Sending out an SOS - not the Sting song, either.

Something has hijacked the browser on my daughter's computer - every time she tries to get online, she gets a 404 telling her that she has tried to access a page she had no right to access. She did this last night, and we haven't been able to figure it out. Is there a simple way to solve this? Key word: simple. ;)

AdAware or Spybot, both free.

http://reviews.cnet.com/Ad-aware_Standard_Edition_60/4505-3667_7-20848584.html

http://reviews.cnet.com/Spybot_Search_and_Destroy/4505-9241_7-20848563.html

Good luck.

:toast:

She can't access the internet on her computer.

on a disk or CD and run it on her computer?

It's sort of like "unlock your car to get to the keys inside".

Are you sure that she has a valid network connection at all?

...install it. Or ask a friend to do it for you. If it's spyware or some other such junk, you need to install a program on that computer that will detect it and remove it.

There are Web Sites like Webroot's (maker of Spy Sweeper) and Symantec that will scan the PC for you (not remove it...just let you know you have a problem), but you're right...if she can't get online, that's not an option.

Have you tried dumping the cache?

check your cables and see that they're pluged in correctly? Is she running Windows? If so what kind?

my laptop from her desktop, through the wireless router. Windows XP.

I think it's under Start>Settings>Network connections there should be an icon there about the LAN connection...check that it's connected.

...and it sounds like you do, neither Ad-Aware nor Spybot Search & Destroy may find it. Whoever burns that CD for you, get them to get you a copy of HijackThis (all three programs can be found through www.download.com).

HijackThis will produce a log which can then be posted (by the same generous friend who's burning the CD for you) at http://www.spywareeliminator.com/forum/
(Registration and login required -- but it's free and they KNOW what're doing)

If you take it that far, be sure not to do Anything until those knowledgeable folk tell you what to remove and how. Messing with the registry (which is what nearly all browser hijackers do, so you need to get in there and UNdo it) is dangerous work.

Good luck!

Most of the hijackers won't load when you do that. At start up press F8 and choose safe mode w/ network support.
Download Spybot's Search and Destroy and Lavasoft's AdAware and run them. Be sure to run BOTH of them. They use different detection engines and using only one will miss some items.
You can also run an online virus scanner from here http://housecall.trendmicro.com/housecall/start_corp.asp