IE8 Randomly Opens Favorites That I Have Not Clicked!

Can MSFT please do something about the intermittent problem where IE8
magically and apparently randomly opens multiple tabs all at once for stuff I
HAVE NOT CLICKED? This is extremely obnoxious when it decides to open 10-20
tabs all at once. i have to kill IE and reopen (and try to remember what the
!@#$ I was doing before the interruption!). It appears to most often open
actual Favorites, but sometimes it opens random garbage. I do not have
Suggested Sites turned on.

BTW, as of 09-23-2009 I have all the latest critical updates from
windowsupdate.com.

As mentioned in a previous post, I prefer to use the latest of MSFT's
products since I am a web developer at a "Microsoft shop" and I like to tell
my clients that they can comfortably use all of MSFT's latest products since
that is my priority browser for development (sadly).

The behavior you describe is typical of malware.
---
Leonard Grey
Errare humanum est

bluetrain wrote:
> Can MSFT please do something about the intermittent problem where IE8
> magically and apparently randomly opens multiple tabs all at once for stuff I
> HAVE NOT CLICKED? This is extremely obnoxious when it decides to open 10-20
> tabs all at once. i have to kill IE and reopen (and try to remember what the
> !@#$ I was doing before the interruption!). It appears to most often open
> actual Favorites, but sometimes it opens random garbage. I do not have
> Suggested Sites turned on.
>
> BTW, as of 09-23-2009 I have all the latest critical updates from
> windowsupdate.com.
>
> As mentioned in a previous post, I prefer to use the latest of MSFT's
> products since I am a web developer at a "Microsoft shop" and I like to tell
> my clients that they can comfortably use all of MSFT's latest products since
> that is my priority browser for development (sadly).

I realize that is the quickest, easiest, and the most likely answer anyone
could give, but I have Spybot Search & Destroy with the latest updates from
only a few days ago (followed by a full scan and removal of all found junk,
and I always have the Immunization functionality active), and I have AVG 8.5
with constantly updated definitions and a once-weekly full computer scan. Yet
this random tab opening behavior seems to happen at some point every day, and
it has even happened today, and at least yesterday if not also the day before
(mind you, virtually immediately following the S&D live update, scan &
removal). My computer is on a corporate network behind a hardware firewall.
Do you think there is anything else I could use to PROVE whether or not it is
malware?

This crazy behavior only started with IE8 though. I have used IE7 and never
saw anything like this.

"Leonard Grey" wrote:

> The behavior you describe is typical of malware.
> ---
> Leonard Grey
> Errare humanum est
>
> bluetrain wrote:
> > Can MSFT please do something about the intermittent problem where IE8
> > magically and apparently randomly opens multiple tabs all at once for stuff I
> > HAVE NOT CLICKED? This is extremely obnoxious when it decides to open 10-20
> > tabs all at once. i have to kill IE and reopen (and try to remember what the
> > !@#$ I was doing before the interruption!). It appears to most often open
> > actual Favorites, but sometimes it opens random garbage. I do not have
> > Suggested Sites turned on.
> >
> > BTW, as of 09-23-2009 I have all the latest critical updates from
> > windowsupdate.com.
> >
> > As mentioned in a previous post, I prefer to use the latest of MSFT's
> > products since I am a web developer at a "Microsoft shop" and I like to tell
> > my clients that they can comfortably use all of MSFT's latest products since
> > that is my priority browser for development (sadly).
>

Please state your full Windows version (e.g., WinXP SP3; Vista x64 SP2) when
posting to this newsgroup.

Few, if any, IE8 users are experiencing the behavior you describe.

Was AVG and/or Spybot Residents SDHelper and/or Tea Timer running in the
background when you installed IE8?

Running a full system scan with AVG and Spybot does NOT mean the computer is
free of all hijackware.
--
~Robear Dyer (PA Bear)
MS MVP-IE, Mail, Security, Windows Client - since 2002
www.banthecheck.com


bluetrain wrote:
> I realize that is the quickest, easiest, and the most likely answer anyone
> could give, but I have Spybot Search & Destroy with the latest updates
> from
> only a few days ago (followed by a full scan and removal of all found
> junk,
> and I always have the Immunization functionality active), and I have AVG
> 8.5
> with constantly updated definitions and a once-weekly full computer scan.
> Yet this random tab opening behavior seems to happen at some point every
> day, and it has even happened today, and at least yesterday if not also
> the
> day before (mind you, virtually immediately following the S&D live update,
> scan & removal). My computer is on a corporate network behind a hardware
> firewall. Do you think there is anything else I could use to PROVE whether
> or not it is malware?
>
> This crazy behavior only started with IE8 though. I have used IE7 and
> never
> saw anything like this.
>
> "Leonard Grey" wrote:
>> The behavior you describe is typical of malware.
>>
>> bluetrain wrote:
>>> Can MSFT please do something about the intermittent problem where IE8
>>> magically and apparently randomly opens multiple tabs all at once for
>>> stuff I HAVE NOT CLICKED? This is extremely obnoxious when it decides to
>>> open 10-20 tabs all at once. i have to kill IE and reopen (and try to
>>> remember what the !@#$ I was doing before the interruption!). It appears
>>> to most often open actual Favorites, but sometimes it opens random
>>> garbage. I do not have Suggested Sites turned on.
>>>
>>> BTW, as of 09-23-2009 I have all the latest critical updates from
>>> windowsupdate.com.
>>>
>>> As mentioned in a previous post, I prefer to use the latest of MSFT's
>>> products since I am a web developer at a "Microsoft shop" and I like to
>>> tell my clients that they can comfortably use all of MSFT's latest
>>> products since that is my priority browser for development (sadly).

> Running a full system scan with AVG and Spybot does NOT mean the computer is
> free of all hijackware.

No kidding? That's why I asked for any additional suggestions as to useful
malware removal tools.

"PA Bear [MS MVP]" wrote:

> Please state your full Windows version (e.g., WinXP SP3; Vista x64 SP2) when
> posting to this newsgroup.
>
> Few, if any, IE8 users are experiencing the behavior you describe.
>
> Was AVG and/or Spybot Residents SDHelper and/or Tea Timer running in the
> background when you installed IE8?
>
> Running a full system scan with AVG and Spybot does NOT mean the computer is
> free of all hijackware.
> --
> ~Robear Dyer (PA Bear)
> MS MVP-IE, Mail, Security, Windows Client - since 2002
> www.banthecheck.com
>
>
> bluetrain wrote:
> > I realize that is the quickest, easiest, and the most likely answer anyone
> > could give, but I have Spybot Search & Destroy with the latest updates
> > from
> > only a few days ago (followed by a full scan and removal of all found
> > junk,
> > and I always have the Immunization functionality active), and I have AVG
> > 8.5
> > with constantly updated definitions and a once-weekly full computer scan.
> > Yet this random tab opening behavior seems to happen at some point every
> > day, and it has even happened today, and at least yesterday if not also
> > the
> > day before (mind you, virtually immediately following the S&D live update,
> > scan & removal). My computer is on a corporate network behind a hardware
> > firewall. Do you think there is anything else I could use to PROVE whether
> > or not it is malware?
> >
> > This crazy behavior only started with IE8 though. I have used IE7 and
> > never
> > saw anything like this.
> >
> > "Leonard Grey" wrote:
> >> The behavior you describe is typical of malware.
> >>
> >> bluetrain wrote:
> >>> Can MSFT please do something about the intermittent problem where IE8
> >>> magically and apparently randomly opens multiple tabs all at once for
> >>> stuff I HAVE NOT CLICKED? This is extremely obnoxious when it decides to
> >>> open 10-20 tabs all at once. i have to kill IE and reopen (and try to
> >>> remember what the !@#$ I was doing before the interruption!). It appears
> >>> to most often open actual Favorites, but sometimes it opens random
> >>> garbage. I do not have Suggested Sites turned on.
> >>>
> >>> BTW, as of 09-23-2009 I have all the latest critical updates from
> >>> windowsupdate.com.
> >>>
> >>> As mentioned in a previous post, I prefer to use the latest of MSFT's
> >>> products since I am a web developer at a "Microsoft shop" and I like to
> >>> tell my clients that they can comfortably use all of MSFT's latest
> >>> products since that is my priority browser for development (sadly).
>
>

You do a lousy job of quoting appropriate posts in your replies.

NB: If you had no anti-virus application installed or the subscription had
expired *when the machine first got infected* and/or your subscription has
since expired and/or the machine's not been kept fully-patched at Windows
Update, don't waste your time with any of the below: Format & reinstall
Windows. A Repair Install will NOT help!

1. See if you can download/run the MSRT manually:
http://www.microsoft.com/security/ma...e/default.mspx

NB: Run the FULL scan, not the QUICK scan! You may need to download the
MSRT on a non-infected machine, then transfer MRT.EXE to the infected
machine and rename it to SCAN.EXE before running it.

2. [WinXP ONLY!! =>] Run the Windows Live Safety Center's 'Protection' scan
(only!) in Safe Mode with Networking, if need be:
http://onecare.live.com/site/en-us/center/howsafe.htm

3. Run a /thorough/ check for hijackware, including posting requested logs
in an appropriate forum, not here.

Checking for/Help with Hijackware:
• http://aumha.net/viewtopic.php?f=30&t=4075

• http://mvps.org/winhelp2002/unwanted.htm
• http://inetexplorer.mvps.org/tshoot.html
• http://www.mvps.org/sramesh2k/Malware_Defence.htm
• http://www.elephantboycomputers.com/...moving_Malware

**Chances are you will need to seek expert assistance in
http://spywarehammer.com/simplemachi...php?board=10.0,
http://www.spywarewarrior.com/viewforum.php?f=5,
http://www.dslreports.com/forum/cleanup,
http://www.bluetack.co.uk/forums/index.php,
http://aumha.net/viewforum.php?f=30 or other appropriate forums.**



bluetrain wrote:
>> Running a full system scan with AVG and Spybot does NOT mean the computer
>> is free of all hijackware.
>
> No kidding? That's why I asked for any additional suggestions as to useful
> malware removal tools.
>
> "PA Bear [MS MVP]" wrote:
>> Please state your full Windows version (e.g., WinXP SP3; Vista x64 SP2)
>> when posting to this newsgroup.
>>
>> Few, if any, IE8 users are experiencing the behavior you describe.
>>
>> Was AVG and/or Spybot Residents SDHelper and/or Tea Timer running in the
>> background when you installed IE8?
>>
>> Running a full system scan with AVG and Spybot does NOT mean the computer
>> is free of all hijackware.
>> --
>> ~Robear Dyer (PA Bear)
>> MS MVP-IE, Mail, Security, Windows Client - since 2002
>> www.banthecheck.com
>>
>>
>> bluetrain wrote:
>>> I realize that is the quickest, easiest, and the most likely answer
>>> anyone
>>> could give, but I have Spybot Search & Destroy with the latest updates
>>> from
>>> only a few days ago (followed by a full scan and removal of all found
>>> junk,
>>> and I always have the Immunization functionality active), and I have AVG
>>> 8.5
>>> with constantly updated definitions and a once-weekly full computer
>>> scan.
>>> Yet this random tab opening behavior seems to happen at some point every
>>> day, and it has even happened today, and at least yesterday if not also
>>> the
>>> day before (mind you, virtually immediately following the S&D live
>>> update,
>>> scan & removal). My computer is on a corporate network behind a hardware
>>> firewall. Do you think there is anything else I could use to PROVE
>>> whether
>>> or not it is malware?
>>>
>>> This crazy behavior only started with IE8 though. I have used IE7 and
>>> never
>>> saw anything like this.
>>>
>>> "Leonard Grey" wrote:
>>>> The behavior you describe is typical of malware.
>>>>
>>>> bluetrain wrote:
>>>>> Can MSFT please do something about the intermittent problem where IE8
>>>>> magically and apparently randomly opens multiple tabs all at once for
>>>>> stuff I HAVE NOT CLICKED? This is extremely obnoxious when it decides
>>>>> to
>>>>> open 10-20 tabs all at once. i have to kill IE and reopen (and try to
>>>>> remember what the !@#$ I was doing before the interruption!). It
>>>>> appears
>>>>> to most often open actual Favorites, but sometimes it opens random
>>>>> garbage. I do not have Suggested Sites turned on.
>>>>>
>>>>> BTW, as of 09-23-2009 I have all the latest critical updates from
>>>>> windowsupdate.com.
>>>>>
>>>>> As mentioned in a previous post, I prefer to use the latest of MSFT's
>>>>> products since I am a web developer at a "Microsoft shop" and I like
>>>>> to
>>>>> tell my clients that they can comfortably use all of MSFT's latest
>>>>> products since that is my priority browser for development (sadly).