Either your McAfee application has become corrupt or it has been compromised by malware (more likely). Many threats are stealthfully downloaded and run malicious programs from remote Zombie servers, surrendering control of your system to cyber-criminals. Among other things, threats may copy themselves into your operating system folders, alter your Startup routines, and/or hijack your browser. Most serious threats will defeat whatever anti-virus and anti-spyware applications you are using, giving the impression that you are completely "safe" when you are not! There are many virus and Trojan removal tools on my Security page, including HiJackThis! (see warning below) Before you do any repairs, disable System Restore to prevent re-infection when you reboot. If you are having difficulty running any of the online scans, please reboot in Safe Mode. Once you have run at least three different online anti-threat scans from my Internet Security page, and have determined that your system has been cleared of threats, you may re-enable System Restore. I suggest that you begin with Windows Live Safety Scan (recommended), BitDefender, Ewido/AVG, Kaspersky, or Panda ActiveScan, among fifteen online threat scanners from my Internet Security page ... http://SecorConsulting.net/pages/security.html You may also use this new Rootkit Analyzer by the good folks that brought you SpyBot … http://forums.spybot.info/showthread.php?t=24185 … or this one … http://www.gmer.net/index.php Furthermore, Prevx CSI as another quick check that identifies many common threats ... http://www.prevx.com/ You may need to remove any previously installed anti-virus, anti-spyware, and registry cleaning applications that you are currently using. One or more may already be seriously compromised or corrupted. I recommend that you download and install Crap Cleaner for housekeeping (please un-check the Yahoo toolbar option during installation). Please check for Updates, run an analysis and clean all drives of temp files, followed by a Registry scan and fix. I clean out temp files daily, check the registry daily, and check for updates monthly … http://www.ccleaner.com/ Install SpywareBlaster to protect your browser and HOSTS file from exploitation. Check for updates, then "protect all" (update monthly) ... http://www.javacoolsoftware.com/ REMEMBER, THERE IS NO SINGLE "BEST" ANTI-THREAT APPLICATION THAT IS 100% INFALLIBLE! Please keep in mind that VirusTotal statistics (http://www.virustotal.com/estadisticas.html) indicate that NEARLY ALL of tens of thousands of suspect files submitted each week go undetected by at least one of the thirty most popular anti-threat applications! A few may come close, but there are no "silver bullets" anywhere on the horizon. Any software publisher that claims otherwise is a LIAR! Please install at least one of the following anti-threat applications. Each has their own strong and weak points, but they are all among the best. Check for updates immediately after installation and update frequently thereafter (daily is preferred) Avast! - http://www.avast.com/ AVG - http://www.grisoft.com/ (anti-virus AND ewido anti-spyware) Avira - http://www.avira.com/ BitDefender – http://www.bitdefender.com/ CA Antivirus - http://www.ca.com/ F-Secure - http://www.f-secure.com/ Kaspersky - http://usa.kaspersky.com/ NOD32 - http://www.eset.com/ Norman – http://www.norman.com/ (definitely NOT Norton!) Panda Antivirus - http://www.pandasoftware.com Prevx – http://www.prevx.com/ Sophos - http://www.sophos.com/ TrendMicro - http://www.trendmicro.com/ Windows Live OneCare - http://onecare.live.com/ ( Most of these anti-threat application developers are available from links on my Security page. Most offer FREE or trial software, and many "play well together", should you intend to install more than one anti-threat tool (recommended). Also, to protect your browser form future hijackings please install ... XPL/AVG LinkScanner ... http://www.explabs.com/downloads/ or McAfee SiteAdvisor ... http://www.siteadvisor.com/download/ie.html If you have an IT background you will find HiJackThis! from my Security page an invaluable tool to track down and remove stubborn malware. Use the convenient online analyzer or upload your HJT! log to any appropriate HJT! forum for assistance. CAUTION: If you do not know your way around the Windows operating system, please do not attempt to use HJT!, as you may render your system unusable! Now let’s alter your unsafe Internet practices. Change your mail reader (e.g., Outlook) to accept only plain ASCII text emails and never open attachments from unknown sources. Avoid all file/music/video sharing sites. Maintain a very small IM community (if you must), and become realistically “paranoid”. “They” are indeed out to get you! Make certain that your Windows firewall (or other software firewall) is active and FULLY STEALTHED. Remember that a "closed" port is every bit as visible to the outside world as an "open" port. I prefer using both hardware and software firewalls. Here are a few good software firewalls … Ashampoo Firewall http://www2.ashampoo.com/webcache/html/1/product_2_0050__.htm Comodo Firewall http://www.personalfirewall.comodo.com/index.html Jetico Firewall http://www.jetico.com/jpf2.htm Kerio Winroute Firewall http://www.kerio.com/kwf_home.html OnlineArmor Firewall http://www.online-armor.com/downloads.html Outpost Firewall http://www.agnitum.com/products/outpostfree/ PortsLock Firewall http://www.devicelock.com/pl/download.html Sunbelt Kerio Firewall http://www.sunbelt-software.com/Home-Home-Office/Sunbelt-Personal-Firewall/ ZoneAlarm Firewall http://www.zonealarm.com/store/content/catalog/products/sku_list_za.jsp Avoid the use of ALL "no name" anti-threat and registry cleaning applications. THEY CAN AND WILL COMPROMISE YOUR SYSTEM! All those who are careless and harbor any manner of threat (due their lack of diligence or general apathy) should include themselves as part of the problem. They are a public menace. Please avoid all contact with these morons, otherwise they will re-infect your system! The best of luck in fighting the good fight! My Internet Security page ... http://SecorConsulting.net/pages/security.html My ID Theft page ... http://SecorConsulting.net/pages/identity.html My XP security “hardening” page (there is no Vista direct equivalency at this time)... http://SecorConsutling.net/pages/benchmark.html