res://C:\WINDOWS\efpxx.dll/sp.html#98809
This has hijacked my browser, how do I get rid of it, Spybot won’t work, and it keeps reappearing over and over no matter how many times I try to get rid of it.
Please help!
Its a little shit!!
Cleaning a computer system of spware, let alone viruses and trojans is not a one step process. No single anti-spyware program does a thorough job so you must attack it from several angles. The following are all free anti-spyware tools you should download, install and configure for your system. You should regularly run the updates for each one and scan your system after each is updated with new definitions.
As stated above, each of these program does its part, but the combination of these will go a long way in keeping the nasties at bay.
Spybot Search & Destroy - Current Version 1.3
Spyblaster - Current Version 3.3
Adaware Personal Edition - Current version 1.05
Microsoft Antispyware - Currently in Beta - Microsoft will offer this tool for free.
Each of these tools must be updated with current defintion files before using for the first time.
There is also another tool that does not clean your system, but is a diagnostic tool that peers at your system to locate suspect files. So also get HijackThis. It’s current version is 1.99.1
Finally, you can greatly reduce your exposure to these nasties by biting the bulleting and dumping two programs: Internet Explorer and Outlook, including Outlook Express.
Use Mozilla or FireFox as your browser and install Thunderbird as your email client. All are free. They are easy to install and set up and will reduce your exposure.
Yeah, yeah, I can hear the whine, but look at it this way. Do you keep protecting your home against constant burglaries by always replacing the cheap locks with cheap locks? Install some heavy duty locks and take a more active and vigilant approach to keeping your computer secure. Installing and updating protective software is on thing; actually changing the way you operate your computer is quite another.
As for dumping IE and Outlook, all this means is quit using them. Period. Sure, you will come across web sites that just don’t work well in standards-compliant browsers such as Mozzie or FireFox. So open them up in that prostitute of browsers – IE – and do your business. I would also complain to the site owner they should use web standards when building their site and quit being IE-centric. This may appear to be a bit intrusive telling a site owner to change their ways but it does work. If you’re still hesitant about dumping that slut IE take a look at this web site.
Sometimes if these beasties persist in re-installing themselves after you remove them, you have to go into Safe Mode and then run the tools. You can get to Safe Mode by pressing the F8 key while windows is booting up.
If nothing else works, HijackThis! probably will. It’s a bit more involved, though. Take some time and read all the important stuff on their page. You’ll be dealing a bit with the message boards and such… just so you know it’s not a push-a-button-and-let-it-do-its-thing-and-you’re-done kind of thing.