# Malware Problem **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 2, 2014, 1:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/malware-problem/685161 "2014-04-02T13:07:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![HeyHomie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heyhomie/32/207_2.png) [@HeyHomie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeyHomie)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2014, 1:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/malware-problem/685161/1 "2014-04-02T13:07:11Z")
Somehow I’ve wound up with a bit of malware that a Norton scan didn’t notice. On any webpage, random words have turned into links, and when my cursor moves over them an ad appears. I know that there is a fix for this (I’ve seen it before on the SDMB) but I don’t remember it. Any help? Also, I don’t know if it’s related or not, but the Straight Dope will not load for me on Chrome (or Firefox). I had to DL Safari just to write this post. Is there a fix for that problem as well? Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![Askance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/askance/32/8281_2.png) [@Askance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Askance)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2014, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/malware-problem/685161/2 "2014-04-02T23:59:33Z")
> [@HeyHomie](#): > > I know that there is a fix for this (I’ve seen it before on the SDMB) but I don’t remember it. Would that be the sticky “How to protect and clean your computer from malware” thread at the top of this very forum? ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2014, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/malware-problem/685161/3 "2014-04-03T00:08:49Z")
> [@HeyHomie](#): > > Somehow I’ve wound up with a bit of malware that a Norton scan didn’t notice. On any webpage, random words have turned into links, and when my cursor moves over them an ad appears. Although that is a symptom of an infection, there are sites that do exactly that as a normal page display and are not infected. How to tell the difference? Can you access a site that is 100% trusted, like one you control? Can you verify that the HTML code isn’t corrupted? If so, and you get the underlined links, you have a problem with your computer. Otherwise, it might be something you have no control over other than not visiting that web site. ---
**Author:** ![PastTense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pasttense/32/14550_2.png) [@PastTense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PastTense)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2014, 1:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/malware-problem/685161/4 "2014-04-03T01:51:55Z")
Here is the same question being asked with responses: [https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/windows\_7-security/i-have-random-words-in-all-websites-highlighted/42b655de-d042-48dd-a198-4a5d1dbefc11](https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/windows_7-security/i-have-random-words-in-all-websites-highlighted/42b655de-d042-48dd-a198-4a5d1dbefc11) ---
**Author:** ![zoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zoid/32/336_2.png) [@zoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zoid)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2014, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/malware-problem/685161/5 "2014-04-03T01:57:11Z")
Look for a newly installed program in your control panel. If you see something recent you don’t recognize google it and see if it’s the cause. That’s how I fixed this issue. ---
**Author:** ![Duke\_of\_York](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f6c823/32.png) [@Duke\_of\_York](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duke_of_York)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2014, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/malware-problem/685161/6 "2014-04-03T21:02:08Z")
Install the free program Malwarebytes, that should fix it. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2014, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/malware-problem/685161/7 "2014-04-03T21:21:33Z")
> [@Duke\_of\_York](#): > > Install the free program Malwarebytes, that should fix it. It is very good, I used it for a while, now use Microsoft Essentials, also free, figuring that they know most about how Windows works.