Google redirects to another search engine

Welcome to Major Geeks!

Download HostsXpert and then follow the below steps.

• Unzip HostsXpert.zip
• It will create a folder named HostsXpert in whatever folder you extract it to.
• Run HostsXpert.exe by double clicking on it.
• Click the Make Writeable? button. (if you only see a Make Read-Only selection, it is already writeable so skip this button).
• Click Restore Microsoft's Hosts File and then click OK.
• Click the X to exit the program

Now download TDSSKiller from Kaspersky to your directly onto your Desktop

• Now double click the TDSSkiller.exe file to run it ( if using Vista or Windows 7 do not double click on it but rather, right click and select Run As Administrartor. )
• Allow the application to run if prompted by Windows or any security programs you have installed
• It will start the scan and run rather quickly and will notify you of whether anything is found or not.
• Follow the instructions to delete/quarantine if asks you what to do when if finds something.
• Whether an infection is found or not, a log file should be created on your C: drive ( or whatever drive you boot from) in the root folder named something like TDSSKiller.2.1.1_27.12.2009_14.17.04_log.txt which is based on the program version # and date and time run. Please attach this log to your next reply. (See: HOW TO: Attach Items To Your Post )

Now how are things working?

 

If everything is okay now you don't need to run it. Not sure why it is crashing. It could be due to having both Symantec Client Security and Webroot Spy Sweeper running. And by the way, you really should not have Spy Sweeper installed. You already have antispyware and antivirus protection with Symantec. Having both can cause conflicts and will also slow your PC down.

We have a couple minor things to do.

You should uninstall the below very outdated IBM Java which is a security risk. You already have the current Sun Java installed:
IBM 32-bit Runtime Environment for Java 2, v5.0

Delete the below file:
C:\WINDOWS\Tasks\at1.job

Run C:\MGtools\analyse.exe by double clicking on it (Note: if using Vista or Win 7, don't double click, use right click and select Run As Administrator). This is really HijackThis (select Do a system scan only) and select the following lines but DO NOT CLICK FIX until you exit all browser sessions including the one you are reading in right now:

O2 - BHO: (no name) - {5C255C8A-E604-49b4-9D64-90988571CECB} - (no file)
O6 - HKCU\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Control Panel present
O16 - DPF: {1ACECAFE-0015-0000-0000-ABCDEFFEDCBA} (Java2 Runtime Environment 1.5.0) - http://
O16 - DPF: {CAFEEFAC-0015-0000-0000-ABCDEFFEDCBA} (Java2 Runtime Environment 1.5.0) - http://

After clicking Fix, exit HJT.

Now if you are not having any other malware problems, it is time to do our final steps:

1. We recommend you keep SUPERAntiSpyware and Malwarebytes Anti-Malware for scanning/removal of malware. Unless you purchase them, they provide no protection. They do not use any significant amount of resources ( except a little disk space ) until you run a scan.
2. If we had you use ComboFix, uninstall ComboFix (This uninstall will only work as written if you installed ComboFix on your Desktop like we requested.)
   • Click START then RUN and enter the below into the run box and then click OK. Note the quotes are required
   • "%userprofile%\Desktop\combofix" /uninstall
     • Notes: The space between the combofix" and the /uninstall, it must be there.
     • This will uninstall ComboFix and also reset hidden files and folders settings back to Windows defaults.
3. Go back to step 6 oof the READ ME and renable your Disk Emulation software with Defogger if you had disabled it.
4. Any other miscellaneous tools we may have had you install or download can be uninstalled and deleted.
5. If we had you download any registry patches like fixme.reg or fixWLK.reg (or any others), you can delete these files now.
6. If running Vista, it is time to make sure you have reenabled UAC by double clicking on the C:\MGtools\enableUAC.reg file and allowing it to be added to the registry.
7. Go to add/remove programs and uninstall HijackThis.
8. Goto the C:\MGtools folder and find the MGclean.bat file. Double click on this file to run this cleanup program that will remove files and folders
   related to MGtools and some other items from our cleaning procedures.
9. If you are running Win 7, Vista, Windows XP or Windows ME, do the below:
   • Refer to the cleaning procedures pointed to by step 7 of the READ ME
     for your Window version and see the instructions to Disable System Restore which will flush your Restore Points.
   • Then reboot and Enable System Restore to create a new clean Restore Point.
10. After doing the above, you should work thru the below link:
    • How to Protect yourself from malware!

 

You're welcome. Surf safely.

Happy New Year!