can i stop web page redirection

ok.
The problem:
Some one changed a file in my IE program Files.

Reason I came to this conclusion:
First: my search page was changed from the msn search
page to www.white-pages.ws. They did a good job too. When
I went to click customize search it opened the same page
in a new window; very clever.
Solved this by downloading upgrade of IEv5.5 to IE v6.02
and blocking web page by putting in the restricted sites
under Internet Options/Security Tab, restricted Icon.
Second: I tried viewing a geocities.com site and was
redirected to www.white-pages.ws. So I typed in
www.geocities.com and the page came up. Now when I typed
in www.geocities.com/ (note: added the back slash to
indicate subdirectory) and it came up with white page ws
again.
So I went offline and deleted the temporary internet
(all off-line content) and cookies then placed in the
address bar www.geocities.com ... unable to pull up page
off-line. I then typed in www.geocities.com/ and poof,
the page shows up.
I assume it is like the 404 Error page and I just don't
know what the name of the file is. I had another website
change that in a previous version IE.

Questions:
Is there a place where you can find out the name of
these files or where they are stored? ie. 404 Error,
Search page, and so on.
Is there any way to stop web redirection? So that
instead of being redirected to www.white-pages.ws.com it
will ask or prevent the redirection.
Is there a way to fix this problem, or is it a standard
Window's reformat and reinstall issue?

I thank you for your time. A response would be more than
greatly appreciated.

YK
Sat Jun 28 15:33:41 CDT 2003

W. Bryant wrote:
> ok.
> The problem:
> Some one changed a file in my IE program Files.

It is not a file in IE program files but the HOSTS file. See below.

> Reason I came to this conclusion:
> First: my search page was changed from the msn search
> page to www.white-pages.ws. They did a good job too. When
> I went to click customize search it opened the same page
> in a new window; very clever.
> Solved this by downloading upgrade of IEv5.5 to IE v6.02
> and blocking web page by putting in the restricted sites
> under Internet Options/Security Tab, restricted Icon.
> Second: I tried viewing a geocities.com site and was
> redirected to www.white-pages.ws. So I typed in
> www.geocities.com and the page came up. Now when I typed
> in www.geocities.com/ (note: added the back slash to
> indicate subdirectory) and it came up with white page ws
> again.
> So I went offline and deleted the temporary internet
> (all off-line content) and cookies then placed in the
> address bar www.geocities.com ... unable to pull up page
> off-line. I then typed in www.geocities.com/ and poof,
> the page shows up.
> I assume it is like the 404 Error page and I just don't
> know what the name of the file is. I had another website
> change that in a previous version IE.
>
> Questions:
> Is there a place where you can find out the name of
> these files or where they are stored? ie. 404 Error,
> Search page, and so on.
> Is there any way to stop web redirection? So that
> instead of being redirected to www.white-pages.ws.com it
> will ask or prevent the redirection.
> Is there a way to fix this problem, or is it a standard
> Window's reformat and reinstall issue?
>
> I thank you for your time. A response would be more than
> greatly appreciated.

This was answered a couple of days ago.
http://groups.google.com/groups?q=white-pages.ws&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&hl=en&btnG=Google+Search

It is a new variation on a parasite.
From answer to dillonth:
dillonth wrote:
> I had the same problem and it frustrated me to no end. I poked around
> on my computer for about 2 hours and fixed it. Here is what I did:
>
> I first removed all references to www.white-pages.ws in my registry.
>
> Start -> Run -> regedit -> search for and delete www.white-pages.ws
>
> I then edited my hosts file which had been changed by that website:
>
> In Windows Explorer in Windows 2000, open the following directory:
> c:\winnt\system32\drivers\etc\
> Open the file named "hosts" (no file extension) with notepad.
> Remove all lines that have the following ip address:
> 66.230.146.42
> That is the ip address of www.white-pages.ws and that is how it is
> misdirecting you to their website.
>
> I am not sure where the hosts file is on other flavors of Windows, but
> I'm sure you can find it with Search.
>
> I hope this helps.
> -dillonth

This is a good HOSTS file description.
http://www.mvps.org/winhelp2002/hosts.htm

> On Mon, 23 Jun 2003 18:23:17 -0700, "Maggie" wrote:
>
>> Instead of geocities.com or any of its pages I get this
>> site loading for me:
>> http://www.white-pages.ws/index.html
>>
>> I tried Ad-aware 6 but its still here. This all started
>> when this page set itself up as my homepage. After
>> typing in the default I wanted every time I pressed
>> default (even after resetting to the default settings)
>> I'd still get this page.
>>
>> Any help would be really appreciated.

LuckyStrike
Sat Jun 28 17:10:14 CDT 2003

W. Bryant,

Just a bit of info that may interest you:

FAQ about Malicious web scripts redirected by Web Sites
http://www.cert.org/tech_tips/malicious_code_FAQ.html

Malicious HTML tags embedded in client Web requests
http://www.cert.org/advisories/CA-2000-02.html

HTH-

LuckyStrike
LS@smokedamagedfurniture.youcandriveitawaytoday.com
---------
"W. Bryant" <mostly4me@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:01fe01c33dad$0cf18fe0$a101280a@phx.gbl...
> ok.
> The problem:
> Some one changed a file in my IE program Files.
>
> Reason I came to this conclusion:
> First: my search page was changed from the msn search
> page to www.white-pages.ws. They did a good job too. When
> I went to click customize search it opened the same page
> in a new window; very clever.
> Solved this by downloading upgrade of IEv5.5 to IE v6.02
> and blocking web page by putting in the restricted sites
> under Internet Options/Security Tab, restricted Icon.
> Second: I tried viewing a geocities.com site and was
> redirected to www.white-pages.ws. So I typed in
> www.geocities.com and the page came up. Now when I typed
> in www.geocities.com/ (note: added the back slash to
> indicate subdirectory) and it came up with white page ws
> again.
> So I went offline and deleted the temporary internet
> (all off-line content) and cookies then placed in the
> address bar www.geocities.com ... unable to pull up page
> off-line. I then typed in www.geocities.com/ and poof,
> the page shows up.
> I assume it is like the 404 Error page and I just don't
> know what the name of the file is. I had another website
> change that in a previous version IE.
>
> Questions:
> Is there a place where you can find out the name of
> these files or where they are stored? ie. 404 Error,
> Search page, and so on.
> Is there any way to stop web redirection? So that
> instead of being redirected to www.white-pages.ws.com it
> will ask or prevent the redirection.
> Is there a way to fix this problem, or is it a standard
> Window's reformat and reinstall issue?
>
> I thank you for your time. A response would be more than
> greatly appreciated.
>


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