istartsurf

[Bobbit]

Hi,

My computer browsers appear to have been taken over by istartsurf.

have scanned with malwarebytes several times but it has not removed it?

Have changed start page from my browsers settings page, but when i restart it reverts back to istart.

Any help please.

Bob 

[Maurice Naggar]

Hello Bobbit and welcome to Malwarebytes forum.

Do tell us which internet browser is involved with this. Each one of us uses different browsers. Is yours Internet Explorer, Chrome, Firefox, or what?
Secondly, can you provide a copy of the last scan run log report from the Anti-Malware?
Thirdly, Istartsurf ( unless I am way off base) is a browser search hijacker and most likely an offshoot of webssearches hijacking pest.
You should consider getting one-to-one help. See this sticky note to get help Available Assistance for Possibly Infected Computers

NOTES: Chrome browser hijackers can be a long saga and quite involved. So in those cases, you may want to consider doing a uninstall and then new install of Chrome.

Note 2: Reset the browser back to standard default and make your own settings in the preferences.

Note 3: This type of hijacker pest will also corrupt desktop shortcuts for your browser(s) so you need to do more cleanup. Download and SAVE Shortcut Cleaner to your Desktop from http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/download/shortcut-cleaner/dl/172/
On Windows 7 / 8 / Vista, do a Right-click on sc-cleaner.exe and select Run as Administrator.
On Windows XP, double-click to start.

[Bobbit]

Hi and many thanks for your swift reply.

Yes you are right it is a browser search hijacker, so I am going to get one to one help as I am not technically proficient with computers.

I am running chrome as my browser.

How do I find a copy of the run log report to attach.

thanks Bob

[Maurice Naggar]

Let me suggest this scan.

Start the Anti-Malware program.

Click the Settings icon at the top bar. Then click on Detection and Protection.

Look at yours selections there:

Especially look at the Non-Malware protection

For each of the lines marked

**PUP**

**PUM**

be sure your setting is made to **Treat detections as malware**

Click the Scan icon at the top bar.

Take a first look at the Scan window.

Do you see a green tick mark and a green line of text ( like from the last scheduled scan).

If you see a button marked Main menu at the bottom right, then click it.

In any event, have the selection selected for Threat scan and then click Scan now.

If it displays a orange sign with Updates are available, press the Update now button.

Have lots of patience as it gets and processes the Update. Even if your Windows bar shows ( not responding) keep patient and it eventually finishes after a bit.

A Threat Scan will begin.

When the scan is complete, if there have been detections, click **Apply Actions** to allow MBAM to clean what was detected.

In some cases, a restart will be required.

Wait for the prompt to restart the computer to appear, then click on Yes.

Click on the History tab > Application Logs.

Double click on the scan log which shows the Date and time of the scan just performed.

Click **'Copy to Clipboard'**

Paste the contents of the clipboard into your reply.

[Bobbit]

Thanks for that,everything seems ok on scan, but it has still not removed istart.

look forward to your reply.

 

 

Malwarebytes Anti-Malware

www.malwarebytes.org

 

Scan Date: 24/08/2014

Scan Time: 16:21:19

Logfile: 

Administrator: Yes

 

Version: 2.00.2.1012

Malware Database: v2014.08.24.02

Rootkit Database: v2014.08.21.01

License: Premium

Malware Protection: Enabled

Malicious Website Protection: Enabled

Self-protection: Disabled

 

OS: Windows 8.1

CPU: x64

File System: NTFS

User: Bob Payne

 

Scan Type: Threat Scan

Result: Completed

Objects Scanned: 321213

Time Elapsed: 30 min, 8 sec

 

Memory: Enabled

Startup: Enabled

Filesystem: Enabled

Archives: Enabled

Rootkits: Enabled

Heuristics: Enabled

PUP: Enabled

PUM: Enabled

 

Processes: 0

(No malicious items detected)

 

Modules: 0

(No malicious items detected)

 

Registry Keys: 0

(No malicious items detected)

 

Registry Values: 0

(No malicious items detected)

 

Registry Data: 0

(No malicious items detected)

 

Folders: 0

(No malicious items detected)

 

Files: 0

(No malicious items detected)

 

Physical Sectors: 0

(No malicious items detected)

 

 

(end)

[Maurice Naggar]

Could you provide some sort of good detail? Like how and where you see the pest Istart ?

Been trying to suggest to you to be specific.

 

Do tell us which internet browser is involved with this. Each one of us uses different browsers. Is yours Internet Explorer, Chrome, Firefox, or what?

 

IF Chrome, then go thru this set of steps.

Launch Chrome and in the upper right corner, click the rectangular box that has 3 lines in it and select Settings.
• In the tab that opens, under the heading of 'On Startup' click the 'Set pages' link that follows 'Open a specific page or set of pages'
• Locate the unwanted url (web address). Single click to highlight it, then toward the right there is a little 'x'. Click that to remove it.
 
 
Reset Home Page
 
Launch Chrome and in the upper right corner, click the rectangular box that has 3 lines in it and select Settings.

In the tab that opens, scroll down until you see  'Appearance'
Place a check in the box next to 'Show Homepage'
Type in your preferred Home Page.

======================================

SEARCH ENGINES AND SEARCH KEYWORDS

To manually add, edit, or remove search engines from the browser, follow the steps below.

1.Click the Chrome menu Chrome menu on the browser toolbar.
2.Select Settings and find the "Search" section.
3.Click Manage search engines.


Select the <any Istart or Webssearches> and click the X that appears at the end of the row

Close Chrome and re-launch it.
 
If you do not see the unwanted item, or it returns, then your best solution is to reset Chrome settings. Follow the instructions as posted by Chrome Support:
https://support.google.com/chrome/answer/2765944
 
 
Remove Extension
 
Launch Chrome and in the upper right corner, click the rectangular box that has 3 lines in it and select Settings.
 
On the left hand side, click 'Extensions'
 
Locate <any Istar or webssearches> and click the trash can to the right, to delete it.

[Bobbit]

Hi,

I am using google chrome as my browser.

I have changed my start-up page several times from the chrome settings menu, but every time when I launch chrome again istart opens and not my start page.

I have reset chrome and istart still opens.

I have looked at search engines and there is no mention of istart or websearches.

There is just no mention os istart or websearches any where in settings.

I have looked in add remove programs and there is no mention of websearches or istart there either .

thanks again 

Bob

[Bobbit]

Hi again,

Since I last posted ,I have reset chrome again and it seems to have removed istart , as it does not open anymore when I open my browser.

Will get back to you if it comes back.

Thanks again 

Bob

[Maurice Naggar]

Cheers.