Internet Explorer has Gone Mad...You are my last hope

I am typing this from work on my lunch hour, and will check the post again before I go home, as I made about an hour of unsuccessful attempts to get all the way into your site from my wounded computer at home.

I've been having trouble about a week now, and I wish I knew about your website a week ago. First, it was slowing down, which didn't bother me since sometimes my internet (high-speed through a phone line) does that during high traffic times.

Then Thursday, it went nuts. it kept blocking me from websites, and when I ran diagnostics, it told me that I was not making an ftp connection and it was probably a fireway issue. I have the one in XP (my computer's OS was upgraded to XP SP2 from Windows ME a couple years back), McAfee Total Protection Plus, and the router from the phone company. I called McAfee and paid for a service call since my computer was allowing me to go to a dozen different frivolous websites but consistently blocked me from using my McAfee Virtual Technician. The first call was a nice one, although the tech was stumped.

I did everything he asked, it did not work, I called back the next night. The next guy spoke english very well yet insisted on asking me to repeat everything 5 or 6 times. He then had me uninstall my McAfee, gave me a cleaning tool, and told me to install it clean. He seemed knowledgable but the call would have been less frustrating had he not made it clear he thought I was a witless fool.

The tool he had me run did not get out the McAfee Site Advisor, and then after repeated attempts for two days, gave up trying to reinstall my McAfee. I tried a couple sites I thought were fairly safe as a test (malwarebytes.org) and they popped right up, but I cannot get McAfee to reinstall, I have no virus protection.

McAfee Tech (the rude one) then blamed it all on Zoomtown, my ISP. I called them and the nice man I talked to said that as long as I had an internet connection that was what I was paying for, so he doesn't know why I was told what I was. But he walked me through putting my internet browser and OS settings back to defaut. It got me my e-mail through outlook back, temporarily. I e-mailed a Geek who lives over seas to help.

She suggested I try system restore and then last good configuration (Maybe I should have done that first?) But then I lost Outlook again and my printer drivers (I swear I didn't touch those).

Finally, I called Dell and a merciful and kindly Dell Tech walked me through reformatting my OS (and waived the fee in sympathy). I saved what I could, lost most of it, and installed first my Windows ME and then the XP upgrade. I have not registered Windows or hooked up the Outlook, I still don't have McAfee installed. Other than IE, the computer is running like it's new.

From regular and safe mode, I can get to Mozilla, Safe-networking, You, Malwarebytes, and McAfee's home page, I cannot log in or download software. It also doesn't always let me open pages on your site.

How do I get IE to cooperate? I know if I get my IE cooperating, I can run Spybot, or Malwarebytes or something, and reinstall McAfee (I'm paid up through 11/2009).

Any ideas what happened to me? I'll check back in before the end of the day, hopefully someone has instructions I can follow to get my IE to allow me to get my McAfee back. I would do the Read Me First stuff, but IE won't let me in.

HELP!!!

 

Ok lets approach this with asking if you have ran anykind of virus software? Have you checked all your connections? Do you have the McAfee show up in your add and remove programs? How is your security level set for Internet Explorer? Check these items and if you have more questions just post.

 

I am home now, I tried to post answers to your questions, and it did not take. I turned off the computer for two hours and am trying again. Maybe it will post this time.

I ran my virus scan (McAfee Total Protection) multiple times over the course of a week. I ran it with the modem on twice, then turned it off so that it would run without virus or microsoft updates interrupting it.

I have had four telephone service consults, two McAfee, One Zoomtown, and the Dell tech who helped me reformat my OS.

There is no McAfee on my system, I wiped my comp. I cannot get to McAfee to reinstall my viruscan, and have made more than 20 attempts. I have taken all the wires of, I have turned off my modem, I have put my settings to default (which I never changed to begin with), and now I have reformatted and lost it all.

My IE is protecting me from secure sites, even in safe mode, and I reformatted because over the course of a week one system after another seem to corrupt. The Dell Tech thinks I took a virus hit. I am unable to download any type of spyware cleaner or get my McAfee back, which two people have told me to dump for AVG.

What could have caused this, and why hasn't reformatting fixed it? I lost most of what I had in the wipe because I thought it would kill these problems. All I am running right now is my OS, and it is on factory settings.

I am starting from the beginning. I connect to the internet, and get to plenty of sites if I take the risk of surfing without McAfee. But I can't download my McAfee. I had no problems of any kind a week ago, and am generally very careful when surfing, I limit internet shopping to places like Amazon, and still write checks to most businesses. I don't do freeware, porn, or open e-mails from strangers.

I am stumped. And this has cost me more than 30 hours at this point. If I get this resolved, will Mozilla give me more protection? I am told go to Mozilla, and AVG.

Thanks.

 

http://www.majorgeeks.com/images/grenade.gifWelcome! to MajorGeeks.com!http://www.majorgeeks.com/images/grenade.gif

We need to ascertain whether this is malware-related in order to be able to help you resolve these issues.

Please follow the instructions in the READ & RUN ME FIRST link given further down and attach the requested logs when you finish these instructions.

• If you have problems where no tools seem to run, please try following the steps given in the below and then continue on no matter what you find. You only need to try the TDSSserv steps if having problems getting scans in the Read & Run Me First.
  • TDSSserv Non-Plug & Play Driver Disable
• If something does not run, write down the info to explain to us later but keep on going.
• Do not assume that because one step does not work that they all will not.

READ & RUN ME FIRST. Malware Removal Guide


Helpful Notes:

1. If you run into problems trying to run the READ & RUN ME or any of the scans in normal boot mode, you can run the steps in safe boot mode but make sure you tell us what you did later when you post logs. See the below if you do not know how to boot in safe mode:
   • Starting your computer in Safe mode
2. If you have problems downloading on the problem PC, download the tools and the manual updates for SUPERAntiSpyware, Malwarebytes and Spybot ( links are given in the READ & RUN ME) onto another PC and then burn to a CD. Then copy them to the problem PC. You will have to skip getting updates if (and only if) your internet connection does not work. Yes you could use a flash drive too but flash drives are writeable and infections can spread to them.
3. To avoid additional delays in getting a response, it is strongly advised that after completing the READ & RUN ME you also read this sticky Don't Bump! It Only Hurts You!!!. Any additional post is a bump which will add more delay. Once you attach the logs, your thread will be in the work queue and as stated our system works the oldest threads FIRST.