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Question

How to remove Google redirect virus?

by Aug 15, 2012 10:55PM PDT

I have tried just about everything....Hitmanpro, Malwarebytes, TDSSkiller....nothing seems to work. Every time I go to Google and click a link a site comes up that says redirecting. I don't know much about computers, so I need something that's pretty straight forward and easy. Please help, this has been going on for a while! I have a Dell using Windows XP.

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3 Posts
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Answer
Choices
by Aug 16, 2012 12:12AM PDT

Best choice is to get help at a website such as geeks to go dot com: http://www.geekstogo.com/

When under the care of a professional expert, you will be asked to run certain programs and provide logs requested. Process does take some time to cleanse your system, as it is likely you may have a rootkit on your system. Rootkits are difficult to remove, and system integrity can be compromised, and damage to your system can be deep.

Other choice is to back up all important files and do what is called a clean install of Windows XP. If this is your best option, then suggest using a disk wipe program that will overwrite all data now on the hard drive; this will ensure the rootkit, if found, is overwritten as well. Your hard drive will be clean and devoid of any data whatsoever.

http://www.dban.org/

Good luck!

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Answer
Choices and then some..
by Aug 16, 2012 1:34AM PDT

Rina..

In the future, if you have additional problems it would help to continue in the thread you already started. Had I only read this post, I would have taken it at "face value". While looking for added background, I came upon your other (recent) thread. It changes "the landscape". Wink

Given all the problems you're having, I too would recommend a clean install or posting at a Malware Removal forum. While the site mchainmchain mentions is a good one, there are plenty of other's. A complete list can be found listed on the left-hand side of this page.

Only to name a few:

http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/forums/forum22.html
http://www.spywareinfoforum.com/index.php?/forum/18-malware-removal/
http://forums.malwarebytes.org/index.php?showforum=7
http://aumha.net/viewforum.php?f=30
http://spywarehammer.com/simplemachinesforum/index.php#3

Lastly, I do hope you removed Advanced System Care. It's quite possible some of your problems began when you removed what it found. Please read the "Conclusion" in this review, written by one of our moderators, prior to her untimely passing.

Best of luck..
Carol

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Router DNS redirect?
by mchainmchain Aug 16, 2012 8:22AM PDT

Just a thought.

Wild guess, as no information about a home network, multiple computers, etc., is present or mentioned in your first post.

I was kicking myself for not thinking of this possibility when I posted earlier, so....

Does any of the above apply to you? If not, please disregard. If it does, please read the note posted below:

IF the router has had its settings changed, either by accident, or without your consent or knowledge, DNS settings on the system affected can be properly set at default settings, and be working as they should, but the DNS settings that are on your router can cause the behaviour and symptoms you are seeing on your system.

Think of the DNS (Domain Name Server) settings as your phone book to the internet.

Redirection can be caused by dialing the wrong number instead of the one you want. Computer systems do not use the words we know, such as, www.google.com to connect to each other, but use a different format instead.

All internet addresses are automatically translated from a www address to a different format: (Example) 74.125.127.103 This four digit sequence is actually how your system finds the correct address to connect to.

If you were to copy/paste the numbers above and put it in your address bar of the browser you use, you should see a Google webpage displayed when you click enter.

So, your system can come up clean and free of malware (viruses, trojans, exploits) but the possibility is there that the router DNS has been hacked and changed. Ergo, this may be a possible cause.

This is worth checking out, given the problems Carol has alluded to in her post.

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