How to remove IE Defender (Removal Instructions)
Skip all of this and go to the removal instructions!
What these programs do:
The IE Defender infection is a Browser Helper Object installed in your Internet Explorer browser that hijacks searches you input into the Google, Yahoo, and Windows Live search engines. These hijacked searches will state that you are infected and that you need to install the IE Defender rogue anti-spyware program. You will also receive popups that state you are infected when browsing the web. The reality is that all of these messages and alerts are fake and should be ignored.
When you enter a search into Google or Yahoo you will see a hijacked search result listing as shown below.
IE Defender Fake Google Listings
Depending on the keyword entered, the first search result will either be a link to the IE Defender home page, or a link to a page that shows a fake security warning and stating that you need to install IE Defender in order to fix it. This fake page is seen below.
Fake IE Defender Search Result in Google
The second result in the search engine results will be a fake warning stating that Google or Yahoo has detected that your computer is infected and that you need to install IE Defender. The third result will show a pornographic image next to a link stating it is a video on youtube. In fact, though, if you click on the link you will instead be brought to an unrelated adult site. Finally, the rest of the search engine results will bring you to a site that is currently not working.
A screenshot of the IE Defender program is shown below.
IE Defender Screenshot
Tools Needed to remove IE Defender:
Symptoms in a HijackThis Log (Other ones not listed may be present):
O2 - BHO: IntelVideoCodec - {04F7FAC5-F506-4F29-9094-9CB9144B192C} - C:\WINDOWS\system32\IntelVideo.dll
O2 - BHO: BetaDivX - {48BF2BC0-2945-11D8-8CAC-00080FC65465} - C:\WINDOWS\system32\IR9V0_QCX.dll
O2 - BHO: BetaDivX - {D99BACC6-6289-4D4F-8BAF-4192016AF547} - C:\Windows\System32\bDivX.dll
O2 - BHO: IntelVideoCodec - {33A12BEB-3219-4CA8-99B4-733192704C62} - C:\WINDOWS\system32\IntelVideoDivX.dll
O2 - BHO: IntelVideoCodec - {AF36E90A-44CA-4EE3-B578-C07383623217} - C:\Windows\System32\Video32.dll
O2 - BHO: RealMedia - {0EEDB911-C5FA-486F-8334-57288578C627} - C:\WINDOWS\system32\XunLeiBHO_Now.dll
O2 - BHO: RealMedia - {87B570FB-D2CF-4D3C-8E1B-E1E7018BBA95} - C:\WINDOWS\system32\dx50codec.dll
O2 - BHO: 3GP - {5D67E2E7-0C2B-4491-87C4-37F2AC6033D2} - C:\WINDOWS\system32\a3gpcodec.dll
O2 - BHO: AlphaDivX - {3B236BEE-8200-421D-919D-CA17D5739D8F} - C:\WINDOWS\system32\aDivX.dll
O2 - BHO: Mp3 Video - {D4FD35A3-101C-4FAA-A9CA-E8C9461C3CEF} - C:\WINDOWS\system32\mp3avi.dll
O2 - BHO: Mp3 Video - {2B659BB5-3E85-4BC6-BAFC-98FEDFF3AE99} - C:\WINDOWS\system32\VideoMP3.dll
O2 - BHO: Video On-line - {741403DD-46A4-4D58-8FA7-427335C3BBF6} - C:\WINDOWS\system32\PowerVideo.dll
O2 - BHO: Video DivX 3.12 - {09D72564-27E2-4F12-8AB6-03F83E4567DE} - C:\WINDOWS\system32\sysdivx.dll
O2 - BHO: Video - {6430CCA7-032A-4EB0-BCFF-838998E73EF5} - C:\WINDOWS\stream32a.dll
O2 - BHO: Video - {F5E81149-92B2-47D2-A12B-1B966AB46EA7} - C:\WINDOWS\windivx.dll
O2 - BHO: IE plugin - {6F6D1C90-7BEE-4A15-8DAB-9C37A643FD3A} - C:\WINDOWS\pmspl.dll
O2 - BHO: Web Search - {6A719349-BDF5-4268-9019-4ACA0C2562D2} - C:\WINDOWS\websrc32.dll
O2 - BHO: IE Config Tools - {E780E148-0BAC-4654-81A4-8A649F4D4A90} - C:\WINDOWS\mscfg32.dll
O2 - BHO: OGG Viewer - {82FE0677-75EC-49BF-83E9-A815F68F6212} - C:\WINDOWS\oggview.dll
O2 - BHO: pwn plugin - {7E24E909-FB8A-4837-9DF7-05E7587CB26C} - C:\WINDOWS\pwnbho.dll
O2 - BHO: POS plugin - {369A87BB-07DF-4AB6-B23D-B5BF81338572} - C:\WINDOWS\poswin.dll
O2 - BHO: player addon - {4EBAA7B0-740D-4CFA-9455-5C233BB354E1} - C:\Windows\oggview32.dll
Add/Remove Programs control panel entry:
IE Defender
Guide Updates:
10/29/07 - Initial guide creation.
12/21/07 - Updated to include automatica removal instructions using SmitFraudFix
Automated Removal Instructions for IE Defender:
- Print out these instructions as we will need to close every window that
is open later in the fix.
- Download SmitfraudFix.exe from here and save it to your desktop:
SmitFraudFix.exe
Confirm that the file SmitfraudFix.exe now resides on your desktop, but do not double-click on the icon as of yet. We will use it in later steps. The icon will look like the one below:
- Next, please reboot your computer into Safe
Mode by doing the following:
- Restart your computer
- After hearing your computer beep once during startup, but before the
Windows icon appears, press F8.
- Instead of Windows loading as normal, a menu should appear
- Select the first option, to run Windows in Safe Mode.
- When you are at the logon prompt, log in as the same user that you had
performed the previous steps as.
- Restart your computer
- When your computer has started in safe mode, and you see the desktop, close
all open Windows.
- Now, double-click on the SmitFraudfix icon that should be residing on your
desktop.The icon will look like the one below:
- When the tool first starts you will see a credits screen. Simply press
any key on your keyboard to get to the next screen.
- You will now see a menu as shown in the image below. Press the number 2
on your keyboard and the press the enter key to choose the
option Clean (safe mode recommended).
- The program will start cleaning your computer and go through a series of
cleanup processes. When it is done, it will automatically start the Disk Cleanup
program as shown by the image below.
This program will remove all Temp, Temporary Internet Files, and other files that may be leftover files from this infection. This process can take up to a few hours depending on your computer, so please be patient. When it is complete, it will close automatically and you will should continue with step 11.
- When Disk Cleanup is finished, you will be presented with an option asking
Do you want to clean the registry ? (y/n). At this
screen you should press the Y button on your keyboard and
then press the enter key.
- When this last routine is finished, you will be presented with a red screen
stating Computer will reboot now. Close all applications.
You should now press the spacebar on your computer. A counter will appear
stating that the computer will reboot in 15 seconds. Do not cancel this countdown
and allow your computer to reboot.
- Once the computer has rebooted, you will be presented with a Notepad screen
containing a log of all the files removed from your computer. Examine this
log, and when you are done, close the Notepad screen.
If you are still having problems with your computer after completing these instructions, then please follow the steps outlined in the topic linked below:
Preparation Guide For Use Before Posting A Hijackthis Log
This is a self-help guide. Use at your own risk.
BleepingComputer.com can not be held responsible for problems that may occur by using this information. If you would like help with any of these fixes, you can post a HijackThis log in our HijackThis Logs and Analysis forum.
If you have any questions about this self-help guide then please post those questions in our AntiVirus, Firewall and Privacy Products and Protection Methods forum and someone will help you.