seems you have caught some spy ware, install and run Ad Aware (google link, multiple downloads), that should help you get rid of most if not all of the nasties. Then increase the security settings on Internet Explorer to keep you from catching too many new ones. Go to the Microsoft page to see how it's done (link for MS Internet Explorer 6). Run Ad Aware regularly, there's a "check for updates" when you start the programme, run that every time you start it.