Home computer problem

[Steve B]

Thank you, thank you, thank you.

Steve

[Roy]

=3D=3D Bingo =3D=3D

[Roy]

=3D=3D Very true...it's been there for ages...however there is a "Home hijacker" program by the same name unfortunately. "Not Bob" panics easily and when he saw info on "about:blank" on an anti-malware site he presumed it was after him. He won't use Flash or Java and consequently some sites won't work for him. His problem not anyone else's. =3D=3D

=3D=3D

[notbob]

After the 3rd time, that's when I changed to Linux. That was 10 yrs ago.

Strangely enough, NoScript is showing that "about:blank" script on Google's primary search site. Even stranger, not consistently across different browser and OSs. I've now blacklisted that script via NS's "untrusted" function on all boxes.

If you wanna try another crap killer check the host file approach:

This is an old inactive site but has lotta links and the concept is sound. Don't know if it works with current Window incarnations, but with Linux it will kill TONS of banners and ads, even with the old lists. Unfortunately, while that cleft-palate ad will be gone, its page space remains and has a "link unreachable" or similar msg still taking up space. Not as elegant as NoScript, but definitely effective.

As for Google, they're beginning to get on my nerves, too. I've been using duckduckgo.com, lately, with good results. Their main claim to fame is they keep no tracking records. Google would track your every breath, if they could.

nb

[Jeff Thies]

Don't know where you are on this problem, but if all else fails try Combo Fix:

Try this first though:

Combo Fix is very powerful, maybe too.

Jeff

[Jeff Thies]

Good question!

Jeff

[K. Lance]

Dump those two memory hogs IE & FF. Use Opera & you'll never go back to either one. Although I have several protections, it appears hackers & such do not like writing programs to exploit Opera.

BTW, Opera uses approx 1/3 the memory of FF.

[notbob]

They still charging a fee, unlike everyone else?

nb

[Jeff Thies]

One more thing, and I assume this applies to 7 but don't know for sure. Look in the system32 folder, sort by date, and see if there are any recent entries. If so rip them out if they look bad and remove any traces of them from the registry.

You may also try searching for "Google" in the registry and see what suspicious entries pop up. Sometimes it takes a few passes to get these out.

The other option is to search for files that were changed in the range of dates where the trouble started.

These are man power intensive, but can provide clues to just what happened.

I've never failed to fix a computer, sometimes you just have to wear it down. Is it worth it?

Jeff

[A. Baum]

He's got a DNS hack from a virus . Probably a rootkit and a botnet client too. The DNS hack keeps the infected computer from resolving any site name where the symptoms can be researched and resolved.

[Jim Yanik]

"K. Lance" wrote in news:ind00k$9co$ [e-mail]:

what version of Opera are you using? I use 10.62,was wondering how the later versions are working.

[Jeff Thies]

Oh, that isn't very pleasant! For those that don't know, the rootkit gives a hacker access at the most fundamental level.

If so, Combo Fix is probably going to be the best bet for someone with modest computer knowledge.

I'd physically disconnect from the internet first.

Note, my windows knowledge is limited. I know enough to take care of myself and my clients that run windows servers and that is about it. I really don't want to know more.

Google yields this on win 7 DNS:

I sometime alter DNS on my local box (XP) when I need to run a local webserver. It's different on XP.

That may, or may not help the OP. I still think Combo Fix.

Jeff

[clare]

You don't need to BLOCK it, just don't install it , and unistall it if you have installed it. Bing is not a virus or a trojan - but you need to be carefull not to download it with other stuff you download. Gotta read all the fine print.

[A. Baum]

I forget what it's commonly referred to but the right combo of key words in a google search will yield a lot of results about nameserver or resolver exploitation from infections .

There is a need to differentiate the exploits between name servers and Windows resolvers.

[Peter]

Using adblock plus, pop-up blocking, and deleting cookies (and flash cookies) at the end of each session, I also never experienced any of the garbage you refer to and never disabled java or javascript. As seems typical in the IT world today, there's often more than one way to accomplish a desired result.

I don't know what you mean by "exploring and trusting as in [sic] incrementally and related process." As you know, you can only learn to "trust" a site by disabling some of your noscript protection and then, it only takes 1 unfortunate click to learn that the site can't be trusted. You can experience 20 safe links on a site and the 21st may be poison (either due to innocence or malevolence on the part of the web page author).

In other words, I believe that you have to allow your system to be at least somewhat vulnerable in order to surf beyond google's hit list. You are doing it in a way that makes you comfortable. I am doing it in a way that makes me comfortable.

If I am wrong, please inform all of us how you can learn to trust a site without letting some of your shields and guards down and just seeing what happens.

[The Daring Dufas]

For the next 8 hours you can get "The Cleaner 2012" from Give Away Of The Day at no cost. The site gives away a different paid program every day.

TDD

[HeyBub]

Nor will it repair, replace, or remove any malware.

A "system restore" merely returns the registry to a pre-existing condition. That MAY very well return a computer to a working condition, but not always.

For example, if "explorer.com" has been replaced by a program of the same name that erases your hard drive, a system restore won't help.

[Kurt Ullman]

This thread was very helpful to me. Extinguished any residual desire that might have surfaced to get a W7. Back to my Apple. (g)

[HeyBub]

You gotta be suspicious of a firm that uses scare, and untrue, tactics.

"If you install software often, your registry file gets bloated reducing overall system performance."

Further, according to reviews, this product often goes two weeks between updating its virus database. There are other, reviewed, AV programs for free. AVG, Avast, and Microsoft Security Essentials all score in the top four on every reviewers lists.

[notbob]

Microsoft is the originator of the whole concept of the FUD tactic (fear, uncertainty, and doubt).

A given. Your point?

nb