Rootkit or Virus

[Godwynn]

Greetings,

I've noticed with Firefox, that when I click on a link in Google it will redirect me to some shady website or Firefox will simply start on it's own and go to some other random website.

I've ran SuperAntiSpyWare and Malewarebyte's and I thought I got it with MWB, but apparently I did not. I've ended up just downloading Chrome and using that. Is there a way to find and exterminate the Rootkit (and possibly the person who designed it)? Would just deleting Firefox entirely solve the problem?

Thanks!

EDIT: It also redirects me in Chrome as well.

 

[Mise]

You need an antivirus software, rather than anti-spyware or anti-malware. I've used AVG and Avast before, and also some other one that I can't remember the name of. They're free.

Alternatively you can use an online one, but I don't know if they're any good. See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_antivirus_software

 

[Furiey]

I've sometimes used Sophos as another look at something. They do corporate protection rather than home use, but have a free on-line scan. This sort of hi-jack is one of the things they mention in their security updates so their scan may sort if or you may find info about it there. I'm not certain as so far I've managed to avoid one of these.

 

[aimeeandbeatles]

Try checking your DNS. Set it to Googles public one and see if that fixes anything. I think one of the malwares my mom got changed the DNS to redirect.... or maybe my memories going again. But I do recall changing the DNS.

Theres also a little Microsoft Sysinternals tool called RootkitRevealer. But its pretty advanced.

 

[Perfection]

on the very rare occasions I get a rootkit, I completely erase my hard drive and start fresh

I don't screw around.

 

[Genocidicbunny]

on the very rare occasions I get a rootkit, I completely erase my hard drive and start fresh

I don't screw around.

This exactly. Once you get infected with something like that, its near impossible to be sure that you've gotten rid of it completely. Unless you wish to be looking through network traffic logs for a month to make sure there's nothing trying to send info anywhere, its best to just start fresh.

Plus your computer will feel really fast and snappy again!

 

[aimeeandbeatles]

This exactly. Once you get infected with something like that, its near impossible to be sure that you've gotten rid of it completely. Unless you wish to be looking through network traffic logs for a month to make sure there's nothing trying to send info anywhere, its best to just start fresh.

Plus your computer will feel really fast and snappy again!

I use a reinstall as an excuse to see which programs I really dont need. And its always nice to see that clean desktop.