Hi,
Have you checked your computer for spyware?
If you haven't, that's a good place to start. Spyware, and adware are catagories
of programs which install themselves on your computer (often covertly or bundled
with other software) and can cause an increase in pop-up ads, undermine your
privacy, and cause significant stability problems.
Read the following instructions carefully, then follow the steps to remove any
such programs from your computer. If, after following the steps, you continue to
have problems, please feel free to post a reply to this thread!
You may first want to remove any third party helper
objects. This is best done by a program called BHOCop. It,
along with the rest of the programs, is freely available.
You can download BHOcop, and view an introduction to it,
from the following sites:
Download from:
http://support.honour.ca/bin/bhocop.zip
Introduction at:
http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,1759,97081,00.asp
Once you download the file, run it, and install the program.
Then remove all objects you find that you are not familiar
with (however many they may be).
Once we've gotten rid of the BHO's, we'll focus to other programs which may be
lingering.
We'll start with AdAware. This is an excellent program which
detects and deletes spyware, and other malware programs.
AdAware is available from:
http://www.lavasoftusa.com/support/download/
After downloading and installing AdAware, *be sure to update
it*. This will ensure you are protected against the latest
threats. Then, run it.
Before we download the next program, note that some versions can be particularly
malicious - removing them can cause you to lose your internet connection. This
usually happens with varients of the CoolWebSearch. So, as a precaution, we'll
download the next two programs to fix anything their removal may break.
If, after running these programs, you are unable to connect to the internet, run
these programs to fix the connection.
They are available here:
http://www.cexx.org/lspfix.htm
and
http://www.tacktech.com/pub/winsockfix/WinsockFix.zip
Directions for the last program can be found here:
http://www.tacktech.com/display.cfm?ttid=257
*Remember*: You'll only need to run these programs in the event
that removal of the evil programs causes some good
components to break. Otherwise, you can safely continue:
Now, we'll get CWShredder. This neat program catches
variants which may have been missed by AdAware. CWShredder
is available from:
http://www.spywareinfo.com/~merijn/files/cwshredder.zip
Once again, be sure to update it to ensure the latest threat
protection.
Lastly, you may find it necessary to rename your HOSTS file.
This step is used if you find yourself unable to connect to
specific sites. Instructions can be found here:
http://support.honour.ca/ldbh.solutions.php#blockers
Once you've cleared out your system, we'll get you a popup blocker. One of the
best ones is the google toolbar:
http://toolbar.google.com
It automatically blocks pop-ups, and works exceptionally well in detecting what
you want to popup, and what should stay down.
If you wish to read more about Adware and Spyware the following is an excellent
resource:
http://mvps.org/winhelp2002/unwanted.htm
Again, if you have *any* questions, please do not hesitate to ask prior to
executing the questionable instructions.
Best regards,
Altrus
: IE 6 is regularly hanging on me. Is there anything to check to see what is
: going on? This has gotten ridiculous. It has been happening with the last
: couple of updates. I don't see a specific pattern of when it hangs. I do
: have numerous windows open all the time.
:
: Any suggestions? Using WinXP Home sp2 and the latest IE 6. Just had
: update last week.
:
: CK
:
:
