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Help! Internet browser is redirecting me!?

Hi, so I have IE8 and each time i type in the browser, let's say 'yahoo answers' the links all appear but when i clicki on one it redirects me to a really random website. How can I fix this? I have Norton antivirus, and I'm currently running a background scan because I'm afraid it might be a virus. How can I get my browser back to normal? Also, it won't let me download anything either, like I wanted to download google chrome but it wouldn't let me and it also wouldn't play youtube videos. Thanks in advance!

2 Answers

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  • 1 decade ago
    Favorite Answer

    That sounds like adware, a browser hijacker, to be specific. There are never any guarantees in malware fighting, but here's my best shot at a generic removal procedure:

    Download Ad-Aware Free and Spybot S&D (they’re free), install them, update them and run full scans with them in Safe Mode With Networking.

    Also, turn off System Restore to evict any copies of bad stuff that might be lurking there.

    To get into Safe Mode with Networking:

    1. Log out and reboot your machine.

    2. When the machine starts the reboot sequence, press the F8 key repeatedly.

    3. Select Safe Mode with Networking from the resulting menu.

    4. Login. If the malware has changed your password, try logging in as Administrator. By default, Administrator has no password.

    5. The machine will continue booting, but the Windows desktop will look different.

    6. When you're finished doing what you need to do, log out and reboot back into normal mode.

    Another trick that may enable anti-malware and/or its installer program to sneak past the malware is to change the name of the anti-malware program itself. The names of the files and their locations differ between anti-malware programs, but the procedure is always the same:

    1. In Windows Explorer, find the folder with the anti-malware.

    2. Change the name of the program (it always ends with a .exe) to virtually anything else, but keep the “.exe” part.

    3. Run that.

    Good luck.

    Source(s): Note: There ARE free versions of these reputable programs on the websites listed. They just may not be obvious. Spybot S & D (free): http://www.spybot.com/ Ad-Aware Free (free): http://www.lavasoftusa.com/
  • 1 decade ago

    Avoid this tip if you havn't but its good to know anyway

    if you had a virus earlier then i can tell that i had the same problem

    it may be a bit to harsh but....restart the whole computer system

    before that...use USB... and save your files you want to save

    i had an issue when trying to visit a anti virus site and the net was messed up after a virus problem was gone

    here is some tips to avoid virus when not having a anti virus program full version....

    Use AVG free!

    Do not access a site that you don't know

    Try not click on links that is from other people

    Use a search system on net when finding a site(AVG will cover it)

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