Weird re-direct IE/FF/'generic browsing problem'...

[shiato storm]

Getting near the end of my tether so hoping someone can help. The problem manifests itself in such a way that when I perform a search via google, yahoo etc. all the results retrieved are to shopping sites or the sort that no one would ever actually bother to go to such as 'findstuff.com' or 'best-deals.com' and some such... I tried in Firefox and IE and it happens in both.
More recently FF just simply shuts down - without warning - when attepmting to access sites I normally would, such as here on hexus, also my own site even (most irritating!). In FF it simply closes down, in IE I get the 'IE has encountered a problem, send error report/don't send' box appear. (it's just come up as I write this actually...)
I noticed also in the address bar during searches the IP 78.157.142.58 coming up so something is causing a re-direct.
No 'offline' programs I use daily and that are important to me such as photoshop etc are affected, thankfully, but it does indicate perhaps its not as much a virus intent on destroying the inner workings but is somehow a re-working bug of how the internet-browsing works. Email (thunderbird) is working fine but clicking a link in an email e.g. an item in an Amazon email, fails to open the page just opening the browser and a blank page, nothing loads.
I have gone through a list of 'cleaning programs' such as Ad-aware, spybot search and destroy, superantispy, hijack this as well as AVG I have on here. As far as I can tell they come up clear - cleaned a few things off but still getting the problem when on-line...browser dumps.

no idea where its from but has anyone come across something like this? find a fix??!! going slowly insane, might finally push me to getting a mac (finally!)

[TAKTAK]

Getting near the end of my tether so hoping someone can help. The problem manifests itself in such a way that when I perform a search via google, yahoo etc. all the results retrieved are to shopping sites or the sort that no one would ever actually bother to go to such as 'findstuff.com' or 'best-deals.com' and some such... I tried in Firefox and IE and it happens in both.
More recently FF just simply shuts down - without warning - when attepmting to access sites I normally would, such as here on hexus, also my own site even (most irritating!). In FF it simply closes down, in IE I get the 'IE has encountered a problem, send error report/don't send' box appear. (it's just come up as I write this actually...)
I noticed also in the address bar during searches the IP 78.157.142.58 coming up so something is causing a re-direct.
No 'offline' programs I use daily and that are important to me such as photoshop etc are affected, thankfully, but it does indicate perhaps its not as much a virus intent on destroying the inner workings but is somehow a re-working bug of how the internet-browsing works. Email (thunderbird) is working fine but clicking a link in an email e.g. an item in an Amazon email, fails to open the page just opening the browser and a blank page, nothing loads.
I have gone through a list of 'cleaning programs' such as Ad-aware, spybot search and destroy, superantispy, hijack this as well as AVG I have on here. As far as I can tell they come up clear - cleaned a few things off but still getting the problem when on-line...browser dumps.

no idea where its from but has anyone come across something like this? find a fix??!! going slowly insane, might finally push me to getting a mac (finally!)

does the same thing happen if you use firefox portable?

[alsenior]

have you checked your dns settings? you may have your setting tampered by a malicious program

[shiato storm]

does the same thing happen if you use firefox portable?

no idea what that is but if it means using a laptop - I haven't got one, this problem is on my desktop, my main and only computer

have you checked your dns settings? you may have your setting tampered by a malicious program

I believe one of the programs I used to clean my system add a lsit of banned sites to the dns list but run it by me how to check and I'll know for sure.

might have to take it to a computer specialist (at work) to see what if he can do something but worth asking around here just in case to save the hassle!

[alsenior]

to check the settings

Click Start > Control Panel > Network Connections and select your local network. On the General tab click Properties > Internet Protocol (TCP/IP).
Click Properties
make sure the obtain servers automatically button is selected.

in vista it's

(1) Click Start...
(2) Go to Network...
(3) Click on Network and Sharing Center...
(4) Click on Manage Network connections...
(5) Find the Local Area Connection icon and right-click on it, then left-click on Properties...
(6) Find Internet Protocol Version 4(TCP/IPv4) and click on it - it should become highlighted - then click the Properties button...
(7) make sure the obtain addresses automatically button is selected

[shiato storm]

yep, just checked that...and still getting the problems. could be something deeper down inside thats proving sticky to get rid of...