Is your IE hijacked ?
How can we tell? What are the symptoms ?

Browser hijacking is basically an online scam which in effect takes control your Internet browser and controls what you actually see when online. 

There can be two direct symptoms of a hijacked browser, the first is a change of home page, and in many cases you might find if you change it back, after restarting your internet browser it will then revert back to the other page again.

Secondly when you go to search for something from Google, Yahoo etc once you see the list of search results, when you choose the one you want the browser redirect will be instigated taking you to a completely different site, which could just be advertising or a site trying to get you to download something such as a security virus.

But wherever the browser redirect takes you the whole idea is to make money from you, either by getting you to click on ads, or by downloading something such as a security virus which will then try to get you to pay for it.

Make sure you do not click on anything from a website that has been opened from a redirect.

IE Hijacked – Repairing and Preventing

1. Make sure your computer has the very latest updates.
2. Delete all Internet cookies and temp files.
3. Disable Windows system restore.
4. Download and run an antimalware application.
5. Reset Internet Explorer back to its default settings.
6. Be web smart when browsing.

1. Make sure your computer is using the very latest updates, this means Microsoft, plus any Antivirus and Antimalware software. Security flaws and new browser hijacking software is arriving very frequently so without the latest your computer may be unprotected.
2. Delete all Internet temp files and cookies to make sure your computer has no traces of any websites that the browser hijacking has loaded for you.This can be accomplished by going to Tools – Internet Options – Delete – Select Cookies and Temporary Internet Files.
3. Windows system restore maybe still contain hijacked versions of IE so make sure you delete all system restore points.To do this go to Control Panel – System – System Restore tab – then select Turn off System Restore – it will then warn you that all existing system restore points will be deleted – select yes and then the wait for a minute or so until finished.After un-tick Turn off System Restore – click ok for it to start functioning again.
4. Download and run some antimalware software, Spyware Doctor or Malwarebytes are both very good products.
5. In case IE hijacking may have actually changed some of the security settings within your browser change it back to its default settings.Tools menu – Internet Options – Advanced tab – hit the Reset button to change everything to default settings.
6. And finally be web smart when browsing, if you have any suspicions that your computer may have become infected with something run an antimalware scan immediately, never allow a website to download anything onto your computer unless you are very sure it’s nothing malicious. If other people use your computer make sure they are also aware.

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