7. With IE7 - if I try to access one of the blocked sites (e.g. McAfee) from the google search I now get a runtime error, if I type it diectly into the address bar I get a blank page and IE freezes. I saved the malwarebytes from a link in this forum to my desktop (from the flash drive) and when I try to execute it I get a dialog box that the files are corrupt...
I have run the following scans at least twice each, both in full and safe mode, and disconnected from the internet when possible:
Microsoft malicious software removal tool - clean
McAfee Internet Security - clean
CC Cleaner -
McAfee Stinger - clean
Ad-Aware - found & removed 14 privacy threats, cookies - no critical threats, now clean
Windows Defender - clean
Microsoft Livecare One online scan - found & removed a total of 4 threats, now clean
Hijack this (log attached)
can't run Malwarebyte/ can't download directly to my computer
can't run the Superantispyware/ can't download directly to my computer
Still can't access any anti-malware/virus sites directly
Still can't access the Mcafee site or update my definitions/engine - 8-30 days out of date, at least (I tried saving the DAT definitons file to the flash and executing from the desktop - it can't find "eligible" product to update...I have the OEM installed Mcafee so shouldn't be an issue...
Any help is appreciated - don't know what to do next except reformat, and I don't want to have to do that unless necessary.
Thanks!!!
I am stuck...
I have a Dell Inspiron 6000 on a wireless network with Windows XP (SP3) running McAffee Internet Security, last updated about 30 days ago. The firewall is enabled.
I noticed sometime after the last week of November that my browser (IE6) wasn't working correctly...google is set as the homepage. When I googled something the results were fine but I couldn't access the sites through the links. Clicking on the links brought me to commercial searches with the same search strings and a horde of advertisements. I could, however, cut and paste the link from the result into the address bar and get there. I ran the McAfee Internet Security full scan and it came back clean. When I realized that it seemed like the antivirus wasn't updating (about a week ago) I tried to go to the McAfee site and got a blank page. I tried to go to Norton, Symantec, McAfee, AVG, etc. and got blank pages. I can go to Microsoft's home page and navigate the site but can't get to the updates page.
I found the "8 things" thread on this forum and read through that - I can't download many of the recommended programs directly - I had to use my wife's computer to save them to a flashdrive and then copy them to my computer. I upgraded the Java and now have IE7. With IE7 - if I try to access one of the blocked sites (e.g. McAfee) from the google search I now get a runtime error, if I type it diectly into the address bar I get a blank page and IE freezes. I saved the malwarebytes from a link in this forum to my desktop (from the flash drive) and when I try to execute it I get a dialog box that the files are corrupt...
I have run the following scans at least twice each, both in full and safe mode, and disconnected from the internet when possible:
Microsoft malicious software removal tool - clean
McAfee Internet Security - clean
CC Cleaner -
McAfee Stinger - clean
Ad-Aware - found & removed 14 privacy threats, cookies - no critical threats, now clean
Windows Defender - clean
Microsoft Livecare One online scan - found & removed a total of 4 threats, now clean
Hijack this (log attached)
can't run Malwarebyte/ can't download directly to my computer
can't run the Superantispyware/ can't download directly to my computer
Still can't access any anti-malware/virus sites directly
Still can't access the Mcafee site or update my definitions/engine - 8-30 days out of date, at least (I tried saving the DAT definitons file to the flash and executing from the desktop - it can't find "eligible" product to update...I have the OEM installed Mcafee so shouldn't be an issue...
Any help is appreciated - don't know what to do next except reformat, and I don't want to have to do that unless necessary.
Thanks!!!
