RE: Explorer restaring IE6 --> virus?? bug??

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"intrepid_dw@xxxxxxxxxxx" wrote:

All:

I've been perusing a bizarre little laptop with a clean install of Win
XP Pro with SP2. Only apparent additional installs are the Google
Toobar for IE and MS Office 2K3.

Problem is that, after a few minutes of uptime, Explorer will start
firing instances of Internet Explorer at seemingly random intervals;
sometimes as often as once every one or two seconds, then slow down,
then fire several more, etc, then go dormant for several minutes. I've
run the checks in safe mode and stopped all stoppable services, all to
no avail. All I've been able to conclude is that something is making
Explorer start IE over and over again, and I can't seem to find a
reason why.

My first thought was an outbound zombie-type virus, but there are no
outbound network connections showing up via netstat, and there is no
homepage hijack. AdAware comes away clean and HiJack shows nothing
suspicious; all entries in the Run\RunOnce registry entries are traced
back to legitimate executables. I performed a safe-mode scan with
Symantec's online scanner and Microsoft's online scanner, and neither
found anything. I'm on the order of stumped.

Any ideas?? Any chance I'm coming up with some really obscure, perhaps
new, virus or malware?? I'm grasping at straws at this point...so I'd
appreciate any suggestions or theories.

THanks,
intrepid

1... First, try to clean up your caches, Internet files and delete cookies
by doing this:
Click Start >> Control Panel >> Double click Network and Internet
Connections >> Double click Internet Options.
On the IE properties windows you will see these Taps:
General | Security | Privacy | Content | Connections | Programs |
Advanced
Under General Tab clear your History, Internet Files and Cookies.
Click On Programs Tab and click on manage Add-Ons and Disable non-verified
Add-Ons ( you can/must Renable them later one-by-one and see the culprit and
Disable it or Remove it).
Then click on Advanced tab and scroll down to under the Browsing Option:
[&] Browsing
[ ] Enable Third-Party browser extensions (Req Rest) uncheck this box (it
will disable Google toolbar do for now please).
Then click OK to close the IE properties.

While the Firework going On did try to see which processes is taking the
Usage of the CPU by pressing ALT + DEL + CTRL.
HTH.
Let us know.
nass
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