Webware: startvg webpage-- I do not know if I'm in the right place.
startvg webpage-- I do not know if I'm in the right place.
by catkenobi - 7/31/08 12:52 PMThis webpage, whether beginning with w16, w11 or whatever other number it chooses, is a problem for me.
Somehow it keeps appearing in my history. I've never been there. Neither has anyone else (that I know of).
How do I get rid of this page so I never see it again?
If anyone has any thoughts, I'd really appreciate them.
Thank you all.
C
It is w17
by PudgyOne - 8/2/08 2:46 AM In reply to: startvg webpage-- I do not know if I'm in the right place. by catkenobiIt's a website where there are videos. If I remember correctly There is a program that is a peer to peer program where people share, music, programs, files and such that uses this as a home page. Just can't think of the program, but if you're downloading some type of videos, mp3's etc, then this could be where it's coming from.
Rick
Thanks Rick
by catkenobi - 8/2/08 3:38 AM In reply to: It is w17 by PudgyOneI know you can't remove webpages like you can software. Or can you? I don't honestly know. But I opened my internet explorer this morning just to see what was on my history for today. And there it was. I didn't even visit that page. I just opened the explorer. How does it get there? Is it harmful?
Tell us more about this computer.
by MarkFlax
- 8/2/08 3:44 AM
In reply to: Thanks Rick by catkenobi
Does anyone else use it?
Does anyone use it for downloading videos, music, software, using P2P? If so, which P2P, (Peer to Peer), software do they use?
What is the web site full address as shown in IE's History?
Mark
computer
by catkenobi - 8/2/08 6:43 AM In reply to: Tell us more about this computer. by MarkFlax
The computer is used by everyone. There are four of us. Each with our own log ins. Only my husband and I have the "rights" to download. But I know my daughter goes onto myspace and gets music from there. I'm not sure about videos.
This morning I logged onto both my daughter's, and opened up their internet explorers. It was not on either one. Just mine. Not sure about my husband's.
But I know that I don't visit this site and I do not download videos. This website first started popping up on my duahgter's, but only recently have I noticed it on my history.
The website was last listed as w15.startvg.com. Most times there is a different number in the front. Almost as if they use a different one each day.
Recently I have cleared the history and cookies and everything. Ran the adaware. I turn the computer off at night, so I'm not sure if the antivirus is running. But I guess I should take the time to run a full scan any way.
I really appreciate all the help everyone gives me. There are times that I can myself help people with what I learned here or if I can't direct them to this web site. I love this web site!
Thanks.
C
I tested that site with McAfee Site Advisor
by MarkFlax - 8/2/08 9:15 AM
In reply to: computer by catkenobi
It's a plugin for the Firefox browser I use, and it found nothing harmful with that w15.startvg.com site.
If it is in your browser's history then somehow your browser must be loading that site's web page. Is there any other investigation you can do?
If/when it appears again in History can you highlight the page in the History list and right click it, then select Properties. That should tell you the date and time the site was last visited. Does that give you any clues?
Other things I would do; {I assume you are running Windows XP}
1] To be honest, I would stop using IE. Whilst it is the browser most commonly used and what many people are comfortable with, its popularity makes it a target for malware writers. The same with email programs like Outlook Express and Outlook. There are many, safer browsers available, Firefox, Safari, SeaMonkey, Flock, Opera, and for Firefox there is the Thunderbird email client/software.
2] If you intend to continue using IE, then remove all BHO's, (Browser Helper Objects), from the IE in all accounts. It may be that removing BHO's from IE in one account will automatically delete them the others. BHO's are often unsigned and unauthorised by Microsoft, and they are the backdoor entry to IE and to a computer for malware writers. Google will help you find a BHO remover.
3] Find another couple of anti-spyware utilities. Sadly AdAware is no longer the utility it once was and we find we need more than one to check for all types of spyware. The two recommended more often than not in these forums nowadays are MalwareBytes and SUPERAntispyware. If you decide to use those, download them, install them, then open them to check for updates immediately, but don't start scanning wit them yet.
4] Make sure your anti-virus definitions are up to date.
5] Reboot into Safe Mode, and perform your anti-virus and anti-spyware scans there, one at a time. Most viruses and spyware cannot load in safe mode and so cannot hide themselves. Safe Mode scanning may be considerably slower than normal mode.
6] Make sure that everything you and your family download, software, videos, music, etc, is virus scanned before it is opened. Children often do not understand the importance of this, but it is the children we have to somehow convince to carry this out.
7] Another member here, Jimmy Greystone, has made a list of things to do and not to do which I find very useful. It is non-compromising, but still the advice is relevant and good. Here's an example;
http://forums.cnet.com/5208-6122_102-0.html?forumID=44&threadID=303206&messageID=2824212&tag=forums06;posts#2824212
I hope that helps.
Mark
You can't get music from myspace
by PudgyOne - 8/2/08 11:15 AM In reply to: computer by catkenobiI'm guess she is using some type of program.
First, your daughter, is she on a limited account? If not, then this is why she can install programs and download things.
I remembered the program name was Ares. Look and see if this program was installed on the computer. If so, then this is where the website is coming from. This is also where she is getting the songs from.
Rick
Ares P2P software does it....
by sent2null - 9/9/08 6:09 PM In reply to: startvg webpage-- I do not know if I'm in the right place. by catkenobiAres p2p software in never versions uses startvg as its home page, by default it installs an Ares agent that runs as soon as you boot up the machine (in the system tray) this application silently makes the home page request (even if you don't open it to perform a search) to startvg.
The error you are getting comes from the fact that IE is set to strict security and won't allow access to the dynamically changing host computers in startvg's web server cluster (this is why the "host" portion of the url changes periodically it is subject to load balancing across the cluster servers)
That said, to eliminate the issue do the following:
1) Find the Ares application in your start menu and run it.
2) Click on the "control panel" tab option in the menu.
3) The general tab of this screen contains various check boxes. To prevent the Ares agent from running at start up simply uncheck the box "Load Ares when windows starts" this will get rid of the query that the agent would do at boot up.
4) If you want to change to a different start page (one that you know is not subject to direct load balancing say like "www.google.com" scroll down to the "Internet home:" field and clear out the indicated url to startvg and place your desired url instead or nothing if you don't want to program to load any page on start up.
Close the application and re start it to test your changes, no more problem.
Note if you still have the problem after doing the above to Ares, you may have another autoloading agent calling the page (doubtful) but I give high probability the program causing your issue is Ares.
Enjoy
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