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Spy Ware ?

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by kwittenborn

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Every once in a while when I type in an URL for a web page it comes up to a page cannot be displayed error. The address that I typed in ie: http://www.msn.com gets changed to http:///?%20www.msn.com. I have searched for this and found other people with the same problem but no fix to be found. Anybody have any ideas?

16 replies

by antknee26

Go to download.com, and download Ad-Aware 6.0 and SpyBot S&D. These will remove nearly all known spyware. Then go to you internet properties and change your homepage back to msn.com Spyware blaster will also protect your pc from malicious activeX controls being installed while you visit sites.

by kwittenborn

I have already ran spybot adaware and a program called Bazooka. Each of which has found varius forms of spyware. I am still having the problem with IE. It is pulling the correct home page it just changes the URLS that I type in to http:///?%20www."domainname".com. This only happens some of the time. This is happening here on an XP Pro computer and a 2000 Pro computer both running IE 6.0 SP1.

by oldefar

You may want to check your registry for the default URL prefix -

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\URL\DefaultPrefix
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\URL\Prefixes

A good tool for fixing registry issues is "CleanMyPC" available at http://tinyurl.com/37z4o

by joseph moore

Well, a %20 in a URL is the Unicode version of a space. So, I have to ask, are you sure you are not putting a space between the HTTP:// and the web address?
If you do, your browser will convert the space to the %20 and then try and get that address, %20www.msn.com which is not the same as www.msn.com

It would then fail, with a 403 error (page not found).

by w2ktechman

I had the same problem recently, Adaware and spybot found things and I removed them, reset the home page, and after a reboot it would be tweaked again. Adaware and spybot would find the same entries.
I am sorry that I do not remember what keys I removed but this may help (a little). I searched through the registry for over an hour + and the problem finally went away after I removed a popup killer trial ver. Uninstalling it did nothing for the problem, but removing it completely from the registry and there has been no pore problems with the end users system in 2 weeks.
It isnt easy when the programs dont catch it properly, but that is my job, to fix things.

by chiwsox11

There are many spyware programs that "hijack" your browser. You may be able to see some of them in the listing of programs in the "Add/Remove" programs in the Control Panel. You can then go to one of several good websites for information on the spyware program and how to remove it completely. Some that I use are pestpatrol.com and spywareguide.com.

by oldefar

I am going to suggest that your keyboard needs to be relocated to a higher or lower height. Before blowing this off, here is the logic.

The string "%20" is the Unicode version of a space as pointed out by Joseph Moore.

Now, for a change to occur in the IE address you would have to get that change from someplace. You have eliminated spyware, and since it is not a consistent problem this would eliminate a bad DNS or LHOSTS entry.

That leaves a bad entry, and bumping the space bar while typing is the most likely cause.

As further indication that this problem occurs during entry is that while other people have reported it, nowhere will you find a reference to a specific rogue application, OS issue, or even IE version. Chronic known issues rarely go unresolved for more than a few days, but the reports of this issue go back years with no specific cause identified.

If you want to prove this out, load a keystroke logging application and see what the computer says was typed next time the problem appears. There are a number of these available - do a search on "free keystroke logging software" to find sources.

by oldefar

If this in fact resolves your problem, credit goes to Joseph Moore. All I did was expand on his insight.

Yes, I did see similar problems years ago but it wasn't caused by errant fingers. The mystery keystrokes were created by a young lady leaning over her keyboard to answer a phone.

by kwittenborn

When this happens it looks like
http:///?%20www.google.com
When I type in the address with a space it comes up like
http:///?%20www.%20google.com
There is no search string attaced to the domain name when this happens automatically. Thanks for the help though.

by marccouture

First, make sure your system is free of uninvited guests, as others have mentioned in this thread. Also, ensure you are running the latest browser revision (if using IE, install v. 6.1 and associated security patches).

Sorry to repeat what a few others have told you already, but check again if you are typing the URL correctly. Why, you ask? In your response to a recent posting, you typed the following as being a result of an error:

http:///?%20www.google.com

Notice the extra slash at the beginning? The URL should look like this, if typed correctly`:

http://www.google.com

Two slashes only, no space between the last slash and the first "w".

Good luck!

by kwittenborn

Thanks for the reply but when I type it, it is with 2 slashes and when it changes the address it adds the third slash. Weird I know.

by wlbowers

I use the following on a regular basis on my machine and when I do a clients machine.

Spybot
http://tinyurl.com/ziar

Ad -Aware
http://tinyurl.com/tek5

CwShredder
http: //tinyurl.com/ysp9h

Hijack This
http://mjc1.com/mirror/hjt/

Remove spaces after copy and paste.

The first three use a definations file that tells them what to look for. Very easy to use.

Hijack This requires knowledge of what you are looking at in its list. You can remove the wrong thing using this utility.

Good Luck Lee

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