about:blank problem

[Dysom]

Hi,
I have a very stubborn about:blank problem. I have followed your instructions in the "please read this before posting to the forum"sticky and my system seems to be clean except for the fact internet explorer is stuck on an about:blank web page or lack of web page. I have tried the program aboutblank buddy and I have followed instructions on removing about:blank which describe using the view source on internet explorer to descover the dll that is causing the problem. aboutblank buddy did not work and the view source does not show any source info. Do you have any other advice on removing this pest. My hijackthis log is below.
Thanks

Logfile of HijackThis v1.99.1
Scan saved at 10:26:55 AM, on 10/24/2006
Platform: Windows XP SP2 (WinNT 5.01.2600)
MSIE: Internet Explorer v6.00 SP2 (6.00.2900.2180)

Running processes:
C:\WINDOWS\System32\smss.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\winlogon.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\services.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\lsass.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\svchost.exe
C:\Program Files\Windows Defender\MsMpEng.exe
C:\WINDOWS\System32\svchost.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\ZoneLabs\vsmon.exe
C:\WINDOWS\Explorer.EXE
C:\WINDOWS\system32\spoolsv.exe
C:\Program Files\Grisoft\AVG Anti-Spyware 7.5\guard.exe
C:\PROGRA~1\Grisoft\AVGFRE~1\avgamsvr.exe
C:\PROGRA~1\Grisoft\AVGFRE~1\avgupsvc.exe
C:\PROGRA~1\Grisoft\AVGFRE~1\avgemc.exe
C:\WINDOWS\System32\svchost.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\wuauclt.exe
C:\Program Files\Zone Labs\ZoneAlarm\zlclient.exe
C:\Program Files\Windows Defender\MSASCui.exe
C:\HijackThis\HijackThis.exe

R0 - HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Start Page =
O2 - BHO: Yahoo! Toolbar Helper - {02478D38-C3F9-4EFB-9B51-7695ECA05670} - C:\Program Files\Yahoo!\Companion\Installs\cpn\yt.dll
O2 - BHO: Adobe PDF Reader Link Helper - {06849E9F-C8D7-4D59-B87D-784B7D6BE0B3} - C:\Program Files\Adobe\Acrobat 7.0\ActiveX\AcroIEHelper.dll
O2 - BHO: (no name) - {53707962-6F74-2D53-2644-206D7942484F} - C:\PROGRA~1\SPYBOT~1\SDHelper.dll
O2 - BHO: SSVHelper Class - {761497BB-D6F0-462C-B6EB-D4DAF1D92D43} - C:\Program Files\Java\jre1.5.0_07\bin\ssv.dll
O3 - Toolbar: ZeroBar - {F0F8ECBE-D460-4B34-B007-56A92E8F84A7} - C:\Program Files\NetZero\Toolbar.dll
O3 - Toolbar: Yahoo! Toolbar - {EF99BD32-C1FB-11D2-892F-0090271D4F88} - C:\Program Files\Yahoo!\Companion\Installs\cpn\yt.dll
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [Zone Labs Client] "C:\Program Files\Zone Labs\ZoneAlarm\zlclient.exe"
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [Windows Defender] "C:\Program Files\Windows Defender\MSASCui.exe" -hide
O4 - HKCU\..\Run: [Microsoft Works Update Detection] C:\Program Files\Microsoft Works\WkDetect.exe
O9 - Extra button: (no name) - {08B0E5C0-4FCB-11CF-AAA5-00401C608501} - C:\Program Files\Java\jre1.5.0_07\bin\ssv.dll
O9 - Extra 'Tools' menuitem: Sun Java Console - {08B0E5C0-4FCB-11CF-AAA5-00401C608501} - C:\Program Files\Java\jre1.5.0_07\bin\ssv.dll
O9 - Extra button: Messenger - {FB5F1910-F110-11d2-BB9E-00C04F795683} - C:\Program Files\Messenger\msmsgs.exe
O9 - Extra 'Tools' menuitem: Windows Messenger - {FB5F1910-F110-11d2-BB9E-00C04F795683} - C:\Program Files\Messenger\msmsgs.exe
O16 - DPF: {17492023-C23A-453E-A040-C7C580BBF700} (Windows Genuine Advantage Validation Tool) - http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=39204
O16 - DPF: {5D86DDB5-BDF9-441B-9E9E-D4730F4EE499} (BDSCANONLINE Control) - http://download.bitdefender.com/reso...an8/oscan8.cab
O16 - DPF: {6E32070A-766D-4EE6-879C-DC1FA91D2FC3} (MUWebControl Class) - http://update.microsoft.com/microsof...?1150747780199
O16 - DPF: {9A9307A0-7DA4-4DAF-B042-5009F29E09E1} (ActiveScan Installer Class) - http://acs.pandasoftware.com/actives...ree/asinst.cab
O16 - DPF: {B020B534-4AA2-4B99-BD6D-5F6EE286DF5C} - https://a248.e.akamai.net/f/248/5462...l/SymDlBrg.cab
O20 - Winlogon Notify: WgaLogon - C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\WgaLogon.dll
O23 - Service: AVG Anti-Spyware Guard - Anti-Malware Development a.s. - C:\Program Files\Grisoft\AVG Anti-Spyware 7.5\guard.exe
O23 - Service: AVG7 Alert Manager Server (Avg7Alrt) - GRISOFT, s.r.o. - C:\PROGRA~1\Grisoft\AVGFRE~1\avgamsvr.exe
O23 - Service: AVG7 Update Service (Avg7UpdSvc) - GRISOFT, s.r.o. - C:\PROGRA~1\Grisoft\AVGFRE~1\avgupsvc.exe
O23 - Service: AVG E-mail Scanner (AVGEMS) - GRISOFT, s.r.o. - C:\PROGRA~1\Grisoft\AVGFRE~1\avgemc.exe
O23 - Service: IMAPI CD-Burning COM Service (ImapiService) - Roxio Inc. - C:\WINDOWS\System32\ImapiRox.exe
O23 - Service: Norton Protection Center Service (NSCService) - Unknown owner - C:\Program Files\Common Files\Symantec Shared\Security Console\NSCSRVCE.EXE (file missing)
O23 - Service: Pml Driver HPZ12 - HP - C:\WINDOWS\system32\HPZipm12.exe
O23 - Service: TrueVector Internet Monitor (vsmon) - Zone Labs, LLC - C:\WINDOWS\system32\ZoneLabs\vsmon.exe

[Gizmokid2005]

Dysom,

Your log looks clean from what I can tell.

The only entry that I see that you should take care of is:

R0 - HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Start Page =

Now, when you are talking about the about:blank page, is that when you first open IE? Or is it while you are browsing?

If it is when you first open IE, you could have a blank page set to the homepage.

[Dysom]

Hi,
Thanks for answering my post. The about:blank shows up when I first open internet explorer. I am able to surf to other sites but I cant change the about:blank to another web page. It keeps going back to about:blank after I change it. I also tried to have hijackthis fix the line you showed and it couldn't. At least it showed up again after hijackthis did a rescan and I also did a reboot. there was another line with the file missing that couldn't be fixed also. this line is:

"023 - service:Norton Protection Center Service(NSCService)- unknown owner - C:\Program Files\Common Files\Symantec Shared\Security Console\NSCSRVCE(file missing)"

[Dysom]

sorry I probbably wasn't clear. I can surf anywhere on the net for as long as I want but I cannot set my homepage to anything other than about:blank. when I go into Internet options to change my home page to something like http://www.google.com it will revert to the about:blank.

[Dysom]

Hi,
Thanks for answering my post. The about:blank shows up when I first open internet explorer. I am able to surf to other sites but I cant change the about:blank to another web page. It keeps going back to about:blank after I change it. I also tried to have hijackthis fix the line you showed and it couldn't. At least it showed up again after hijackthis did a rescan and I also did a reboot. there was another line with the file missing that couldn't be fixed also. this line is:

"023 - service:Norton Protection Center Service(NSCService)- unknown owner - C:\Program Files\Common Files\Symantec Shared\Security Console\NSCSRVCE(file missing)"

[Gizmokid2005]

Hmmm...I'm not sure about this one...Judy, TL, or PP will probably chime in with some more info. I'd help, but I just installed IE7 yesterday and it's completely different from IE6.

[TurcoLoco]

Hi,
Thanks for answering my post. The about:blank shows up when I first open internet explorer. I am able to surf to other sites but I cant change the about:blank to another web page. It keeps going back to about:blank after I change it. I also tried to have hijackthis fix the line you showed and it couldn't. At least it showed up again after hijackthis did a rescan and I also did a reboot. there was another line with the file missing that couldn't be fixed also. this line is:

"023 - service:Norton Protection Center Service(NSCService)- unknown owner - C:\Program Files\Common Files\Symantec Shared\Security Console\NSCSRVCE(file missing)"

If you have Norton installed then ignore that entry as HJT is notorious with its false listings of missing virus scanner related services.

As far as the about:Blank issue goes, have you tried fixing it with HJT after booting in Safe Mode? Also I don't know much about About Blank buddy program but a reputable and effective one I suggest you use is About Buster 6.05.

~TL