Can anyone help? I have been trying to get rid of this 'thing' whatever it is for several days. I've used AVG anti-spyware, windows defender and spybot S& D still no luck. The main symptom is that I can't get to google or many other legit sites related to virus and spyware removal. I have also done a search for a hosts file with no luck.

Here is the hijack this log:

Logfile of HijackThis v1.99.1
Scan saved at 7:52:12 AM, on 23/08/2007
Platform: Windows XP SP2 (WinNT 5.01.2600)
MSIE: Internet Explorer v7.00 (7.00.6000.16512)

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:\Program Files\Windows Defender\MsMpEng.exe
C:\WINDOWS\System32\svchost.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\spoolsv.exe
C:\Program Files\Lavasoft\Ad-Aware 2007\aawservice.exe
C:\Program Files\Grisoft\AVG Anti-Spyware 7.5\guard.exe
C:\PROGRA~1\Grisoft\AVG7\avgamsvr.exe
C:\PROGRA~1\Grisoft\AVG7\avgupsvc.exe
C:\PROGRA~1\Grisoft\AVG7\avgemc.exe
C:\Program Files\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\VS7DEBUG\MDM.EXE
C:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\MSSQL$MICROSOFTBCM\Binn\sqlservr.exe
C:\WINDOWS\Explorer.EXE
C:\WINDOWS\System32\nvsvc32.exe
C:\WINDOWS\System32\svchost.exe
C:\Program Files\Linksys\WUSB300N\WLService.exe
C:\Program Files\Linksys\WUSB300N\WUSB300N.exe
C:\Program Files\QuickTime\qttask.exe
C:\Program Files\iTunes\iTunesHelper.exe
C:\Program Files\Java\jre1.6.0_02\bin\jusched.exe
C:\WINDOWS\System32\svchost.exe
C:\Program Files\iPod\bin\iPodService.exe
C:\Program Files\Grisoft\AVG Anti-Spyware 7.5\avgas.exe
C:\PROGRA~1\Grisoft\AVG7\avgcc.exe
C:\Program Files\CW4\cw4.exe
C:\Program Files\Windows Defender\MSASCui.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\ctfmon.exe
C:\Program Files\DellSupport\DSAgnt.exe
C:\Program Files\Internet Explorer\iexplore.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\DllHost.exe
C:\Documents and Settings\DEL\Desktop\hijackthis\HijackThis.exe

O2 - BHO: (no name) - {53707962-6F74-2D53-2644-206D7942484F} - C:\Program Files\Spybot - Search & Destroy\SDHelper.dll
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [QuickTime Task] "C:\Program Files\QuickTime\qttask.exe" -atboottime
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [iTunesHelper] "C:\Program Files\iTunes\iTunesHelper.exe"
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [SunJavaUpdateSched] "C:\Program Files\Java\jre1.6.0_02\bin\jusched.exe"
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [!AVG Anti-Spyware] "C:\Program Files\Grisoft\AVG Anti-Spyware 7.5\avgas.exe" /minimized
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [AVG7_CC] C:\PROGRA~1\Grisoft\AVG7\avgcc.exe /STARTUP
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [CW] "C:\Program Files\CW4\cw4.exe"
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [Windows Defender] "C:\Program Files\Windows Defender\MSASCui.exe" -hide
O4 - HKCU\..\Run: [ctfmon.exe] C:\WINDOWS\system32\ctfmon.exe
O4 - HKCU\..\Run: [DellSupport] "C:\Program Files\DellSupport\DSAgnt.exe" /startup
O16 - DPF: {17492023-C23A-453E-A040-C7C580BBF700} (Windows Genuine Advantage Validation Tool) - http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?Link...04&clcid=0x409
O16 - DPF: {41F17733-B041-4099-A042-B518BB6A408C} - http://a1540.g.akamai.net/7/1540/52/...eInstaller.exe
O16 - DPF: {9A9307A0-7DA4-4DAF-B042-5009F29E09E1} (ActiveScan Installer Class) - http://acs.pandasoftware.com/actives...ree/asinst.cab
O23 - Service: Ad-Aware 2007 Service (aawservice) - Lavasoft AB - C:\Program Files\Lavasoft\Ad-Aware 2007\aawservice.exe
O23 - Service: AVG Anti-Spyware Guard - GRISOFT s.r.o. - C:\Program Files\Grisoft\AVG Anti-Spyware 7.5\guard.exe
O23 - Service: AVG7 Alert Manager Server (Avg7Alrt) - GRISOFT, s.r.o. - C:\PROGRA~1\Grisoft\AVG7\avgamsvr.exe
O23 - Service: AVG7 Update Service (Avg7UpdSvc) - GRISOFT, s.r.o. - C:\PROGRA~1\Grisoft\AVG7\avgupsvc.exe
O23 - Service: AVG E-mail Scanner (AVGEMS) - GRISOFT, s.r.o. - C:\PROGRA~1\Grisoft\AVG7\avgemc.exe
O23 - Service: InstallDriver Table Manager (IDriverT) - Macrovision Corporation - C:\Program Files\Common Files\InstallShield\Driver\11\Intel 32\IDriverT.exe
O23 - Service: iPod Service - Apple Inc. - C:\Program Files\iPod\bin\iPodService.exe
O23 - Service: Intel NCS NetService (NetSvc) - Intel(R) Corporation - C:\Program Files\Intel\NCS\Sync\NetSvc.exe
O23 - Service: NVIDIA Driver Helper Service (NVSvc) - NVIDIA Corporation - C:\WINDOWS\System32\nvsvc32.exe
O23 - Service: WUSB300NSvc - Unknown owner - C:\Program Files\Linksys\WUSB300N\WLService.exe" "WUSB300N.exe (file missing)

Off to work, now. Hopefully someone will spot a nasty in here and point me in another direction. I really would like to fix this without having to format the computer, if possible.

Thanks,

Larry

I'm no "hijack this" expert but I see now signs of intrusion. Maybe its just a virus or some change on your router's settings.

I also use Grisoft's AVG, but i have seen PC's getting infected while being protected by AVG. AVG is pretty goog, but sometimes not good enough.

Try running Kaspersky antivirus, it's one of the best ones around. You can download a fully functional demo version on their website and use it for 30 days (http://www.kaspersky.com/trials).

Uninstall AVG before installing Kaspersky, of course, then in a month, reverse this operation.

Good luck Larry.

I've heard of viruses that do this, a search of the foums might be able to help. Is that the newest version of hijakthis?

Show hidden files and folders in folder options, CP; your hosts file is at windows\system32\drivers\etc\hosts
You may need to run this to see it:
Start, run, paste in this and press enter:
attrib -s -r -h %windir%\system32\drivers\etc\hosts
You can also view it with hijackthis, misc tools, hosts file manager...