How do I get rid of this crap? I’ve tried for 3 hours now and I’m ready to kill someone.
Spybot and adaware seem to kill it, but as soon as internet explorer loads, it’s back.
I’ve tried the “cures” i can find online, but one was another devious ploy to sell me software, and the others just don’t work.
I’m running windows XP home edition, and the computer is shared with people who have no common sense. Their method of dealing with this was to unplug it. No, I’m not kidding.
I had major problems with spyware with my old computer. So much so it rendered it almost useless. It was time for a new 'puter anyway, but the spyware & viruses helped push me over the edge.
First thing first: Stop being a cheapskate. BUY a decent anti-spyware program like Sunbelts Counterspy or Webroots Spy Sweeper. Do not believe what companies say about their software. Read reviews in publications like PCWorld. You need to have an ACTIVE anti-spyware program, not a passive one. The free ones on the web aren’t good enough.
Second: ALWAYS use Mozilla Firefox.
Third: Use a quality firewall/security program/anti-virus software. I’ve had no problems using Nortons Internet security program which contains all 3 plus more.
Fourth: Always allow the software to update itself with new definitions.
Next, when the subscription on your anti-spyware & virus protection expires (after 1 years) RE-NEW IT!
Finally: If you’re using a cable modem, see if you can get one with an on/off power switch. The one I used to have was always turned on. Which meant hackers & spyware/virus programs could get access 24 hours a day. Time Warner replaced it with one that has a simple switch on the front. There is no warm up time. Those nasty programs can’t get on your hard drive if there’s no pathway.
I did all of these things. I’ve had my current computer now for over a year. No spyware. No viruses. No pop ups. None. Not one!
95% of spyware is problematic browsing habits. I run no spyware killers, no av, no firewalls other than the nat on my router. I have not had a problem in years that was not caused by a weekend of stepchildren.
You will need all of the above and a ghost of your HD for good luck if you want to regularly surf porn, warez, and do alot of file sharing. Of course if you want to do that alot invest in a second cheapo net machine and buy a copy of Deep Freeze.
I go into anything & everything without problems.
The firewall/security/virus/spyware protection is less than $100.
Mozilla is free. Exchanging the modem with the cable company is free.
For less than $100 I can do/go whatever, whereever I want.
Dude, you can never have visited a porn site in your life and still get hit by Spyware- in fact the most dangerous and insidious stuff is found on pretty much regular sites. I got a Spyware attack from Snopes once. If you don’t take precautions, your computer is likely loaded with various spyware right now as we speak.
Dude, you can never have visited a porn site in your life and still get hit by Spyware- in fact the most dangerous and insidious stuff is found on pretty much regular sites. I got a Spyware attack from Snopes once. If you don’t take precautions, your computer is likely loaded with various spyware right now as we speak.
OTOH, I did/do NONE of these things. I’ve had my current computer for 10 years and I rarely get spyware, which is quickly cleaned off, no viruses, and no popups. I run bareback and my machine is lean, mean and fast because it is not bogged down by all that crawly anti-virus software that is always in the way and interferes with legitimate applications.
So it is not a requirement to have those tools in place, although I recommend it to others. YMMV.
Really? Sounds unlikely. How do you know it was Snopes’ fault?
Everytime I visit Snopes, it tries to install at least two Activex programs. God only knows what they are, but I have them all blocked, so I will never know.
I had the hardest time killing **spywarequake ** a few weeks ago.
You have to bring your PC up in safe mode, turn off system restore and do a lot of manual work. If you are not comfortable with Regedit, I advise getting help.
There are both objects in the c:\windows\system32 directory that require removal and many registry entries to sort through. Beware of the tools that claim they remove it. Several are additional trojans.
Nortons does not remove it, this annoyed me. The Infection comes from a download. From what I can determine one of my In-laws installed a Windows Media Add-on that included **spywarequake **.
These instruction will help http://www.symantec.com/avcenter/venc/data/spywarequake.html
I also did determined the date of the infection and did an advance search based on date to review all files from that date. It generated many log files and a folder structure under c:\program files\
Good Luck, read the Symantec instructions and prepare for several hours of work.
If you are not comfortable with RegEdit, do not attempt, get help.
Activex is not spyware or a virus. It is used by many prominent, major, legitimate web sites. It can do good things or bad things, but if a reputable site like the New York Times uses it, it is probably not going to infect your computer with adware.
I never said it was. However, ActiveX can be a vector for spyware, one which I am quite willing to forego. Don’t believe me? Open SpywareBlaster, click on Internet Explorer, and have a look at the block list; hundreds of known spyware ActiveX items. These are what are being blocked from the Snopes website; if they are not on the list, they don’t get blocked. ActiveX programs from Snopes are being blocked, ergo, they are spyware. I don’t get any blocked programs from the NY Times site.
Not all whores have the clap, but the prudent john assumes they all do, and wears a condom.
Well those are just the most persistent and predictable. You could easily go on for months. Spyware attack from snopes…uh let me guess you think every hit against your firewall is a repelled hack attempt right? ActiveX does not equal spyware…or maybe you should talk to microsoft about the spyware in their windows update pages the last one gave one of my clients service pack 2…the horror I tell you.
All of the high dollar anti-virus anti-spyware and 1920’s style death ray repelling hardware firewalls can’t stop everything, they never do. FTR I run a full time computer repair business. The week I don’t have a machine on my bench with a massive virus/spyware problem and a copy of norton internet security I will start selling it instead of passing out free copies of AVG/adaware/spybot/zone alarm to any who want them.
Whenever I am doing a cleanup I am usually running no less than 4 different anti malware apps against a given machine. No one gets everything and not every app that can detect can remove.
So which would you rather have $100 in software that like it or not will eventually fail you or $0 in software that will eventually fail you.
From what I’ve heard, it sounds like warez might be a bigger source of malware than porn sights. I suspect that the RIAA uploads virus-laden files to cause grief for illegal file-sharers. I buy all my music legally, but I can’t tell you how many times someone has complained about malware, and it just so happens that their teenage kid uses Kazaa or some damn program like that.
Ever notice how it’s only ‘in-laws’, ‘teens’, or ‘step-children’ that cause these problems?
No-one at the Dope EVER downloads illegal software/files or surfs for porn.
I’ve had a Gateway for over a year now and not had one single problem involving any outside source. Zone alarm, spybot, and adaware all seem to work fine. For the record, all my porn surfing is limited to respectable porn sites that would never try to trick or harm me.
Actually, I am very discriminate; through tools such as SpywareBlaster and IESPYADS, I identify only the ActiveX items associated with spyware, and block them, while allowing those not on the blacklist. They must still ask permission however, and I decide whether to allow them or not.
No, only the bad ones. Apparently you are unaware there are tools to help identify which ones are spyware and which ones are not. There is no silver bullet that prevents 100% of spyware of course, but anyone who doesn’t use the tools that are available is just asking for trouble.
I don’t see why you find it necessary to paint me as some kind of hysterical cyberphobe. There is difference between being paranoid and being prudent.
