Computer/spyware help?

[lotas]

Hey I have a question. My brother bought a laptop about a week ago and I dont have the full story on what or why but I believe he hit the "delete cookies" and "delete files" button under IE Tools---> Internet options. Ever since then his internet won't work, it just brings up the blank IE page when a page can't be found or there is no connection (you guys know what I'm talking about).

He has scanned for viruses and all that, so I don't think it's a virus. He has checked with his Comcast guy and his laptop is getting an internet connection. Any idea what this could be? Is it some sort of setting that is turned off? Any ideas on what to check? Thanks, I appreciate it.

haha, just reread that before I was gonna post and it sounds like I was looking at porn or something and messed my computer up and im making the whole "brother" thing up as a cover. That's not true :)

[Chris from Washington]

Check in your tools>internet options>connection tabs. Anything weird listed there?

proxy servers etc.

[lotas]

I just asked him and he said no there is nothing there. He said he has done pretty much everything that he could find on the internet. Something like going to run, repairing IE, searching for some INC file or something and restoring that, I dont really remember, but it sounds like he has done a lot of technical things.

This leads me to believe its something simple...

[sinister audio]

i think it just rest the IE connection so he will just have to choose what he wants. does he have it selected where it says to auto detet under the lan settings?

[Chris from Washington]

has he tried another browser? or email? do they connect?

[lotas]

he said he doesn't have any other browsers. I asked him if he had Netscape and he said when you goto it you have to pay. I will see if he can try outlook express or something. And Devin I will try to found out about that.

[Chris from Washington]

pay for netscape? nope.
Firefox For the Win by the way :)

Does he have a router?
can he access the router config screen?

if not, can he access the modem config screen?

[lotas]

pay for netscape? nope.
Firefox For the Win by the way :)

Does he have a router?
can he access the router config screen?

if not, can he access the modem config screen?

thats what the comcast guy told him to try to get was firefox, cause if firefox worked, then he'd know it was an IE problem...something like that

[William from NOLA]

Make sure the security settings are at the default (medium). Also, go into Internet Options > under Temporary Internet Files, click settings, make sure the "Check for page updates (or whatever it says)" is set to automatic.

Definately get rid of IE though. -as in use another browser: Firefox. The only IE based browser I use is SlimBrowser by Flashpeak.

[Ryan from Ohio]

Well when all else fails and you think you got something on ur puter ya DONT want:

Search!

In XP: All files/folder: search exe in the top section, its the ending like run.exe lol

Anyways do a search. Find suspicious programs that got instaled the day the problems started and DELETE away... Many time they dont have any uninstall info so you gotta do it the hard way.

http://housecall.antivirus.com Trend Micro seems to work good always...

Adawre/spybot/spyware doctor. use all 3...

Its PROBABLY something in the registry...

We got something at work called WU or UW windows cleaner...

Its will find errors or spyware in the registry.

I had one of these deals awhile back that kept changing my homepage back eve after I changed it. Also would open windows on its own. The real kicker is when my mouse started moving around and clicking/opening stuff on its own. I ripped the plug out the wall as the comp would shut down....