Something changing my URL prefixes and home page.

[ManfredVonRichthoffen]

Everything is redirected to magicsearch.ws(i'd advise staying clear of that site). I don't know where I got it. I clear it off, and a day or two later, it is back. I'm not hitting any unsavory sites, so I am wondering if there is something else hidden on my machine. Spybot is what I use to get rid of it each time.

It redirects everything to that site, and sets the site as the homepage. I've found some favorites added to my list which send me to that site.

I wouldn't have even been able to find and download spybot the first time had it not been for the fact that I have opera on hand, and only explorer and the like was effected.

Anyone have any idea what it is?

[richardm]

Have a read of this:
http://forumer.com/index.php?mforum=aameenorg&showtopic=4&hl=magicsearch

Looks like a pernicious thing you've picked up.

Edited to add: Some of those filenames look like proper Windows system filenames, but aren't. Do be careful when cleaning up! iexplorer.exe is not the same as iexplore.exe!

Note also that I haven't tried this fix myself, but have seen the aameena site suggested as okay in more than one place.

Edited again to add: There is a little more accurate detail about the registry changes required in the Lavasoft forum. (http://www.lavasoftsupport.com/index.php?showtopic=19677&st=0&#entry156866)

[thrombus29]

We went over this a few weeks ago, It's getting to be pretty common as they find ways around Spy-bot and Adaware.


http://www.randi.org/vbulletin/showthread.php?s=&threadid=34134

My advice is to do a google search for "Magicsearch.ws" and see what other people have done.


Good luck,

[ManfredVonRichthoffen]

Thanks folks. I've followed the instructions, and hopefully got it.

Man, nasty little bug.