Recently I've had to switch to Firefox because my Internet Explorer is completely nonfunctional. At one point, nothing would load although somehow now my homepage will work as will any links I click from that homepage. However, typing anything into the address bar makes it freeze up, as does attempting to connect to something without the address bar, like Windows Update for example. This is very frustrating since I can't install the new Windows XP Service Pack without Windows Update and I want my Internet Explorer back. Here is my HijackThis log. I hope you can help. If not, perhaps you can suggest another place where I can address this? Thanks.



Logfile of HijackThis v1.98.2
Scan saved at 1:14:07 AM, on 9/2/2004
Platform: Windows XP SP1 (WinNT 5.01.2600)
MSIE: Internet Explorer v6.00 SP1 (6.00.2800.1106)

Running processes:
C:\WINDOWS\System32\smss.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\winlogon.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\services.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\lsass.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\svchost.exe
C:\WINDOWS\System32\svchost.exe
C:\WINDOWS\Explorer.EXE
C:\WINDOWS\system32\spoolsv.exe
C:\Program Files\Dell\Support\Alert\bin\DAMon.exe
C:\Program Files\Winamp\winampa.exe
C:\Program Files\NavNT\vptray.exe
C:\Program Files\Java\j2re1.4.2_03\bin\jusched.exe
C:\WINDOWS\Samsung\LaserSMMgr\ssmmgr.exe
C:\Program Files\iPod\bin\iPodManager.exe
C:\WINDOWS\MMKeybd.exe
C:\Program Files\Roxio\Easy CD Creator 5\DirectCD\DirectCD.exe
C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\tbctray.exe
C:\WINDOWS\System32\RUNDLL32.EXE
C:\WINDOWS\NCLAUNCH.EXe
C:\Program Files\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\Works Shared\wkcalrem.exe
C:\Program Files\Netropa\Traymon.exe
C:\Program Files\Netropa\OSD.exe
C:\Program Files\NavNT\defwatch.exe
C:\Program Files\NavNT\rtvscan.exe
C:\WINDOWS\System32\nvsvc32.exe
C:\WINDOWS\System32\MsPMSPSv.exe
C:\WINDOWS\System32\MsgSys.EXE
C:\Program Files\iPod\bin\iPodService.exe
C:\WINDOWS\System32\svchost.exe
C:\Program Files\AIM\aim.exe
C:\Program Files\Common Files\Real\Update_OB\realsched.exe
C:\Program Files\DC++\DCPlusPlus.exe
C:\Program Files\Java\j2re1.4.2_03\bin\javaw.exe
C:\Program Files\KaZaA Lite\KazaaLite.kpp
C:\Program Files\Windows Media Player\wmplayer.exe
C:\Program Files\Mozilla Firefox\firefox.exe
C:\Program Files\Spybot - Search & Destroy\SpybotSD.exe
C:\Program Files\Lavasoft\Ad-aware 6\Ad-aware.exe
C:\HJT\HijackThis.exe

R1 - HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Default_Page_URL = http://www.dellnet.com
R0 - HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Start Page = http://my.georgetown.edu/pages
R1 - HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,SearchAssistant = about:blank
R1 - HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Internet Connection Wizard,ShellNext = http://www.dellnet.com/
O2 - BHO: (no name) - {02DCA195-602B-4B1F-83FF-381B7E804BDB} - C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\HDBHO.dll
O2 - BHO: AcroIEHlprObj Class - {06849E9F-C8D7-4D59-B87D-784B7D6BE0B3} - C:\Program Files\Adobe\Acrobat 5.0\Reader\ActiveX\AcroIEHelper.ocx
O2 - BHO: (no name) - {53707962-6F74-2D53-2644-206D7942484F} - C:\PROGRA~1\SPYBOT~1\SDHelper.dll
O2 - BHO: (no name) - {FDD3B846-8D59-4ffb-8758-209B6AD74ACC} - C:\Program Files\Microsoft Money\System\mnyviewer.dll
O3 - Toolbar: &Radio - {8E718888-423F-11D2-876E-00A0C9082467} - C:\WINDOWS\System32\msdxm.ocx
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [Dell|Alert] C:\Program Files\Dell\Support\Alert\bin\DAMon.exe
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [WinampAgent] C:\Program Files\Winamp\winampa.exe
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [vptray] C:\Program Files\NavNT\vptray.exe
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [TkBellExe] "C:\Program Files\Common Files\Real\Update_OB\realsched.exe" -osboot
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [SunJavaUpdateSched] C:\Program Files\Java\j2re1.4.2_03\bin\jusched.exe
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [Samsung LBP SM] "C:\WINDOWS\Samsung\LaserSMMgr\ssmmgr.exe" /autorun
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [nwiz] nwiz.exe /install
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [NvCplDaemon] RUNDLL32.EXE C:\WINDOWS\System32\NvCpl.dll,NvStartup
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [iPodManager] C:\Program Files\iPod\bin\iPodManager.exe
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [DellTouch] C:\WINDOWS\MMKeybd.exe
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [AdaptecDirectCD] "C:\Program Files\Roxio\Easy CD Creator 5\DirectCD\DirectCD.exe"
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [TraySantaCruz] C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\tbctray.exe
O4 - HKCU\..\Run: [NvMediaCenter] RUNDLL32.EXE C:\WINDOWS\System32\NVMCTRAY.DLL,NvTaskbarInit
O4 - HKCU\..\Run: [NCLaunch] C:\WINDOWS\NCLAUNCH.EXe
O4 - HKCU\..\Run: [Microsoft Works Update Detection] C:\Program Files\Microsoft Works\WkDetect.exe
O4 - Global Startup: Microsoft Office.lnk = C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office10\OSA.EXE
O4 - Global Startup: Microsoft Works Calendar Reminders.lnk = ?
O6 - HKCU\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Control Panel present
O8 - Extra context menu item: E&xport to Microsoft Excel - res://C:\PROGRA~1\MICROS~4\Office10\EXCEL.EXE/3000
O9 - Extra button: (no name) - {08B0E5C0-4FCB-11CF-AAA5-00401C608501} - C:\WINDOWS\System32\msjava.dll
O9 - Extra 'Tools' menuitem: Sun Java Console - {08B0E5C0-4FCB-11CF-AAA5-00401C608501} - C:\WINDOWS\System32\msjava.dll
O9 - Extra button: SideStep - {3E230861-5C87-11D3-A1C6-00105A1B41B8} - C:\WINDOWS\Downloaded Program Files\SbCIe028.dll (file missing)
O9 - Extra button: AIM - {AC9E2541-2814-11d5-BC6D-00B0D0A1DE45} - C:\Program Files\AIM\aim.exe
O9 - Extra button: Real.com - {CD67F990-D8E9-11d2-98FE-00C0F0318AFE} - C:\WINDOWS\System32\Shdocvw.dll
O9 - Extra button: MoneySide - {E023F504-0C5A-4750-A1E7-A9046DEA8A21} - C:\Program Files\Microsoft Money\System\mnyviewer.dll
O9 - Extra button: Messenger - {FB5F1910-F110-11d2-BB9E-00C04F795683} - C:\Program Files\Messenger\MSMSGS.EXE
O9 - Extra 'Tools' menuitem: Messenger - {FB5F1910-F110-11d2-BB9E-00C04F795683} - C:\Program Files\Messenger\MSMSGS.EXE
O12 - Plugin for .spop: C:\Program Files\Internet Explorer\Plugins\NPDocBox.dll
O16 - DPF: {2253F320-AB68-4A07-917D-4F12D8884A06} (ChainCast VMR Client Proxy) - http://64.124.45.181/downloads/ccpm_0237.cab
O16 - DPF: {31B7EB4E-8B4B-11D1-A789-00A0CC6651A8} (Cult3D ActiveX Player) - http://www.cult3d.com/download/cult.cab
O16 - DPF: {41F17733-B041-4099-A042-B518BB6A408C} - http://a1540.g.akamai.net/7/1540/52/200212...meInstaller.exe
O16 - DPF: {640B39C1-D713-464F-92C3-75BD972B95EE} - http://download.sidestep.com/get/k00719/sb028.cab
O16 - DPF: {88D969C0-F192-11D4-A65F-0040963251E5} (XML DOM Document 4.0) - file://C:\WINDOWS\msxml4.cab
O16 - DPF: {9A9307A0-7DA4-4DAF-B042-5009F29E09E1} (ActiveScan Installer Class) - http://www.pandasoftware.com/activescan/as5/asinst.cab
O16 - DPF: {A662DA7E-CCB7-4743-B71A-D817F6D575DF} (Autodesk Express Viewer Control) - http://www.autodesk.com/global/expressview...ViewerSetup.cab
O16 - DPF: {FA3662C3-B8E8-11D6-A667-0010B556D978} (IWinAmpActiveX Class) - http://cdn.digitalcity.com/_media/dalaillama/ampx.cab

Scan with HijackThis and checkmark these entries, then press *fix checked*

R1 - HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,SearchAssistant = about:blank

NOTE: If you set this yourself using Spybot or some other security software, you can leave it unchecked
O6 - HKCU\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Control Panel present

O9 - Extra button: SideStep - {3E230861-5C87-11D3-A1C6-00105A1B41B8} - C:\WINDOWS\Downloaded Program Files\SbCIe028.dll (file missing)

O16 - DPF: {640B39C1-D713-464F-92C3-75BD972B95EE} - http://download.sidestep.com/get/k00719/sb028.cab
.....................
Reboot the PC.

Reset your Hosts file the default settings just in case some malware may have messed with it:

Download the Hoster from here: http://members.aol.com/toadbee/hoster.zip
Press 'Restore Original Hosts' and press 'OK'

Exit Program.
Note: if you were using a custom Hosts file you will need to replace any of those entries yourself
And, if you don't know what a Hosts files is, then you aren't using a custom one :)

Scan again with HijackThis and post a new log and let us know how you are doing at this point.

Well despite fixing those problems, Internet Explorer is still totally useless. I should add that sometimes after it freezes up when I type something into the address bar it will occasionally just exit the program without me even doing anything. I'm worried that this isn't Spyware related and that somehow I'll have to reinstall something or something. The problem with that being that I can't for the life of me figure out how to actually uninstall Internet Explorer completely. Anyway here is my new HijackThis log, and thanks for all your help:


Logfile of HijackThis v1.98.2
Scan saved at 12:57:10 PM, on 9/2/2004
Platform: Windows XP SP1 (WinNT 5.01.2600)
MSIE: Internet Explorer v6.00 SP1 (6.00.2800.1106)

Running processes:
C:\WINDOWS\System32\smss.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\winlogon.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\services.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\lsass.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\svchost.exe
C:\WINDOWS\System32\svchost.exe
C:\WINDOWS\Explorer.EXE
C:\WINDOWS\system32\spoolsv.exe
C:\Program Files\Dell\Support\Alert\bin\DAMon.exe
C:\Program Files\Winamp\winampa.exe
C:\Program Files\NavNT\vptray.exe
C:\Program Files\Common Files\Real\Update_OB\realsched.exe
C:\Program Files\Java\j2re1.4.2_03\bin\jusched.exe
C:\WINDOWS\Samsung\LaserSMMgr\ssmmgr.exe
C:\Program Files\iPod\bin\iPodManager.exe
C:\WINDOWS\MMKeybd.exe
C:\Program Files\Roxio\Easy CD Creator 5\DirectCD\DirectCD.exe
C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\tbctray.exe
C:\WINDOWS\System32\RUNDLL32.EXE
C:\WINDOWS\NCLAUNCH.EXe
C:\Program Files\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\Works Shared\wkcalrem.exe
C:\Program Files\Netropa\Traymon.exe
C:\Program Files\Netropa\OSD.exe
C:\Program Files\NavNT\defwatch.exe
C:\Program Files\NavNT\rtvscan.exe
C:\WINDOWS\System32\nvsvc32.exe
C:\WINDOWS\System32\MsPMSPSv.exe
C:\Program Files\iPod\bin\iPodService.exe
C:\WINDOWS\System32\MsgSys.EXE
C:\Program Files\Windows Media Player\wmplayer.exe
C:\Program Files\DC++\DCPlusPlus.exe
C:\Program Files\AIM\aim.exe
C:\Program Files\Winamp\winamp.exe
C:\Program Files\Mozilla Firefox\firefox.exe
C:\HJT\HijackThis.exe

R1 - HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Default_Page_URL = http://www.dellnet.com
R0 - HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Start Page = http://my.georgetown.edu/pages
R1 - HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Internet Connection Wizard,ShellNext = http://www.dellnet.com/
O2 - BHO: (no name) - {02DCA195-602B-4B1F-83FF-381B7E804BDB} - C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\HDBHO.dll
O2 - BHO: AcroIEHlprObj Class - {06849E9F-C8D7-4D59-B87D-784B7D6BE0B3} - C:\Program Files\Adobe\Acrobat 5.0\Reader\ActiveX\AcroIEHelper.ocx
O2 - BHO: (no name) - {53707962-6F74-2D53-2644-206D7942484F} - C:\PROGRA~1\SPYBOT~1\SDHelper.dll
O2 - BHO: (no name) - {FDD3B846-8D59-4ffb-8758-209B6AD74ACC} - C:\Program Files\Microsoft Money\System\mnyviewer.dll
O3 - Toolbar: &Radio - {8E718888-423F-11D2-876E-00A0C9082467} - C:\WINDOWS\System32\msdxm.ocx
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [Dell|Alert] C:\Program Files\Dell\Support\Alert\bin\DAMon.exe
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [WinampAgent] C:\Program Files\Winamp\winampa.exe
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [vptray] C:\Program Files\NavNT\vptray.exe
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [TkBellExe] "C:\Program Files\Common Files\Real\Update_OB\realsched.exe" -osboot
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [SunJavaUpdateSched] C:\Program Files\Java\j2re1.4.2_03\bin\jusched.exe
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [Samsung LBP SM] "C:\WINDOWS\Samsung\LaserSMMgr\ssmmgr.exe" /autorun
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [nwiz] nwiz.exe /install
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [NvCplDaemon] RUNDLL32.EXE C:\WINDOWS\System32\NvCpl.dll,NvStartup
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [iPodManager] C:\Program Files\iPod\bin\iPodManager.exe
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [DellTouch] C:\WINDOWS\MMKeybd.exe
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [AdaptecDirectCD] "C:\Program Files\Roxio\Easy CD Creator 5\DirectCD\DirectCD.exe"
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [TraySantaCruz] C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\tbctray.exe
O4 - HKCU\..\Run: [NvMediaCenter] RUNDLL32.EXE C:\WINDOWS\System32\NVMCTRAY.DLL,NvTaskbarInit
O4 - HKCU\..\Run: [NCLaunch] C:\WINDOWS\NCLAUNCH.EXe
O4 - HKCU\..\Run: [Microsoft Works Update Detection] C:\Program Files\Microsoft Works\WkDetect.exe
O4 - Global Startup: Microsoft Office.lnk = C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office10\OSA.EXE
O4 - Global Startup: Microsoft Works Calendar Reminders.lnk = ?
O8 - Extra context menu item: E&xport to Microsoft Excel - res://C:\PROGRA~1\MICROS~4\Office10\EXCEL.EXE/3000
O9 - Extra button: (no name) - {08B0E5C0-4FCB-11CF-AAA5-00401C608501} - C:\WINDOWS\System32\msjava.dll
O9 - Extra 'Tools' menuitem: Sun Java Console - {08B0E5C0-4FCB-11CF-AAA5-00401C608501} - C:\WINDOWS\System32\msjava.dll
O9 - Extra button: AIM - {AC9E2541-2814-11d5-BC6D-00B0D0A1DE45} - C:\Program Files\AIM\aim.exe
O9 - Extra button: Real.com - {CD67F990-D8E9-11d2-98FE-00C0F0318AFE} - C:\WINDOWS\System32\Shdocvw.dll
O9 - Extra button: MoneySide - {E023F504-0C5A-4750-A1E7-A9046DEA8A21} - C:\Program Files\Microsoft Money\System\mnyviewer.dll
O9 - Extra button: Messenger - {FB5F1910-F110-11d2-BB9E-00C04F795683} - C:\Program Files\Messenger\MSMSGS.EXE
O9 - Extra 'Tools' menuitem: Messenger - {FB5F1910-F110-11d2-BB9E-00C04F795683} - C:\Program Files\Messenger\MSMSGS.EXE
O12 - Plugin for .spop: C:\Program Files\Internet Explorer\Plugins\NPDocBox.dll
O16 - DPF: {2253F320-AB68-4A07-917D-4F12D8884A06} (ChainCast VMR Client Proxy) - http://64.124.45.181/downloads/ccpm_0237.cab
O16 - DPF: {31B7EB4E-8B4B-11D1-A789-00A0CC6651A8} (Cult3D ActiveX Player) - http://www.cult3d.com/download/cult.cab
O16 - DPF: {41F17733-B041-4099-A042-B518BB6A408C} - http://a1540.g.akamai.net/7/1540/52/200212...meInstaller.exe
O16 - DPF: {88D969C0-F192-11D4-A65F-0040963251E5} (XML DOM Document 4.0) - file://C:\WINDOWS\msxml4.cab
O16 - DPF: {9A9307A0-7DA4-4DAF-B042-5009F29E09E1} (ActiveScan Installer Class) - http://www.pandasoftware.com/activescan/as5/asinst.cab
O16 - DPF: {A662DA7E-CCB7-4743-B71A-D817F6D575DF} (Autodesk Express Viewer Control) - http://www.autodesk.com/global/expressview...ViewerSetup.cab
O16 - DPF: {FA3662C3-B8E8-11D6-A667-0010B556D978} (IWinAmpActiveX Class) - http://cdn.digitalcity.com/_media/dalaillama/ampx.cab

Your log looks clean anyway.

I had a feeling that would not fix it either but it was worth a try.

Here is an article that might help:

How to Reinstall or Repair Internet Explorer and Outlook Express in Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?kbid=318378