This is a Quick fix detailed in an email sent to all rkymtnhi.com email users on April 7th 2007

This mainly affects high speed customers with Wireless, DSL or even Cable. If you are dialup you may also have the problem and need to call me.

There is spyware/adware on many peoples machines which affecting web browsing. It can manifest itself in many ways, the most obvious, when you try to get to known web pages or web pages in your bookmarks or favorites, it takes you to a search page sometimes called coolsearch. This is a worm that has been loaded on your machine. It seems to be triggered either on a regular basis or a timed basis. It last happened on March 25th/26th and again April 6th evening until April 7th.

We have a quick work around. This does not fix the problem, as your machine is still infected.

For Windows XP (and probably Vista) the fix is to put in a fixed DNS address.

Click on Start, select Control panel, If you see a bunch of Icons, double click on Network connections Icon. If it says "Pick a category", click on the "Switch to classic view",and then double click on Network connections Icon.

If you connect to your high speed connection with an Ethernet cable, follow these instructions, otherwise skip to next paragraph. Right click on the Icon that says "Local area Connection" and choose properties from the pop-up window. In the box that is labeled "This connection Uses the following items" double click on the item "Internet Protocol(TCP/IP)". Then click on the round button labeled "Use the following DNS server address". Then below it put in the following numbers 205.171.3.65 for "Preferred DNS server" and 204.131.48.200 for "Alternate DNS server". Then Click OK to close that windows and then Click OK again to close the remaining window. At this point restart your computer. If you do not connect wirelessly skip the next paragraph.

If you connect to your high speed connection with an Wireless connection. Right click on the Icon that says Wireless Connection and choose properties from the pop-up window. Then click on the Tab at the top of the Properties window that says Networking. In the box that is labeled "This connection Uses the following items" double click on the item "Internet Protocol(TCP/IP)". Then click on the round button labeled "Use the following DNS server address". Then below it put in the following numbers 205.171.3.65 for "Preferred DNS server" and 204.131.48.200 for "Alternate DNS server". Then Click OK to close that windows and then Click OK again to close the remaining window. At this point restart your computer.

The problem you are having should stop after rebooting. If not, you will probably need to call me.

This worm is installed in many ways. Sometimes you are tricked into loading it yourself thru an email or Popup window. It can also be loaded by spyware or adware that has loaded on your machine by visiting sites that load this software into your machine when you go to their web pages. We have sent out previous emails about Adware and Spyware and have a page which addresses it in more detail.

http://grandcountyinternet.com/ad-spyware/

We are getting in some new hardware against this Spyware/Adware to put in our network, hopefully this week. Once that hardware is in place I will send out a detailed email about this problem and what the new hardware will and will not do.

I am also working on another email about the latest outbreaks of adware/spyware that we have seen recently. In the last 3 or 4 weeks, we have seen more than in previous times.