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IE Homepage piracy

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by kroof

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I have tried 3 times to eliminate all traces of this rogue software and it keeps coming back and changing the Homepage in IE 6.0. We assume it is a porn site, due to the implied nature of the content. We don't care what it is, we just want to get rid of it! It keeps changing to:

C:\Program Files\Startportal\Portal\portal.html.

My staff & I have wiped out what looks like all the entries in the registry and deleted the folder, "Startportal." Then emptied the recycle bin. We turn off the system, then boot up. Launch IE and it's gone for a couple of hours, Some time later, we launch IE again, and it's back. Any clue as to what mysterious program/script this may be. We assume it came in through our email and an attachment was opened.

5 replies

by thechas

Have you tried disabling ActiveX?
If the home page does not change with ActiveX disabled, at least you know what you are looking for.

Another alternate, would be to install "Start Page Guard"

Chas

by switz

An easy way to stop this from happening in the future is to use the Group Policy Editor. From run, type gpedit.msc. Expand Administrative Templates, Windows Components and click on the folder Internet Explorer. Look in the right pane and you will see a tab called Disable Changing Home Page Settings (make sure your home page is set to what you want before going on). Now right click and click enable. Now, the home page can't be taken over and changed.

by wlbowers

Get Spybot. Install it, Update it, and Run it.

A registery entry is probably reinstalling the offending hack.

Good Luck Lee

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