I recently opened internet explorer for the first time in a long time, and I haven't been able to close it since. It opens up in the background and for whatever reason turns down the volume on my machine. Whats even more bizarre is that it is in the Processes tab of my task manager but not in my applications tab. I ran Hijackthis and this is what I came up with

Logfile of Trend Micro HijackThis v2.0.4
Scan saved at 7:13:03 PM, on 7/5/2010
Platform: Windows XP SP2 (WinNT 5.01.2600)
MSIE: Internet Explorer v6.00 SP2 (6.00.2900.2180)
Boot mode: Normal

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\Ati2evxx.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\svchost.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\svchost.exe
C:\WINDOWS\System32\svchost.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\Ati2evxx.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\spoolsv.exe
C:\WINDOWS\Explorer.EXE
C:\Program Files\Common Files\Apple\Mobile Device Support\AppleMobileDeviceService.exe
C:\Program Files\Bonjour\mDNSResponder.exe
C:\Program Files\Analog Devices\Core\smax4pnp.exe
C:\Program Files\Belkin\F5D7050v3\Belkinwcui.exe
C:\Program Files\Java\jre6\bin\jqs.exe
C:\Program Files\Java\jre6\bin\jusched.exe
C:\WINDOWS\System32\spool\DRIVERS\W32X86\3\EKIJ5000MUI.exe
C:\Program Files\ATI Technologies\ATI.ACE\Core-Static\MOM.exe
C:\Program Files\DNA\btdna.exe
C:\Program Files\Common Files\Motive\McciCMService.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\svchost.exe
C:\Program Files\ATI Technologies\ATI.ACE\Core-Static\ccc.exe
C:\Program Files\Linksys Wireless-G PCI Network Adapter with SpeedBooster\WLService.exe
C:\Program Files\Linksys Wireless-G PCI Network Adapter with SpeedBooster\WMP54GSv1_1.exe
C:\Program Files\iPod\bin\iPodService.exe
C:\WINDOWS\System32\svchost.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\taskmgr.exe
C:\Program Files\Ventrilo\Ventrilo.exe
C:\Program Files\Mozilla Firefox\firefox.exe
C:\Program Files\Mozilla Firefox\plugin-container.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\mmc.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\msiexec.exe
C:\Program Files\Trend Micro\HiJackThis\HiJackThis.exe

R1 - HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Default_Search_URL = http://toolbar.ask.com/toolbarv/askRedirect?o=101757&gct=&gc=1&q=
R1 - HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Search,Default_Search_URL = http://toolbar.ask.com/toolbarv/askRedirect?o=101757&gct=&gc=1&q=
R1 - HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\SearchURL,(Default) = http://toolbar.ask.com/toolbarv/askRedirect?o=101757&gct=&gc=1&q=%s
R1 - HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Internet Settings,ProxyServer = :0
R1 - HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Internet Settings,ProxyOverride = *.local
R3 - URLSearchHook: Winamp Search Class - {57BCA5FA-5DBB-45a2-B558-1755C3F6253B} - C:\Program Files\Winamp Toolbar\winamptb.dll
R3 - URLSearchHook: AIM Toolbar Search Class - {03402f96-3dc7-4285-bc50-9e81fefafe43} - C:\Program Files\AIM Toolbar\aimtb.dll
R3 - URLSearchHook: AOLSearchHook Class - {54EB34EA-E6BE-4CFD-9F4F-C4A0C2EAFA22} - C:\Program Files\AIM Search\AOLSearch.dll
R3 - URLSearchHook: DefaultSearchHook Class - {C94E154B-1459-4A47-966B-4B843BEFC7DB} - C:\Program Files\AskSearch\bin\DefaultSearch.dll
O2 - BHO: AcroIEHelperStub - {18DF081C-E8AD-4283-A596-FA578C2EBDC3} - C:\Program Files\Common Files\Adobe\Acrobat\ActiveX\AcroIEHelperShim.dll
O2 - BHO: AskBar BHO - {201f27d4-3704-41d6-89c1-aa35e39143ed} - C:\Program Files\AskBarDis\bar\bin\askBar.dll
O2 - BHO: Winamp Toolbar Loader - {25CEE8EC-5730-41bc-8B58-22DDC8AB8C20} - C:\Program Files\Winamp Toolbar\winamptb.dll
O2 - BHO: AOL Search Enhancement - {54EB34EA-E6BE-4CFD-9F4F-C4A0C2EAFA22} - C:\Program Files\AIM Search\AOLSearch.dll
O2 - BHO: AIM Toolbar Loader - {b0cda128-b425-4eef-a174-61a11ac5dbf8} - C:\Program Files\AIM Toolbar\aimtb.dll
O2 - BHO: Java(tm) Plug-In 2 SSV Helper - {DBC80044-A445-435b-BC74-9C25C1C588A9} - C:\Program Files\Java\jre6\bin\jp2ssv.dll
O2 - BHO: JQSIEStartDetectorImpl - {E7E6F031-17CE-4C07-BC86-EABFE594F69C} - C:\Program Files\Java\jre6\lib\deploy\jqs\ie\jqs_plugin.dll
O3 - Toolbar: Ask Toolbar - {3041d03e-fd4b-44e0-b742-2d9b88305f98} - C:\Program Files\AskBarDis\bar\bin\askBar.dll
O3 - Toolbar: AIM Toolbar - {61539ecd-cc67-4437-a03c-9aaccbd14326} - C:\Program Files\AIM Toolbar\aimtb.dll
O3 - Toolbar: Winamp Toolbar - {EBF2BA02-9094-4c5a-858B-BB198F3D8DE2} - C:\Program Files\Winamp Toolbar\winamptb.dll
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [IgfxTray] C:\WINDOWS\system32\igfxtray.exe
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [HotKeysCmds] C:\WINDOWS\system32\hkcmd.exe
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [SoundMAXPnP] C:\Program Files\Analog Devices\Core\smax4pnp.exe
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [F5D7050v3] C:\Program Files\Belkin\F5D7050v3\Belkinwcui.exe
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [Adobe Reader Speed Launcher] "C:\Program Files\Adobe\Reader 9.0\Reader\Reader_sl.exe"
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [StartCCC] "C:\Program Files\ATI Technologies\ATI.ACE\Core-Static\CLIStart.exe" MSRun
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [SunJavaUpdateSched] "C:\Program Files\Java\jre6\bin\jusched.exe"
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [EKIJ5000StatusMonitor] C:\WINDOWS\System32\spool\DRIVERS\W32X86\3\EKIJ5000MUI.exe
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [avast5] C:\PROGRA~1\ALWILS~1\Avast5\avastUI.exe /nogui
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [QuickTime Task] "C:\Program Files\QuickTime\QTTask.exe" -atboottime
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [iTunesHelper] "C:\Program Files\iTunes\iTunesHelper.exe"
O4 - HKCU\..\Run: [MSMSGS] "C:\Program Files\Messenger\msmsgs.exe" /background
O4 - HKCU\..\Run: [BitTorrent DNA] "C:\Program Files\DNA\btdna.exe"
O4 - HKCU\..\Run: [Steam] "c:\program files\steam\steam.exe" -silent
O4 - HKCU\..\Run: [Aim] "C:\Program Files\AIM\aim.exe" /d locale=en-US
O4 - Startup: LimeWire On Startup.lnk = C:\Program Files\LimeWire\LimeWire.exe
O4 - Startup: OpenOffice.org 3.1.lnk = C:\Program Files\OpenOffice.org 3\program\quickstart.exe
O4 - Startup: YPOPs.lnk = ?
O8 - Extra context menu item: &Winamp Search - C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Winamp Toolbar\ieToolbar\resources\en-US\local\search.html
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
O22 - SharedTaskScheduler: Browseui preloader - {438755C2-A8BA-11D1-B96B-00A0C90312E1} - C:\WINDOWS\system32\browseui.dll
O22 - SharedTaskScheduler: Component Categories cache daemon - {8C7461EF-2B13-11d2-BE35-3078302C2030} - C:\WINDOWS\system32\browseui.dll
O23 - Service: Apple Mobile Device - Apple Inc. - C:\Program Files\Common Files\Apple\Mobile Device Support\AppleMobileDeviceService.exe
O23 - Service: Ati HotKey Poller - ATI Technologies Inc. - C:\WINDOWS\system32\Ati2evxx.exe
O23 - Service: ATI Smart - Unknown owner - C:\WINDOWS\system32\ati2sgag.exe
O23 - Service: avast! Antivirus - Unknown owner - C:\Program Files\Alwil Software\Avast5\AvastSvc.exe (file missing)
O23 - Service: avast! Mail Scanner - Unknown owner - C:\Program Files\Alwil Software\Avast5\AvastSvc.exe (file missing)
O23 - Service: avast! Web Scanner - Unknown owner - C:\Program Files\Alwil Software\Avast5\AvastSvc.exe (file missing)
O23 - Service: Bonjour Service - Apple Inc. - C:\Program Files\Bonjour\mDNSResponder.exe
O23 - Service: FLEXnet Licensing Service - Macrovision Europe Ltd. - C:\Program Files\Common Files\Macrovision Shared\FLEXnet Publisher\FNPLicensingService.exe
O23 - Service: Google Update Service (gupdate) (gupdate) - Google Inc. - C:\Program Files\Google\Update\GoogleUpdate.exe
O23 - Service: iPod Service - Apple Inc. - C:\Program Files\iPod\bin\iPodService.exe
O23 - Service: Java Quick Starter (JavaQuickStarterService) - Sun Microsystems, Inc. - C:\Program Files\Java\jre6\bin\jqs.exe
O23 - Service: McciCMService - Motive Communications, Inc. - C:\Program Files\Common Files\Motive\McciCMService.exe
O23 - Service: WMP54GSSVC - GEMTEKS - C:\Program Files\Linksys Wireless-G PCI Network Adapter with SpeedBooster\WLService.exe

--
End of file - 7728 bytes

I am a gamer and this is making it close to or next too impossible to play any online games since every time IEXPLORE.EXE opens up it tabs me out of the game.

IEXPLORE.EXE is not showing in your running processes during the HJT scan.
You need to do all the steps given in our Read Me sticky and post back with all those logs. Then we can better tell what may be going on.

http://www.daniweb.com/forums/thread134865.html

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