Okay ... I did what you said. Here's the log -

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Logfile of HijackThis v1.98.2
Scan saved at 11:16:49 PM, on 3/10/2004
Platform: Windows XP SP2 (WinNT 5.01.2600)
MSIE: Internet Explorer v6.00 SP2 (6.00.2900.2180)

Running processes:
C:\WINDOWS\System32\smss.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\winlogon.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\services.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\lsass.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\svchost.exe
C:\WINDOWS\System32\svchost.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\LEXBCES.EXE
C:\WINDOWS\system32\spoolsv.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\LEXPPS.EXE
C:\Program Files\Analog Devices\SoundMAX\SMAgent.exe
C:\WINDOWS\System32\svchost.exe
C:\Program Files\Trend Micro\PC-cillin 2002\Tmntsrv.exe
C:\WINDOWS\Explorer.EXE
C:\Program Files\Trend Micro\PC-cillin 2002\PCCPFW.exe
C:\WINDOWS\htpatch.exe
C:\Program Files\Lexmark X1100 Series\lxbkbmgr.exe
C:\Program Files\Trend Micro\PC-cillin 2002\pccguide.exe
C:\Program Files\Trend Micro\PC-cillin 2002\PCCClient.exe
C:\Program Files\Trend Micro\PC-cillin 2002\Pop3trap.exe
C:\Program Files\Common Files\Logitech\QCDriver2\LVCOMS.EXE
C:\Program Files\Lexmark X1100 Series\lxbkbmon.exe
C:\Program Files\SpywareBlaster\sbautoupdate.exe
C:\Program Files\D-Link\DSL-200\dslstat.exe
C:\Program Files\D-Link\DSL-200\dslagent.exe
C:\Program Files\iTunes\iTunesHelper.exe
C:\Program Files\QuickTime\qttask.exe
C:\Program Files\SpywareBlaster\sbautoupdate.exe
C:\Program Files\Common Files\Real\Update_OB\realsched.exe
C:\Program Files\iPod\bin\iPodService.exe
C:\Program Files\MSN Messenger\MsnMsgr.Exe
C:\Program Files\Webroot\Spy Sweeper\SpySweeper.exe
C:\Program Files\AIM95\aim.exe
C:\Program Files\Yahoo!\Messenger\ypager.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\wuauclt.exe
C:\HJT\HijackThis.exe

R1 - HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Search Bar = about:NavigationFailure
R1 - HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Search Page = about:NavigationFailure
R0 - HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Start Page = http://www.countingdown.com
R1 - HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Search Page = about:NavigationFailure
R0 - HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Start Page = http://www.countingdown.com
R1 - HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Search,SearchAssistant = about:NavigationFailure
R0 - HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Search,SearchAssistant = about:NavigationFailure
R1 - HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Window Title = James' Internet Explorer
O2 - BHO: (no name) - {53707962-6F74-2D53-2644-206D7942484F} - C:\Program Files\Spybot - Search & Destroy\SDHelper.dll
O3 - Toolbar: &Google - {2318C2B1-4965-11d4-9B18-009027A5CD4F} - c:\program files\google\googletoolbar2.dll
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [HTpatch] C:\WINDOWS\htpatch.exe
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [SiSUSBRG] C:\WINDOWS\SiSUSBrg.exe
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [NeroCheck] C:\WINDOWS\System32\NeroCheck.exe
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [Lexmark X1100 Series] "C:\Program Files\Lexmark X1100 Series\lxbkbmgr.exe"
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [pccguide.exe] "C:\Program Files\Trend Micro\PC-cillin 2002\pccguide.exe"
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [PCCClient.exe] "C:\Program Files\Trend Micro\PC-cillin 2002\PCCClient.exe"
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [Pop3trap.exe] "C:\Program Files\Trend Micro\PC-cillin 2002\Pop3trap.exe"
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [LVCOMS] C:\Program Files\Common Files\Logitech\QCDriver2\LVCOMS.EXE
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [LogitechGalleryRepair] C:\Program Files\Logitech\ImageStudio\ISStart.exe
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [LogitechImageStudioTray] C:\Program Files\Logitech\ImageStudio\LogiTray.exe
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [RoxioEngineUtility] "C:\Program Files\Common Files\Roxio Shared\System\EngUtil.exe"
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [SBAutoUpdate] "C:\Program Files\SpywareBlaster\sbautoupdate.exe"
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [DSLSTATEXE] C:\Program Files\D-Link\DSL-200\dslstat.exe icon
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [DSLAGENTEXE] C:\Program Files\D-Link\DSL-200\dslagent.exe
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [iTunesHelper] C:\Program Files\iTunes\iTunesHelper.exe
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [QuickTime Task] "C:\Program Files\QuickTime\qttask.exe" -atboottime
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [TkBellExe] "C:\Program Files\Common Files\Real\Update_OB\realsched.exe" -osboot
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [WildTangent CDA] RUNDLL32.exe "C:\Program Files\WildTangent\Apps\CDA\cdaEngine0400.dll",cdaEngineMain
O4 - HKCU\..\Run: [MsnMsgr] "C:\Program Files\MSN Messenger\MsnMsgr.Exe" /background
O4 - HKCU\..\Run: [SpySweeper] "C:\Program Files\Webroot\Spy Sweeper\SpySweeper.exe" /1
O4 - HKCU\..\Run: [AIM] C:\Program Files\AIM95\aim.exe -cnetwait.odl
O4 - HKCU\..\Run: [Yahoo! Pager] C:\Program Files\Yahoo!\Messenger\ypager.exe -quiet
O4 - HKCU\..\Run: [LDM] \Program\BackWeb-8876480.exe
O4 - Global Startup: Adobe Gamma Loader.exe.lnk = C:\Program Files\Common Files\Adobe\Calibration\Adobe Gamma Loader.exe
O4 - Global Startup: Logitech Desktop Messenger.lnk = C:\Program Files\Logitech\Desktop Messenger\8876480\Program\LDMConf.exe
O4 - Global Startup: Microsoft Office.lnk = C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office10\OSA.EXE
O6 - HKCU\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Control Panel present
O8 - Extra context menu item: &AIM Search - res://C:\Program Files\AIM Toolbar\AIMBar.dll/aimsearch.htm
O8 - Extra context menu item: &Google Search - res://c:\program files\google\GoogleToolbar2.dll/cmsearch.html
O8 - Extra context menu item: Backward Links - res://c:\program files\google\GoogleToolbar2.dll/cmbacklinks.html
O8 - Extra context menu item: Cached Snapshot of Page - res://c:\program files\google\GoogleToolbar2.dll/cmcache.html
O8 - Extra context menu item: E&xport to Microsoft Excel - res://C:\PROGRA~1\MICROS~2\Office10\EXCEL.EXE/3000
O8 - Extra context menu item: Similar Pages - res://c:\program files\google\GoogleToolbar2.dll/cmsimilar.html
O8 - Extra context menu item: Translate into English - res://c:\program files\google\GoogleToolbar2.dll/cmtrans.html
O9 - Extra button: Messenger - {4528BBE0-4E08-11D5-AD55-00010333D0AD} - C:\Program Files\Yahoo!\Messenger\yhexbmes0521.dll
O9 - Extra 'Tools' menuitem: Yahoo! Messenger - {4528BBE0-4E08-11D5-AD55-00010333D0AD} - C:\Program Files\Yahoo!\Messenger\yhexbmes0521.dll
O9 - Extra button: AIM - {AC9E2541-2814-11d5-BC6D-00B0D0A1DE45} - C:\Program Files\AIM95\aim.exe
O9 - Extra button: ICQ Lite - {B863453A-26C3-4e1f-A54D-A2CD196348E9} - C:\Program Files\ICQLite\ICQLite.exe
O9 - Extra 'Tools' menuitem: ICQ Lite - {B863453A-26C3-4e1f-A54D-A2CD196348E9} - C:\Program Files\ICQLite\ICQLite.exe
O9 - Extra button: (no name) - {CD67F990-D8E9-11d2-98FE-00C0F0318AFE} - (no file)
O9 - Extra button: Messenger - {FB5F1910-F110-11d2-BB9E-00C04F795683} - C:\Program Files\Messenger\msmsgs.exe
O9 - Extra 'Tools' menuitem: Windows Messenger - {FB5F1910-F110-11d2-BB9E-00C04F795683} - C:\Program Files\Messenger\msmsgs.exe
O9 - Extra button: WeatherBug - {AF6CABAB-61F9-4f12-A198-B7D41EF1CB52} - C:\Program Files\AWS\WeatherBug\Weather.exe (file missing) (HKCU)
O14 - IERESET.INF: START_PAGE_URL=http://www.optima.com.au/
O16 - DPF: Yahoo! Chess - http://download.games.yahoo.com/game...ts/y/ct0_x.cab
O16 - DPF: {00B71CFB-6864-4346-A978-C0A14556272C} (Checkers Class) - http://messenger.zone.msn.com/binary...r.cab28578.cab
O16 - DPF: {2917297F-F02B-4B9D-81DF-494B6333150B} (Minesweeper Flags Class) - http://messenger.zone.msn.com/binary...r.cab28578.cab
O16 - DPF: {41F17733-B041-4099-A042-B518BB6A408C} - http://a1540.g.akamai.net/7/1540/52/...eInstaller.exe
O16 - DPF: {6414512B-B978-451D-A0D8-FCFDF33E833C} (WUWebControl Class) - http://v5.windowsupdate.microsoft.co...?1094860033906
O16 - DPF: {8E0D4DE5-3180-4024-A327-4DFAD1796A8D} (MessengerStatsClient Class) - http://messenger.zone.msn.com/binary...t.cab28578.cab
O16 - DPF: {B9191F79-5613-4C76-AA2A-398534BB8999} - http://us.dl1.yimg.com/download.yaho...tocomplete.cab
O16 - DPF: {C3DFA998-A486-11D4-AA25-00C04F72DAEB} - http://sc.groups.msn.com/controls/PhotoUC/MsnPUpld.cab
O16 - DPF: {D719897A-B07A-4C0C-AEA9-9B663A28DFCB} (iTunesDetector Class) - http://ax.phobos.apple.com.edgesuite...ITDetector.cab
O16 - DPF: {F58E1CEF-A068-4C15-BA5E-587CAF3EE8C6} (MSN Chat Control 4.5) - http://chat.msn.com/bin/msnchat45.cab
O16 - DPF: {F6BF0D00-0B2A-4A75-BF7B-F385591623AF} (Solitaire Showdown Class) - http://messenger.zone.msn.com/binary...n.cab28578.cab

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I hope you can help me, crunchie! You're the best!

Download CWShredder from here & run it. Select the fix button & it will fix everything related to CoolWebSearch that is stored in it's database. Close ALL windows, including Internet Explorer, before running CWShredder. Reboot.

To help prevent this from happening again, install the patches for the vulnerabilities that this hijacker exploits by going here for your critical updates.

Reboot after doing this & post another log please.