Features

Darryl · #1

I have the latest version of Ad-Aware 6.
I also have Norton Anti-virus.
I run them every day now.

However, I still have something lurking in my PC because my home page, which I keep set to 'blank', keeps getting reset to some crappy search engine, and I can't seem to clean it out.

I even had this on my browser: (Is this legit from Microsoft??)

If you see this page your hosts file has been hacked. Please use the instruction below to clean your machine.

You cannot reach the site you where trying to reach without following this procedure! - Please follow the steps provided in this document and make sure to download all patches for your computer from the Windows Update Site which can be found here:
http://windowsupdate.microsoft.com/

1. Start regedit,
find HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Curre ntVersion\Run ,
delete starting of svchost.exe file,
reboot your computer,
delete file svchost.exe in windows directory.

2. Reboot windows and start in
SAFE MODE (F8 key on keyboard before windows starting),
delete file winlogon.exe in directory: CDocuments and Settings\All Users\Start Menu\Programs\Startup

3. Clear your 'hosts' file.
How to edit your hosts file: locate it first, either by browsing to the directory (as shown above) or by hitting "Start - Search - select all files and folders - type in 'hosts' (without the quotation marks) and hit search. When the file is found, click with your right mouse button on the file and select 'Open With...' This will bring up a list of programs to edit the file with. Select Notepad from that list and click OK. - Remove all lines from the file and type in: 127.0.0.1 localhost. Now close the file and save your changes.
For Windows 95/98/Millenium machines: Locate the file hosts in your CWindows directory. Just delete it or edit it with a text editor like notepad and make sure there is only one line there:
127.0.0.1 localhost
For Windows 2000 machines: Locate the file hosts in your CWinnt\System32\Drivers\Etc directory. Just delete it or edit it with a text editor like notepad and make sure there is only one line there:
127.0.0.1 localhost
For Windows XP machines: Locate the file hosts in your CWindows\System32\Drivers\Etc directory. Just delete it or edit it with a text editor like notepad and make sure there is only one line there:
127.0.0.1 localhost

Bennett · #2

I had that happen to me, and i don't know too much about computers. I went to a website called

www.computercops.biz

went to the forums (the hijack-spyware forum) they make you download a program called hijackthis (its free), and you run it and cut and paste a log and they'll tell you what to do. it took a while, but if you are patient they are very helpful and had my computer better in no time.

AChimp · #3

Edorion, you do NOT want to do any of the things listed on that page. If anything, you want your hosts file filled up with goodies to block all the gay shit.

Try downloading Spybot and cranking up your IE privacy and security settings.

Spybot and AdAware may fight each other, though, but each one gets rid of stuff that the other one misses.

FartinMowler · #4

I had the same thing happen. I burn all my info and as soon as I get constant crashing or problems that won't stop I wipe out the hard drive and start again. I think that getting another Hard drive for dedicated and one for saving shit is a good idea.

Darryl · #5

Thanks so much, Chimp!
I cranked up both Security and Privacy settings.
I also installed Spybot - Search & Destroy, and it found some nasties.

The only thing left is....how much of a problem is it if I have already cleaned out that 'hosts' file? :/

whoreable · #6

not a problem at all. chimp was just suggesting you might want to add some things in there to prevent some adds from loading. it is not nesaccary.

basically the hosts file tells your system to redirect any web address or domain name to a different location.

AChimp · #7

Yeah. People basically fill their hosts file up with the URLs of ad sites and stuff so when the computer requests one of those addresses, it tries to look at itself for the information, fails and then no ads appear.

I think there are a few places where you can get a hosts file filled with stuff. I know that Kazaa Lite came with one. I'll look around for something and upload it then post a link... unless someone beats me to it.

executioneer · #8

also, get ZoneAlarm or some other firewall for extra plus protection

-willie

Zbu Manowar · #9

When I was playing around with XP my version of IE6 had the same problem. After some investigating I found this neat little program called CWShredder that cures this with no problem. If you can do a search for it on Yahoo you can find the latest version (which they do weekly) and it can solve this problem no sweat.