having a problem with explorer... please help...

[FasterThanSatan]

everytime i click on Internet Explorer it doesn't go to my homepage which is Yahoo.com. it goes to this site: http://www.syssecuritysite.com/. i checked under Tools>Internet Options and the homepage address is Yahoo. even if i click the home button on the browser, it just stays there. i tried clicking on any of the Bookmark site under My Favorites, it will go there but when i type the web address on the address bar, it goes back. luckily i have an external link to your website on my desktop and it works there. this only happens when i click the internet explorer but if there's a shortcut on my desktop to a website it works. please help me with this problem. thanks in advance.

[rjfvillarosa]

you have a "homepage hijacker" what version of Windows are you using and what antivirus and malware scanners are you using?

[FasterThanSatan]

i have windows xp and i dont have a malware but i do have mcafee if i can use it and plus the website that i'm being redirected is a malware website. how did i get this "homepage hijacker" and how do i get rid of it? i'm going in every folder in my local disk and still no luck.

[rjfvillarosa]

That website is spyware itself, they are a total con.
You said you can get to this site via a link on your desktop, can you get to any other sites?
If you can get to any other sites go here http://free.grisoft.com/doc/avg-anti-virus-free/lng/us/tpl/v5 and download AVG7 free version, this is an excellent free for home use antivirus program, now go here http://www.ewido.net/en/ and either do an online scan or download the free version of Ewido, next go here and do an online virus/malware scan http://housecall.trendmicro.com

If it were me I would disable system restore and AFTER installing AVG7 and Ewido, run the scans in "SafeMode" (see this thread for information about SafeMode http://forum.pcmech.com/showthread.php?t=115633 ).
Remember if you disable system restore you will lose all your restore points.
Just one last thing, get rid of McAffee, it's ok (not great) and it is a major system resource hog.

[FasterThanSatan]

so all in all i need to run these programs and it will get rid of the "homepage hijacker" right? thanks a bunch RJF. appreciate it. keeping a shortcut to this forum in my desktop is really worth it. thanks again!

[rjfvillarosa]

so all in all i need to run these programs and it will get rid of the "homepage hijacker" right?
No guarantees but a good start in the right direction.