IE will not open - can error message with funny character writting

[teebird]

Hi All

I have just purchased a new pc with Windows Vista Home Premium which includes IE. All was well until an hour or so ago. I am trying to open IE and I keep getting this error message that IE can not open and http link with Chinese type characters in the error message

**************************
Windows Internet Explorer

Cannot find http:// funny Chinese type characters . Make sure the path or internet address is correct

***************************

When I try to close IE I just get another message the windows IE has an error but there is no further information. This must be a virus of some sort.
Appreciate any advise anyone can give me please on how to fix this problem. The message is the same only the funny characters change.

I have also installed another browser - Mozilla Firefox - but this will not open either.

thanks Tee

 

[JPaules]

Assuming you have an antivirus, have your run a scan on the system?

--
JP

 

[BadBigBen]

Download HiJackThis from the Trend Micro website, extract it to a separate folder on the drive...

http://www.trendsecure.com/portal/de/tools/security_tools/hijackthis

then run a scan with log and paste the log here for our perusal...

Ben

"If it works don't fix it! If it doesn't use a sledgehammer..."

How to ask a question, when posting them to a professional forum.

 

[linney]

Are you able to open Internet Options in the Control Panel and delete Browsing History, Cookies, Temporary Internet Files, for IE ? Can you reset your Home Page to use a blank or the default home page while in Internet Options?

Try cleaning the machine with program like these.

SuperAntispyware

http://superantispyware.com/

Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware

http://www.malwarebytes.org/mbam.php

 

[teebird]

Hi all many thanks for your replies. I did some more searching and found this solution and it worked. Removed the add-on for McAfee SiteAdvisor and that has fixed the problem.

Unfortunately I did not record the weblink but I do knowledge and thank the author.

************************

Cannot find

http://(chinese

characters)
Filed under: Internet and TechnologyA friend of mine recently presented me with their Vista PC running McAfee Antivirus which had a strange problem. Everytime they tried to open Internet Explorer they simply got a message stating that Internet Explorer cannot find http:// and then a string of random Chinese characters. These characters changed everytime Internet Explorer was opened. Internet Explorer would then shut down and restart itself, the message would again appear and this loop would continue until you ended the "iexplore.exe" task in task manager.

No problem! Classic Malware/Virus infection I thought. So, I get my trusty copy of Combofix out and run it on the machine. Unusually it finds nothing. So, I decided to install and run Spybot Search & Destroy thinking it would just be a standard piece of Adware, this found nothing either. Strange indeed!

So, I decided to Google the problem and hence the reason for this post really. The only post I could find relating to this problem was here and the only fix offered was a complete Operating System re-installation, no thanks! Anyway, read on for the fix....

I ran Internet Explorer with no Add-Ons (Start->Programs->Accessories->System Tools) and it ran fine. This proves the problem to be with one of the Add-ons. So, I went through each Add-On disabling them one by one until I found the culprit. (To do this, right-click the Internet Explorer icon on the desktop and choose "Properties", click the "Programs" tab and click the "Manage Add-Ons" button). The culprit turned out to be the McAfee SiteAdvisor Toolbar, once this add-on was disabled Internet Explorer worked fine.

I'm guessing unistalling and reinstalling McAfee would fix this but in my friend's case I uninstalled McAfee and stuck avast! on instead. Job done.

*********************
Many thanks again to everyone. Tee

 

[BadBigBen]

Glad that you got it...

and for posting the fix...



Ben

"If it works don't fix it! If it doesn't use a sledgehammer..."

How to ask a question, when posting them to a professional forum.