# Please help- malicious crap installed on my computer!

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-help-malicious-crap-installed-on-my-computer/245967>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [May 19, 2004, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-help-malicious-crap-installed-on-my-computer/245967 "2004-05-19T14:48:09Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![x-ray\_vision](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/x-ray_vision/32/351_2.png) [@x-ray\_vision](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/x-ray_vision)\
**Post date:** [May 19, 2004, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-help-malicious-crap-installed-on-my-computer/245967/1 "2004-05-19T14:48:09Z")

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When I open IE, all kinds of pop-ups keep coming up and it makes getting on the net impossible. I usually use Firefox anyway, but I want to get this shit off of my computer. I tried Spybot; it removes stuff, but it doesn’t fix the problem and when I run it again there is more spyware back anyway. What do I do now?

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**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:** [May 19, 2004, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-help-malicious-crap-installed-on-my-computer/245967/2 "2004-05-19T14:52:59Z")

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Also try running [Ad-Aware](http://www.lavasoftusa.com/); it and Spybot complement each other.

This could possibly be CoolWebSearch. Download and run [CWShredder](http://www.spywareinfo.com/~merijn/downloads.html) and see if that finds anything.

If these don’t work, download and run [Hijackthis](http://tomcoyote.com/hjt/). Save the log and then post it in the forums at [Spyareinfo](http://www.spywareinfo.com). Someone will go over the problem and give you a solution.

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**Author:** ![x-ray\_vision](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/x-ray_vision/32/351_2.png) [@x-ray\_vision](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/x-ray_vision)\
**Post date:** [May 19, 2004, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-help-malicious-crap-installed-on-my-computer/245967/3 "2004-05-19T14:55:45Z")

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Gonna try it right now. Thanks Chuck.

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**Author:** ![x-ray\_vision](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/x-ray_vision/32/351_2.png) [@x-ray\_vision](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/x-ray_vision)\
**Post date:** [May 19, 2004, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-help-malicious-crap-installed-on-my-computer/245967/4 "2004-05-19T15:20:24Z")

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**RealityChuck** , Ran all three programs and now all that crap is finally off of IE. Thanks alot! Now I just gotta fix the lopsided buttons on my keyboard from pounding on it in frustration.

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**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:** [May 19, 2004, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-help-malicious-crap-installed-on-my-computer/245967/5 "2004-05-19T18:11:00Z")

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Glad to help.