UPDATE: Fixed - Thank you.....Need Tech Help - "Infected" with MyStart by Incredibar.com

I was recently infected by the MyStart by IncrediBar.com virus or trojan or whatever it is.

The only problems I have on this computer: 1. An additional tab opens with my browsers, 2. I have noticed that my computer will "freeze" momentarily and that Pandora freezes, so the music is constantly interrupted.I do not know if these are related or if they are all separate issues.

When I start Google Chrome or IE, a tab comes up labelled "MyStart by IncrediBar.com"..

I uninstalled them, but they did not go away. I have Googled a solution and I have never heard of the sites that come up (with a couple of exceptions).

Some sites asked me to download their remover and some gave me the registry items to remove.

I ran MS Essentials, and Malwarebytes and neither picked it up or removed it.

From what I have read, this may be a new virus or trojan.

I read through the sticky threads to look for a solution, but am not sure if this is a hijack, trojan, virus or what.

Other than what I have done, I am not sure what my next step should be. I am hoping that someone can point me in the right direction.

My computer:
Lenovo, Windows 7, 64 bit

Thank you.

if MBAM, MSE, and or another known program fails....the last ditch would be Combofix

(it can make possibly bad changes, but I've used it time after time with no ill effects)

kaspersky and AVG have some great rescue disks, i would get both, they both are boot disks that can negotiate the network to update the virus pattern.

Another issue has arisen with my laptop. For some reason, my wireless on my laptop has stopped working. I have also tried an ethernet cable and it does not work either.

I am not sure if the incredibar caused it or not. You would think that the way the virus works, it would allow the computer to access the Internet.

My Internet works as my desktop is fine and my wireless works because my iPhone was working using it.

I am going to get one of those rescue discs and try it.

Of course when I went online for the rescue disc, I noticed that my desktop had the virus.

Thanks for the help.

try uninstalling and reinstalling the drivers?

(I had a serious virus eff up my laptop before...only after reinstalling did it fix it.)

chocula said:   You would think that the way the virus works, it would allow the computer to access the Internet.Actually, it's pretty common for an infection to break the Internet connection. I agree that it doesn't make a lot of sense, but it does happen.

marsilies said:   minidrag said:   Actually, it's pretty common for an infection to break the Internet connection. I agree that it doesn't make a lot of sense, but it does happen.
Actually, malware infections themselves don't typically break the internet connection; it's typically the malware removal that ends up breaking it.I disagree. While removal certainly can break it for all the reasons you mentioned, I deal with infected machines that have broken internet all the time. I get infected machines at least twice a week, usually more often than that. I would say somewhere around 40 or 50 percent of them show up because the Internet stopped working. The owner often doesn't even know there is an infection.

marsilies said:   I will say though that when malware does break the internet, I bet in the majority of those cases it's not deliberate.

I would guess malware breaks the internet because it's poorly coded and messed with something in a way the malware author didn't intend. There's also the chance of multiple malware infecting the same machine, each making a change that on their own is functional, but combined breaks the internet. Finally, there's always AV programs that only partially remove malware, breaking the internet in the process but still leaving enough of the malware to appear in scans, or even be still somewhat functional (or possibly rebuild itself).I agree with all of this. The intent of the infection is always to get something from the user, whether it is money, personal info (to get money), causing them to go to unwanted sites, etc... but all of that requires an Internet connection. So breaking it makes no sense at all.

A System Restore probably won't delete an infected file, but it reverts your registry to before and if pointers in there were causing the infection to run, it no longer will. If a system file was replaced a System Restore should put the original back in. But there are many infections that will disable System Restore and quite a few that System Restore won't fix.

Yes, to fix Winsock issue in Windows 7 you use built in features not an add on utility like you did in XP.

The Kaspersky boot disc should use its own power settings, which is probably to be always on.

"Virtual Box" is a virtual machine program for running another OS (guest OS) from within your main OS (host OS). The ethernet connection adapter is so that the guest OS can have internet access as well. I haven't heard of any malware installing it before, so is it possible you installed it at some point? Disabling the adapter shouldn't affect your main OS.

You know,for the time you are spending on this, it will be faster to back up your data, wipe and restore

I guess, when you're new at AV removal this can make sense. It seems like major overkill to me, but I'm so used to cleaning infected machines that I guess my view is skewed. But there is no doubt there is a point at which you have to cut your losses.

Where is that point? That's the big question and it's going to vary, a lot, depending on the user, available time, skill level, programs installed, etc...

Everything is backed up, except ironically, the virus. Since it shut down my internet access, my backup would not work. LOL

I actually use two online backups (Carnbonite and Crashplan) and once in a bllue moon, use my Maxtor HD.

The Incredibar is still there, neither AVG nor Kapersky worked (I could not get AVG to work from a disc) and I still cannot get online (used Winsock to reset).

I have no problem wiping the HD and starting over.

Is it better to get a new HD and start over or just wipe my existing drive and load windows back on it? The laptop is fairly new, so the HD is not that old.

System restore is not working either.

When I plug in an ethernet wire to my laptop set for wireless, should it automatically change to wired access instead of wireless? I have Googled this before and cannot get it to work on this computer (may be part of this virus).

1. Its fine to wipe and restore with the current drive
2. Internet on cable should automatically be detected and connect
3. Next Stop Willoughby

Lenovo machines usually come with a recovery program. It would have prompted you to create DVDs. But even if you didn't make them you can probably just run it from within Windows. Or, if that isn't available, when you first power up (before Windows loads) press the F8 key to get the Windows startup menu and choose Repair. Once that starts up choose Advanced and you should have an option for something like Factory Restore. Whichever of those three ways of getting there works, you will end up at the same place. A program that will wipe the machine out and put it back to the way it was when you first turned it on.

That all depends on what you backup. Data files rarely get infected, so if you are backing up music, pictures, etc... it isn't likely. If you are backing up the entire drive though, sure, you'll also have the infection. However, an infected file in and of itself won't do anything. It has to be started somehow. As long as you don't run the infected file it will just sit there and do nothing.

Thanks again everyone. Once again the FW community shines.

My computer is back running again and better than ever.

In case you are wondering, I simply used the software that Lenovo has on a hidden partition via the One Key and restored the computer back to its original state.

Thank you for all of the help and for the suggestion of restoring it. That worked like a charm and took about 5 minutes to complete.