When I try to open hijack this on my computer it automatically opens aol and it won't run.

Is this something that started recently? Are you trying to open HijackThis.exe or is it a zipped file?

Sounds like the registry association to open files with an EXE extension may be corrupted. Does AOL open when you try to open other files with an EXE extension?

Also, do you think there's a virus or other malware on your system?

I download it as a zip file and then try to open the zip file.

I recently removed a virus with AVG. My computer was surfing very slow before then. I've never ran hijackthis on my computer. I'm surfing faster now, but I think I might still have some problems.

Ok now I was able to do it. I downloaded the self extracting version. Here's my log.

Logfile of HijackThis v1.99.1
Scan saved at 11:59:12 PM, on 10/9/05
Platform: Windows 98 Gold (Win9x 4.10.1998)
MSIE: Internet Explorer v6.00 SP1 (6.00.2800.1106)

Running processes:
C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM\KERNEL32.DLL
C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM\MSGSRV32.EXE
C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM\MPREXE.EXE
C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM\mmtask.tsk
C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM\MSTASK.EXE
C:\WINDOWS\EXPLORER.EXE
C:\WINDOWS\TASKMON.EXE
C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM\SYSTRAY.EXE
C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM\QTTASK.EXE
C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM\STIMON.EXE
C:\PROGRAM FILES\GRISOFT\AVG FREE\AVGCC.EXE
C:\PROGRAM FILES\GRISOFT\AVG FREE\AVGAMSVR.EXE
C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM\DDHELP.EXE
C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM\PSTORES.EXE
C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM\SPOOL32.EXE
C:\PROGRAM FILES\MOZILLA FIREFOX\FIREFOX.EXE
C:\PROGRAM FILES\INTERNET EXPLORER\IEXPLORE.EXE
C:\HIJACKTHIS\HIJACKTHIS.EXE

R1 - HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Search Bar = http://us.rd.yahoo.com/customize/ycomp/def.../search/ie.html
R1 - HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Search Page = http://us.rd.yahoo.com/customize/ycomp/def...//www.yahoo.com
R0 - HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Start Page = http://www.yahoo.com/
R1 - HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\SearchURL,(Default) = http://us.rd.yahoo.com/customize/ycomp/def...//www.yahoo.com
R1 - HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Window Title = Microsoft Internet Explorer provided by BellSouth
R3 - Default URLSearchHook is missing
O2 - BHO: AcroIEHlprObj Class - {06849E9F-C8D7-4D59-B87D-784B7D6BE0B3} - C:\PROGRAM FILES\ADOBE\ACROBAT 5.0\READER\ACTIVEX\ACROIEHELPER.OCX
O2 - BHO: YahooTaggedBM Class - {65D886A2-7CA7-479B-BB95-14D1EFB7946A} - C:\PROGRAM FILES\YAHOO!\COMMON\YIETAGBM.DLL
O2 - BHO: UberButton Class - {5BAB4B5B-68BC-4B02-94D6-2FC0DE4A7897} - C:\PROGRAM FILES\YAHOO!\COMMON\YIESRVC.DLL
O3 - Toolbar: &Radio - {8E718888-423F-11D2-876E-00A0C9082467} - C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM\MSDXM.OCX
O3 - Toolbar: Yahoo! Toolbar - {EF99BD32-C1FB-11D2-892F-0090271D4F88} - C:\PROGRAM FILES\YAHOO!\COMPANION\INSTALLS\CPN0\YT.DLL
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [ScanRegistry] C:\WINDOWS\scanregw.exe /autorun
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [TaskMonitor] C:\WINDOWS\taskmon.exe
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [SystemTray] SysTray.Exe
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [LoadPowerProfile] Rundll32.exe powrprof.dll,LoadCurrentPwrScheme
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [QuickTime Task] "C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM\QTTASK.EXE" -atboottime
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [StillImageMonitor] C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM\STIMON.EXE
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [AVG7_CC] C:\PROGRA~1\GRISOFT\AVGFRE~1\AVGCC.EXE /STARTUP
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [AVG7_AMSVR] C:\PROGRA~1\GRISOFT\AVGFRE~1\AVGAMSVR.EXE
O4 - HKLM\..\RunServices: [LoadPowerProfile] Rundll32.exe powrprof.dll,LoadCurrentPwrScheme
O4 - HKLM\..\RunServices: [SchedulingAgent] mstask.exe
O4 - Startup: Microsoft Office.lnk = C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office\OSA9.EXE
O8 - Extra context menu item: &Yahoo! Search - file:///C:\Program Files\Yahoo!\Common/ycsrch.htm
O8 - Extra context menu item: Yahoo! &Dictionary - file:///C:\Program Files\Yahoo!\Common/ycdict.htm
O8 - Extra context menu item: Yahoo! &Maps - file:///C:\Program Files\Yahoo!\Common/ycmap.htm
O8 - Extra context menu item: Yahoo! &SMS - file:///C:\Program Files\Yahoo!\Common/ycsms.htm
O9 - Extra button: Real.com - {CD67F990-D8E9-11d2-98FE-00C0F0318AFE} - C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM\Shdocvw.dll
O9 - Extra button: AIM - {AC9E2541-2814-11d5-BC6D-00B0D0A1DE45} - C:\PROGRAM FILES\AIM\AIM.EXE
O9 - Extra button: (no name) - {08B0E5C0-4FCB-11CF-AAA5-00401C608501} - C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM\MSJAVA.DLL
O9 - Extra 'Tools' menuitem: Sun Java Console - {08B0E5C0-4FCB-11CF-AAA5-00401C608501} - C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM\MSJAVA.DLL
O9 - Extra button: Yahoo! Services - {5BAB4B5B-68BC-4B02-94D6-2FC0DE4A7897} - C:\PROGRAM FILES\YAHOO!\COMMON\YIESRVC.DLL
O12 - Plugin for .spop: C:\PROGRA~1\INTERN~1\Plugins\NPDocBox.dll
O16 - DPF: {D27CDB6E-AE6D-11CF-96B8-444553540000} (Shockwave Flash Object) - https://www.bisysinsurance.com/flashHost/swflash.cab
O16 - DPF: {30528230-99F7-4BB4-88D8-FA1D4F56A2AB} (YInstStarter Class) - C:\Program Files\Yahoo!\Common\yinsthelper.dll
O16 - DPF: {01113300-3E00-11D2-8470-0060089874ED} (Support.com Configuration Class) - http://help.bellsouth.net/sdccommon/downlo...oad/tgctlcm.cab
O17 - HKLM\System\CCS\Services\VxD\MSTCP: NameServer = 205.152.144.23,205.152.132.23

There's no malware showing.

Run HijackThis and put a check in the box next to this line:

R3 - Default URLSearchHook is missing

Click on 'Fix checked' and reboot.

It's just a tidy up. Your log is clean.

I'm running Ad-Aware SE right now and so far it's found 22 new critical objects.

AdAware will find critical objects in the registry, or file remnants from spyware/adware, almost every time you scan. Comes with using IE for browsing. I hardly get any as I use FireFox exclusively. When I use IE, I pick up junk.

HijackThis only shows active malware. AdAware is a scanner for malware that works on the same principle as a virus scanner.