Have I Got A Virus

[skyguy]

I can open web pages, but if I click on a picture thumbnail, or a link I get a blank page. All of the sites I try are the same, its been like this for 3 days. I use AVG antivirus but cannot update as I cannot open the link to do so. I dial up via BT Broadband.

Any Ideas?

GARY

[ROB 110 HICAP]

"Take 2 of these and see me in the morning?".........

[Madoobri]

I can open web pages, but if I click on a picture thumbnail, or a link I get a blank page. All of the sites I try are the same, its been like this for 3 days. I use AVG antivirus but cannot update as I cannot open the link to do so. I dial up via BT Broadband.

Any Ideas?

GARY

Dunno if this will help, but try restoring to a previous time when all was well ... ie 4 days or so ago & see if that does the trick!

cheers,

Madoobri

[Michelle]

actually thats not such a bad idea...
Delete all your cookies (though make sure you know all your passwords and such first, as you will have t o re-enter them)

[ginaa68]

some spyware does this - I have a program called Spyhunter installed and a clear out with that and then a good scan and defrag does the trick. If you can get onto Google you'll find it - it cost me about £20 but it's unlimited updates for both the program and the definitions.

Hope this helps,

Gaynor

[90mile]

if you are getting a webpage called about.blank - this is a very bad thing.
Check with norton first then download adaware and spybot and run them both.

cheers

[Carl]

Skyguy,

Does this sound like your problem?

Here's the problem - Internet Explorer seems to have decided that the home page about:blank is what will greet you every time you open a new browser window. You try to change it back but either your Internet Options are greyed out or you change the page back, only to find next time you start Internet Explorer the dreaded about:blank has returned.

There are many possible causes for this behaviour and most are evil. One possible cause is a virus, but this is not very common. The most likely culprit is an adware/browser hijack program - in particular, CoolWebSearch.

The symptom that identifies the CoolWebSearch or a close variation is that about:Blank appears as the address, but in the background a window pops up stating that spyware, adware or something similar has been found on your system. CoolWebSearch is a browser hijack program - it takes over your home page, and keeps changing it back. Its purpose is to show you advertising, or flog you an over-priced piece of software to fix the issue CoolWebSearch has created. The about:Blank change is a trick designed to confuse users - regrettably, it is very successful!

The simplest way to remove the about:Blank adware is to use a specially designed tool and clean up your system. Step one is to flush out all the temp files on your system: Cookies, Temporary Internet Files and Temp files (you can do this via Internet Explorer's Tools-Internet Options or for a more thorough clean, use a privacy tool such as Tracks Eraser Pro 5 (http://www.softwarepatch.com/software/trackerase.html)). Next up, get a copy of CWShredder. This should kill CoolWebSearch and allow you to change your home page from about:Blank, plus it will kill those pop up windows.

If these options don't work, you may need a more in-depth tool such as SpyCatcher. It will also flush out all types of spyware, adware and malware. Plus it offers home page protection to guard against future hijacks.

The about:Blank deception is devious enough already - it may be altered in the future, so keep an eye out for other programs that contain it (main sources: free programs with adware files) - and stay clear. Finally, consider adding an anti-adware tool to work next to your anti-virus software. Our prefered choice isSpyCatcher. (http://www.softwarepatch.com/software/spycatcher.html)


You might want to consider moving over to Firefox (http://www.mozilla.org/products/firefox/) as your browser. More secure tham IE, no pop ups and its free!!


http://sfx-images.mozilla.org/affiliates/Buttons/80x15/firefox_80x15.png (http://www.mozilla.org/products/firefox/)

[jjsaul]

or it could just be BT screwing up AGAIN :p