I think my browser has been hijacked?!!?

[sodam]

I hope someone can help before I tear my last hair out - I am desperate. Yesterday, Google Earth, Google, GMail and Skype went really weird.... couldn't update Google Earth (some strange message about sketch something or other came up). To try to cut this short, am running Windows XP, have run adaware, spybot and AVG, nothing of note found. Today, can get to Google and GMail and have re-downloaded Google Earth, BUT when I try to update Skype I am taken to a page which looks like Skype, but has weird squares instead of text..... ( http://www.skipe.com/intl/zh-Hant/) whatever I press within Skype takes me to this page..... is there a simple answer or should I hurl myself of the nearest cliff?!!?! Am exceedingly grateful in advance for any help and I hope I have given enough info........

[Ethel]

When I opened that link, I got a skype message that the page couldn't be found.

Try doing a search for skype and accessing it from google.

[sodam]

Hmmm... thank you for your answer, but I tried that and I can get to the main (proper) Skype page, but anything I click on from there takes me to the "skipe" I mentioned, which makes me think there's something nasty in my PC!!!

[SteveSxx]

Have you run an upto date anti virus scanner and also an anti-nasty such as Adaware ?
Which is available as a free download at http://www.download.com/Ad-Aware-SE-Personal-E dition/3000-8022_4-10045910.html?part=dl-ad-aw are&subj=dl&tag=top5

[SteveSxx]

Sorry - I must be blind, blonde or mad - of course you have run the antivirus etc - which leaves you at a bit of a dead end
Have you tried a system restore to a known good time ?

[sodam]

Not to worry, SteveSxx - we all have our moments!!!! Yes, I did a system restore yesterday... but that didn't help .... HOWEVER - all seems to have righted itself, I was taken to the strange "skipe" address again, then I deleted that from my address bar and tried again - bingo, I got the real Skype and was able to update. It's all a bit odd, but all is working fine again now - apart from I still get this irritating message about sketchup when opening Google Earth, but I guess I can live with that....... it just seems a bit strange that the only things that went wrong were all to do with Google..... still, hopefully panic is over and I can maybe feel I am not virussssssssed!!!!