Google search is hijacked
(Nearly) every time I use Google search, the search is hijacked to any number of other sites. There are "many" such sites, too many to block individually. If use Firefox tools/options/privacy and remove all cookies that I don't recognize, the search may work momentarily, however, the cookies are written back very quickly, and, my hijack problem recurs once again.
If I block 'all' cookies, certain web sites don't work (like, my Google mail, which tells me to go back and enable cookies).
I have tried any number of security programs (Symantec, Spybot etc) but, the effect is the same as above, momentarily the hijack problem disappears, only to reappear. Veritably, the Sorcerer's Apprentice effect!
My feeling is, Firefox needs a very quick fix for what appears to be a gaping security hole in Firefox.
Chosen solution
Probably caused by Malware on your PC.
Install, update, and run these programs in this order. They are listed in order of efficacy.
(Not all programs detect the same Malware, so you may need to run them all to solve your problem.)
These programs are all free for personal use, but some have limited functionality in the "free mode" - but those are features you really don't need to find and remove the problem that you have.
Note: If your Malware infection is bad enough and you are mis-directed to URL's other than what is posted, you may have to use a different PC to download these programs and use a USB stick to transfer them to the afflicted PC.
Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware - http://www.malwarebytes.org/mbam.php
SuperAntispyware - http://www.superantispyware.com/
AdAware - http://www.lavasoftusa.com/software/adaware/
Spybot Search & Destroy - http://www.safer-networking.org/en/index.html
Windows Defender: Home Page - http://www.microsoft.com/windows/prod.../default.mspx
Also, if you have a search engine re-direct problem, see this:
http://deletemalware.blogspot.com/2010/02/remove-google-redirect-virus.html
If these don't find it or can't clear it, post in one of these forums for specialized malware removal help:
http://www.spywarewarrior.com/index.php
http://forum.aumha.org/
http://www.spywareinfoforum.com/
http://bleepingcomputer.com
All Replies (8)
Chosen Solution
Probably caused by Malware on your PC.
Install, update, and run these programs in this order. They are listed in order of efficacy.
(Not all programs detect the same Malware, so you may need to run them all to solve your problem.)
These programs are all free for personal use, but some have limited functionality in the "free mode" - but those are features you really don't need to find and remove the problem that you have.
Note: If your Malware infection is bad enough and you are mis-directed to URL's other than what is posted, you may have to use a different PC to download these programs and use a USB stick to transfer them to the afflicted PC.
Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware - http://www.malwarebytes.org/mbam.php
SuperAntispyware - http://www.superantispyware.com/
AdAware - http://www.lavasoftusa.com/software/adaware/
Spybot Search & Destroy - http://www.safer-networking.org/en/index.html
Windows Defender: Home Page - http://www.microsoft.com/windows/prod.../default.mspx
Also, if you have a search engine re-direct problem, see this:
http://deletemalware.blogspot.com/2010/02/remove-google-redirect-virus.html
If these don't find it or can't clear it, post in one of these forums for specialized malware removal help:
http://www.spywarewarrior.com/index.php
http://forum.aumha.org/
http://www.spywareinfoforum.com/
http://bleepingcomputer.com
I tried several of the above.
Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware: ineffective, at least, on my PC (as was Symantec)
SuperAntispyware - VERY effective
AdAware - requires a subscription to a number of web services; typically, the first month was "free", but, canceling from such is always problematic; did not try
Spybot Search & Destroy - as mentioned, tried this earlier; ineffective
Several days on, my hijack problem is history (fingers crossed). SuperAntispyware worked best, for me, anyhow. The various blogs and forums are, IMHO, for dedicated tekkies.
well, Im no IT but Im pretty adept- I have tried spybot, malwarebytes, ccleaner and mcafee and I still have this hijack issue. I dont like the idea of not using google or firefox anymore, but I'll do what I have to do to get what I need. Someone needs a fix for this, pronto.
Best Way to Stop Re-Directs. After being told by Firefox that the malware I downloaded to get rid of the Foxfire Redirect Problem is the real source of the redirects and trying all of the above but with no positive results I found the perfect solution? DELETE FIREFOX! and find another browser because I cannot stand it any more having a redirect every five seconds!
It has been two weeks, and, after using the suggested software (above), the redirect problem has NOT surfaced. I do rerun these packages periodically, and they "do" appear to locate infected files (which they "fix"; of course, you never really know what they are doing).
That said, should this problem reoccur, I'm with plberes: I'm going to delete Firefox. There are too many other browsers out there. This is a problem Firefox needs to be addressing, in the form of a new release.
Hello NZFilmProf, Which browser would you recommend for immunity to hijack malvirewares? IE8, IE9 and FF4 (uninstalled and reinstalled) all suffer same search engine parasitism, and AFAIK (TTBOMK), non of the big software houses have a regular download product to stop them.
I was having a problem like you. I deleted "AVG" out of the register. FF on my home page. When I typed anything in search or the address, it would redirect to isearch.AVG.... I went to tools and updated FF and it cleaned out AVG from FF. Now I have Google, FF & IE. I will never download a free trial "File Cleaner", it had AVG attached, installed itself and hijacked all my browsers. Free at last--after two months. AVG SUCKS!
OOPS! Go to Help vs tools. Sorry typo.