IE Initialization Files

[Jeff]

Whenever I reboot my computer a different homepage is
assigned (it is HugeSearch.com). I use Tools/Internet
Options to reassign yahoo.com as my default homepage and
that will last until the next reboot. I assume that the
HugeSearch.com is hiding in an initialization or registry
file somewhere. Does anyone know where to look?

[Noel Paton]

Reboot to Safe Mode and run CWShredder - to remove what is almost certainly
a variant of the CoolWebSearch hijacker.
http://www.merijn.org/cwschronicles.html

Use CWShredder, the removal tool:
http://www.merijn.org/files/cwshredder.zip
http://www.merijn.org/files/CWShredder.exe
http://www.spywareinfo.com/downloads/tools/CWShredder.exe
http://www.zerosrealm.com/downloads/CWShredder.zip


--
Noel Paton (MS-MVP 2002-2004, Win9x)

Nil Carborundum Illegitemi
http://www.btinternet.com/~winnoel/millsrpch.htm

Please read http://dts-l.org/goodpost.htm on how to post messages to NG's
or
http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/features/2001/Mar01/Mar27pmvp.asp

"Jeff" > wrote in message
...
> Whenever I reboot my computer a different homepage is
> assigned (it is HugeSearch.com). I use Tools/Internet
> Options to reassign yahoo.com as my default homepage and
> that will last until the next reboot. I assume that the
> HugeSearch.com is hiding in an initialization or registry
> file somewhere. Does anyone know where to look?

[Mike M]

You've been hijacked by HugeSearch which is a commercial home page
parasite/hijacker. For some details see
http://www.securemost.com/articles/trou_3_hugesearch.htm and also
http://www.mongabay.com/hugesearch.htm.

To remove this hijacker I'd start by using AdAware (see below).

This would be a good time to download yourself a copy of the free Ad-Aware 6.0
from Lavasoft (http://www.lavasoftusa.com/software/adaware/) and also SpyBot
Search & Destroy (http://www.safer-networking.org/) and use them to check your
system for other commercial parasites remembering that they are only as good
as when you last updated their reference files. I also use a program called
BHODemon (http://www.definitivesolutions.com/bhodemon.htm that checks for
unwanted Browser Help Objects and SpywareBlaster
(http://www.wilderssecurity.net/spywareblaster.html) which can help prevent
some parasites getting a grip on your PC.

I'd also recommend that you download and run CWShredder
(http://www.zerosrealm.com/downloads/CWShredder.zip or
http://www.spywareinfo.com/~merijn/files/cwshredder.zip) which is the best way
of getting rid of the many forms of the CoolWebSearch hijacker details of
which can be found at http://www.spywareinfo.com/~merijn/cwschronicles.html
and also http://www.pestpatrol.com/pestinfo/c/cws.asp..
--
Mike Maltby MS-MVP



Jeff > wrote:

> Whenever I reboot my computer a different homepage is
> assigned (it is HugeSearch.com). I use Tools/Internet
> Options to reassign yahoo.com as my default homepage and
> that will last until the next reboot. I assume that the
> HugeSearch.com is hiding in an initialization or registry
> file somewhere. Does anyone know where to look?