Wow is that problem pervasive this week...
Although a newbie HERE, I'm not an inexperienced user. I'm a web consultant and know my way around my computer (though that doesn't automatically follow). I've successfully duked it out with some viruses, malware and hacks in the past - but a month ago I got that same god-forsaken IE Google search redirect hack. I tried and failed to solve it, and after a week simply resigned myself to restricting searches to Firefox (which is a great browser but I have all my bookmarks etc. in IE from several years...). I suspected it was a rootkit, and since my Kaspersky rootkit scan didn't detect it, thought not much I could do.
Yesterday I got serious about it, and came across the 3-year-old (and of course closed) thread here on Techspots: https://www.techspot.com/vb/topic69253.html. I downloaded ComboFix and tested it on my #2 computer (which I can afford to take chances on). It ran without incident, but I was oh so careful and I understood virtually everything in the Log it produced afterward.
I DID then run it myself on the problem computer - and it found and fixed the problem (rootkit detected, then located an infected driver and successfully disinfected it). My IE searches are back to normal.
Having said that... I strongly second the Intro post on this forum regarding ComboFix (same thing urged and emphasized at in the bleepingcomputer.com tutorial from whence I downloaded ComboFix). Post your problem and your logs, and let someone guide you who's been there before and has the expertise. It's a good thing there's people available and willing to do so.
Although a newbie HERE, I'm not an inexperienced user. I'm a web consultant and know my way around my computer (though that doesn't automatically follow). I've successfully duked it out with some viruses, malware and hacks in the past - but a month ago I got that same god-forsaken IE Google search redirect hack. I tried and failed to solve it, and after a week simply resigned myself to restricting searches to Firefox (which is a great browser but I have all my bookmarks etc. in IE from several years...). I suspected it was a rootkit, and since my Kaspersky rootkit scan didn't detect it, thought not much I could do.
Yesterday I got serious about it, and came across the 3-year-old (and of course closed) thread here on Techspots: https://www.techspot.com/vb/topic69253.html. I downloaded ComboFix and tested it on my #2 computer (which I can afford to take chances on). It ran without incident, but I was oh so careful and I understood virtually everything in the Log it produced afterward.
I DID then run it myself on the problem computer - and it found and fixed the problem (rootkit detected, then located an infected driver and successfully disinfected it). My IE searches are back to normal.
Having said that... I strongly second the Intro post on this forum regarding ComboFix (same thing urged and emphasized at in the bleepingcomputer.com tutorial from whence I downloaded ComboFix). Post your problem and your logs, and let someone guide you who's been there before and has the expertise. It's a good thing there's people available and willing to do so.