Blank monitors coming and going

[Linda S]

Good morning,
In the bar at the bottom of the screen, WindowsXP, SP2, Norton AV, I
occasionally get this bar that opens up, has a blank monitor on it and
then disappears.
Am I getting hits from virus, popups that are being dealt with,
attempts to access my computer by hackers?
Thanks for any insight you can share. It has only been happening for
the past week or two. Have had the above on the computer for over a year.
Linda S

 

[Ted Zieglar]

At the bottom of your screen, on the left hand side, is the Start button.
Next to the Start button is a rather long bar called the Taskbar. To the
right of the taskbar, at the bottom right of your screen, is the System
Notification Area (also known as the system tray).

Are you seeing the blank monitor symbol in the Taskbar or in the System
Notification Area? [Icons in the Taskbar belong to programs you - or someone
else - have opened. Icons in the System Notification Area refer to programs
running invisibly in the background.]

Take a close look at the icon next time you see it: Does it really look like
a monitor, or does it look more like a blank window (i.e., a colored border
with a white inside)?

 

[Gerry Cornell]

Linda

Right click on the Start button, select Properties, Taskbar, Customise.
You will a list of Current Items and then Past Items. For each icon
there is a Description. How does it describe the item you describe as a
blank monitor?

--


Hope this helps.

Gerry
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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Using invalid email address

Stourport, Worcs, England
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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

[Linda S]

At the bottom of your screen, on the left hand side, is the Start button.
Next to the Start button is a rather long bar called the Taskbar. To the
right of the taskbar, at the bottom right of your screen, is the System
Notification Area (also known as the system tray).

Are you seeing the blank monitor symbol in the Taskbar or in the System
Notification Area? [Icons in the Taskbar belong to programs you - or someone
else - have opened. Icons in the System Notification Area refer to programs
running invisibly in the background.]

Take a close look at the icon next time you see it: Does it really look like
a monitor, or does it look more like a blank window (i.e., a colored border
with a white inside)?

Taskbar, colored border white inside

 

[Linda S]

Linda

Right click on the Start button, select Properties, Taskbar, Customise.
You will a list of Current Items and then Past Items. For each icon
there is a Description. How does it describe the item you describe as a
blank monitor?

No blank screen there, no description. All folders/programs recognized
as being there on purpose.

 

[Ted Zieglar]

That means that a program window has been opened, and if you didn't open it,
somebody else did. That somebody else is very likely an attacker - your
computer has likely been infected with some form of virus or spyware.

Although a window has been opened, you are not able to see it, because the
attacker has cleverly positioned the window outside the viewable area of
your monitor.

To get an idea of what program may be opening the window, run your computer
with Task Manager open and on top of all other windows. Open Task Manager to
the Processes tab and sort the results in order of CPU time. When you see
the window button in the Taskbar, glance over at Task Manager to see what
process is active.

Scan your computer for viruses and other malware (this will involve attempts
with several different scanners.)

--
Ted Zieglar
"You can do it if you try."

At the bottom of your screen, on the left hand side, is the Start button.
Next to the Start button is a rather long bar called the Taskbar. To the
right of the taskbar, at the bottom right of your screen, is the System
Notification Area (also known as the system tray).

Are you seeing the blank monitor symbol in the Taskbar or in the System
Notification Area? [Icons in the Taskbar belong to programs you - or someone
else - have opened. Icons in the System Notification Area refer to programs
running invisibly in the background.]

Take a close look at the icon next time you see it: Does it really look like
a monitor, or does it look more like a blank window (i.e., a colored border
with a white inside)?

Taskbar, colored border white inside

 

[Guest]

Linda

I am having the same problem you have described. Have you had any luck in
solving the problem? Sorry I don't have an answer but I have read several
post re: this same issue.

Jason

 

[Linda S]

Linda

I am having the same problem you have described. Have you had any luck in
solving the problem? Sorry I don't have an answer but I have read several
post re: this same issue.

Jason


:

Hi Jason,
Ran my Ad-Aware (free version) and A2 Squared (free version) and
cleaned the few they found. Ran my Norton AV but did not find anything.
However, while I was on the computer last night, not connected to the
internet, the little window flashed in the taskbar. So, it is something
installed on the computer and sending out info of some kind.
I am going to see if I can find the posts from a couple weeks ago that
recommended several programs for seek and destroy of such programs.
Am not computer literate enough to go searching and know what I am
looking for to remove it manually.
Stay tuned. We will see what help we can find.
Linda S

 

[Linda S]

That means that a program window has been opened, and if you didn't open it,
somebody else did. That somebody else is very likely an attacker - your
computer has likely been infected with some form of virus or spyware.

Although a window has been opened, you are not able to see it, because the
attacker has cleverly positioned the window outside the viewable area of
your monitor.

To get an idea of what program may be opening the window, run your computer
with Task Manager open and on top of all other windows. Open Task Manager to
the Processes tab and sort the results in order of CPU time. When you see
the window button in the Taskbar, glance over at Task Manager to see what
process is active.

Scan your computer for viruses and other malware (this will involve attempts
with several different scanners.)

Good morning,
My reply to Jason further down in this thread gives more current info.
Thanks,
Linda S

 

[Gerry Cornell]

Linda

Delete Temporary Internet Files (IE Tools>Internet Options>General)
accepting the option to delete all offline content. Reboot and delete
contents of all TEMP folders and then your Recycle Bin.

Run HijackThis and post the HijackThis log to the HijackThis
forum here:
http://aumha.net/

You will need to register with Aumha to be able to post.

--


Hope this helps.

Gerry
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
FCA

Using invalid email address

Stourport, Worcs, England
Enquire, plan and execute.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Please tell the newsgroup how any
suggested solution worked for you.



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

[Guest]

Linda, I have run two spyware things, spybot & ad-aware, and run my mcafee
antivirus program and they show nothing unusual. I am pretty conservative
with my downloading and installing and I keep my av software up to date. I
did notice another post in which a guy said that he was running an HP
all-in-one printer/fax/scanner and he was getting the little window that we
are getting. I to happen to have an HP all-in-one on my system and I used to
get some crazy errors due to the HP. I am thinking that might have something
to do with what's going on. Do you have an HP all-in-one running on your
computer?

Jason

 

[Linda S]

Linda, I have run two spyware things, spybot & ad-aware, and run my mcafee
antivirus program and they show nothing unusual. I am pretty conservative
with my downloading and installing and I keep my av software up to date. I
did notice another post in which a guy said that he was running an HP
all-in-one printer/fax/scanner and he was getting the little window that we
are getting. I to happen to have an HP all-in-one on my system and I used to
get some crazy errors due to the HP. I am thinking that might have something
to do with what's going on. Do you have an HP all-in-one running on your
computer?

Jason


:

Hi Jason,
Yes, we do have an HP all in one! Hmmmm. Wonder if disabling that will
solve the problem. Do not have it turned on at the surge protector but
that does not mean that something is not running internally.
Am going to check out the post previous to yours and see if that
helps, too.
Linda S

 

[Linda S]

Linda

Delete Temporary Internet Files (IE Tools>Internet Options>General)
accepting the option to delete all offline content. Reboot and delete
contents of all TEMP folders and then your Recycle Bin.

Run HijackThis and post the HijackThis log to the HijackThis
forum here:
http://aumha.net/

You will need to register with Aumha to be able to post.

Hi Gerry,
I do not use IE very much but have had to a couple times lately as one
of the service for my bank will not let me use NS7.2. Will go and check,
do as you suggested and report back.
Linda s

 

[Linda S]

Hi Gerry,
I do not use IE very much but have had to a couple times lately as one
of the service for my bank will not let me use NS7.2. Will go and check,
do as you suggested and report back.
Linda s

Hello again,
Did as you suggested. Will see what transpires.
Thanks for the direction.
Linda S

 

[Guest]

I've got good news for you. I fixed the problem on my computer. What I did
was go to the HP website and go to their support page. I'm sorry I don't
remember the exact names to the links but If you will check for updates to
your HP product you will eventually be told that you need an updated
"driver". The file is large, like 350 mb's i believe. It even says they
reccomend you order the disk but you do have the option to download it. i
downloaded it (DSL). After going through all of that I finally got rid of
the pesky blank window popping up in my taskbar. Now, I have not used all of
my HP's options, such as scanning, so I don't know if the problem will come
back or not. But, at least I have narrowed it down and know where it is
coming from. Please post again if you need any further help. jason

 

[Linda S]

I've got good news for you. I fixed the problem on my computer. What I did
was go to the HP website and go to their support page. I'm sorry I don't
remember the exact names to the links but If you will check for updates to
your HP product you will eventually be told that you need an updated
"driver". The file is large, like 350 mb's i believe. It even says they
reccomend you order the disk but you do have the option to download it. i
downloaded it (DSL). After going through all of that I finally got rid of
the pesky blank window popping up in my taskbar. Now, I have not used all of
my HP's options, such as scanning, so I don't know if the problem will come
back or not. But, at least I have narrowed it down and know where it is
coming from. Please post again if you need any further help. jason



:

Hi Jason,
thanks, I will go take a look. Seems like I got something just this
past week about that and did download it. Better go to the site and take
another look.
Will let you know. Good hunting!
Linda

 

[Linda S]

I've got good news for you. I fixed the problem on my computer. What I did
was go to the HP website and go to their support page. I'm sorry I don't
remember the exact names to the links but If you will check for updates to
your HP product you will eventually be told that you need an updated
"driver". The file is large, like 350 mb's i believe. It even says they
reccomend you order the disk but you do have the option to download it. i
downloaded it (DSL). After going through all of that I finally got rid of
the pesky blank window popping up in my taskbar. Now, I have not used all of
my HP's options, such as scanning, so I don't know if the problem will come
back or not. But, at least I have narrowed it down and know where it is
coming from. Please post again if you need any further help. jason



:

Hi Jason,
It is the BESTMODEUPDATE file. I already did that this past week.
Still getting the little windows. I wonder if BIG FIX could be the
problem? Am going to turn it off for awhile, or at least until the
reboot, and see if the window pops up.
I will need to keep looking if that down not help.
Thanks,
Linda S