Member Avatar for rmg1341

My internet explorer changed sites, and won't allow me to start where I want it to. So I read previous posts and downloaded spybot. It won't allow me to update, get an error message and no list of updates. I'm still faulting to the wrong internet explorer page. Also, the size of the fonts has been changed on all my web pages, is this the same problem or another problem.

I do my best at doing this stuff, but I'm a veterinarian, not a computer maven. Any help written plainly would be greatly appreciated.

thanks
ruth

  • 4 Contributors
  • 3 Replies
  • 141 Views
  • 11 Hours Discussion Span
  • Latest Post Latest Post by caperjack

Dani AI

Generated

This looks like a fairly typical browser‑hijack / spyware situation, as suggested, and the tools mentioned by and are reasonable. A few focused checks often reveal the cause and let cleanup tools update and run normally.

Start with quick, non-destructive checks:

  • Inspect the Internet Explorer shortcut (right‑click → Properties) and confirm the Target field ends with the browser executable only (no extra URL or launcher added).
  • Open Internet Options → Connections → LAN Settings and make sure no unwanted proxy is set. Spyware often sets a proxy that blocks update servers, which would explain Spybot’s update error.
  • Verify the Hosts file (C:\WINDOWS\system32\drivers\etc\hosts) for unusual entries that redirect common update sites. Open it in Notepad (show all files to view) and remove lines that map well‑known hosts to other IPs; keep a backup copy first.

Next, get the browser back to a sane state before running removers:

  • If the homepage cannot be changed from Internet Options, and shortcut/hosts/proxy are clean, a hijacker may be enforcing a change via registry or a BHO. Booting to Safe Mode with Networking and attempting changes/scans there avoids many active blockers.
  • If Spybot still refuses to update, try running an alternate on‑demand scanner in Safe Mode or updating on another machine and bringing current update files over on removable media (when available).

Font changes can be unrelated. Quick checks: IE View → Text Size (set to Medium) and Display Properties → Appearance/DPI. If fonts still look wrong only in IE, an injected stylesheet or plugin could be altering page rendering.

Final notes: save and post the HijackThis log exactly as generated (do not fix entries blindly) so experienced members can point to specific entries to remove. Always back up the registry or create a restore point before making manual changes. If unfamiliar with hosts or registry edits, local tech help is advisable.

Recommended Answers

All 3 Replies

Member Avatar for Yzk

Try using Ad-aware, its used by almost everybody:

this one is free

Otherwise use pestpatrol instead, its more efficient
www.pestpatrol.com
but you have to buy it to get the full version

Member Avatar for DMR

Moving to the security forum, as this is almost cetainly a spyware-type problem. :)

BTW- the font resizing might be a separate problem; that will become clearer once you've run a few spyware removal utilities.

Member Avatar for caperjack

My internet explorer changed sites, and won't allow me to start where I want it to. So I read previous posts and downloaded spybot. It won't allow me to update, get an error message and no list of updates. I'm still faulting to the wrong internet explorer page. Also, the size of the fonts has been changed on all my web pages, is this the same problem or another problem.

I do my best at doing this stuff, but I'm a veterinarian, not a computer maven. Any help written plainly would be greatly appreciated.

thanks
ruth

Download the latest version of Ad-Aware at
After installing AAW, and before running the program, FIRST update the reference file following these instructions.
http://www.lavahelp.com/howto/updref/index.html
Now do the following:
- Under Ad-aware 6 > Settings (Gear at the top) > Tweaks > Scanning Engine:
check: "Unload recognized processes during scanning."
- Under Ad-aware 6 > Settings (Gear at the top) > Tweaks > Cleaning Engine:
Check: "Let Windows remove files in use after reboot."
Press "Scan Now"
- Check option "Use Custom scanning options"
- Check option "Activate In-Depth Scan"
- Press "Select drives\folders to scan"
- Select the active partition which is usually C:
Now press "Next" to let Ad-aware scan your drives...
It will find a number of "bad" files and registry keys.
Right-click in that pane and choose "select all"
Now press "Next" again.
It will ask you whether you'd like to remove all checked items. Click OK.
Finally, close Ad-Aware, and reboot.

Then:
Download 'Hijack This!'.
Unzip (extract) it to a folder of its own. Then Doubleclick HijackThis.exe (in the new folder), and hit "Scan".
When the scan is finished, the "Scan" button will change into a "Save Log" button.
Press that, then Ctrl-A to Select All, and copy its contents here. for hijackthis,most of what it lists will be harmless or even essential, don't fix anything yet.

Be a part of the DaniWeb community

We're a friendly, industry-focused community of developers, IT pros, digital marketers, and technology enthusiasts meeting, networking, learning, and sharing knowledge.