* Run a full anti-virus scan, making sure that your anti-virus program is using the most current virus definition updates.
* Download and run Ad Aware and SpyBot Search & Destroy .
Follow these directions for configuring Ad Aware (directions courtesy of our member "crunchie"):
1. Download and Install Ad-Aware SE , keeping the default options. However, some of the settings will need to be changed before your first scan
2.Close ALL windows except Ad-Aware SE
3. Click on the‘world’ icon at the top right of the Ad-Aware SE window and let AdAware SE update the reference list for the adware and malware.
4. Once the update is finished click on the ‘Gear’ icon (second from the left at the top of the window) to access the preferences/settings window
1) In the ‘General’ window make sure the following are selected in green:
*Automatically save log-file
*Automatically quarantine objects prior to removal
*Safe Mode (always request confirmation)
Under Definitions:
*Prompt to udate outdated definitions - set the number of days
2) Click on the ‘Scanning’ button on the left and select in green :
Under Driver, Folders & Files:
*Scan Within Archives
Under Select drives & folders to scan -
*choose all hard drives
Under Memory & Registry: all green
*Scan Active Processes
*Scan Registry
*Deep Scan Registry
*Scan my IE favorites for banned URL’s
*Scan my Hosts file
3) Click on the ‘Advanced’ button on the left and select in green:
Under Shell Integration:
*Move deleted files to recycle bin
Under Logfile Detail Level: (all green)
*include addtional object information
*DESELECT - include negligible objects information
*include environment information
Under Alternate Data Streams:
*Don't log streams smaller than 0 bytes
*Don't log ADS with the following names: CA_INOCULATEIT
4) Click the ‘Tweak’ button and select in green:
Under the ‘Scanning Engine’:
*Unload recognized processes during scanning
*Scan registry for all users instead of current user only
Under the ‘Cleaning Engine’:
*Let Windows remove files in use at next reboot
Under the Log Files:
*Include basic Ad-aware SE settings in logfile
*Include additional Ad-aware SE settings in logfile
*Please do not check or make green: Include Module list in logfile
5. Click on ‘Proceed’ to save the settings.
6. Click ‘Start’
*Choose:'Perform Full System Scan'
*DESELECT "Search for negligible risk entries", as negligible risk entries (MRU's) are not considered to be a threat.
7. Click ‘Next’ and Ad-Aware SE will scan your hard drive(s) with the options you have selected and clean automatically.
8. If Ad-Aware SE finds bad entries, you will receive a list of what it found in the window
9. Save the log file when it asks and then click ‘finish’
10. REBOOT to complete the removal of what Ad-Aware SE found
* Run SpyBot.
When you first run SpyBot, it will walk you through a Wizard which will perform a few critical functions (making a registry backup, getting the latest updates, etc.).
1. Perform all of the Wizard's tasks.
2. Run the program. Once it completes, have it fix everything it finds.
3. Reboot.
* If you're still experiencing problems, download HijackThis.
1. Save and run HijackThis from its own folder; do no run it directly from your desktop, or from within any Temp, Temporary, or Temporary Internet Files folder. Saving HijackThis to a folder such as C:\hijackthis or C:\downloads\hijackthis will do just fine.
2. Close/quit all open programs, especially your web browser.
3. Open HJT and click the "Scan" button.
- When HJT has finished its scan, click the "Save log" button and save the log file in your HJT folder.
- Open the log file in Windows notepad, and cut-n-paste the entire contents of the log into a reply in this thread.