Expert: Lorry - 9/23/2010

Question
Hello Lorry,
Im pretty sure my laptop is infected with malware. I experience additional Internet Explorer windows opening randomly with ads for "registry defender", or "work from home", etc.  These are not pop-ups but additional IE windows. This slows my laptop down substantialy. Also when using a search engine like BING and clicking on a relevant search result, I always get "redirected" to an unrelated website full of advertisements.

I have tried running MalwareBytes, SpyBot and Ad-Aware anti-malware programs with absolutely no success in eliminating these issues. Can you please help? I am running Windows XP, using only MS firewall and no anti-virus program (only because the programs I have tried in the past had slowed my laptop down to a snails pace). I just switched over from Comcast Cable to ATT DSL 2 days ago, but I have had this issue for about 6 weeks.
Thank you,
Ken

Answer
Hi Ken,

There should always be an anti-virus program installed and up to date if the computer is on-line.

Using Internet Explorer, go to:

http://security.symantec.com/sscv6/WelcomePage.asp

Click on Continue to Symantec Security Check. Under Virus Detection, click Start, accept the End-User Agreement. It will ask you a few times to permission to install Active X Controls, answer yes. Once you see that the program is actually scanning, leave the computer alone until the scan is finished.

Once the scan is done, write down exactly anything it finds, then go to:

http://www.symantec.com/search/  

and do a search for what was found. Symantec usually has a removal tool and/or directions for removing manually. Make sure that you follow the instructions for removal, step by step, especially the part regarding disabling System Restore.

Check for updates for Malewarebytes and then run a scan with that.

Since you don't have an AV program installed, Microsoft Security Essentials is free and good. Check it out at:

http://www.microsoft.com/security/products/mse.aspx

Hope this helps!
Lorry