# Search Engine Virus?!
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/search-engine-virus/164404
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [March 26, 2003, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/search-engine-virus/164404 "2003-03-26T23:56:15Z")
**Posts on this page:** 12
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@kgriffey79](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kgriffey79)
#### Post date: [March 26, 2003, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/search-engine-virus/164404/1 "2003-03-26T23:56:15Z")
Hey all, I think I got some kinda weird virus or something. I just noticed it after I cleaned about 10gigs of crap off my hard drive. Anyway, if I try to use a search engine, that window will stop responding. I will type what I want in the search box, but then I won’t be able to do anything with the window. What the hell is going on?!It’s really pissing me off, any help?
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### Author:  [@kgriffey79](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kgriffey79)
#### Post date: [March 26, 2003, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/search-engine-virus/164404/2 "2003-03-26T23:59:31Z")
Oops, my bad, I forgot, I am running WIN98 with Active Desktop on. Umm, and am using the newest IE, i think…V.6?
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### Author:  [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)
#### Post date: [March 27, 2003, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/search-engine-virus/164404/3 "2003-03-27T00:25:45Z")
I think I would try repairing the installation of IE - this is usually found by going through the motions of uninstalling it in the add/remove programs dialog in the control panel, but instead oof just uninstalling, you get a dialog asking you if you want to reinstall/repair or uninstall.
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### Author:  [@kgriffey79](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kgriffey79)
#### Post date: [March 27, 2003, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/search-engine-virus/164404/4 "2003-03-27T00:43:13Z")
Didn’t work ☹
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### Author:  [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)
#### Post date: [March 27, 2003, 1:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/search-engine-virus/164404/5 "2003-03-27T01:32:27Z")
What exactly was the stuff you deleted and where did you delete it from? (if you can remember). - specifically, did you delete anything from a subfolder of _Program Files_ or _Windows_?
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### Author:  [@owlofcreamcheese](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/owlofcreamcheese)
#### Post date: [March 27, 2003, 2:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/search-engine-virus/164404/6 "2003-03-27T02:11:52Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by kgriffey79 \*
> \*\*Hey all, I think I got some kinda weird virus or something. I just noticed it after I cleaned about 10gigs of crap off my hard drive. \*\*
yeah… who here thinks he probobly deleted something?
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### Author:  [@kgriffey79](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kgriffey79)
#### Post date: [March 27, 2003, 7:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/search-engine-virus/164404/7 "2003-03-27T07:03:39Z")
I just deleted stuff out ot my KazAa folder. Videos, songs, ISOs. I also uninstalled some old games. That’s it. Nothing that would matter, or in anyway affect IE…
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### Author:  [@Alereon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alereon)
#### Post date: [March 27, 2003, 7:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/search-engine-virus/164404/8 "2003-03-27T07:43:20Z")
Try running Ad-Aware, available from [Lavasoft](http://www.lavasoftusa.com). It can clear out all sorts of spyware and associated junk that KaZaA tends to dump into your system.
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### Author:  [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)
#### Post date: [March 27, 2003, 8:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/search-engine-virus/164404/9 "2003-03-27T08:57:44Z")
If you still suspect a virus, then I’d recommend a visit to [www.antivirus.com](http://www.antivirus.com) for their free _housecall_ online scan, then over to [www.grisoft.com](http://www.grisoft.com) to download and install AVG free edition (installable virus scanner).
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### Author:  [@DreadCthulhu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DreadCthulhu)
#### Post date: [March 27, 2003, 9:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/search-engine-virus/164404/10 "2003-03-27T09:06:50Z")
I reccomend running [http://www.bitdefender.com/](http://www.bitdefender.com/) on your computer, and following that up with another installable virus scanner. \*\* Mangetout and Alereon \*\* reccomendations for Ad-Aware and AVG are really good ideas too.
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### Author:  [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)
#### Post date: [March 27, 2003, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/search-engine-virus/164404/11 "2003-03-27T22:05:08Z")
Try a different browser (Netscape, Opera, etc). From the behavior you describe, I suspect a missing component of MSIE rather than a virus, but if the behavior manifests itself in other browsers as well, that can’t be so.
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### Author:  [@kgriffey79](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kgriffey79)
#### Post date: [March 27, 2003, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/search-engine-virus/164404/12 "2003-03-27T22:29:12Z")
I downloaded Opera, and was using it fine, but now everytime I load it up, it freezes! I the window that tells me i have to close it, but it doesn’t even fully appear. I can barely make any words on it. Then it goes blue screen… ☹ I am thinking of reformatting my HD, but I am afraid of screwing that up. I got a friend who can probably help me do it tho.