http://www.securiteam.com/securityreviews/5RP0L0UD5U.html

I also highly recommend using Firefox instead of IE for your daily browsing. Some things will only work with IE (I have to use it to access my work information for example) however 99% of the stuff I do on the net on a daily basis works just fine. IE just has too many security holes and too many hijackers to bother with, in my opinion.

Try Spysweeper.  You can run a trial scan from their web site.

If your system tools have the capability for system restore reset your system to a point in time before the problem arose.  That worked nicely for me with the same problem.  I'm running Windows XP.  I also run spysubtract, adaware and spybot search & destroy periodically to keep up with the normal nuisance type stuff.

...your default home page wasn't simply changed to a bad site?

Check you internet properties to see what your home page.

OK, first, this is a nasty little bugger, and might take some work on your part, depending on the variant you have.

It is a variation on "Cool Web seach" hijacker, so let's start with that.

Go here:
http://www.majorgeeks.com/download4086.html

and get "C.W.Shredder"

Now also get "spybot Search and Destroy" here:
http://www.safer-networking.org/en/download/index.html

Install these two programs, and make sure your Ad-aware 6 is updated, with the "check for updates" link on the status screen.
Also, make sure you anti-virus is up to date.

Then reboot your computer, but boot into safe mode (to boot into safe mode, when you hear the "post beep" the little beep when your computer is first turned on, repeatedly tap the "F8" key, until you get a boot options screen choose "safe mode" with either your key pad or arrow keys and hit "enter")  this will keep certain programs from loading....including your hijacker.

You are going to look for two files and delete them if you find them.

C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM\JBIIIK.DLL
C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM\COM.DLL

Then open an Internet Explorer window, go to:
Tools
Internet Options

On the "general Tab"
In the second section, "Temp. Internet File"
click the button that reads "Delete Files"
in the window that comes up, put a check in the "Delete all Offline Content" box and click "OK"

Run a scan with your anti-virus, and let it clean up anything it finds.
Then run "C.W.Shredder"  and let it clean up what it finds.
Then run "Ad-aware" and next "Spybot S&D" (make sure they are both set to scan your registry)  and let them fix what they find.

Reboot your computer as normal.

Cross your fingers and hope this worked, since we don't really want to get into "hijack This" logs and registry editing.

Re-scan with Ad-aware and/or Spybot S&D.

If all comes back clean,
Open notepad:
Start
All Programs
Accessories
and creat a blank file (don't write anything in it)
save it as:
sp.html
and save it to:
c:\windows\TEMP
right click the file choose "properties"
and set the attributes to "read only"

Hope this helps, if not let me know, there are still things we can do.

Spyware Doctor $29.95 download took care of that for me. Ad-Aware, SPybot S&D had no effect.

Use the spysweeper download trial version it may not get all removed automaticaly some hijackers have to be removed manualy from your registry download and instal then download updates imediatly before sweep once done and remove sweep again to see if anything has to be removed manualy

Easy three step process:

1. Throw PC over edge of cliff.

2. Buy Macintosh.

3. Stop worrying about spyware, viruses, hackers, hijacks, crashes, etc.

It seems to me that in your Internet Options, one option has been set to start with a blank page.