Browser Categories Gone

Discussion in 'Malware Help - MG (A Specialist Will Reply)' started by jools1976, Mar 21, 2015.

  1. jools1976

    jools1976 Sergeant

    So here's my previous post which I incorrectly put in the software section:

    So recently I noticed that when I search for something in Google, using either Chrome or IE, that all the categories except for Web and Images are gone from the top of my search results. So there is no longer videos, maps, news, etc... I looked around online and the general consensus is that it's a malware/virus issue. So I ran Malwarebytes and Superantispyware, as well as AVG for good measure. Nothing came up except some cookies. So I went into my proxy settings (Internet Options > Connections > LAN settings) and noticed that "Use a proxy server..." is checked. I unchecked it, but as soon as I close the window and go back in, it's rechecked. So I'm pretty sure that's the issue, but I'm not sure how to resolve it. Does anybody have any ideas? Im running Windows 8.1. Thanks.

    I have gone through all the steps in the "Read me First" section, and attached logs. Can anybody have a look for me? Thanks.
     

    Attached Files:

  2. chaslang

    chaslang MajorGeeks Admin - Master Malware Expert Staff Member

    It may become necessary to uninstall your protection software to get this fix because we have frequently seen issues with repair proxy settings when protection software is still installed. But let's wait and see and just try the below first.


    Please download OTM by Old Timer and save it to your Desktop.
    • Run OTM.exe by double clicking on it (Note: if using Vista, Win7 or Win8, don't double click, use right click and select Run As Administrator).
    • Copy the lines from the below codebox to the clipboard by highlighting ALL of them and pressing CTRL + C
      (or, after highlighting, right-click and choose Copy): Do not include the word Code: which is just a title line of
      the code box
    Code:
    :Processes
    explorer.exe
    
    :Services
    OATool
     
    :Files
    C:\ProgramData\McAfee
    C:\Users\ADMINI~1\AppData\Local\Temp\OAToolx64.sys
    C:\Users\Joel\AppData\Local\Temp\*.*
    :Reg
    [-HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\OATool]
    [-HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\ControlSet001\Services\OATool]
    [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Internet Settings]
    "ProxyEnable"=dword:00000000
    "ProxyOverride"=-
    "ProxyServer"=-
    [HKEY_USERS\S-1-5-21-3837256321-618447297-3442288814-1001\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Internet Settings]
    "ProxyEnable"=dword:00000000
    "ProxyOverride"=-
    "ProxyServer"=-
    [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Internet Settings]
    "ProxyEnable"=dword:00000000
    "ProxyOverride"=-
    "ProxyServer"=-
    [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\ControlSet002\Services\NlaSvc\Parameters\Internet\ManualProxies]
    @=""
    [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\services\NlaSvc\Parameters\Internet\ManualProxies]
    @=""
    [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Internet Settings\Connections]
    "DefaultConnectionSettings"=-
    "SavedLegacySettings"=-
    [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Internet Settings]
    "ProxySettingsPerUser"=dword:00000000 
    :Commands
    [purity]
    [EmptyTemp]
    [start explorer]
    [Reboot]
    • Return to OTM, right click in the Paste List of Files/Folders to Move window (under the yellow bar
      ) and choose Paste.
    • Now click the large [​IMG] button.
    • If OTM asks to reboot your computer, allow it to do so. The report should appear in Notepad after the reboot.
    • Close OTM.
    Now navigate to the C:\_OTM\MovedFiles folder ( assuming your Windows drive is C). This is where your log will be
    saved in the form of Date and Time mmddyyyy_hhmmss.log. Just look for the most recent .log file. Attach
    this log file to your next message.

    Now please download Junkware Removal Tool to your desktop.
    • Shut down your protection software now to avoid potential conflicts.
    • Run the tool by double-clicking it. If you are using Windows Vista or Seven, right-mouse click it and select Run as Administrator.
    • The tool will open and start scanning your system.
    • Note: That JRT may reset your home page to a google default so you will need to restore your home page setting if this happens.
    • Please be patient as this can take a while to complete depending on your system's specifications.
    • On completion, a log (JRT.txt) is saved to your desktop and will automatically open.
    • Attach JRT.txt to your next message.
    Now run the C:\MGtools\GetLogs.bat file by double clicking on it (Note: if using Vista, Win7 or Win8, don't double click, use right click and select Run As Administrator).

    Then attach the below logs:
    • the C:\_OTM\MovedFiles log
    • the JRT.TXT log
    • C:\MGlogs.zip
    Make sure you tell me how things are working now!
     
  3. jools1976

    jools1976 Sergeant

    Here's the logs. Thanks.
     

    Attached Files:

  4. chaslang

    chaslang MajorGeeks Admin - Master Malware Expert Staff Member

    Please run a new scan with RogueKiller and attach the new log.
     
  5. jools1976

    jools1976 Sergeant

    Here you go.
     

    Attached Files:

  6. chaslang

    chaslang MajorGeeks Admin - Master Malware Expert Staff Member

    Okay the proxy server info is still present. We will have to uninstall your AVG antivirus as expected. So uninstall it now and then reboot. After reboot, repeat my previous fix with OTM make sure that you reboot after it runs. Attach the new log from OTM. Then run RogueKiller again so that we can see if the fix really worked.
     
  7. jools1976

    jools1976 Sergeant

    So AVG is completely uninstalled, and I re-ran OTB and R. Killer, deleted the stuff that come up in R. Killer, but the issue is still present. Here's the logs.
     

    Attached Files:

  8. chaslang

    chaslang MajorGeeks Admin - Master Malware Expert Staff Member

    The browser categories issue is not a malware problem as far as I can tell. Did you click the More pull down item to see what items it let's you add back in? It may be due to how google has saved cookies or other settings on your PC. Perhaps dumping caches and cookies for all browsers would help. Possibly also setting browsers back to default would help.

    I do want to see one more log from RogueKiller now. You last log shows the delete operation. I want to see if the proxy items are actually gone after a reboot and rescan.
     
  9. jools1976

    jools1976 Sergeant

    The computer is reformstted now, but I found the problem before i did it. I ran netstat in the command window, and saw that my Port 80 was open. Not good. So I got the process id that opened it and checked it in the task manager, which turned out to be a program called "updater.exe". When I check in msconfig->services I found it there and disabled it (It was running at startup obvously too). Once I did that I was able to change my proxy settings and have them hold. I reformatted anyway though just to be safe. I have 4 other computers here, so now I'm trying to find out just how far this spread. Thanks for all your help though.
     
  10. chaslang

    chaslang MajorGeeks Admin - Master Malware Expert Staff Member

    This is due to something you installed to crack Windows and Office.
    Had you not install this hack to illegally use these Windows products, you would not have had this problem.

    But you're welcome.
     

MajorGeeks.Com Menu

Downloads All In One Tweaks \ Android \ Anti-Malware \ Anti-Virus \ Appearance \ Backup \ Browsers \ CD\DVD\Blu-Ray \ Covert Ops \ Drive Utilities \ Drivers \ Graphics \ Internet Tools \ Multimedia \ Networking \ Office Tools \ PC Games \ System Tools \ Mac/Apple/Ipad Downloads

Other News: Top Downloads \ News (Tech) \ Off Base (Other Websites News) \ Way Off Base (Offbeat Stories and Pics)

Social: Facebook \ YouTube \ Twitter \ Tumblr \ Pintrest \ RSS Feeds