Google Search Hijacker?

[skysnipe]

Well my Google searches have been being redirected at random and I scanned my computer with Avast and Malware Bytes.

MBAM found spyware and removed it but I was still getting redirected - after searching google for a while I found that a lot of spyware can change your hosts file and cause URL redirection..

When I went to look at my hosts file to see if there was a problem I discovered that I didn't even have one.

When I created a "new" default Windows 7 hosts file the redirection stopped.

So does this mean that I solved the problem? Why would malware delete a hosts file? (I understand to mess with connection permissions - but how was my internet functioning reasonably well without it?)


EDIT: Before anyone says anything, yes I have hidden and protected files visible and yes I have administrative privileges..

 

[naptown]

reset the browser

 

[Bughead]

Before removing the spyware/trojan did you read what it was? Usually you can look up the name (albeit hard without using Google I suppose lol) and it will tell you what you have to restore after removing the it.

You can also usually download a "fix" file that will remove every last trace of the specific malware and repair any damage done (registry, missing files, etc.). I usually let the malware scanners (like MalwareBytes) scan for it, I write down what it finds, let it remove what it can (a lot of malware will disable MalwareBytes and the likes, not letting you remove it) and then Google the name to find how to manually remove/fix everything.

 

[epidemic]

make sure mozilla isnt using any kind of proxy server some malware affects that setting

 

[mmelmo:(]

imma check out this google ad remove redirect virus seems legit

 

[Gweedo]

1 boob point

 

[PaYbAcK]

TDSSKiller & Combofix

 

[arcadus]

throw your computer in the trash

 

[epidemic]

i knew some kid that did that exact thing when his pc stopped working

i saw his pc out by the mailbox and i was like dude r u throwing that away i could have fixed it. but this was in FL and by then it had already been in the rain

true story

 

[Rovero]

Nothing is random, are you getting the redirection when you hit certain sites? Maybe its the site themselves that has an issue. Are they generally forums because there is one going around for that

 

[D]

Is it all gibberish?

 

[Al'Muktar]

have u tried opening it in word