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**Winston** · August 28, 2006, 14:52

Combat Ingrid,

Um, what does that link to exactly?

I'm starting to become a bit wary, you see.

**VetLegion** · August 28, 2006, 15:03

Symantec is a known antivirus company, you can trust them. So is Trend Micro. All you have to be sure of is that it really is them you're dealing with. Check that web addreses aren't misspelled when/if you use them.

CI linked to a tool by Trend Micro that will scan your computer using your browser and Java as a platform.

**Winston** · August 28, 2006, 15:04

Ok. Thanks, both of you.

I really am in need of being led by the hand here.

**VetLegion** · August 28, 2006, 15:12

Last time I had spyware trouble was 3-4 years ago. I went on vacation and some of my sister's friends decided to use IE instead of Opera to surf, and kaboom

So I'm out of the loop too and can't give you up to date advice. Finding out exactly what it is and getting a removal tool from a trustworthy company should generally do the trick.

**VetLegion** · August 28, 2006, 15:14

Typing messages you are getting from popups into Google, the all knowing machine, should get you on the right track pretty soon.

**Winston** · August 28, 2006, 15:23

Originally posted by VetLegion
Finding out exactly what it is and getting a removal tool from a trustworthy company should generally do the trick.

Yes, I agree. I'll try and see what I can find out. I'm looking forward also to the apps that SlowwHand will forward to me.

Combat Ingrid's suggestion doesn't work. When I click "Scan now, it's free!" at Trend Micro's Housecall site, I just get a browser message that the page could not be found.

I may have to re-install XP over again, if I don't get to the bottom of this.

I tried getting Service Pack 2 and two other critical updates from Windows Update, and all 3 installations failed, whereas earlier I retrieved and installed over a hundred updates successfully.

**DanQ** · August 28, 2006, 15:23

In addition to Ad-aware -- which is better at breadth than depth on spyware and related nasties (i.e. malware, grayware) -- I recommend these other freeware titles:

**DanQ** · August 28, 2006, 15:26

Originally posted by Winston
I tried getting Service Pack 2 and two other critical updates from Windows Update, and all 3 installations failed, whereas earlier I retrieved and installed over a hundred updates successfully.

If you install SP2 onto an earlier version of XP which has spyware on it already, you are going to have a difficult if not impossible time removing it then short of uninstalling/reinstalling the OS if not outright reformatting the drive (depends on the exact nature of the trouble, of course).

--
Dan

**Hot Mustard** · August 28, 2006, 15:28

Dude, seriously, check out that forum thread I posted earlier (dejon). It has links to free adware scanners, virus scanners, etc, including those mentioned in the above post by DanQ.

**Winston** · August 28, 2006, 15:31

Oh, it seems it was a blessing in disguise then that I couldn't install it!

Thanks for suggesting SpyBot and SpyWare Blaster Dan, I'll give them a try and report back here (as with the others; maybe not tonight, but eventually).

This is all very much appreciated.

**Winston** · August 28, 2006, 15:34

Hot Mustard,

Rest assured that I will! I'm just not the fastest guy in the world at my computer, but I'll get there nonetheless!

**DanQ** · August 28, 2006, 15:40

Originally posted by Winston
Combat Ingrid's suggestion doesn't work. When I click "Scan now, it's free!" at Trend Micro's Housecall site, I just get a browser message that the page could not be found.

It could be that the site was down or busy at the particular moment you tried the link -- did you try more than once or since?

If the problem persists and your Internet connection appears to be otherwise OK, try visiting the site using an alternative browser such as Firefox. I have been using it instead of IE for just over two years now and continue to highly recommend it, and it's also freeware.

Get Firefox browser — Mozilla (US)

http://www.mozilla.com/firefox

Choose from Desktop, iOS, Android, or let us email you a mobile download link.

While I agree with VetLegion's recommendation to drop IE, if you are determined to keep on using it for regular/standard browsing be certain you have applied the strictest security protocols within it. In addition, having (and using) more than one browser for situations like this or otherwise makes sense to me. I still have IE 6.x installed on my PC because it came pre-loaded and is inextricably linked to my OS, but use it only for Windows Update checks (because one has to). While similar to Firefox, I also have Netscape ( http://browser.netscape.com/ns8 ). There are other decent alternative -- or, if you will, supplementary -- offerings as well.

--
Dan

**VetLegion** · August 28, 2006, 15:42

Once you're sure what you have, you can get a standalone removal tool that doesn't install anything, just a small program you download, run and delete afterwards.

I find that superior to installing 5-6 different antispyware tools who may or may not do something useful.

So if you the time/skills, try to find out what you have manually, using your Google skills. I tried to help with that, but only you know what exactly is going on on your computer.

**DanQ** · August 28, 2006, 15:51

Originally posted by Winston
Thanks for suggesting SpyBot and SpyWare Blaster Dan, I'll give them a try and report back here (as with the others; maybe not tonight, but eventually).

This is all very much appreciated.

You're welcome, Winston.

In your current situation, SpyBot is apt to be helpful more than Blaster (if at all with the latter), but Blaster could help prevent this from happening in the future. I hestiate to say "should" in part because the exact nature of the problem appears to be unknown.

Blaster contains specific protection for IE and Firefox separately, as well as additional IE protection. SpyBot has a "bad download blocker" for this browser as well.

I agree that a standalone removal tool, where available and as VetLegion says when the problem is exactly known, is a if not the best solution. As he also says a Google search on suspicious processes or other data is a "best bet" in finding out the exact nature of your problem if you can.

General protection and even prevention-wise, however, I recommend the three applications above first and foremost. Combined they offer superior protection than by themselves IMO (i.e. different strengths/weaknesses/intents), and unlike with antivirus/firewall programs they do not conflict with one another (at least, not that I have seen or heard of).

I wish you speedy and complete success in riding yourself of this... parasite.

--
Dan

**Hot Mustard** · August 28, 2006, 15:58

The problem is that a relatively insecure, IE-using machine can have many things that have not yet made themselves apparent.

Only with a proper step-by-step, offline, security sweep (with appropriate tools) can you be sure to find and remove things causing problems, and things just lurking/waiting. While I no more like the suite of tools required for this - it is a necessary evil if you want to avoid commercial bloatware that ends up stifling your machine as much as some malware. Each of the free tools is specialized in a particular area, detecting or prevent different things (internet site hijacks, rootkits, viruses, etc). I have a few installed (Antivir, a-squared, AVG, Ad-aware, Spybot, & Spyware blaster) and update/run them once a week, although they never find anything because I use Firefox and even augment it with better script/cookie control extensions. I don't even have A/V software running 24/7 - there's no need if you're practicing safe computing - I just scan once a week.

Once done, then you need to adjust your security behaviour going forward, and I'll echo the sentiment that Firefox is a big leap in the right direction.

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