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Mountainman Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Aug-13-04 01:08 PM
Original message
Computer experts please help
When I use Internet Explorer, I get a home page that I do not want. I think I went to a site that forced this home page in me.

This is the URL of the home page.
http://296f8.ilxt.info/index.php?aid=20009

I can use the internet options and set the home page to what I want and the next time I open IE the correct home page comes up but if I look at the internet options again that inncorrect home page is in the box for the start page and if I close IE and open it I get the wrong home page.

It forces a home page on me and I can't get rid of it.

Any clues what I should do?

Thanks
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boxster Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Aug-13-04 01:09 PM
Response to Original message
1. Download and run Ad-Aware.
You have a program that's hijacking IE. Ad-Aware should get rid of it.

http://www.lavasoft.de
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bearfan454 Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Aug-13-04 01:13 PM
Response to Reply #1
6. While you're at it why don't you download a free firewall at
http://www.zonelabs.com

The free one works fine.
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Philostopher Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Aug-13-04 01:13 PM
Response to Reply #1
7. Spybot: Search and Destroy
is also supposed to be good for cracking homepage hijackers. It's incompatible with another program I use on my machine, but Mr. Nownow likes it:

http://www.safer-networking.org/en/index.html
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boxster Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Aug-13-04 01:18 PM
Response to Reply #7
10. I've used both and found that AA works better.
Especially the new one - Ad-Aware SE.
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Philostopher Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Aug-13-04 01:34 PM
Response to Reply #10
14. I use AdAware, myself.
I just know there are DUers who prefer Spybot, and sometimes one will clear a bot that the other won't. I've never had any problem with AdAware -- never caught a bug that it didn't get rid of.

I can't use Spybot anyway, because another firewall/popup/something program I use won't let it run.
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boxster Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Aug-13-04 02:00 PM
Response to Reply #14
15. Agreed.
It's worth using both, especially the first time you run anti-spyware software.
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CO Liberal Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Aug-13-04 01:10 PM
Response to Original message
2. Simple
Select Tools > Internet Options from the menu bar. Thi swill bringg up an options window. On the "General" tab, you can set the home page to whatever you want - such as DU....
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bearfan454 Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Aug-13-04 01:11 PM
Response to Reply #2
4. It will keep switching it
This has happend lots of times to me.
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boxster Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Aug-13-04 01:19 PM
Response to Reply #2
11. Hate to tell you this, but if you read the post, you'll notice that...
he tried that already!
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bearfan454 Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Aug-13-04 01:11 PM
Response to Original message
3. You have a homepage hi-jacker spyware file.
Usually comes from porno sites I have found.
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ET Awful Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Aug-13-04 01:12 PM
Response to Reply #3
5. Not always . . .
it often comes from humor sites, song lyric sites, sites for downloading drivers for older hardware.

There's a million different ways for it to infect your system.
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bearfan454 Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Aug-13-04 01:14 PM
Response to Reply #5
8. I didn't know that.
It happens to me when I get redirected from a site.
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boxster Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Aug-13-04 01:21 PM
Response to Reply #8
12. Yep, and many of the toolbars available on the web...
do the same thing.

Internet search bars and the like.
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auburngrad82 Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Aug-13-04 01:16 PM
Response to Original message
9. Spybot
Ad-aware gets some of these type things but I run Spybot as well. They both look for different things so one may find things the other missed.

Both are free downloads at http://www.download.com

Also, if you're using Windows XP you'll need to disable the system restore feature or Ad-aware and Spybot won't be able to fix any problems they find. Don't use XP so can't tell you off the top of my pointed little head how to do it but it's not hard to do and you should be able to find it in the Windows Help files.
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Mr.Green93 Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Aug-13-04 01:28 PM
Response to Original message
13. BHO Demon
www.siena.edu/antivirus/Spyware/bhodemon.htm
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Blecht Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Aug-13-04 02:07 PM
Response to Original message
16. Good luck to you
Those things are really nasty -- the best solution is to follow the other instructions in this thread, and then stop using Internet Explorer.

My second browser hijack was enough for me -- I switched to Firefox and haven't looked back: http://www.mozilla.org/products/firefox/

Anti-virus software and firewalls are not always effective against these browser hijackers, and they are a pain in the ass to completely remove. Make sure you get it all -- depending on which one got you, the procedure for removing it is not always as simple as some people lead you to believe, and they remain hidden only to come back later.
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