The hosts file is a file used by the computer to 'know' shortcut to other computers on the net, and is often used bay malware to redirect you from where you wish to go to where they would like you to go. Please check your system as follows
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A post of a hijackthis log for the experts to advise.
HijackThis From Here
or one of these other links:-
http://www.merijn.org/files/hijackthis.zip
http://www.aluriasoftware.com/tools/hijackthis.zip
http://mjc1.com/mirror/hjt/

Important: Create a folder on the C: drive called C:\HJT.
You can do this by going to My Computer (Windows key+e) then double click on C: then right click and select New then Folder and name it HJT.
Unzip HijackThis into this folder. When you run HijackThis from this folder and have it "Fixed checked" it will create a backup file of modifications to use if restore is necessary. Then run, scan, save log, then in notepad copy the FULL log by copy and paste as a reply to this post and an expert with HijackThis Knowldge, will have a go at giving advice. Please note the list of experts names below, very few forum regulars here have had this training.

DO NOT FIX ANYTHING WITH HIJACKTHIS WITHOUT EXPERT ADVICE, most of what it finds you need for normal MS Windows tasks.

Known Spyware HijackThis fighters in DellTalk - If you are, and are not on the list please PM Me.

TomCoyote (of http://tomcoyote.org/forums/index.php fame)
YoKenny (Accredited Expert at TomCoyotes)
baskar1234 (Teaching Assistant at TomCoyotes, Trusted Advisor Spywareinfo)
ChrisRLG (Teaching Assistant at TomCoyotes, Trusted Advisor Spywareinfo)
Tuxedo Jack (Teaching Assistant at TomCoyotes, Trusted Advisor Spywareinfo)
Yellowhammer (Trusted Advisor at Net-Integration, First Responder at Computer Cops)
therock247uk (In Training at TomCoyotes)
irelynmisses (In Training at TomCoyotes)

You could also go to one of the more specalist forums where more experts will be able to help.
http://www.net-integration.net/cgi-bin/forum/ikonboard.cgi (Home of Spybot S&D)
http://boards.cexx.org/index.php
http://www.wilderssecurity.com/index.php
http://tomcoyote.org/forums/index.php
http://forums.spywareinfo.com/index.php
Do read the sites FAQ before posting, and advise your problem and what steps you have already done to try to cure your problem.

I, and the other hijack experts mentioned above, are in all those sites (and more) with the same login names. You might get one of us at those sites also to anwser your log, but other experts will also be available.

 thanks I'll look there.

here is the log:

Logfile of HijackThis v1.97.7
Scan saved at 12:48:06 PM, on 3/15/2004
Platform: Windows XP SP1 (WinNT 5.01.2600)
MSIE: Internet Explorer v6.00 SP1 (6.00.2800.1106)

Running processes:
C:\WINDOWS\System32\smss.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\winlogon.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\services.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\lsass.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\svchost.exe
C:\WINDOWS\System32\svchost.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\spoolsv.exe
c:\PROGRA~1\mcafee.com\vso\mcvsrte.exe
C:\PROGRA~1\McAfee.com\PERSON~1\MPFSERVICE.exe
C:\WINDOWS\System32\hkcmd.exe
C:\PROGRA~1\mcafee.com\agent\mcagent.exe
C:\PROGRA~1\mcafee.com\vso\mcvsshld.exe
C:\PROGRA~1\McAfee.com\PERSON~1\MpfTray.exe
C:\Program Files\Common Files\Dell\EUSW\Support.exe
C:\WINDOWS\AST.exe
C:\WINDOWS\ARUpdate.exe
C:\WINDOWS\System32\javaw.exe
C:\Program Files\Common Files\Real\Update_OB\realsched.exe
C:\Program Files\Common files\updater\wupdater.exe
C:\DOCUME~1\Neoncold\LOCALS~1\Temp\bundle.exe
C:\WINDOWS\BCMSMMSG.exe
C:\PROGRA~1\McAfee.com\PERSON~1\MpfAgent.exe
C:\Program Files\AdsGone\adsgone.exe
C:\WINDOWS\System32\IGPWDM.exe
c:\PROGRA~1\mcafee.com\vso\mcshield.exe
C:\Program Files\Trillian\trillian.exe
C:\Program Files\Windows NT\Accessories\WORDPAD.EXE
C:\WINDOWS\explorer.exe
C:\Program Files\Internet Explorer\IEXPLORE.EXE
C:\Documents and Settings\Neoncold\Local Settings\Temp\Temporary Directory 1 for hijackthis.zip\HijackThis.exe

R1 - HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Search Bar = http://www.topfivesearch.com/sidesearch.asp
R1 - HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Default_Page_URL = http://www.dell.com
R0 - HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Start Page = http://www.dell.com
R1 - HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Search Bar = http://www.topfivesearch.com/sidesearch.asp
R1 - HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Search Page = http://www.topfivesearch.com/search.asp
R1 - HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Default_Page_URL = http://www.topfivesearch.com/search.asp
R1 - HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Default_Search_URL = http://www.topfivesearch.com/search.asp
O2 - BHO: (no name) - {000006B1-19B5-414A-849F-2A3C64AE6939} - (no file)
O2 - BHO: (no name) - {00000EF1-0786-4633-87C6-1AA7A44296DA} - (no file)
O2 - BHO: (no name) - {06849E9F-C8D7-4D59-B87D-784B7D6BE0B3} - C:\Program Files\Adobe\Acrobat 6.0\Reader\ActiveX\AcroIEHelper.dll
O2 - BHO: NavErrRedir Class - {269B6797-664E-48AA-B283-B012BDF6E525} - C:\PROGRA~1\INCRED~2\BHO\BHO.dll (file missing)
O2 - BHO: NavErrRedir Class - {5D60FF48-95BE-4956-B4C6-6BB168A70310} - C:\PROGRA~1\INCRED~1\BHO\INCFIN~1.DLL
O2 - BHO: (no name) - {BDF6CE3D-F5C5-4462-9814-3C8EAC330CA8} - C:\WINDOWS\AdRoar.dll (file missing)
O3 - Toolbar: &Radio - {8E718888-423F-11D2-876E-00A0C9082467} - C:\WINDOWS\System32\msdxm.ocx
O3 - Toolbar: Band Class - {BDF6CE3D-F5C5-4462-9814-3C8EAC330CA8} - C:\WINDOWS\AdRoar.dll (file missing)
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [IgfxTray] C:\WINDOWS\System32\igfxtray.exe
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [HotKeysCmds] C:\WINDOWS\System32\hkcmd.exe
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [QuickTime Task] "C:\Program Files\QuickTime\qttask.exe" -atboottime
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [VSOCheckTask] "c:\PROGRA~1\mcafee.com\vso\mcmnhdlr.exe" /checktask
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [MCAgentExe] c:\PROGRA~1\mcafee.com\agent\mcagent.exe
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [MCUpdateExe] C:\PROGRA~1\mcafee.com\agent\McUpdate.exe
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [VirusScan Online] c:\PROGRA~1\mcafee.com\vso\mcvsshld.exe
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [MPFExe] C:\PROGRA~1\McAfee.com\PERSON~1\MpfTray.exe
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [DwlClient] C:\Program Files\Common Files\Dell\EUSW\Support.exe
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [AST] C:\WINDOWS\AST
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [AdRoarUpdate] C:\WINDOWS\ARUpdate.exe
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [websearch] javaw -cp "C:\Program Files\websearch\System\Code" Main lp: "C:\Program Files\websearch"
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [TkBellExe] "C:\Program Files\Common Files\Real\Update_OB\realsched.exe"  -osboot
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [NeroFilterCheck] C:\WINDOWS\system32\NeroCheck.exe
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [Windows Logon Application] C:\WINDOWS\winlogon.exe
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [updater] C:\Program Files\Common files\updater\wupdater.exe
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [SAHBundle] C:\DOCUME~1\Neoncold\LOCALS~1\Temp\bundle.exe
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [BCMSMMSG] BCMSMMSG.exe
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [IGPWDM] C:\WINDOWS\System32\IGPWDM.exe
O4 - HKLM\..\RunServices: [Windows Logon Application] C:\WINDOWS\winlogon.exe
O4 - HKCU\..\Run: [IncrediMail] C:\PROGRA~1\INCRED~1\bin\IncMail.exe /c
O4 - Startup: PowerReg Scheduler V3.exe
O4 - Global Startup: AdsGone 2004.lnk = C:\Program Files\AdsGone\adsgone.exe
O8 - Extra context menu item: &Add animation to IncrediMail Style Box - C:\PROGRA~1\INCRED~1\bin\resources\WebMenuImg.htm
O8 - Extra context menu item: Grokster Support - file://C:\Program Files\GroksterSupport\System\Temp\grokstershop_script0.htm
O9 - Extra 'Tools' menuitem: Sun Java Console (HKLM)
O9 - Extra button: AIM (HKLM)
O9 - Extra button: Related (HKLM)
O9 - Extra 'Tools' menuitem: Show &Related Links (HKLM)
O16 - DPF: {20000273-8230-4DD4-BE4F-6889D1E74167} - http://download2.abetterinternet.com/download/cabs/FON19113/payload2.cab
O16 - DPF: {2FC9A21E-2069-4E47-8235-36318989DB13} (PPSDKActiveXScanner.MainScreen) - http://www.pestscan.com/scanner/axscanner.cab
O16 - DPF: {56336BCB-3D8A-11D6-A00B-0050DA18DE71} (RdxIE Class) - http://207.188.7.150/09bfd2b3c44bf2750906/netzip/RdxIE601.cab
O16 - DPF: {638AF6A2-81A1-4655-9FFA-9FC09CDE22CF} (CScanner Object) - http://www.pestscan.com/scanner/ppctlcab.cab
O16 - DPF: {F00F4763-7355-4725-82F7-0DA94A256D46} (IMDownloader Class) - http://www2.incredimail.com/contents/setup/downloader/imloader.cab

 

You have a lot of malware - mostly CWS - but others too. Luckly we have some programs to kill most of those.
-----------------------
Download then unzip and run CWShredder to clean up clicking "FIX" to have it remove all it finds.

CWShredder available from :-

http://www.merijn.org/files/cwshredder.zip
http://www.aluriasoftware.com/tools/cwshredder.zip

----------------------------------------
Spybot S&D and Ad-Aware

1) SpyBot Search and Destroy
After installing SpyBot Search & Destroy, first press Online, and search for, put a check mark at, and install all updates.
Next, close all Internet Explorer windows, hit 'Check for Problems', have SpyBot remove all the items it marks in red.

2) Get Ad-Aware
After installing Ad-Aware, and before running the program, first press “check for updates now".
Click "Connect" and install all updated components available. Click 'Finish'.
Press "Scan Now", then 'next', and let Ad-Aware scan your drives.
It will find a number of "bad" files and registry keys. Click 'Next' again.
Check all found items, and click 'next' once more.
It will ask you whether you'd like to remove all checked items. Click OK.

Always reboot the computer between each program - both of these may find things that they need to have a reboot of the machine to clear - please reboot and let them finish .
--------------------------

please post a new hijackthis log after a reboot.

thanks for the info.... however it did not fix my original problem....

Please post a new log,

I am not supprised that it did not fix the main problem, but I nneded all the other bad stuff out of the way before manually fixing the stuff that can't be fixed by programs like those I had you run.