Redirected to a search page....why?

[Leavenfish]

For the past week I have often been unable to go directly to a website. Instead I get what appears to be a seach engine page...I can hit by BACK arrow, then type in the desired address or pull it from my address bar and I go there with no problem. Sometimes it happens when I'm simply navigating from one 2+2 forum to another. Is any one else using XP having this happen?

I believe it started happening right about the time of an XP security update. I run Norton and find no virus activity.

This is the 'search' page I always get directed to:

http://81.201.104.136/fast-cgi/bsc?mandant=clear&synd=clear&device=html&portalLan guage=en&userLanguage=us&context=category&ip=65.1. 202.154&q=C

[mbraudel]

It sounds like you've been infected with a hijacker.

I got hit with one about a week ago. It did what you describe, and also brought with it a couple of viruses.

It came in despite me having a firewall and antivirus software running.

In order to detect it, I downloaded Microsoft's free anti-spyware utility.

There's another free anti-spyware utility available from Yahoo, but that one didn't catch the hijacker that infected my PC.

For me, the solution was:

Run the Microsoft utility to detect and delete the hijacker.

Run a full system sweep with my antivirus software to get rid of the viruses that the hijacker had brought down.

Then look around on my desktop, and in my browser favorites, and in my Start/Programs menu, to find all the places where the hijacker had embedded shortcuts to places it wanted to send me.

I can't be sure that you have the same problem I did, but it sounds like a hijacker to me.

[hopp]

Download Adaware (http://www.download.com/3000-2144-10045910.html?part=69274&subj=dlpage&tag=button), it's one of the best free utilities for removing spyware, hijackers, dialers, etc.

If your using Microsoft's Internet Explorer download FireFox (http://www.download.com/Mozilla-Firefox/3000-2356_4-10393899.html?tag=lst-0-2) and use it instead of IE, it's much safer.

[Leavenfish]

Thanks.
I had downloaded (but never used) Spybot:Seach & Destroy a while back. I just gave that a go.

The only thing I could not remove is :Xupiter.OrbitExplorer I have no idea what that is...

---Leavenfish

[hopp]

One thing you need to do before you run SpyBot or AdAware is to download the latest definition files. On AdAware click "Check for updates now" link, and Spybot click the "Search for updates" button.

Xupiter/OrbitExplorer info. (http://www.doxdesk.com/parasite/Xupiter.html)