Explorer failure by invasive Browser

[spro]

My pc had been exhibiting a conflict between browsers so I disabled AVG search and it worked. Lately IE would fail in accessing my IP home site, message saying it was "unsecure login". Disabled my AV software and then it just failed anyway because something was in the way. I could still get on line by going through Google Chrome but it had become aggressive so I disabled it too.
Looking thru add-ons, found a browser extension which had been created around the time the trouble started. Disabled that and everything worked again. It is called "Default tab browser" Active X Class Search Results, LLC. I don't know where this thing came from but since I'm pretty ignorant about these things, I have two suspects:
Around that time, I had been viewing short videos on u tube etc. Virus and worm/threat scans didn't detect it. Don't know if this is common. The other thing is a CD which was purported to be a compilation of Clausing Colchester manuals. The disc would physically run and seemed to be installing something but there was no display. I couldn't find any file associated with it. I suspected that it may be one of those things which just searched the net for freely available information at different sources. So in order to do that, it would assume command of the browser. The seller provided no info about its use or response to my questions.
Would anyone help me understand more about this?

[spro]

There was a box left open. It was to let another browser something to be the default. After I disabled the other, I closed the box again. It would seem the first operation of the invader would be to open that. I sorta closed the door after the fox was in the henhouse. Removal of this is another thing.

[Harold_V]

I'm no help, spro. I'm dumb as a stick where computers are concerned.

Harold

[ronm]

This is not what you want to hear, I'm sure-but a couple years ago, my computer picked up a really nasty one that mimicked my bank site & any others that required a password, asking for my SSN, password, etc. The only way my son could get rid of it was to format the hard drive...in other words, obliterate EVERYTHING & start over...you can save all your stuff to a disk while you do that, but you have to make sure it's clean before you put it back on the hard drive...total PIA but that's what it comes to, sometimes. That's when I changed to Ubuntu (Linux) which is less susceptible to viruses. I'm pretty much with Harold as far as knowing what I'm talking about, but I do have a EE son-big help!

[spro]

Well I don't think it got to the point it could have. I don't know any more about these things than you. There was a box, left unchecked it was a box to prevent another browser from "suggesting" to be, or the way I see it.. what unchecked that box? What opened that box for it to suggest to be the default browser? Was it open for another ? It is locked down and things work now. I'll delete it. It may have been innocuous software of the machine to allow establishment of the owner's software. Once that has been decided it should be locked, I think. The problem is that breach occurred 10/31/13 and I don't recall allowing it. One keystroke in the middle of expanding the screen of a short video or Allow control to go another part or allow an unknown DVD into the system can cause trouble.

[redneckalbertan]

This is not what you want to hear, I'm sure-but a couple years ago, my computer picked up a really nasty one that mimicked my bank site & any others that required a password, asking for my SSN, password, etc.

This is one of the reasons that I do not do anything of importance online. No banking, no checking of credit card statements, and don't get any of my bills sent to me online.

[spro]

Can't say that is wrong. I was the same way before. Now we have it so entwined and know it's unsecure to gangster gov't. Okay can't say that. While that is an issue, before being silenced, it is still left open to .. I cannot say it is gangsta. I will wait and weather this out, saying nothing about what I see. I will go as will many others, pliable in their absence.

[ronm]

This is not what you want to hear, I'm sure-but a couple years ago, my computer picked up a really nasty one that mimicked my bank site & any others that required a password, asking for my SSN, password, etc.

This is one of the reasons that I do not do anything of importance online. No banking, no checking of credit card statements, and don't get any of my bills sent to me online.

Well, you do have to be vigilant...of course, it's a trade-off like anything else. You could get killed driving to the bank to find out what your balance is, too...Being able to see the account balance w/a few clicks rather than waiting for a statement once a month by snail mail is a LOT better...
I don't know how many know this, probably most do, but always make sure the URL starts with "https" when doing any type of transaction, that indicates a secure site. A legitimate site will never ask for your personal info online...
I'm not saying there's no problem with hackers, saw on the news the other day there's already at least 500 fake Obamacare websites, phishing for people's info...

[Doug4d3s]

Google Chrome doesn't do anything bad on its own, though it may have set itself as the default browser when it installed. That is an option during install, it's nothing bad or necessary and you can change the default browser back to IE and it should stay there.


Four suggestions:
1. Don't use an administrator account for surfing. Ever. You should be using a standard account, because then if anything attempts to install, your PC will stop and ask you for the administrator password, and so you know something is trying to do something you didn't ask for.

2. All your PC's user accounts should have passwords, always. And not the same password, or a really common password. Pick something only meaningful to you, and with numbers mixed in. Trojans try to guess passwords, and they often contain lists of thousands of the most-common passwords to try--and the fist time they run they try them all, in the blink of an eye.

3. Install Firefox from here: http://www.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/new/ (it's just another web browser)

4. Then install the NoScript plugin from here: https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefo ... /noscript/

The NoScript plugin lets you block all javascript and cross-site scripting, or selectively let either of those things run from whitelisted sites. It takes some learning to use it but it is worth the time.

Most of the malware online uses Javascript and cross-site scripting.
Internet Explorer doesn't have any way to let you filter it at all, so it all runs if you want it to or not.
Firefox + NoScript will block a lot of infections that Internet Explorer won't. A lot of pages won't look 'complete' and may not work at first, but you can pick through the different websites to find out which ones it really needs.

There is a right-click option in NoScript to "temporarily allow all this page", but sometimes it still blocks cross-site-scripting, so the page still won't work. If you are pretty certain that a website is safe then you can still use IE on it but it is best to avoid it.

--------

Lastly--if anything gets into your PC enough to disable your antivirus software, then you've already lost.
Save off any personal files, and reformat the drive and reinstall the whole OS. That is the only way to know for certain that everything bad is gone.

[ken572]

spro,

I have been using this freeware for years,

and it has never failed me when I needed it.

EDIT: I use Internet Explorer

NOTE: Not for APPLE Computers. (P.C's. Only)

After you read my note's, Click on the link below.

Then give the page a minute to load and GO FOR IT.

Complete Internet Repair (Their Latest Freeware)

Scroll down to second BLUE Download BUTTON

and Click on it. Then Save it to it’s own directory/folder.

It’s a compressed/zipped file.

Unzip it into a new directory/folder.

Make a link/icon on your Desktop to it.

Now

When ever you have a problem click on it and put a

checkmark in the little white square (One or All) on

your left and click GO.

It will tell you when it’s done,

and when to reboot your computer.

http://www.petrichorpost.com/all-downloads/

Ken.

[spro]

I must acknowledge that I've read the help given by friends here. I will put that help to use. Thanks

[ken572]

spro,
I see you are back up and running..

So, what did you figure out, that the computer

problem was..

Ken.