searchathand.com problems

[m52nickerson]

Every time I type in a wrong URL, my browser goes to searchathand.com instead of a blank page. It happens in internet explorer as well as firefox. Spybot and Ad-aware can't find anything. Any sugestions?

[x-dANGEr]

Is it so baad ?!

[m52nickerson]

No, but I don't like things on my PC that I did not put there.

[caravel]

Ensure you're logged in as an administrator.

Check the following location: C:\WINDOWS\system32\drivers\etc

If you can't access this folder, go to tools -> folder options -> view, show hidden files and folders, and ok it.

Inside the folder are a few files, the file you need to check is "HOSTS". Open this file with notepad.

The file should contain some information, in the form of comments, and the following line of code:


127.0.0.1 localhost

If it contains any other IP addresses and hostnames, delete them all.

If the HOSTS file was clean, then download and install Spybot S&D from here: http://www.safer-networking.org/

Run a full system scan and fix the errors it tells you to fix.

If the problem is still there after this, download HijackThis from here: http://www.spywareinfo.com/~merijn/programs.php

Make a folder in the root of your system partition (i.e. C:\hijackthis) and extract the zip file to this location. Create a shortcut from the hijackthis.exe to your desktop and run it. Do scan and save a log file. Do nothing else!. Next post up the contents of the log file here.

[professorspatula]

A program called Hijackthis (http://www.merijn.org/) is great for seeing if anything has been changed on your PC that perhaps shouldn't be there. Unfortunately you need to be careful you don't 'fix' things that don't need fixing, but a Google search for anything you find suspicious is usually the best thing to do before making any kind of change. There's always some other poor sod who has had the same problem.


Actually a Google search on your problem reveals a forum post, with a link to how to solve your problem.

http://www.freesecuritytools.com/free-searchathand-removal.htm

[m52nickerson]

Thanks guys, the link that professorspatula found work for me. Just to let every one know, Spybot S&D does not get rid of this, I have it and tried a few times. Thanks for the help guys.

[caravel]

It's amazing that such a simple exploit can be gotten away with. How on earth does the OS allow it to be modified.