Turn off system restore by right clicking on My Computer and go to Properties->System Restore and check the box for Turn off System Restore. Click Apply and then OK. (Turn it back on after this is repaired and you've rebooted.)
Close all other open Windows and have HiJackThis Fix:
R0 - HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Start Page =
http://forums.thedieselstop.com/ubbthre ... s.php?Cat=
R0 - HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Start Page =
Now that your system is clean, this is a good time to set up protection against further attacks.
1) Watch what you download!
Read all security warnings, license agreements, and privacy statements associated with any software you download.
Only download programs from Web sites you trust. If you're not sure whether to trust a program you are considering downloading,
enter the name of the program into your favorite search engine to see if anyone else has reported that it contains spyware.
Never click "agree" or "OK" to close a window. Instead, click the red "x" in the corner of the window
or press the Alt + F4 buttons on your keyboard to close a window.
2) Keep Windows up to date!
Go to IE > Tools > Windows Update > Product Updates, and install ALL Security
Updates listed. If you're running Windows XP, that of course includes the Service Pack 2!
Don't forget to check for updates every week or so.
Or you can set Windows to Automatically update itself:
Go to, Start > Control panel > System > Automatic Update tab > check Automatic.
3) Internet Explorer security settings!
Go to Internet Options/Security/Internet, press 'default level', then OK.
Now press "Custom Level."
In the ActiveX section, set the first two options ("Download signed and unsigned
ActiveX controls) to 'prompt', and 'Initialize and Script ActiveX controls not marked as safe" to 'disable'.
4.) Anti-Virus program!
Make sure you have an Anti-Virus program installed,
updated and running.
There are a number of free ones available like or
5.) Use a Firewall!
If you do not have a hardware firewall like a router, then you need to use a software firewall like or Windows XP’s built in one.
6.) Real time protection!
Real time protection for spyware refers to the same protection a virus scan gives you for viruses.
It is constantly monitoring files coming into and leaving from your computer for potential dangers.
Here are two free programs that offer this type of protection: