I would be most appreciative of some help. Thank you in advance!
First symptom I saw was google searches redirected to go.google.com which returned spam results in a new tab. I also find that all of the sites I would access for assistance like mcafee.com are blocked, though I can access sites like USATODAY.com.
I have a new Lenovo computer, so I used the LenovoCare button and followed the Rescue and Recovery path. It claimed to fix a number of system files, but it reported that one file was unable to be fixed. It suggested a full hard drive wipe and restore, so I came here looking for other options.
I attempted to follow all of the steps in PhilliePhan's "Read me before posting a request for assistance" article. I was able to accomplish steps 1-7 (except 3 which is said to be unavailable now), though I had to use another computer to do all the downloads.
I also used HostsXpert.exe to insure a clean Hosts file. A review of the backup copy showed that it was the same as the clean version.
However, I was not able to run MalWareBytes nor HiJackThis because the install programs for these two programs will not run. In both instances the install program seems to start and asks for permission on the "Do you want to run this file" security screen. Then it seems to stop without having done any installation. I tried to install the in both normal and safe mode. When I bring up the Task Manager with Ctrl-Alt-Delete, I can see that the installer programs remain running without using any CPU.
Nor was I able to run any of the online virus scanners in Step 9. All of them report (via Firefox) that although the sites seem valid, the browser was unable to establish a connection.
Therefore, I do not have any of the requested log file available.
Any assistance would be highly appreciated!