Good day, Everytime I go online (using phone modem), the IE's about:blank is hijacked to -|SmartSearch|- Microsoft Internet Explorer|- even though the Address box says 'about blank'. Additionally, some porn site html and one called 'connect.cgi? id=798' is added to Windows\Temporary Internet Files folder -- everytime! When I tried to open one of these items to see what happens, it says "Running a system cammand on this item, might be unsafe. ..." I scanned the PC with several of the softwares (SpyBot, Adaware, HiJackThis ...), including scan for Trojans. Found nothing. The PC is apparently "clean". Any advice and suggestion is much appreciated, as I am at wit's end. Many thanks.

Download HJT here if you need to: HJT: http://www.lurkhere.com/~nicefiles/ make sure it is extracted to a C:\ file post it here: http://forums.spywareinfo.com/ Smart Search is a browser hijack, tough but not impossible to remove. Make sure you have all your updates...Windows, UE, Outlook (will affect IE even if you do not use outlook), AV, Adaware, Spybot, all updated as of today. That will go a long way to protecting you. If you need a firewall go here, free, simple, effective, update it when you get it: Sygate firewall: http://smb.sygate.com/products/spf_standard.htm and make sure to update and run spybot and adaware every 3 days or so. Thresher

A couple of the mods on PC Club forums seem to have run into a pretty nasty version of ABOUT:BLANK. Sounds like it could be your problem. http://www.pcclub.com/forum/messageview.cfm?catid=36&threadid=12304 Skip

I fixed the hijacing of about:blank according to the follwing procedure on Win 2000: 1) Start computer in safe mode (F8) 2) Go to your system32 directory. 3) Choose: View Details from the bar 4) Sort the files by date by clicking on Modified. 5) Look at the details for the newest .dll (This .dll will change name for each time the hijacker upload the file) 6) This file is normally 30k. If this does not contain any information about the vendor, then you have the right file. Write down the name and remove the file. 7) Enter regedit in your Start|Run. 8) Search and remove reference of the .dll from the registry database. 9) Run executable hijackthis (downloaded from net) and review strange htm referenses. Remove .htm entries you don't recognize. Remove also about:blank. 10) Go to Internet Options in Control Panel and reset the home page to whatever you want. 11) Restart the computer and your browser is not hijacked any more. RGSD Per

Hi!!! I had this problem, and in order to remove it, you'll need lavasoft ad-aware 6 and hijackedThis softwares, you can download from download.com (& they are free). First of all open ad-aware 6 and scan your pc, then minimize the window. Now open HijackeThis and scan the pc as well. Then after the HijackThis scan complete, delete anything that says about:blank, htm unknow or search for.. etc. DO NOT delete anything that u know read microsoft and stuff. then maximise the ad-aware after the scan it shows you the files infected look for those files in the start menu, run. and put regedit. The files that are values or keys you'll find there, delete those files and values. Remove anything that show after the scan. you can find useful the search for files and folders in the start menu. well after u delete the values and files showed at the scan result u continue with the program (ad-aware)and remove the spyware... well I hope this could help somebody and i thanks Per Eskilson who help me remove the about blank hijacked from my pc(my OS was windows ME, so i dont know if can use in xp or 2000)but is better try... Alex