Adware/Spyware/Pop-ups

Amy, are you sure it is "messege service" and not "Messenger Service"? Deb, if both you and Amy can describe your symptoms more accurately I may be able to home in on a solution more quickly. I know of more removal tools than ever before now.

Ryan,

I have given up. I am going to completely reimage the one machine. It has something really nasty that interferes with opening programs. I get a message that says: "(insert program name).exe has generated errors and will be closed by Windows. You will need to restart the program."

Usually, with extreme patience and repeated attempts, I can get most programs to launch. ewido looks fantastic and was finding a ton of stuff, but this other thing keeps shutting the program down before the scan gets even 10% done. I just don't have time to mess with it forever.

As for Mozilla, I know the benefits, but we run a specific web-based program that must use IE.

Norton Antivirus is the best!!! I have NO problems=)

Originally Posted by Deb25

Ryan,

I have given up. I am going to completely reimage the one machine. It has something really nasty that interferes with opening programs. I get a message that says: "(insert program name).exe has generated errors and will be closed by Windows. You will need to restart the program."

Usually, with extreme patience and repeated attempts, I can get most programs to launch. ewido looks fantastic and was finding a ton of stuff, but this other thing keeps shutting the program down before the scan gets even 10% done. I just don't have time to mess with it forever.

As for Mozilla, I know the benefits, but we run a specific web-based program that must use IE.

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I can understand your frustration and can't blame you for giving up. You have a trojan(s) running deep on that system if it shutting down a program as good as ewido. -fixable, but could get very time consuming coaching online getting you to reboot into safe mode, scanning, rebooting, running hijack this, etc. What we can do is set you up with some better protection once you have reimaged. Here's a minimum summary of tips and free programs you need to have for protection:

• Ad-aware (set for deep scan)
• Sypbot S&D (use immunize, Teatimer and scanner)
• Microsoft Antispyware (set for deep/full scan)
• SpywareBlaster (blocker)
• SpywareGuard (blocker)
• Service Pack 2 (if XP)
• Make sure Windows Firewall is on
• Make sure Windows Update is on auto
• Make sure you have an active and regularly updated antivirus program
• Download Zonealarm as an alternative firewall
• Download and use Mozilla Firefox ***Highly recommended if you own the computer in question***
• Download Enough is Enough. This program will save you a lot of heartache when browsing with IE. It automatically configres IE with effective high security. However, it can almost seem crippling for even legit web sites. Nevertheless, you can still make changes in IE's internet options after this program is installed. If you want to uninstall this program, it will restore your browser settings to exactly how you had them before the install. Instructions for installing and running this program are on this page:
  https://netfiles.uiuc.edu/ehowes/www/resource6.htm

NOTE: To anyone else reading, there are other free tools, but this is roughly the minimum I would recommend. There are even more non-free clean up tools I could recommend as well such as Pest Patrol, Ewido, Spysweeper etc. A great site to visit to find trial software and free stuff is www.majorgeeks.com. Once you have a clean computer, you can run a really tight ship with the above free stuff and not have to buy any trial versions of other software.

MY POPUPS ARE GONE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! *cue the angel choir* HAAAAAAAAAALELUJAH!

I bought this: Webroot Pop Up Washer and Spam Shredder and it did the trick!!!

That's great Amy! Webroot is good. I've used their trial software before.

I always get pop-ups when I'm on my dad's computer. They always come up when I'min the middle of something and freezes it up. And he just got the it 6 months ago.

Hydroaxe is right on! Should keep your pc clean from now on.

Originally Posted by Hydroaxe

. I just went through the longest tech help over the past few weeks with Danielle and her husband's laptop, renewing my knowledge yet again.

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and i am not sure if I have thankyou'd enough yet? so

THANKYOU RYAN FROM CHRIS & I

It is working sooooo much better since you helped out for all those hours and hours on yahoo IM... will hopefully get to do the finally bit of it tonight, but already it feels like he has a brand new laptop.

your a gem

Ryan,

I would simply love to fix the thing, because I view as sort of a challenge, but like I said, I only have about a billion other things to do each day, and this really isn't in my job description.

The part that pisses me off the most is that somebody was absolutely careless with this machine because it wasn't their own pc. My PE coach, whose computer it is, is just as ticked because it wasn't like this when she left on maternity leave in April.

I love all of your suggestions for security, but I have to be very careful of what IE enhancements I install. Even some Microsoft updates are incompatible with the web-based software I mentioned.

Originally Posted by Charcoal

Hydroaxe is right on! Should keep your pc clean from now on.

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Thanks!

Originally Posted by huggles

and i am not sure if I have thankyou'd enough yet? so

THANKYOU RYAN FROM CHRIS & I

It is working sooooo much better since you helped out for all those hours and hours on yahoo IM... will hopefully get to do the finally bit of it tonight, but already it feels like he has a brand new laptop.

your a gem

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You and Chris are most certainly welcome! I'm glad he feels like his laptop is performing like it really should.

Originally Posted by Deb25

Ryan,

I would simply love to fix the thing, because I view as sort of a challenge, but like I said, I only have about a billion other things to do each day, and this really isn't in my job description.

The part that pisses me off the most is that somebody was absolutely careless with this machine because it wasn't their own pc. My PE coach, whose computer it is, is just as ticked because it wasn't like this when she left on maternity leave in April.

I love all of your suggestions for security, but I have to be very careful of what IE enhancements I install. Even some Microsoft updates are incompatible with the web-based software I mentioned.

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I don't doubt you'd like to fix it on your own, but yes, it is extremely time consuming, especially when it's that deep in the abyss. Just setting up the free stuff will be enough of a time sink. You may be able to do without Enough is Enough because of SpywareBlaster and SpywareGuard. They are both made by the same company. I've only tried SpywareBlaster though. Supposedly they make a good pair.

What about starting up in safe mode? Is this a possibility?

Originally Posted by Deb25

What about starting up in safe mode? Is this a possibility?

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Yes, I forgot to suggest that. It is good to do when scanning with those programs.