Strange behavior with Google searches

Category: Geeks r Us

Post 1 by purple penguin (Don't you hate it when someone answers their own questions? I do.) on Sunday, 04-Oct-2009 21:39:40

Hi
When I click on a search result in Google, it takes me to the wrong page. This only happens with IE. I did a disk clean up, and cleared out temp internet files, history, and cookies. I'm afraid to see if that solved the problem so for now I'm avoiding iE even if some websites, such as the web portal is incompatible with Firefox. Any idea of what could be causing this?

Post 2 by Twinklestar09 (I've now got the bronze prolific poster award! now going for the silver award!) on Sunday, 04-Oct-2009 22:10:22

Hmmm. Maybe it could be a browser highjacker thing, or some kind of virus. If you haven't yet, try scanning with an anti-spyware or anti-virus program. I had had something like that, where when I would try to go to another page with IE, it would take me to Altavista, which was probably either a corrupted version of that site, or something else was somehow controlling what pages to open or whatever. If tyour thing is only with IE, hopefully you'll be able to get rid of that problem.

Post 3 by KC8PNL (The best criticism of the bad is the practice of the better.) on Monday, 05-Oct-2009 6:58:32

Sounds like a spywear issue to me. Try what was suggested in post 2. I had a similar situation early this year, and it was fixed after running Norton.

Post 4 by purple penguin (Don't you hate it when someone answers their own questions? I do.) on Monday, 05-Oct-2009 9:35:06

Ok now it's happening with Firefox. I checked with Avast, and it didn't catch anything. What's a good, accessible antispyware program?

Post 5 by blindndangerous (the blind and dangerous one) on Monday, 05-Oct-2009 9:39:57

Avira anti virus, (free), super anti spyware (free), and sygate personal firewall.

Post 6 by purple penguin (Don't you hate it when someone answers their own questions? I do.) on Monday, 05-Oct-2009 12:20:33

i think it's too late now. Avast finally warned me, and by the third one, my computer froze. I hope it didn't spread to my external hard drive. I have important files as well as music. So what do I do? Should I shut the laptop down?

Post 7 by purple penguin (Don't you hate it when someone answers their own questions? I do.) on Monday, 05-Oct-2009 12:56:47

Ok I restarted and something called security tool got downloaded and found all these viruses.

Post 8 by purple penguin (Don't you hate it when someone answers their own questions? I do.) on Monday, 05-Oct-2009 12:58:43

Ok I restarted and something called security tool got downloaded and found all these viruses.

Post 9 by purple penguin (Don't you hate it when someone answers their own questions? I do.) on Monday, 05-Oct-2009 13:00:47

sorry about the double post. Posting from phone.

Post 10 by monkeypusher69 (I'll have the last word, thank you!) on Saturday, 10-Oct-2009 4:22:17

wouldn't trust that security toolkit thing is it could be part of the virus. super anti spyware and malware bytes are the 2 accissible malware programs. but you definately have a bug on there as you know now. if you have eyes to help you scan in safe mode.

Post 11 by purple penguin (Don't you hate it when someone answers their own questions? I do.) on Sunday, 11-Oct-2009 19:46:29

I have Avast, Super Anti Spyware and Malware Bytes. They all keep finding stuff, but Google is still redirecting me to strange search sites. I guess it's not all gone. Most people I know never even heard of safe Mode, so I wouldn't trust them with it.