Pop-Up Messages

[Stuart Kirkham]

I keep getting pop up messages telling me that I have 10
Spyware programs running on my PC. I have installed
Microsoft Anti-Spyware (Beta) but it finds nothing during
the search.

The pop-up messages attempt to direct me to sites for
removal tools but as yet I haven't gone to these sites as
the addresses are a little dubious.

Can anybody give me some advice on how to remedy the
problem ?

 

[AMDGUY [MCP]]

Dont click on pop up ads... Or The spam mail ads in your e-mail (this is
most your most likley 1st sorce of the spywhere). Clicking on this stuff
will only get you more of it. I personaly use firefox (web browser) and
thunderbird (email) and have never had spy where with thouse 2 programs.
They can be downloaded at www.mozilla.org.

Download adaware (www.lavasoftusa.com) and Spy Bot SD (dont know where)
run them. There isnt one program to catch all the spywhere but together
they get most of it.

 

[Mark L. Ferguson]

Your Firewall is down:

After you run Microsoft Windows AntiSpyware (Beta), you have network-related problems, or you receive an error message:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/892350

 

[Bill Sanderson]

I tend to agree with Mark Ferguson. Definitely don't go to the sites
referred to by the popups no matter how authentic they look.

Are you running Windows 2000, without a router or firewall of some sort? If
so, you need a firewall--see the advice at http://www.microsoft.com/protect

If you are running XP, you need to turn the firewall on for your Internet
connection.

If, in fact, you DO have a firewall on, you've got adware in place that
Microsoft Antispyware is missing. I would recommend a full scan with a good
antivirus. Here are a couple of online scanners:

http://security.symantec.com (Symantec/Norton)
http://housecall.antivirus.com (Trend Micro)

 

[Stuart Kirkham]

Cheers Bill,

I have a Firewall up and running all of the time.

I'll check out your suggested sites.

 

[Bill Sanderson]

Thanks Stuart--ok, that changes the picture. The supposition the firewal
was intended to fix was that the popups you were seeing were messenger
spam--spam sent via the windows messenger service, which any firewall should
block.

So--presumably the popups you are seeing are more usual Internet browser
popups, and are related to actual spyware/adware on your system.

I'd go with AMDGUY's advice at this point--scan with Ad-aware and Spybot
Search & destroy (www.lavasoft.com www.safer-networking.org ) and I'll
reiterate the scan with a good antivirus--This doesn't sound like a virus
but some of the vendors are now targetting spyware/adware, and this
definitely sounds like that.

I guess the other option is that you are seeing these popups because of a
particular site you are visiting--any pattern you can see in them?