A Possible Virus
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You could try the repair function that is available when you boot from a standard windows install disk. It should ask if you want to install a system or repair an existing installation. I have had to do this on a couple of my kids systems.
Mike......... Rowlett, Texas, near Dallas
86 MK V 500/520. 59 MK 5 Greenie Shorty. SS Jointer, SS Planer,
SS Bandsaw, SS Lathe duplicator, SS Belt Sander,SS Molder & Shaper,
SS Tenon master jig, SS Mortising kit, SS 2 1/4' Drum Sanders, Ringmaster, DC3300....
86 MK V 500/520. 59 MK 5 Greenie Shorty. SS Jointer, SS Planer,
SS Bandsaw, SS Lathe duplicator, SS Belt Sander,SS Molder & Shaper,
SS Tenon master jig, SS Mortising kit, SS 2 1/4' Drum Sanders, Ringmaster, DC3300....
I just did some checking around on my computer and found something interesting on the start menu. I'm running Vista so I don't know if this would apply to you ar not. First I would shut down Explorer and then go to the start menu,all programs, accessories,system tools. From there on my computer is an option to run a "clean" version of Explorer with NO add ons or active x controls. If this works you could type in google in the address bar and do a search from there.dusty wrote:Thanks for the feedback but I changed to IE (where this is coming from) and I still cannot search using Google or Yahoo. The other search engines appear to work (I have done only a cursory test).
This option is also available in XP.tdubnik wrote:I just did some checking around on my computer and found something interesting on the start menu. I'm running Vista so I don't know if this would apply to you ar not. First I would shut down Explorer and then go to the start menu,all programs, accessories,system tools. From there on my computer is an option to run a "clean" version of Explorer with NO add ons or active x controls. If this works you could type in google in the address bar and do a search from there.
Bob
Don't try to make sense out of nonsense!
Don't try to make sense out of nonsense!
Dusty, the virus might have modified your "hosts" file. That's a file that is buried in Windows and is the first place your computer looks for DNS resolution.
A little primer on DNS resolution... Any device on the internet has an IP (Internet Protocol) address. This is a series of four three-digit numbers separated by a period. Domain Name Resolution was a way to give names that people can remember to these IP address. When you type "www.google.com" in your web browser, a series of lookup on Domain Name Servers (DNS) converts that to the IP address of 74.125.95.103 and then your computer knows where to find the host name "www.google.com" on the internet. It's kind of like looking up someone's name in the phone book to get their number. You then dial their number, not their name.
One of the first places your computer looks for domain name resolution is the "hosts" file on your computer. It's a simple text file and each line just has an IP address followed by the host name. This file is mostly unused now as the DNS system is much easier to maintain. But, it's possible for a virus to add an entry in your hosts file that will point common domain names to the wrong server. This could block your access to anti-virus or search web sites making it more difficult for you to get rid of the virus. It can also be used as a protection against malicious web sites. You can download a list of "bad" web sites and build a hosts file that will keep you from even being able to access those sites. It's just a very difficult thing to maintain because it has to be done manually and those malicious sites change so rapidly.
The "hosts" file is located at C:\windows\system32\drivers\etc. There is no extension as part of the file name. It's not "hosts.txt." It's just "hosts" but it is a simple text file.
Dusty, I would recommend renaming that hosts file, then reboot and see what happens. It might not fix your problem, but since this is happening in different browsers, it's the first thing I would check.
A little primer on DNS resolution... Any device on the internet has an IP (Internet Protocol) address. This is a series of four three-digit numbers separated by a period. Domain Name Resolution was a way to give names that people can remember to these IP address. When you type "www.google.com" in your web browser, a series of lookup on Domain Name Servers (DNS) converts that to the IP address of 74.125.95.103 and then your computer knows where to find the host name "www.google.com" on the internet. It's kind of like looking up someone's name in the phone book to get their number. You then dial their number, not their name.
One of the first places your computer looks for domain name resolution is the "hosts" file on your computer. It's a simple text file and each line just has an IP address followed by the host name. This file is mostly unused now as the DNS system is much easier to maintain. But, it's possible for a virus to add an entry in your hosts file that will point common domain names to the wrong server. This could block your access to anti-virus or search web sites making it more difficult for you to get rid of the virus. It can also be used as a protection against malicious web sites. You can download a list of "bad" web sites and build a hosts file that will keep you from even being able to access those sites. It's just a very difficult thing to maintain because it has to be done manually and those malicious sites change so rapidly.
The "hosts" file is located at C:\windows\system32\drivers\etc. There is no extension as part of the file name. It's not "hosts.txt." It's just "hosts" but it is a simple text file.
Dusty, I would recommend renaming that hosts file, then reboot and see what happens. It might not fix your problem, but since this is happening in different browsers, it's the first thing I would check.
Heath
Central Louisiana
-10ER - SN 13927, Born 1949, Acquired October 2008, Restored November, 2008
-10ER - SN 35630, Born 1950, Acquired April 2009, Restored May 2009, A34 Jigsaw
-Mark V - SN 212052, Born 1986, Acquired Sept 2009, Restored March 2010, Bandsaw
-10ER - SN 39722, Born 1950, Acquired March 2011, awaiting restoration
Central Louisiana
-10ER - SN 13927, Born 1949, Acquired October 2008, Restored November, 2008
-10ER - SN 35630, Born 1950, Acquired April 2009, Restored May 2009, A34 Jigsaw
-Mark V - SN 212052, Born 1986, Acquired Sept 2009, Restored March 2010, Bandsaw
-10ER - SN 39722, Born 1950, Acquired March 2011, awaiting restoration
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dusty
- Platinum Member
- Posts: 21530
- Joined: Wed Nov 22, 2006 6:52 am
- Location: Tucson (Wildcat Country), Arizona
A Possible Virus - Now Dead and Buried - I Hope
I want to thank all of you have contributed to this thread with special thanks to Craig and Heath. I have done just about everything that was suggested here. Some things seemed to help or at least change the symptoms while others made significant improvements.
The scans worked to eliminate most of the problem but I ended up going into regedit and deleting every reference to "SAb910". I am not absolutely certain about what SAb910 is but somehow it was related to the problem. I had noticed that every time I came on line I found SAb910.exe showing in Task Manager. That exe has not been there before. If I terminated used Task Managerit as soon as I came on line I could go all day without the problem unless I rebooted.
Editing regedit scares me but sometimes one must do what one must do.
The only problem remaining is that the only way I can invoke taskmgr is to use the copy that I made and renamed during this trouble shooting process.
I did nothing to resolve the 'Google/Yahoo" search problem that I had but I no longer have it. Google works as normal.
The scans worked to eliminate most of the problem but I ended up going into regedit and deleting every reference to "SAb910". I am not absolutely certain about what SAb910 is but somehow it was related to the problem. I had noticed that every time I came on line I found SAb910.exe showing in Task Manager. That exe has not been there before. If I terminated used Task Managerit as soon as I came on line I could go all day without the problem unless I rebooted.
Editing regedit scares me but sometimes one must do what one must do.
The only problem remaining is that the only way I can invoke taskmgr is to use the copy that I made and renamed during this trouble shooting process.
I did nothing to resolve the 'Google/Yahoo" search problem that I had but I no longer have it. Google works as normal.
"Making Sawdust Safely"
Dusty
Sent from my Dell XPS using Firefox.
Dusty
Sent from my Dell XPS using Firefox.
dlbristol wrote:Dusty, Glad you are all "disinfected". What you guys are experiencing is one of the reasons I am a MAC fan. There are virus issues, but no where near as many. OSX lives on.
Don't worry as OSX becomes popular there will be those who will attack it. Your turn is coming. OSX is no less susceptible just less used.
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michaeltoc
- Gold Member
- Posts: 222
- Joined: Wed Feb 25, 2009 9:51 pm
- Location: White Plains, NY
It may be a very long time coming for 2 reasons: 1) Hackers want to go for the biggest bang for the buck i.e corporate networks that are almost always Windows based. and 2) Hackers are most likely Unix programmers, and do not want a Unix virus floating around. Since OSX is Unix based, I think we're pretty safe.paul269 wrote:Don't worry as OSX becomes popular there will be those who will attack it. Your turn is coming. OSX is no less susceptible just less used.
Anyway, just my 2 cents worth!
Michael
Michael
Mark V Model 500 (1985) upgraded to 520 (2009) and PowerPro (2011); Bandsaw, Jointer, Jigsaw, Planer.
Mark V Model 500 (1985) upgraded to 520 (2009) and PowerPro (2011); Bandsaw, Jointer, Jigsaw, Planer.
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dusty
- Platinum Member
- Posts: 21530
- Joined: Wed Nov 22, 2006 6:52 am
- Location: Tucson (Wildcat Country), Arizona
I hope that you are correct, Michael. I would not wish this ordeal on anyone.michaeltoc wrote:It may be a very long time coming for 2 reasons: 1) Hackers want to go for the biggest bang for the buck i.e corporate networks that are almost always Windows based. and 2) Hackers are most likely Unix programmers, and do not want a Unix virus floating around. Since OSX is Unix based, I think we're pretty safe.
Anyway, just my 2 cents worth!
Michael
Not even an Mac/OSX user."Making Sawdust Safely"
Dusty
Sent from my Dell XPS using Firefox.
Dusty
Sent from my Dell XPS using Firefox.
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kameljoe21
- Gold Member
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- Joined: Sat Jan 02, 2010 12:36 am
- Location: 4L13N Ranch, Joes, Colorado
- Contact:
just so you all know
hackers are good
crackers are bad
The basic difference is this: hackers build things, crackers break them.
hacker are people who fix problems, like when microsoft send out an update a hacker hacked a new peice of software to fix the problem so that cracker can no longer take advantage of the problem
in refrence to the movie hackers
in the movie the people were called hackers but they were really cracker in the beginning of the movie then towards the end they became hackers because they fixed the problem
hackers are good
crackers are bad
The basic difference is this: hackers build things, crackers break them.
hacker are people who fix problems, like when microsoft send out an update a hacker hacked a new peice of software to fix the problem so that cracker can no longer take advantage of the problem
in refrence to the movie hackers
in the movie the people were called hackers but they were really cracker in the beginning of the movie then towards the end they became hackers because they fixed the problem
http://s853.photobucket.com/home/kameljoe21/allalbums
194X Spiegel 4.5" Jointer M600 NO460
1947 ShopSmith 10E S#9074
1957 McCulloch 55 Chainsaw
1955 Mall General Purpose Chainsaw
1952 Farmall H S#368935
1985 Honda 125M ATC
2006 Honda CRF 50 F
1978 Packard Drill Press M#120F-IND
195x Delta Table Saw S#AY4575
1997 Craftsman Chipper M#247797851
1982 Ariens Snow Blower M#ST504
194x Duro 30" Scroll Saw S#B07132PL
194x John Deere #5 Sickle Mower
19xx Antique Modified 3PT Hay Rake
194X Spiegel 4.5" Jointer M600 NO460
1947 ShopSmith 10E S#9074
1957 McCulloch 55 Chainsaw
1955 Mall General Purpose Chainsaw
1952 Farmall H S#368935
1985 Honda 125M ATC
2006 Honda CRF 50 F
1978 Packard Drill Press M#120F-IND
195x Delta Table Saw S#AY4575
1997 Craftsman Chipper M#247797851
1982 Ariens Snow Blower M#ST504
194x Duro 30" Scroll Saw S#B07132PL
194x John Deere #5 Sickle Mower
19xx Antique Modified 3PT Hay Rake