# Friend in inundated with pop-up ads and... **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 13, 2010, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/friend-in-inundated-with-pop-up-ads-and/528893 "2010-02-13T20:23:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![FriarTed](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/friarted/32/1052_2.png) [@FriarTed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FriarTed)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2010, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/friend-in-inundated-with-pop-up-ads-and/528893/1 "2010-02-13T20:23:46Z")
gets virus warning associated with the name bejeweled. She’s run Avast & cleaned out a bunch of viruses but it doesn’t seem to have gotten this as the pop-ups & the warnings continue. Every time she goes online she gets another warning about trojan viruses and bejeweled. But when she runs a search, she can’t find it in her system. Does anyone have any experience with this? How does she fix it? ---
**Author:** ![drachillix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/48db29/32.png) [@drachillix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drachillix)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2010, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/friend-in-inundated-with-pop-up-ads-and/528893/2 "2010-02-13T20:32:42Z")
> [@FriarTed](#): > > gets virus warning associated with the name bejeweled. > > She’s run Avast & cleaned out a bunch of viruses but it doesn’t seem to have gotten this as the pop-ups & the warnings continue. Every time she goes online she gets another warning about trojan viruses and bejeweled. But when she runs a search, she can’t find it in her system. Does anyone have any experience with this? How does she fix it? > **[Client Challenge](https://download.cnet.com/malwarebytes-anti-malware/3000-8022_4-10804572.html)** This is one of the better scanners around, if she can download and install it, its likely it will kill it. ---
**Author:** ![Jormungandr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a6a055/32.png) [@Jormungandr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jormungandr)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2010, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/friend-in-inundated-with-pop-up-ads-and/528893/3 "2010-02-14T00:55:04Z")
To back up MBAM, also try Super AntiSpyware. One scanner can’t catch everything: > **[Download SUPERAntiSpyware Professional X Edition & Free Editions](https://www.superantispyware.com/download.html)** > > SUPERAntiSpyware products are FREE to download. If you have already purchased, simply download your software here, install and enter the supplied registration code. Use the free editions of both as the real time versions can conflict with the AV. Remember to update them before doing a scan. If she continues to get virus warnings, go to the MalwareBytes’s Forum for help: [http://forums.malwarebytes.org/index.php?showtopic=9573](http://forums.malwarebytes.org/index.php?showtopic=9573) Be sure to register first. ---
**Author:** ![ZPhobiaZ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/9de0a6/32.png) [@ZPhobiaZ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZPhobiaZ)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2010, 1:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/friend-in-inundated-with-pop-up-ads-and/528893/4 "2010-02-14T01:13:03Z")
Many people have told me that using Linux makes eliminates much of the hassle of dealing with such issues. ---
**Author:** ![xash](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/c6cbf5/32.png) [@xash](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xash)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2010, 6:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/friend-in-inundated-with-pop-up-ads-and/528893/5 "2010-02-14T06:27:17Z")
Follow the instructions in this thread: [**Have a Computer Question? Read this first. Part 10.**](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=538187) ---
**Author:** ![FriarTed](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/friarted/32/1052_2.png) [@FriarTed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FriarTed)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2010, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/friend-in-inundated-with-pop-up-ads-and/528893/6 "2010-02-15T19:41:44Z")
She’s running Malwarebytes now. I should have added that not only is she having constant pop-up ads but it’s almost impossible for her to load anything- websites, her Yahoo e-mail accounts, etc. and she is worried that her e-mails are possibly being re-directed. Also, when she scanned for all of the viruses, her Avast program found hundreds and it wasn’t just the bejeweled as I had mistakenly said. After deleting the viruses, her computer is still acting up & will often send her new virus alerts, so how does she wipe out the problem once and for all? Btw, she’s in Idaho & I’m in Indiana, so we do these things over the phone when we find the time. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2010, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/friend-in-inundated-with-pop-up-ads-and/528893/7 "2010-02-15T19:46:52Z")
You can eliminate most pop ups by unplugging the network cable. Or, turning off the wireless modem. Then, she can install MB and run the scans. ---
**Author:** ![xash](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/c6cbf5/32.png) [@xash](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xash)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2010, 12:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/friend-in-inundated-with-pop-up-ads-and/528893/8 "2010-02-16T00:14:51Z")
> [@FriarTed](#): > > After deleting the viruses, her computer is still acting up & will often send her new virus alerts, so how does she wipe out the problem once and for all? Did you ask her to follow all the steps in my link above? If nothing else works, Step 7 in that thread is the only way to fix it. If you want to help her remotely, I recommend CoPilot: [www.copilot.com](http://www.copilot.com) ---
**Author:** ![FriarTed](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/friarted/32/1052_2.png) [@FriarTed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FriarTed)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2010, 6:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/friend-in-inundated-with-pop-up-ads-and/528893/9 "2010-02-18T06:00:25Z")
> [@xash](#): > > Did you ask her to follow all the steps in my link above? If nothing else works, Step 7 in that thread is the only way to fix it. > > If you want to help her remotely, I recommend CoPilot: > > [www.copilot.com](http://www.copilot.com) We haven’t had time to run thru everything but I will look at CoPilot. Doing things myself may be the easiest way. _L_ ---
**Author:** ![Jormungandr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a6a055/32.png) [@Jormungandr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jormungandr)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2010, 1:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/friend-in-inundated-with-pop-up-ads-and/528893/10 "2010-02-18T13:10:20Z")
Aceplace is correct. As long as the computer is connected, it will download viruses and other malware. It should only be connected when updating the AV and antispyware It sounds more like you have a root kit, which AV programs have difficulty in removing. You have to use other programs to deal with the problem while Avast and MBAM man the ramparts. Again, I recommend going to the Maleware Bytes’s site as they’ll take you through the steps of removing the infection. Also, you can try the Avast forum ([Viruses and worms](http://forum.avast.com/index.php?PHPSESSID=783ae4dfed0c8ecb2beb59e8e0bceb01&board=4.0)). Unfortunately, while AV can provide a lot of protection, you have to remember that hackers are working everyday to get around them. Worse case scenario would be a complete re-install. ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Tildrum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e95f7d/32.png) [@Tom\_Tildrum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Tildrum)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2010, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/friend-in-inundated-with-pop-up-ads-and/528893/11 "2010-02-18T14:52:55Z")
There’s a sticky at the top of GQ describing how to deal with computer problems. The part about HijackThis and [bleepingcomputer.com](http://bleepingcomputer.com) would be a good next step if Malwarebytes, etc. don’t do the trick.