malware will often make entries in the HOSTS file so you are unable to access Security sites or MS updates, etc. The HostsXpert will rid the HOSTS file of those entries.

Are you getting any errors in IE that I might research?

IE doesnt work just sayscannot display this webpage when i start up and gives me the option of 'diagnose connection problem' which then says the DNS may be experiencing problems. which im pretty sure its not as im using firefox right now

Thanks

Could you copy & paste your HOSTS file here so I might review it? Just in case my tool didn't work the way I expected on Win 7....

You can find the HOSTS file at C:\Windows\System32\Drivers\etc\. It opens nicely in Notepad. A quick copy of its contents pasted here would be lovely. Thanks!

sorry for the late reply, internet cut me off for some reason.

# Copyright © 1993-1999 Microsoft Corp.
#
# This is a sample HOSTS file used by Microsoft TCP/IP for Windows.
#
# This file contains the mappings of IP addresses to host names. Each
# entry should be kept on an individual line. The IP address should
# be placed in the first column followed by the corresponding host name.
# The IP address and the host name should be separated by at least one
# space.
#
# Additionally, comments (such as these) may be inserted on individual
# lines or following the machine name denoted by a "#" symbol.
#
# For example:
#
# 102.54.94.97 rhino.acme.com # source server
# 38.25.63.10 x.acme.com # x client host
#
127.0.0.1 localhost

when i searched C:\Windows\System32\Drivers\etc\ it came up with a few other folders lmhosts.sam,networks,protocol,services but i just opened hosts and pasted... dont know if thats of any relevence.

Thanks

It's certainly not the HOSTS file That's pretty empty.

Let me get with one of the Security Techs and see if they might have a website you can access.

Alternately, you could download Malwarebytes on a USB drive and move it to your computer that way. That would at least permit you to run a scan with some very powerful cleanup software.

ok so i managed to get hold of Lavasoft Ad-Aware (managed to DL it the other day and kept it on my usb)will that suffice?

13 objects found
c\windows\system32\qtwm.exe ----- win32spamtool.agent
c\windows\system32zdrivers\protect.sys ----- win32 trojan.BHO
c\program files\jcore\jcore2.dll ----- win32 trojan.vbkrypt
trojanPWS.wow

all been quarantined, should i just leave them quarantined?

It's a good start. Malwarebytes would possibly take you futher....