[ti]SOLVED[/ti]Something has taken over my browser

Do Not use advanced tools or any tools used on this board without supervision.

Malware removal can be difficult over a forum as it is, without a user doing their own actions, the tools used are more advanced and thus have added danger that comes with that. This board is protected so that only Malware removers, Admin and Mods can reply to a users thread but all members can create a thread asking for removal of Infection(s)

Make changes to your computer only when the Malware Expert specifically states it. The Malware Experts request specific steps to be followed, as some malware removal requires multiple steps and evaluations along the way. When you take other advice or make other changes, this often negates the work done by the expert, and can sometimes result in an inoperable system.

This also includes any tools or steps other than those the from the Malware Expert. We need to be certain about the state of your system to see what actually is going on, and what is required to fix the system while not harming the rest of the system. Most often, well-intentioned independent efforts can make things much worse. The malware remediation tools are more advanced than other tools, and can often create bigger problems when used without expert guidance.



All tools that I have you download should be placed on the desktop unless otherwise stated. If you are familiar with how to save files to the desktop then you can skip this step.

Since you are continuing with this step then I assume you are unfamiliar with saving files to your desktop. As a result it's easiest if you configure your browser(s) to download any tools to the desktop by default. Please use the appropriate instructions below depending on the browser you are using.

Google Chrome - Click the "Customize and control Google Chrome" button in the upper right-corner of the browser. Choose Settings. at the bottom of the screen click the "Show advanced settings..." link. Scroll down to find the Downloads section and click the Change... button. Select your desktop and click OK.

Mozilla Firefox - Click the "Open Menu" button in the upper right-corner of the browser. Choose Options. In the downloads section, click the Browse button, click on the Desktop folder and the click the "Select Folder" button. Click OK to get out of the Options menu.

Internet Explorer - Click the Tools menu in the upper right-corner of the browser. Select View downloads. Select the Options link in the lower left of the window. Click Browse and select the Desktop and then choose the Select Folder button. Click OK to get out of the download options screen and then click Close to get out of the View Downloads screen.

NOTE: IE8 Does not support changing download locations in this manner. You will need to download the tool(s) to the default folder, usually Downloads, then move (Cut and Paste) them to the desktop.


Follow all the directions in order, and to the end. Please perform all steps in the order they are listed in each set of instructions. As you might imagine, some steps are a bit complicated. If things are not clear, be sure to stop and let the Malware Expert know the problem. We don't mind clarifying a situation, as others might have the same question. If a tool does not run as expected, don't force it. Stop the steps, and update the forum topic with the current situation. It is better stop and let us know, than to force a tool to run and cause bigger problems. Bottom line is, if you are not sure about something, STOP and ASK until you are sure.

Also, when your computer is clean and we are finished, the Expert will tell you we are finished. Malware removal is a process that requires verification, and we want to be sure your system is completely clean before we're done.

When describing your problem, provide as much information as possible, as soon as possible. Explain as best you can what happens with your computer, e.g. it beeps three times, black screen with cursor then goes no further, system gets stuck at the Windows startup logo, etc. This helps the expert to understand what is happening to the system and what may be wrong. If your computer cannot start up successfully please provide details about your installed Windows Operating System, including the Version, Edition and if it is a 32bit or a 64bit system. (e.g. Windows Vista Home Premium 32-bit)

When the user follow instructions and things still go a little haywire, and it does happen, it is up to us to sort the extra problem out.

Take longer to read if your language is not English, so that hopefully it is understood.

>>>>>> Reply stating you have read the post fully. <<<<<<<

Also, please tell us what your Operating system is (Win7 Ultimate, Vista Home Premium, Win XP Pro, etc.) and is it 32 bit or 64 bit. WE need this information to direct you to the proper tools to use.

Read Slowly and all of it.

Please download Farbar Recovery Scan Tool 64bit and save it to your Desktop.

Place FRST64.exe onto your desktop from where ever it downloaded to. IF IT IS NOT ON THE DESKTOP (YOU DID NOT DOWNLOAD DIRECTLY TO DESKTOP), THEN RIGHT CLICK ON THE DOWNLOADED FILE AND SELECT CUT. FIND A BLANK SPOT ON YOUR DESKTOP AND RIGHT CLICK ON IT, SELECT PASTE AND THE FILE WILL BE ON THE DESKTOP. Thank You (this is very important later on)!

Start FRST64 that is on your Desktop by right clicking on it and selecting "Run as Administrator..." .

The tool will start to run.
When the tool opens click Yes to disclaimer. (if it does)
Press Scan button.

It will make two logs (FRST.txt and addition.txt) on your Desktop. Please attach the logs in your reply back. Or open the logs in notepad and copy the logs and paste back in a message as a reply. (Ask if you don't know how to do either of these).

Notes:

If your Security software blocks the running or download of FRST / FRST64, please disable the security software or make an exception for this file. FRST is updated very frequently and is safe to run but because of the frequent changes (to keep up with newest malware techniques) most Security Software does not approve of the unknown file.

Right now the forum will not allow one to attach the Addition.txt file so please use wikisend.com or pastebin.com to upload the file and then post the download link here in your reply post.

You may want to read carefully all of this message first before starting the steps.

NOTE: This script was written specifically for this user, for use on that particular machine. Running this on another machine may cause damage to your operating system

Download the script file that is attached by right clicking on it and selecting "Save Target As..." or "Save Link As ...." (depends on the browser you are using). Please make sure that the file type is set as Text File (or All Files but NOT as a HTML file) and the files name is Fixlist.txt , have it on the Desktop, so that fixlist.txt is next to FRST64.exe,

DO NOT DRAG AND DROP to download the script, it won't work properly for FRST.

The script tells FRST what to do.

Start FRST that is on the desktop by right clicking on file and selecting "Run as Administrator..."

When the tool opens click Yes to disclaimer. (if it still does)

Press the Fix button just once and wait. The script will be processed and your system restarted to complete the removal / breakage of the malware.

The tool will make a log on the Desktop (Fixlog.txt) please post it to your reply (attach or paste)

Read carefully

Download Adwcleaner from here to your desktop and run a scan.

You may have to right click adwcleaner.exe and choose "Run as Administrator" from the menu. (Click the Scan button to start the scanning).

It will create a log after it is finished scanning. If not (or if it just asks for you to uncheck what you don't wanted deleted), there is a Report button in the middle of the main window; click that and it will make the log file.

Once the report file is made, you can leave AdwCleaner running (but don't delete anything yet) or you can close it down (we can always get a fresh scan done before the deletions).

ONE SCAN ONLY, PLEASE

Attach or paste the log back here for review and further instructions. Thanks.