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Resolved Question

Searches are being redirected. Malware programs not helping.

Aug 7, 2011 4:38AM PDT

OS is XP.
Browser is IE8.
Googles searches are being hijacked.
I have tried Ad-aware,
AVG,
Spybot,
Malwarebytes,
Advanced SystemCare4,
Spywareblaster

Discussion is locked

wayzar has chosen the best answer to their question. View answer

Best Answer

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One more and then look at the HIJACKTHIS log.
Aug 7, 2011 5:15AM PDT

Try http://www.surfright.nl/en then go get your HIJACKTHIS log and look at each item. Any DNS or BHO entry is going to be suspect.
Bob

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Answer
check c:\windows\system32\drivers\etc\hosts
Aug 7, 2011 8:38AM PDT

A virus updated your hosts file.
Go to this dir
c:\windows\system32\drivers\etc\
Copy the hosts file to something else.

Open this file on your system in a text editor
c:\windows\system32\drivers\etc\hosts

Delete everything in the file and save it

That should solve your redirection problem.

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There is ONE line that should be in that file.
Aug 7, 2011 8:43AM PDT

A clean copy is noted as usually the following text.

# Copyright (c) 1993-1999 Microsoft Corp.
# This is a sample HOSTS file used by Microsoft TCP/IP for Windows.
# This file contains the mappings of IP addresses to host names. Each
# entry should be kept on an individual line. The IP address should
# be placed in the first column followed by the corresponding host name.
# The IP address and the host name should be separated by at least one
# space.
# Additionally, comments (such as these) may be inserted on individual
# lines or following the machine name denoted by a '#' symbol.
# For example:
# Permit this.
127.0.0.1 localhost # designate 127.0.0.1 as the local host leave this line as is.