# Do I have spyware? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 13, 2005, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-i-have-spyware/308036 "2005-06-13T02:17:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![chaoticbear](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f07891/32.png) [@chaoticbear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chaoticbear)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2005, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-i-have-spyware/308036/1 "2005-06-13T02:17:34Z")
None of the usual programs have caught it, but sometimes when I try to go to [www.ebay.com](http://www.ebay.com), I get redirected through an adfarm.mediaplex.something site. Is there something wrong? ---
**Author:** ![gotpasswords](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c57346/32.png) [@gotpasswords](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gotpasswords)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2005, 3:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-i-have-spyware/308036/2 "2005-06-13T03:46:56Z")
I don’t know who they are either, but whenever I’m checking items I’ve got on my Bidnapper list, the connection routes through mediaplex. [Mediaplex.com](http://Mediaplex.com) is owned by someone called [ValueClick.com](http://ValueClick.com) - either entity appears to be in the business of tracking your activity on the web. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2005, 12:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-i-have-spyware/308036/3 "2005-06-13T12:13:20Z")
Yes, you have spyware on your computer. But, then _every_ computer on the Internet has some type of spyware on it. 🙂 However, in your case, it’s more than just tracking cookies. I suggest you go and download Microsoft Antispyware at [http://www.microsoft.com/athome/security/spyware/software/default.mspx](http://www.microsoft.com/athome/security/spyware/software/default.mspx) It should clean things up. ---
**Author:** ![fluiddruid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c2a13f/32.png) [@fluiddruid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fluiddruid)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2005, 12:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-i-have-spyware/308036/4 "2005-06-13T12:19:09Z")
Have you made sure to get the most recent updates of your adware removal programs? ---
**Author:** ![PatriotX](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c4cdca/32.png) [@PatriotX](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PatriotX)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2005, 12:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-i-have-spyware/308036/5 "2005-06-13T12:46:55Z")
Check your " HOSTS " file. Possibly spyware has made the change. Even though the spyware has been removed, the changes to your HOSTS file have remained. Open ’ My Computer ’ Go to ’ Tools ’ Choose ’ Folder Options ’ Choose the 'View ’ tab Check the circle next to ’ Show hidden files and folders ’ Uncheck the square next to ’ Hide protected operating system files ’ Tell the computer that you’re sure of what you’re doing. Close the ’ Folder options ’ dialogue box. Search your computer for the file named HOSTS (depending on which windows you’re using it could be in different places) Go to ’ Properties ’ of the HOSTS file and make sure that it’s no ’ Read-Only. ’ Copy the file. Paste it into the same folder window. Rename the copy HOSTS.txt Open it and see what it says. Delete the entry w/ ebay in it. It probably looks something like xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx [ebay.com](http://ebay.com) where the exes (xxx) represent the ip address of adfarm.mediaplex.something Then add this entry ’ 127.0.0.1 adfarm.mediaplex.something ’ Go to the ’ File ’ button in the tool bar. Choose ’ Save As… ’ Save as HOSTS (no extension) Go to ’ Properties ’ of the new HOSTS file and set it to ’ Read-Only ’ Close your windows and you’re good to go.[/list] Though you may have other erroneous/malicious entries in your HOSTS file. If you like you may simply overwrite the entire things with this… Here is the original contents of Windows 2000’s HOSTS file: ```auto # Copyright (c) 1993-1999 Microsoft Corp. # # This is a sample HOSTS file used by Microsoft TCP/IP for Windows. # # This file contains the mappings of IP addresses to host names. Each # entry should be kept on an individual line. The IP address should # be placed in the first column followed by the corresponding host name. # The IP address and the host name should be separated by at least one # space. # # Additionally, comments (such as these) may be inserted on individual # lines or following the machine name denoted by a '#' symbol. # # For example: # # 102.54.94.97 rhino.acme.com # source server # 38.25.63.10 x.acme.com # x client host 127.0.0.1 localhost ``` If you email me I will email you a HOSTS file w/ 3000+ entries. It keeps you from being able to connnect to various spyware sites and prevents some ads from displaying. ---
**Author:** ![gotpasswords](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c57346/32.png) [@gotpasswords](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gotpasswords)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2005, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-i-have-spyware/308036/6 "2005-06-13T17:09:25Z")
If you mess with HOSTS, you may have trouble - On both my home and work computers, cookies from mediaplex are blocked. But, at home, mediaplex was being kicked over to 127.0.0.1, effectively disabling Bidnapper. ---
**Author:** ![Myglaren](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f1d935/32.png) [@Myglaren](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Myglaren)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2005, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-i-have-spyware/308036/7 "2005-06-13T19:55:40Z")
Try CWShredder. [Intermute](http://www.intermute.com/spysubtract/cwshredder_download.html) Download the stand-alone version and run it. Also [Spybot Search and Destroy](http://www.download.com/Spybot-Search-Destroy/3000-8022-10122137.html?part=dl-spybot&subj=dl&tag=but)