computer problem - help needed

[ps1074]

I have a problem with my Internet Explorer. For over a week now when I type an URL without www or http:// it redirects me. I have never had this problem before. You know it is a major pain in the ass typing www or http every time you enter an URL. I must have hit some nasty web site with spyware shit on it or something like that.

Now when I type without www and hit the ENTER button it redirects em to 193.125.201.50 and then to http://search.xrenoder.com/

Note - Do not visit this URL as it will install some nasty links and dialers on your computer (Bargain Buddy, Easy Date, IST, XXX Tolbar)

I ran adaware and it removed all the spyware, I uninstalled all the 4 (yes, this is four) programs that autoinstalled on my computer, I cleaned my bookmarks from the autobookmarking and this thig still keeps coming again.

I ran through my windows/temp directory and found a couple of exe files there and cleaned them too. I have looked at every place possible (I am technically challeneged) and I think I cleaned this nasty thing. But yet it keeps coming again and again...

Every time I do not enter the www. I got a full portion of those nasty programs autoinstalled.

Can someone please tell me how can I ged rid of them? Where should I look? what I need to do? Help :(

Thanks

[displacedtexan]

1. have you corrected errors?

i defrag and correct errors one per week. i use netscape, but IE is probably similar. this might help you. can't hurt.
start
programs
accessories
system tools
defragmenter
(when i start the defrag process, the 'fix errors' window pops up)
by the time you read this, someone with real computer skills will probably know exactly what you should do.
good luck!

[CBGLuthier]

2. I googled xrenoder

Someone else had similar issues. They used spybot and it got rid of the problem. Failing that it looks like they stick some junk in your hosts file.

Look in your windows directory for the system32 directory and in there the etc directory. There is a file in there called hosts. You can edit it with notpad. On most systems there won't be anything in there. I think Kazaa sticks some crap in there too. Back it up if you are worried and clean it out.

[TrogL]

3. You've caught a spyware

It's sort of like a virus. It's buried in the registry. Fixing it is not for the faint of heart.

[mreilly]

4. Did you update Ad-Awar e to get the latest definition?

You have my sympathies - spyware is the nastiest stuff out there.

Start Ad-Aware (version 6, right), and click "Check for Updates Now." If it finds and installs a new version, run it again to fully scan everything.

Also try running Spybot - do a Google search for it; it's a free utility that complements Ad-Aware quite well.

Did the spyware change your start page by any chance? Change it back by going to Control Panel, Internet Options, and then specify the home page in the Address field.

If all else fails try repairing IE - Control Panel, Add/Remove Programs, pick Microsoft Internet Explorer, Change, then Repair it (if this is greyed out you might want to go to www.microsoft.com and reinstall it).

[ps1074]

7. yes, I am with the latest Ad aware

And yes, it chages my home page too, I know how to get it back.

What worries me is this thing my found its way to the registry and I am not sure I can remove it from there :(

[dragonquest8]

5. two words for you

CLEAN INSTALL

http://www.iceteks.com/articles/parser.php?article=cleaninstall

[Enraged_Ape]

6. Here's a link to download Spybot

I've known other people that have been able to get rid of xrenoder with this.

http://www.pcworld.com/downloads/file_description/0,fid,22262,00.asp

It's best to have SpyBot and AdAware available, and to have the latest updates for each.

[ps1074]

8. okay, I am downloading SpyBot now

It better works :)

This is nothing short of highjacking my computer. It is absolutely illegal thing to do and I hope someone sue those a**holes.

[Kellanved]

9. Best: go directly to Patrick Kolla's page

He's the author of spybot.

http://www.safer-networking.org/

[TreasonousBastard]

10. You've been hijacked.

Since I almost never use IE, I have no idea how to unhijack it, but running Spybot Search and Destroy will catch some of the things that AdAware misses.

http://security.kolla.de/

Webwasher may also help:

ttp://www.webwasher.com/en/products/wwash/index.htm

Turning off scripting, Active X, java, and some other things might isolate the problem.

Cleaning out the cache, cookies, and temporary files is always a good idea. Some you can't manually delete without some fancy DOS tricks, so I use Steganos Internet Trace Destructor, but there are probably other ones out there.

Have you updated and run your antivirus program, whatever it may be?

You got a firewall properly set up?

Once again I risk becoming a broken record by suggesting Opera or the various iterations of Mozilla, or even the latest Netscape 7.x as safer and better browsers.

[catmandu57]

11. Spybot ought to kill it

there's been a hell of a lot of hijacking going on recently, open brazen shit I blame it gw mcchimpy*, but I blame everything on him. Download spybot, spy sweeper, and ad alert. Run them religiously everyday before you shut down.

[ps1074]

12. Thanks guys, Spybot killed it

What Adaware missed, Spybot found and killed, so I am clean now. No more highjacking :)