# Is somebody trying to Hack my Computer? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 11, 2005, 5:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-somebody-trying-to-hack-my-computer/330536 "2005-11-11T05:20:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![devilsknew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4da419/32.png) [@devilsknew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/devilsknew)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2005, 5:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-somebody-trying-to-hack-my-computer/330536/1 "2005-11-11T05:20:44Z")
I keep getting a prompt that someone wants to install MSDOS (publisher unknown) on my computer (this will usually happen a few times over my several hour sessions). I of course have blocked this and the IP address, but then a few minutes later I always get several consecutive prompts for a language pack installation (chinese simplified). I also continously deny this prompt. It hasn’t really caused any problems, other than it is annoying to constantly cancel the language pack installation several times in a row periodically. How do I make it stop? Is this a backdoor attempt? I unfortunately have very little technical knowledge about this kind of thing, so excuse me if this is an amateurish question. I have microsoft antispyware and a cable connection, FYI. ---
**Author:** ![Reply](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/reply/32/15952_2.png) [@Reply](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reply)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2005, 8:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-somebody-trying-to-hack-my-computer/330536/2 "2005-11-11T08:59:20Z")
When is this happening? Are you surfing the net with Internet Explorer or does this happen when no program is running? Also, what operating system are you using? It does sound like something is trying to get you to install bad software. I doubt it’s somebody actively trying to hack into your system; more likely, it’s probably just spyware (or websites trying to install spyware). You might want to take a look at this thread first: [Have a Computer Question ? Read this first.](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=260053) ---
**Author:** ![devilsknew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4da419/32.png) [@devilsknew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/devilsknew)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2005, 9:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-somebody-trying-to-hack-my-computer/330536/3 "2005-11-11T09:23:30Z")
> [@Reply](#): > > When is this happening? Are you surfing the net with Internet Explorer or does this happen when no program is running? Also, what operating system are you using? > > It does sound like something is trying to get you to install bad software. I doubt it’s somebody actively trying to hack into your system; more likely, it’s probably just spyware (or websites trying to install spyware). > > You might want to take a look at this thread first: > [Have a Computer Question ? Read this first.](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=260053) Yea, it seems to happen when IE is running. I have Windows XP. I also have pretty comprehensive Antispyware. Thanks, for the lead and the link. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2005, 12:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-somebody-trying-to-hack-my-computer/330536/4 "2005-11-11T12:41:44Z")
I beleive you already have evil software on your machine. You have some sort of adware running that’s trying to reach out to external websites, which in turn are triggering the download requests. The bag guys are already inside your gates. IP address blocking isn’t going to solve yuor problem. You need to do a thorough malware cleaning process. ---
**Author:** ![RumMunkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b19c9b/32.png) [@RumMunkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RumMunkey)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2005, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-somebody-trying-to-hack-my-computer/330536/5 "2005-11-11T14:58:32Z")
Also, when you’re sick of getting this crap on your machine,[here’s the best known patch](http://www.mozilla.org/products/firefox/) for Internet Explorer. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2005, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-somebody-trying-to-hack-my-computer/330536/6 "2005-11-11T15:09:08Z")
Something you might want to check right away. In IE go to Tools, Internet Options, Advanced Tab and make sure the Install on Demand items are unchecked. Not sure if this has anything to do with the problem, but it won’t hurt to check. ---
**Author:** ![Squee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ba9def/32.png) [@Squee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squee)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2005, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-somebody-trying-to-hack-my-computer/330536/7 "2005-11-11T15:16:15Z")
> [@](#): > > Also, when you’re sick of getting this crap on your machine, here’s the best known patch for Internet Explorer. I love how people love to trot this out as fact, even though FF has more bugs and security vulnerabilities than IE. Yes now hackers are targeting it… so much for security by obscurity. ---
**Author:** ![chaoticbear](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f07891/32.png) [@chaoticbear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chaoticbear)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2005, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-somebody-trying-to-hack-my-computer/330536/8 "2005-11-11T16:20:57Z")
Yes, but FF has _taaaaabs_\*. Browsing is so much more fun with _taaaaaabs_ ---
**Author:** ![chaoticbear](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f07891/32.png) [@chaoticbear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chaoticbear)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2005, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-somebody-trying-to-hack-my-computer/330536/9 "2005-11-11T16:22:14Z")
::cries:: ---
**Author:** ![Zeriel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/58956e/32.png) [@Zeriel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeriel)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2005, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-somebody-trying-to-hack-my-computer/330536/10 "2005-11-11T16:40:52Z")
> [@Squee](#): > > I love how people love to trot this out as fact, even though FF has more bugs and security vulnerabilities than IE. Yes now hackers are targeting it… so much for security by obscurity. Cite? Higher number of ANNOUNCED bugs? Yes. Higher number of patches? Yes. Actual higher risk? No, last I checked–the differential still seems to be more due to the fact that Firefox keeps the bug-finding process open and aboveboard, wheras IE bugs are only revealed by Microsoft after the patch is out. ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2005, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-somebody-trying-to-hack-my-computer/330536/11 "2005-11-11T18:40:35Z")
[Moderator Hat ON] Folks–anyone who wants to debate the relative merits of browsers and operating systems can start their own thread in another forum. Let’s stick to helping the OP here. [Moderator Hat OFF]