Brower Hijack?

I ran Hijack this and there was nothing of interest. Everything it reported checked out. Argh!

Could have somethin' to do with your firewall ... thought of that?

Anyhow, just for giggles, post your HJT log here if ya wanna and I'll take a quick look at it.

I thought first of the firewall and proxy servers, but other people and other machines don't exhibit the behaviour.

Logfile of HijackThis v1.98.2
Scan saved at 9:45:05 AM, on 10/22/2004
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:\WINDOWS\System32\svchost.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\spoolsv.exe
C:\Program Files\Network Associates\Alert Manager\amgrsrvc.exe
C:\WINDOWS\MS\SMS\CORE\BIN\CLISVCL.EXE
C:\Program Files\Executive Software\Diskeeper\DkService.exe
C:\Program Files\Network Associates\Common Framework\FrameworkService.exe
C:\Program Files\Network Associates\VirusScan\mcshield.exe
C:\Program Files\Network Associates\VirusScan\vstskmgr.exe
C:\Program Files\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\VS7Debug\mdm.exe
C:\EPOAgent\naimas32.exe
C:\WINDOWS\MS\SMS\CLICOMP\RemCtrl\Wuser32.exe
C:\WINDOWS\MS\SMS\clicomp\apa\Bin\smsapm32.exe
C:\WINDOWS\Explorer.EXE
C:\Program Files\Viewer\LFprinttomail\lfsndmng.exe
C:\EPOAgent\naimag32.exe
C:\Program Files\Network Associates\VirusScan\SHSTAT.EXE
C:\Program Files\Network Associates\Common Framework\UpdaterUI.exe
C:\Program Files\Roxio\Easy CD Creator 5\DirectCD\DirectCD.exe
C:\Program Files\iTunes\iTunesHelper.exe
C:\Program Files\QuickTime\qttask.exe
C:\WINDOWS\MS\SMS\CORE\BIN\LAUNCH32.EXE
C:\Program Files\iPod\bin\iPodService.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\ctfmon.exe
C:\Program Files\Messenger\msmsgs.exe
C:\Interwise\Student\pull.exe
C:\Program Files\Palm\HOTSYNC.EXE
C:\WINDOWS\MS\SMS\CLICOMP\SWDist32\bin\smsmon32.exe
C:\Program Files\Internet Explorer\iexplore.exe
C:\Program Files\Internet Explorer\iexplore.exe
C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\OFFICE11\OUTLOOK.EXE
C:\Program Files\Internet Explorer\iexplore.exe
H:\HijackThis.exe

R0 - HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Start Page = http://
R1 - HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Internet Settings,AutoConfigURL = http://proxyconf.xxxxx.com
R1 - HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Internet Settings,ProxyServer =
O2 - BHO: AcroIEHlprObj Class - {06849E9F-C8D7-4D59-B87D-784B7D6BE0B3} - C:\Program Files\Adobe\Acrobat 5.0\Reader\ActiveX\AcroIEHelper.ocx
O2 - BHO: (no name) - {53707962-6F74-2D53-2644-206D7942484F} - C:\Program Files\Spybot - Search & Destroy\SDHelper.dll
O2 - BHO: Google Toolbar Helper - {AA58ED58-01DD-4d91-8333-CF10577473F7} - c:\program files\google\googletoolbar1.dll
O3 - Toolbar: &Google - {2318C2B1-4965-11d4-9B18-009027A5CD4F} - c:\program files\google\googletoolbar1.dll
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [lfsndmngav] C:\Program Files\Viewer\LFprinttomail\lfsndmng.exe
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [WebCensus] C:\PROGRA~1\Webcensus\WCClient.exe -dest C:\PROGRA~1\Webcensus
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [PLUSDNSOff] C:\plus\SetDNSOff.exe
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [NaimAgent_UI] C:\EPOAgent\naimag32.exe
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [ShStatEXE] "C:\Program Files\Network Associates\VirusScan\SHSTAT.EXE" /STANDALONE
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [McAfeeUpdaterUI] "C:\Program Files\Network Associates\Common Framework\UpdaterUI.exe" /StartedFromRunKey
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [AdaptecDirectCD] "C:\Program Files\Roxio\Easy CD Creator 5\DirectCD\DirectCD.exe"
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [iTunesHelper] C:\Program Files\iTunes\iTunesHelper.exe
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [QuickTime Task] "C:\Program Files\QuickTime\qttask.exe" -atboottime
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [SMS Application Launcher] C:\WINDOWS\MS\SMS\CORE\BIN\LAUNCH32.EXE
O4 - HKCU\..\Run: [ctfmon.exe] C:\WINDOWS\system32\ctfmon.exe
O4 - HKCU\..\Run: [MSMSGS] "C:\Program Files\Messenger\msmsgs.exe" /background
O4 - Startup: HotSync Manager.lnk = C:\Program Files\Palm\HOTSYNC.EXE
O4 - Global Startup: Microsoft Office.lnk = C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office10\OSA.EXE
O4 - Global Startup: Push Client.LNK = C:\Interwise\Student\pull.exe
O6 - HKCU\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Control Panel present
O8 - Extra context menu item: &Google Search - res://c:\program files\google\GoogleToolbar1.dll/cmsearch.html
O8 - Extra context menu item: Backward Links - res://c:\program files\google\GoogleToolbar1.dll/cmbacklinks.html
O8 - Extra context menu item: Cached Snapshot of Page - res://c:\program files\google\GoogleToolbar1.dll/cmcache.html
O8 - Extra context menu item: E&xport to Microsoft Excel - res://C:\PROGRA~1\MICROS~2\OFFICE11\EXCEL.EXE/3000
O8 - Extra context menu item: Similar Pages - res://c:\program files\google\GoogleToolbar1.dll/cmsimilar.html
O8 - Extra context menu item: Translate into English - res://c:\program files\google\GoogleToolbar1.dll/cmtrans.html
O9 - Extra button: Research - {92780B25-18CC-41C8-B9BE-3C9C571A8263} - C:\PROGRA~1\MICROS~2\OFFICE11\REFIEBAR.DLL
O9 - Extra button: @C:\Program Files\Messenger\Msgslang.dll,-61144 - {FB5F1910-F110-11d2-BB9E-00C04F795683} - C:\Program Files\Messenger\msmsgs.exe
O9 - Extra 'Tools' menuitem: @C:\Program Files\Messenger\Msgslang.dll,-61144 - {FB5F1910-F110-11d2-BB9E-00C04F795683} - C:\Program Files\Messenger\msmsgs.exe
O12 - Plugin for .spop: C:\Program Files\Internet Explorer\Plugins\NPDocBox.dll
O16 - DPF: {8D83D301-E841-11D1-B155-00600823BCF9} (WebLine Browser Integration Classes) - http://uswebcollab.itrc.hp.com/webline/applets/msie40x.cab
O17 - HKLM\System\CCS\Services\Tcpip\Parameters: Domain =
O17 - HKLM\Software\..\Telephony: DomainName =
O17 - HKLM\System\CS1\Services\Tcpip\Parameters: Domain =
O17 - HKLM\System\CS1\Services\Tcpip\Parameters: SearchList =
O17 - HKLM\System\CS2\Services\Tcpip\Parameters: Domain =
O17 - HKLM\System\CS2\Services\Tcpip\Parameters: SearchList =
O17 - HKLM\System\CCS\Services\Tcpip\Parameters: SearchList =

Yeah, nothin' there leaps out at me. Gonna say its likely a proxy issue, if not firewall-related. Mebbe compare your settings to those of the folks you say are having no such problems.

Might wanna be sure Spybot recognizes and allows all your proxy stuff, and is otherwise properly configured.

One other thought ... are you usin' a Hosts file? A longshot, but if you are, you might wanna look through it.