Proxy server ghost?

I found that something has put a checkmark in the "use proxy server"
option in IE7. This kept me from updating some programs and using
IE. I unchecked this and then everything worked as normal. However
this morning, I found that this box was again checked and not by me.
Is there a way to find out what is doing this? The settings are
typical with localhost as the address and 8080 as the port. O.S. is
Vista HP 32 bit and the following is installed:

AVG 8.5
Spywareblaster
Superantispyware
Malwarebyte
A Squared
People PC

Only the AVG has real time protection enabled.

Thanks

Bet that "something" is malware.
---
Leonard Grey
Errare humanum est

lb wrote:
> I found that something has put a checkmark in the "use proxy server"
> option in IE7. This kept me from updating some programs and using
> IE. I unchecked this and then everything worked as normal. However
> this morning, I found that this box was again checked and not by me.
> Is there a way to find out what is doing this? The settings are
> typical with localhost as the address and 8080 as the port. O.S. is
> Vista HP 32 bit and the following is installed:
>
> AVG 8.5
> Spywareblaster
> Superantispyware
> Malwarebyte
> A Squared
> People PC
>
> Only the AVG has real time protection enabled.
>
> Thanks

What Leonard said.

One or more options/settings in an ever-growing number of third-party
applications may be disallowing the changes from "sticking." These include
anti-spyware applications (e.g., Ad-aware's Ad-Watch, Spybot Tea Timer,
SpywareBlaster, SpySweeper, Spyware Doctor, CounterSpy, WinPatrol, etc),
anti-virus applications & security suites (Norton, McAfee, ESET/NOD32,
Kasperky, Trend Micro, etc.), and third-party firewalls (e.g., Zone Alarm,
etc.).

Note that temporarily disabling the application(s) or rebooting into Safe
Mode may not disable the application's system protections.
--
~Robear Dyer (PA Bear)
MS MVP-IE, Mail, Security, Windows Client - since 2002


lb wrote:
> I found that something has put a checkmark in the "use proxy server"
> option in IE7. This kept me from updating some programs and using
> IE. I unchecked this and then everything worked as normal. However
> this morning, I found that this box was again checked and not by me.
> Is there a way to find out what is doing this? The settings are
> typical with localhost as the address and 8080 as the port. O.S. is
> Vista HP 32 bit and the following is installed:
>
> AVG 8.5
> Spywareblaster
> Superantispyware
> Malwarebyte
> A Squared
> People PC
>
> Only the AVG has real time protection enabled.
>
> Thanks