Windows XP help - about:blank bug rtmoval

In message , Artreid
writes:
On both my IE9 and Firefox browsers I get a webpages popping up titled
about:blank

I presume these are actually popping up while you're using the browser,
not just the browser being set to start on a blank page!

Am looking for a method to stop/block these annoying pages. So far I've
found this site but really can't understand all the gobbegouk there.

http://www.ehow.com/how_6383828_delete-blank-virus.html

Is there some easy way to remove this bug that does involve directory
hacking?

It doesn't look like gobbledegook to me, and certainly doesn't involve
registry (I think that's what you mean) hacking. It says:

1. Get an antivirus program. (I would hope you've already got one. I use
Avira free; I've not heard any claims that I can actually credit that
any of the usual suspects are better or worse than each other.)
2. Go into task manager and kill "phafxfa.exe", "svhost.exe",
"smbdins.exe", "sethcd.exe" and "tsmsetup.exe."
3. Tell your antivirus prog. to do a full system scan, and wait for it
to do so, and look at whatever log it produces to make sure it has
removed the about:blank trojan.
4. Repeat 3. often. (I'd say that's overkill if you practice safe
computing; YMMV, and it does little harm if you have times - such as an
overnight - when you're not wanting the computer.)

Also, I see from http://www.ehow.com/facts_5076783_blank-virus.html
which is linked from the above, that "The overwhelming majority of
"about: blank" cases have nothing to do with a virus; they're simply
adware gone awry and can't damage files on a computer."
--
J. P. Gilliver. UMRA: 1960/1985 MB++G()AL-IS-Ch++(p)Ar@T+H+Sh0!:`)DNAf

Now, don't worry. We'll be right behind you. Hiding. (First series, fit the
sixth.)