Followed instructions - After Hijackthis run in safe mode, found and deleted registry entry as instructed - did not find listed file anywhere on my system.
After reboot out of safe mode, random IE windows still popping up. No doubt related to the icannnews activex item and the xosearchox registry entries (both names have shown up in the title bar of the IE windows) that are contained in the following Hijackthis log obtained after reboot as instructed.
What next ???
Logfile of HijackThis v1.99.1
Scan saved at 11:46:06 PM, on 8/18/2005
Platform: Windows 98 SE (Win9x 4.10.2222A)
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\MSTASK.EXE
C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM\ZONELABS\VSMON.EXE
C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM\KB891711\KB891711.EXE
C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM\mmtask.tsk
C:\WINDOWS\EXPLORER.EXE
C:\WINDOWS\RUNDLL32.EXE
C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM\ONPB.EXE
C:\WINDOWS\TASKMON.EXE
C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM\SYSTRAY.EXE
C:\PROGRAM FILES\VERIZON ONLINE\WINPOET\WINPPPOVERETHERNET.EXE
C:\PROGRAM FILES\GRISOFT\AVG FREE\AVGCC.EXE
C:\PROGRAM FILES\GRISOFT\AVG FREE\AVGAMSVR.EXE
C:\PROGRAM FILES\GRISOFT\AVG FREE\AVGEMC.EXE
C:\PROGRAM FILES\HEWLETT-PACKARD\HP PRECISIONSCAN\PRECISIONSCAN PRO\HPLAMP.EXE
C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM\HPSJVXD.EXE
C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM\STIMON.EXE
C:\PROGRAM FILES\ZONE LABS\ZONEALARM\ZLCLIENT.EXE
C:\PROGRAM FILES\ATOMIC CLOCK SYNC\ATOMIC.EXE
C:\PROGRAM FILES\SPYWARE DOCTOR\SWDOCTOR.EXE
C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM\WMIEXE.EXE
C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM\RNAAPP.EXE
C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM\TAPISRV.EXE
C:\HJT\HIJACKTHIS.EXE
R1 - HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer,SearchURL =
http://www.xosearchox.com/sp2.php
R1 - HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Search Bar =
http://www.xosearchox.com/sp2.php
R1 - HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Search Page =
http://www.xosearchox.com/sp2.php
R1 - HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Search,SearchAssistant =
http://www.xosearchox.com/sp2.php
O2 - BHO: PCTools Browser Monitor - {B56A7D7D-6927-48C8-A975-17DF180C71AC} - C:\PROGRA~1\SPYWAR~1\TOOLS\IESDPB.DLL
O2 - BHO: PCTools Site Guard - {5C8B2A36-3DB1-42A4-A3CB-D426709BBFEB} - C:\PROGRA~1\SPYWAR~1\TOOLS\IESDSG.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: [a-winpoet-service] "C:\Program Files\Verizon Online\WinPoET\winpppoverethernet.exe"
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [CriticalUpdate] C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM\wucrtupd.exe -startup
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [Tweak UI] RUNDLL32.EXE TWEAKUI.CPL,TweakMeUp
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\..\Run: [AVG7_EMC] C:\PROGRA~1\GRISOFT\AVGFRE~1\AVGEMC.EXE
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [HP Lamp] "C:\Program Files\Hewlett-Packard\HP PrecisionScan\PrecisionScan Pro\hplamp.exe"
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [HPSCANMonitor] C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM\hpsjvxd.exe
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [StillImageMonitor] C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM\STIMON.EXE
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [mdac_runonce] C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM\runonce.exe
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [Zone Labs Client] C:\Program Files\Zone Labs\ZoneAlarm\zlclient.exe
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [System service63] C:\WINDOWS\ETB\POKAPOKA63.EXE
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [ATOMIC.EXE] C:\PROGRAM FILES\ATOMIC CLOCK SYNC\ATOMIC.EXE
O4 - HKLM\..\RunServices: [LoadPowerProfile] Rundll32.exe powrprof.dll,LoadCurrentPwrScheme
O4 - HKLM\..\RunServices: [SchedulingAgent] mstask.exe
O4 - HKLM\..\RunServices: [TrueVector] C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM\ZONELABS\VSMON.EXE -service
O4 - HKLM\..\RunServices: [KB891711] C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM\KB891711\KB891711.EXE
O4 - HKCU\..\Run: [Spyware Doctor] "C:\PROGRAM FILES\SPYWARE DOCTOR\SWDOCTOR.EXE" /Q
O4 - Startup: Microsoft Office.lnk = C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office\OSA9.EXE
O4 - Startup: Quicken Startup.lnk = C:\Program Files\Quicken\QWDLLS.EXE
O4 - Global Startup: Verizon Online Dialer.lnk = C:\Program Files\Verizon Online\WinPoET\Verizon Online.exe
O9 - Extra button: Spyware Doctor - {2D663D1A-8670-49D9-A1A5-4C56B4E14E84} - C:\PROGRA~1\SPYWAR~1\TOOLS\IESDPB.DLL
O9 - Extra button: AIM - {AC9E2541-2814-11d5-BC6D-00B0D0A1DE45} - C:\PROGRAM FILES\AIM\AIM.EXE
O15 - Trusted Zone: *.verisign.com
O16 - DPF: {4208FB4D-4E53-4F5A-BF7A-3E047DDB5281} (ActiveX Control) -
http://www.icannnews.com/app/ST/ActiveX.ocx
O16 - DPF: {04E214E5-63AF-4236-83C6-A7ADCBF9BD02} (HouseCall Control) -
http://housecall60.trendmicro.com/housecall/xscan60.cab