# My computer WON'T Google! **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 3, 2003, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-computer-wont-google/205465 "2003-10-03T23:57:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Alias](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a88e4f/32.png) [@Alias](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alias)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2003, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-computer-wont-google/205465/1 "2003-10-03T23:57:00Z")
This morning, when I got online, I noticed that Google wasn’t working. No big deal, I thought, and went on with my day. I figured their site was down or something. Later, I still couldn’t get the page to load, so I went to another search engine site, and it wouldn’t work either! I thought it was a coincidence until I used a different computer in my house and Google came up perfectly! WTF? Can someone shed some light on this sudden inability for my computer to access a search engine? ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2003, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-computer-wont-google/205465/2 "2003-10-04T01:02:33Z")
Normally, I’d say spyware, but they just discovered a new trojan horse, Qhosts, that can redirect you from Google to another website (which has probably been closed down). See [http://www.trendmicro.com/vinfo/virusencyclo/default5.asp?VName=TROJ\_QHOSTS.A](http://www.trendmicro.com/vinfo/virusencyclo/default5.asp?VName=TROJ_QHOSTS.A) Best bet would be to go to [http://housecall.antivirus.com](http://housecall.antivirus.com) and run their online virus scanner. ---
**Author:** ![Alias](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a88e4f/32.png) [@Alias](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alias)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2003, 1:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-computer-wont-google/205465/3 "2003-10-04T13:37:00Z")
Went to the sites, ran the scans etc. Nothing. They say my computer is fine. Any other ideas? Seriously, my computer cannot access ANY of the search engines I try to get on. It’s very strange. ---
**Author:** ![SirMuffinMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/7ab992/32.png) [@SirMuffinMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SirMuffinMan)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2003, 1:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-computer-wont-google/205465/4 "2003-10-04T13:43:53Z")
Last time this happened to me, I had to go to Tools -\> Internet Options -\> Connection , and check all the proxy and LAN settings. I don’t know how yours would be configured, but just make sure nothing is out of the ordinary. Also, I must thank you, because just as I checked my own settings, I found out that some website had configured itself to my connection as an automatic script. I hate those. ---
**Author:** ![GusNSpot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gusnspot/32/436_2.png) [@GusNSpot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GusNSpot)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2003, 1:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-computer-wont-google/205465/5 "2003-10-04T13:46:34Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Alias \* > \*\*Went to the sites, ran the scans etc. Nothing. They say my computer is fine. Any other ideas? Seriously, my computer cannot access ANY of the search engines I try to get on. It’s very strange. \*\* You can go online to here at the SDMB and other places, just not any search engine? What are you using? Computer? OS? Browser? Hookup = Dial up , DSL, Cable, T1 ?? Need lots more info… ---
**Author:** ![Lightnin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lightnin/32/180_2.png) [@Lightnin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lightnin)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2003, 1:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-computer-wont-google/205465/6 "2003-10-04T13:48:22Z")
I just noticed mine’s doing the same thing. I’m VERY upset, as I absolutely love the new Google Bar. I just recently removed some spyware, and I bet one of them hijacked my search settings (going so far as to disallow going to Google at all), and then, once removed, the settings didn’t revert. I’ll check out Qhosts. Thanks, **RealityChuck**. ---
**Author:** ![handy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5a626/32.png) [@handy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handy)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2003, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-computer-wont-google/205465/7 "2003-10-04T14:36:39Z")
Why not try another browser like Netscape? What programs are you using? ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2003, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-computer-wont-google/205465/8 "2003-10-04T14:40:28Z")
**Alias,** if you click on the following link, what happens? What URL shows up in your browser’s address bar? [http://google.com](http://google.com) ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2003, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-computer-wont-google/205465/9 "2003-10-04T14:44:18Z")
There are some new search hijack programs that are exploiting the nifty google toolbar (which I have). DL Spybot and run it. ---
**Author:** ![Harborwolf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c89c15/32.png) [@Harborwolf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harborwolf)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2003, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-computer-wont-google/205465/10 "2003-10-04T16:17:13Z")
Musicat, if I try the google link, I get the windows “Cannot find Server” page. The same happens for all search engines. Everything else on the internet works fine. Handy, the computer uses Internet Explorer. GusNSpot, the computer is an HP pavilion 514x. It runs on windows xp. The connection to the internet is a cable modem and through a network. Any other info needed? ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2003, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-computer-wont-google/205465/11 "2003-10-04T16:26:03Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Alias \* > \*\*Went to the sites, ran the scans etc. Nothing. They say my computer is fine. Any other ideas? Seriously, my computer cannot access ANY of the search engines I try to get on. It’s very strange. \*\* Sounds more and more like Qhosts to me. Maybe they aren’t scanning for it yet. Check your “hosts” file. It’s usually in C:\windows\system32\drivers\etc folder. Open it (it has no file extension, but it’s an ASCII file, so you can open it in Wordpad). Normally, it has very few entries in it. If it shows a long list of seach engines, you’ve been infected and need to clean it (for most users, the Hosts file has only one or two names). You may need to follow the cleaning instructions on the link I previously gave. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2003, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-computer-wont-google/205465/12 "2003-10-04T16:27:50Z")
BTW, to protect yourself from getting this trojan again, go to [http://windowsupdate.microsoft.com](http://windowsupdate.microsoft.com) and install all critical updates required. If you don’t see the hosts file where I indicated, do a search for it. ---
**Author:** ![Harborwolf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c89c15/32.png) [@Harborwolf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harborwolf)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2003, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-computer-wont-google/205465/13 "2003-10-04T17:48:32Z")
the host file has three names in it. Any other thoughts? ---
**Author:** ![Alescus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Alescus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alescus)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2003, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-computer-wont-google/205465/14 "2003-10-04T18:08:03Z")
The Qhosts trojan does not modify the normal HOSTS file, but adds a second one in C:\WINDOWS\HELP , and alters a registry setting making this new HOSTS file the default. It also normally modifies the default DNS servers, but if other sites work I guess this hasn’t happened. But the fact that the problem specifically affects search engines strongly suggests Qhosts to me. Does [http://216.239.59.99/](http://216.239.59.99/) work okay? I think that should still work if Qhosts is responsible. ---
**Author:** ![Harborwolf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c89c15/32.png) [@Harborwolf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harborwolf)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2003, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-computer-wont-google/205465/15 "2003-10-04T18:22:36Z")
Alescus, you’re right. The program RealityChuck doesn’t work though. Anyother ways to get rid of Qhosts ---
**Author:** ![Alescus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Alescus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alescus)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2003, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-computer-wont-google/205465/16 "2003-10-04T18:40:20Z")
The Qhosts trojan runs once and then removes itself from the computer. If you’ve been hit by the trojan, you don’t need to literally remove Qhosts itself, just repair the damage it caused. I did this using the instructions at the bottom of [here](http://us.mcafee.com/virusInfo/default.asp?id=description&virus_k=100719) . If you look at the date stamp of the bogus HOSTS file, you might be able to match this with the site in your history list that caused the popup ad responsible for the trojan (if you care). ---
**Author:** ![Harborwolf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c89c15/32.png) [@Harborwolf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harborwolf)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2003, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-computer-wont-google/205465/17 "2003-10-04T19:00:53Z")
Thanks, Alescus, you’re a search saver. ---
**Author:** ![Lightnin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lightnin/32/180_2.png) [@Lightnin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lightnin)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2003, 1:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-computer-wont-google/205465/18 "2003-10-05T13:55:15Z")
Yep, I had that damn QHosts thing. A shame this thread is in **GQ** and not **The Pit** - I can’t express my displeasure strongly enough.