Bogus Yahoo and Google Search results?

Get nothing but ads when I click on search results in Yahoo and Google. What's going on?

• When I do a search for something on Yahoo! or Google, and I click on the search results, I do not get the appropriate page, but an ad. Not one specific thing, it could be anything from ads for magazines to financial companies. And when I hit the back button, I just get another ad. How do I fix this??? I have had trouble with malware and cookies recently, though Norton claims it has all been fixed.

• Answer:

  "Norton claims it has all been fixed." Really? Mr Norton personally called you on the phone and told you that things we're all fixed? Find that hard to believe. Your machine is infected with malware that redirects you to ad sites. Infections are typically complex operations: there are the infections that can be easily detected and cleaned, but there are also deeper bugs like rootkits that keep the path open for re-infection. Ultimately, it's possible that your HD may have to be wiped. I suggest you start saving media on your HD for safekeeping. While that may prove unneccessary, my work computer has similarly been infected, and my IT staff is telling me that they may need to clean the HD.