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Can't access search engines!

  • 25-09-2003 6:07pm
    #1
    simu
    Closed Accounts Posts: 10,730 ✭✭✭✭


    Am using Windows XP, cannot access any search engine with Internet Explorer or Opera.
    Instead I get sent to a page with the following text:
    Are you looking for a search engine? If you are seeing this page, it is because you have downloaded a malicious program that is keeping you from visiting the page you intended. Please visit the following URL for information on fixing this problem: http://www.tweakxp.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=3367

    Any idea what's going on(don't trust above message at all), how to put an end to this?

    Sorry if it's come up before but it's hard to get info due to not being able to use search engines!

    Thanks!


Comments

  • #2
    LoLth
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 10,339 ✭✭✭✭LoLth


    try downloading and running Spybot Search&destroy

    HERE


  • #3
    Capt'n Midnight
    Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 92,385 Mod ✭✭✭✭Capt'n Midnight


    After you have installed it follow the links to SpyWare Blaster http://www.javacoolsoftware.com/spywareblaster.html
    Both can be updated and block new adds.

    Also look at FASTNET99 http://w3.quipo.it/gcriaco/ - not for blocking but it dumps all links into (win9x windows\HOSTS)
    %windir%\system32\drivers\etc\HOSTS - so you can check manually - then when you change the IP address in HOSTS to 127.0.0.1 that site is blocked. (HOSTS is a text file)

    The google toolbar has a nice popup blocker too http://toolbar.google.com
    =======================

    ZoneAlarm (tells you if malware is "phoning home") and AdAware are useful too but are only free for home use.


  • #4
    ozmo
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,875 ✭✭✭ozmo


    Originally posted by simu
    Am using Windows XP, cannot access any search engine with Internet Explorer or Opera.
    Instead I get sent to a page with the following text:

    Any idea what's going on(don't trust above message at all), how to put an end to this?

    Sorry if it's come up before but it's hard to get info due to not being able to use search engines!

    Thanks!

    You need to edit or delete the file called "Hosts".

    Search your windows directory for this file "Hosts" (there is no extention)

    Now Either Delete it (you dont need it)
    or edit it to remove all the junk so it contains the default setting of the following one line only.

    127.0.0.1 localhost

    The Hosts file is an old system that allows you to assign a domain name to an ip address for your machine only.

    ozmo.

    “Roll it back”



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