Spyware love!

[Hex]

This afternoon, I got my computer logged onto Comcast high-speed. Awesome, right? Almost immediately after they activated the modem, I get a message:

it's the top one:
http://img284.echo.cx/img284/7678/trouble1kl.th.jpg (http://img284.echo.cx/my.php?image=trouble1kl.jpg)

Lovely, eh?

Anyway, these damn messages keep popping up every few minutes. It's obiviously spyware advertisements for websites, and I know that there's a message that you can execute from RUN to send yourself a message. So, being the savvy bastard I am, I downloaded Ad Aware, it scanned all 200 000 or so files of my two partitions, finding one regkey, Alexa, and 10 reg keys. I cleaned. I restart. I open up CAG- POPUPS AGAIN. So I download Spybot S&D. I set it on my system. It finds Alexa AGAIN. I clean. I restart. I wait after opening firefox, and get the damn things again. :bomb:

I do have a security system, BitDefender, so I doubt much is coming in.

[dtcarson]

Download Counterspy, it's not freeware, but it's got a 15 day free trial.
Also, give Microsoft Antispyware [formerly known as Giant.] AdAware and Spybot, though widespread, have fallen from the top of the ranks--MS Antispyware is actually the 'best' one now.
You might also want to check your Add/Remove programs and look for anything unusual; go to Task Manager and see if there's anything running you don't expect to be there; and RUN "msconfig" and check your startup menu.
If you've done all this, apologies for the redundancies.

I had some spyware last week, for the first time [other than things like cookies or websites that 'want' to install crap, that I decline.] Opened a file and the damn things installed. Took an hour, about four reboots, and a lot of digging to get rid of them. I think spyware writing, virus writing, and spamming should be capital offenses.

[Hex]

Download Counterspy, it's not freeware, but it's got a 15 day free trial.
Also, give Microsoft Antispyware [formerly known as Giant.] AdAware and Spybot, though widespread, have fallen from the top of the ranks--MS Antispyware is actually the 'best' one now.
You might also want to check your Add/Remove programs and look for anything unusual; go to Task Manager and see if there's anything running you don't expect to be there; and RUN "msconfig" and check your startup menu.
If you've done all this, apologies for the redundancies.

I had some spyware last week, for the first time [other than things like cookies or websites that 'want' to install crap, that I decline.] Opened a file and the damn things installed. Took an hour, about four reboots, and a lot of digging to get rid of them. I think spyware writing, virus writing, and spamming should be capital offenses.

Oh yes. Well, nothing in the add/remove programs, or msconfig. Most the names under "Processes" are foreign, so I don't want to go about ending vital programs.

Thanks for the help anyway, dt. Has anyone had similar popups like these, and if so, how did you kill them?

[mtxbass1]

This was fixed with a windows update patch many many months ago. Have you kept your system up to date? If I recall correctly, the problem was exposed with a hole in IIS.

[Hex]

This was fixed with a windows update patch many many months ago. Have you kept your system up to date? If I recall correctly, the problem was exposed with a hole in IIS.

I see. No, my system is really not up to snuff, as today is the first time this computer has been online.

[WhipSmartBanky]

http://www.grc.com/stm/shootthemessenger.htm

[NoRain]

You should be able to google alexa and find a cure. I think I had that one at one time. My recommendations on an always online computer is to keep the following running at all time. TrendMicro Pc cillian, its my favorite virus scanner, Webroot SpySweeper, which is my favorite spyware scanner and I'd also have a copy of adaware and hijack this for troubled times.

[Hex]

http://www.grc.com/stm/shootthemessenger.htm

Uber thanks to Banky. That solved it completely. I muddled over the problem last night, and wondered if there was a program to block unauthorized message commands. The Shoot the Messenger is working.

[onetrackmind]

I think spyware writing, virus writing, and spamming should be capital offenses.

i couldn't agree more

[PsyClerk]

LMAO they actually made software to turn off the Messenger service? Just go to Control Panel-Admin Tools-Services. Find Messenger in the list, right click it, go to Properties, then set Startup Type to Disabled.

[Santurio]

I will have to look into this thread from home. I may need to use some of these, I don't have any problems now but it is always better to be safe.

[CappyCobra]

LMAO they actually made software to turn off the Messenger service? Just go to Control Panel-Admin Tools-Services. Find Messenger in the list, right click it, go to Properties, then set Startup Type to Disabled.
People are easily confused. They see Messenger & then Windows Messenger and they are like whaat? It's easier to have people double-click an icon. :roll:

[Hex]

Thanks a lot, guys, like I said, the Shoot the Messager program works great. I just have one question left, and it's a bit trivial- How do you get rid of the "My Recent Documents" folder on the start menu? I got rid of it on another computer but don't recal how.

[Tricky]

SpywareInfo


http://forums.spywareinfo.com/index.php?&CODE=01

[PsyClerk]

People are easily confused. They see Messenger & then Windows Messenger and they are like whaat? It's easier to have people double-click an icon. :roll:

I'd rather folks learn a little bit about how and why their computer works rather than just click a button.

Anyways, to get rid of Recent Documents on WinXP:

-Right click the Start button
-Click properties in the menu
-Click the Customize button (whichever one is not greyed out)
-Click the Advanced tab near the top of the window
-Find the checkbox at the bottom that says "List my recently opened documents" and clear the box
-Click Ok, then click Apply. Done.

[Hex]

I'd rather folks learn a little bit about how and why their computer works rather than just click a button.

Anyways, to get rid of Recent Documents on WinXP:

-Right click the Start button
-Click properties in the menu
-Click the Customize button (whichever one is not greyed out)
-Click the Advanced tab near the top of the window
-Find the checkbox at the bottom that says "List my recently opened documents" and clear the box
-Click Ok, then click Apply. Done.

Dang diddley. I must have visited that page a million times to get rid of My Recent Documents, but I overlooked the fact that it wasn't in the pull-down list.