Suspected Search Redirect

Please disable all anti-virus and anti-spyware programs while we do the following (re-enable when you are finished):

Run C:\MGtools\analyse.exe by double clicking on it (Note: if using Vista, 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:

• O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [pcreg] C:\Program Files\pcmax\service.exe
• O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [ApnUpdater] "C:\Program Files (x86)\Ask.com\Updater\Updater.exe"
• O4 - HKCU\..\Run: [pcreg] C:\Program Files\pcmax\service.exe
• O23 - Service: pcmaxservice Service (pcmaxservice) - Unknown owner - C:\Program Files\pcmax\pcmax.exe

After clicking Fix exit HJT.



Download and run OTM.

Download OTM by Old Timer and save it to your Desktop.

• Right-click OTM.exe And select " Run as administrator " to run it.
• Paste the following code under the http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2455/4173556815_a721a91733_o.png area. Do not include the word Code.

Code:

:Files
C:\Program Files\pcmax
C:\Program Files (x86)\Ask.com

:reg
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run]
"pcreg"=-
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\software\microsoft\windows\currentVersion\Run]
"pcreg"=-
"ApnUpdater"=-
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\software\Wow6432Node\microsoft\windows\currentVersion\Run]
"pcreg"=-
"ApnUpdater"=-
[HKEY_USERS\S-1-5-21-429239740-352242291-3511381739-1001\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\run]
"pcreg"=-
:Commands
[emptytemp]
[Reboot]

• Return to OTM, right click in the Paste List of Files/Folders to Move window (under the yellow bar) and choose Paste.
• Push the large http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2782/4174320048_f01c448b32_o.png button.
• OTM may ask to reboot the machine. Please do so if asked.
• Copy everything in the Results window (under the green bar), and paste it into a text file to ATTACH into your next reply.

NOTE: If you are unable to copy/paste from this window (as will be the case if the machine was rebooted), open Notepad (Start->All Programs->Accessories->Notepad), click File->Open, in the File Name box enter *.log and press the Enter key, navigate to the C:\_OTM\MovedFiles folder, and open the newest .log file present, and attach the contents of that document back here in your next post.




Download Cleano 0.61

Download it to your desktop, Right click the cleano.exe file and run as admin > and place check marks in the boxes as follows (click on link below to see image)

View attachment 148092
Click clean now and exit the program.


http://imageshack.us/a/img841/7292/thisisujrt.gif 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.
• 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.

Follow these instructions to reset Mozilla Firefox back to defaults.


Now run the C:\MGtools\GetLogs.bat file by double clicking on it. (Right click and run as admin if using Vista, Windows7 or Win8) Then attach the new C:\MGlogs.zip file that will be created by running this.

Let me know of any problems you may have encountered with the above instructions and also let me know how things are running now!

 

We are going to be uninstalling your old version of FireFox and installing the new version. (Except I want you to use Revo Uninstaller to do the job ) So do the below to save bookmarks:

• Run FireFox and click Bookmarks.
• Then select Organize Bookmarks.
• Then on the next window click File and then select Export. Save the bookmarks.html file to your Desktop for later use in importing.

Now download and save the installer for the current version of FireFox but DO NOT install it yet. Get it here: Mozilla FireFox

You will need exit FireFox now and use Internet Explorer to continue with the below until we reinstall FireFox.

Start by uninstalling FireFox and then reboot. Do not skip the reboot.
After reboot, delete the below folders:

• C:\Program Files (x86)\Mozilla Firefox
• C:\users\UserAccount\AppData\Roaming\Mozilla\Firefox

where UserAccount is the actual user account name being used.

Now reinstall FireFox from the file previously downloaded.
Import your bookmarks file. (similar process to exporting).



Give CCleaner a run, not the registry scanner, just the cleaner itself to be rid of a chunk of temp files.




Now Copy the bold text below to notepad. Save it as fixME.reg to your desktop. Be sure the "Save as" type is set to "all files" Once you have saved it double click it and allow it to merge with the registry.

Make sure that you tell me if you receive a success message about adding the above
to the registry. If you do not get a success message, it definitely did not work.


Please download AdwCleaner by Xplode and save to your Desktop.

• Double click on AdwCleaner.exe to run the tool.
• Vista/Windows 7/8 users right-click and select Run As Administrator
• Click on the Scan button.
• AdwCleaner will begin...be patient as the scan may take some time to complete.
• After the scan has finished, click on the Report button...a logfile (AdwCleaner[R#].txt) will open in Notepad for review (where the largest value of # represents the most recent report).
• The contents of the log file may be confusing. Unless you see a program name that you know should not be removed, don't worry about it. If you see an entry you want to keep, let me know about it.
• Attach the logfile to your next next reply.
• A copy of all logfiles are saved in the C:\AdwCleaner folder which was created when running the tool.

Now run the C:\MGtools\GetLogs.bat file by double clicking on it. (Right click and run as admin if using Vista, Windows7 or Win8) Then attach the new C:\MGlogs.zip file that will be created by running this.

Let me know of any problems you may have encountered with the above instructions and also let me know how things are running now!

 

The logs look great now.

Ready for final steps?

 

Unless you are paying for MBAM, and therefore activating it's real time protection, it should not be a problem at all.

I was seeing some minor junk trapped in Firefox settings which I could have left and they would not have been a problem, but I do prefer to be thorough. Everything looks good now and it's fine that it auto updated.

Excellent.

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

1. We recommend you keep Malwarebytes Anti-Malware for scanning/removal of malware.
2. If we had you download any registry patches like fixme.reg or fixWLK.reg (or any others) and running MGclean.bat did not remove them, you can delete these files now.
3. Renable your Disk Emulation software with Defogger if you had disabled it in step 4 of the READ & RUN ME.
4. Go to add/remove programs and uninstall HijackThis. If you don't see it or it will not uninstall, don't worry about it. Just move on to the next step.
5. If running Vista, Win 7 or Win 8, 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.
6. Now goto the C:\MGtools folder and find the MGclean.bat file. Double click ( if running Vista, Win7, or Win 8 Right Click and Run As Administrator ) 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.
   
7. Any other miscellaneous tools we may have had you install or download can be uninstalled and deleted.
   
   
8. After doing the above, you should work thru the below link:
   • How to Protect yourself from malware!

 

No problem! Glad we could help. Safe surfing!