Family member w/computer probs (redirecting homepage & other amusements)

[SSgtBaloo]

My nephew’s ex-SIL has a seriously psychotic computer. She’s running Win98 and her browser is giving her fits. Here is her latest missive:

Hey Baloo!!! It’s me, Jim’s outlaw ex-sister-in-law and total computer illit frustrated drama queen. Well, the computer hasn’t flown though any windows or off the deck yet but it’s sooooooo close. Today’s big events included spending 2 and a half hours with a computer geek that if possible knows less than I do about the dang things. With absolutely nothing done followed by several downloads: ad-aware, spy-bot, win fix, and cw shredder. Plus antispyware from McAffee. Several hours and lots of banging on head to achieve minimal results. I have apparently found and fixed many problems related to these programs. But alas, my computer is still sick and can’t quite seem to get back to operating happily and predictably as it once, oh so very long ago, did.
So here is what’s what: Home page as much as I want, demand and lately beg…refuses to remain at good old yahoo, but resets by some magical mystical horned toad into res://e2ioc.dll/index.html#12802. I keep receiving pop ups from “only the best” mostly for ad/spy ware or porn. The yahoo companion task/tool bar refuses to stay out of the way no matter how often I click it off. I’ve been getting so many illegal function boxes that I could make a necklace out of them…that is if I bothered to print them all off. The computer is slow to shut down and often I have a box that pops up and I have to end task. And it would seem that the computer no longer thinks I an capable of multiple tasking as it only wants to allow one window open most of the time. While using yahoo search…I get yahoo search page for a minute before it turns into a different search and does away with yahoo altogether. Hitting the back button often resorts to closing of the window without my approval. Was printing off a few things and had one page that printed just a pop up add that while I couldn’t see it on screen must have been around there some place waiting for attention. Has been known to add search and porn sites to favorites list. And often the history doesn’t stick around except for the current day even though it’s supposed to hang around for my amusement for 5 days.
I have updated windows and McAffee, and neither show any problems.
So I guess that is the long and short and long of it. I am totally out of ideas at this point. I am sending an e-mail as I was assured that I can’t spread it this way…and well heck if I happen to…misery loves company.
Hope you are getting adjusted to the northwest and doing well. Take care.
Love,Light and Peace,
Deb~
The way way overstressed holding her breath agonized by modern technology girl next door.

Now, can anyone help me figure out what questions to ask to diagnose her “possessed” machine and determine a cure (apart from switching to Mozilla or Firefox)? She and her husband run a business with this computer and they really would rather not have to reformat the HD, if at all possible (people still do that don’t they?)

Thanks in advance!

–SSgtBaloo

[RealityChuck]

First of all, no matter how bad the spyware, you should not have to reformat your hard drive. Some forms are a bitch to remove, but it’s always possible, if not easy.

What the victim needs to do is download hijackthis from http://www.majorgeeks.com/download3155.html or anywhere else Google says it is. It will create a log for analysis.

Then, go to http://forums.spywareinfo.com and post the log. Someone will come along with help. You can also browse through the forums to see solutions to similar issues.