Am I the only one? Please help!

From: Keith (Keithcpd_at_Hotmail.com)
Date: 09/27/03 

Date: Fri, 26 Sep 2003 21:25:20 -0700

I can't find any info on this possible virus or worm or
whatever the thing is.
Everytime I go to goole, I get the following message:
*****************************************

Are you trying to get to Google?

Your computer is running software that doesn't allow you
to use Google.

You're seeing this page because your computer is trying
to send you to a website that is pretending to be
Google. Over the past few weeks, you may have seen a
website that looks like Google, but launches pop-up
windows and does not work like Google. That page is not
affiliated with Google in any way and is intended to
deceive you.

Why is this happening?

Most likely a program was installed on your computer
automatically and without your knowledge when you
downloaded an otherwise harmless piece of software. Or
you may have been tricked into clicking on a disguised
download button while visiting a website.

What Can I do about it?

This problem can be fixe4d fairly easily, but will
require that you make changes in a file that is part of
your comuter's operating system. You should balways be
cautious when making thesse kinds of adjustments, as they
may affect the performance of your computer. If you are
not compfortable doing this yourself, you may want to
print out this page and show it to someone whose
technical knowledge you trust.

What steps do I take?

The first step is to remove the entry for Google from
your hosts file. This entry is telling your computer
where to send your computer instead of to Google.

In Windows, open the Notepad program. You can do this by
going to the Start menu in the lower left of your screen,
selecting "programs," then "Accessories," then "Notepad."

In the Notepad menu, click on "File," then "Open." You
will see a new window asking which file to open. LYou
may need to change "Files of type" to "All Files" instead
of "Text Document". The actual file to open is listed
below:

If your computer is running Windows XP, Window NT, or
Windows 200, the file is located in the folder found by
following this path:

My computer >Local Disk (C) >Windows >System32 >Drivers
>etc >hosts

If your computer is running Windows 98, Second Edition or
Windows ME, the file is located in the folder found by
following this path:

My Computer >Local Disk (C) >Windows >Hosts

Once you have opened this file, remove entirely any line
of text that contains "google.com", "wwwgoole.com" or
other Google domains (such as "google.co.uk"). To remove
the text, highlight it by dragging your pointer across
the line while holding down the mouse button. Once the
text is highlighted, hit the Backspace or Delete button,
then save the file by going to the File menu and
clicking "Save." You can now exit Notepad.

What else can I do?

You might want to try software that tattempts to detect
and uninstall programs like this one. While we do not
have a relationship with anyone who offers this software
and we cannot endorse a particular product, the most
popular programs for doing this seem to be Spybot Search
and Destroy and LavaSoft's AdAware. The particular
program affecting your comp0uter is relatively new, so
these products might not be able to detect and repair
this type of problem yet.

The next step is to learn mor. You can visit
h**p://www.doxdesk.com/parasite/ to review information
about a number of known self-installing software
programs. Several articles on the web may be selpful,
sus as
h**p://www.theage.com.au/articles/2003/04/14/1050172507212
.html
h**p://news.com.com/2100-1023-877568.html
h**p://news.com.com/2100-1023-257592.html

Investigate individual programs using search engines.
Try keyqords such as "spyware," "scumware," and "adware"
Once you're informed, take action. Help your family and
friends avoid these annoying programs. If you can find
the site that installed this software on yhour computer,
let them know how you feel about it. You might also want
to track down companies that benefit from having you web
visits redirected, and share your fellings with them.

Finallyh, it's quick and easy to file a complaint with
the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). This U>S> government
agency handles complaints about deceptive or unfair
business practices. To file a complaint, fisit:
h**p//www.ftc.gov/ and click on "file a Complaint
Online", or call 1-877-FTC-HELP). Or write to:

Federal Trade Commission
CRC-240
Washington, D.C. 20580

If your complaint is against a company in another
country, you can file it at h**p://www.econsumer.gov/.

**********************************************************

-I not only get this on google, but I get it on yahoo and
when I click the "search button" on my tool bar. The
same message apears everytime. I have all the Windows
updates. I have Mcaffe virus scan, which is also updated
and does'nt detect anything wrong. I have also tried the
Panda virus scan. Nothing seems to work.
I am far from being a computer guru, I don't know what
else to do and I am very hesitant on preforming what is
suggested on the message that I get, mainly because I
don't know who wrote it.
Please help!