Problem Opening Internet Explorer

[Guest]

Every time I open Internet Explorer, an error message pops up saying "Failed to get data for 'ad.'" After clicking the "ok" button, the program encounters a problem and closes by itself. The model of my laptop computer is Toshiba Satellite 2435-S255 with Windows XP Home Edition. Please help!!!

 

[Frank Saunders, MS-MVP]

Every time I open Internet Explorer, an error message pops up saying
"Failed to get data for 'ad.'" After clicking the "ok" button, the
program encounters a problem and closes by itself. The model of my
laptop computer is Toshiba Satellite 2435-S255 with Windows XP Home
Edition. Please help!!!

First eliminate any scumware.
See
Dealing with Unwanted Spyware, Parasites, Toolbars and Search Engines
http://mvps.org/winhelp2002/unwanted.htm

Note that AdAware and SpyBot S & D will each catch some things the other
won't. Also, each need to be updated before every use, even when just
downloaded.

If trying everything at that site does not fix the problem please post back
in the same thread.

 

[Guest]

I Installed and used Spybot S&D and AdAware; both found many errors, all of which I deleted. Nothing seems to work. Any other suggestions?

 

[Frank Saunders, MS-MVP]

I Installed and used Spybot S&D and AdAware; both found many errors,
all of which I deleted. Nothing seems to work. Any other suggestions?

Continue working through the actions at
http://mvps.org/winhelp2002/unwanted.htm

 

[Guest]

After further searching my computer for parasites, I found SpyBlast on my computer. I found a website that gave me some instructions to remove the program (Open the Downloaded Program Files folder in the Windows folder, right-click the entry 'SBFullInst Control' and choose 'Remove'. Next, open the registry (click 'Start', choose 'Run' and enter 'regedit') and find the key HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run. Delete the 'SpyBlast' entry. Restart the computer and you should be able to delete the 'SpyBlast' folder inside Program Files.). I located the file listing in the Downloaded Program Files folder, yet every time I try to remove the program, it says that SpyBlast is being used by another program and it can't be removed. I think that SpyBlast may be the source of my system's problems. Which program is using SpyBlast?