FromTheRafters wrote:
> "~BD~"<~BD~@nomail.afraid.org> wrote in message
> news:jatqhr$6ha$1@dont-email.me...
>> AL_n wrote:
>>> Virus Guy<Virus@Guy.com> wrote in news:4ED2445B.E39B1797@Guy.com:
>>>
>>>> AL_n wrote:
>>>>
>>>>> Are there any trojan or other spyware devices that might be making
>>>>> my internet searches become slow?
>>>>
>>>> Check your hosts file.
>>>>
>>>> You might have host file entries for search portal domains (like
>>>> google.com) that point to a third party that hijacks the search and
>>>> tries to do something with it (like generate extra ad revenue).
>>>>
>>>
>>> Thanks. I looked at my Windows 7 host file. It has hundreds of one-line
>>> entries, all 'inserted by Spybot - Search& Destroy'. Does that sound OK?
>>> It means nothing to me, although I am familiar with SSD, which I run
>>> occasionally.
>>>
>>> Al
>>
>> FYI - The 'hosts' may be reset to it's default state. Read here:-
>> http://support.microsoft.com/kb/972034
>>
>> Perhaps it's worth a try and see if your current 'problems' are alleviated.
>>
>> Good luck! :-)
>
> He could rename it hosts.old too. That way all that data isn't lost.
>
>

Indeed! :-)

In fact, at that very link I posted, it says, at step 2.:-

"Rename the Hosts file to Hosts.old".