Spyware/Adware

[Guest]

I am getting pop-ups saying that spyware/adware is detected on my computer and telling me to download scanner/removal software - should I click on them and do this?

If I do have this, I'm not sure why as I have up to date Norton Anti Virus and a firewall.

Any help much appreciated.

Thanks

 

[Shenan Stanley]

I am getting pop-ups saying that spyware/adware is detected on my
computer and telling me to download scanner/removal software - should
I click on them and do this?

If I do have this, I'm not sure why as I have up to date Norton Anti
Virus and a firewall.

Yep - another poor sole that was told an Antivirus software and Firewall was
all they would ever need to protect their system. It's like the days when
people were told "this is a 20 megabyte hard drive! you'll never use 20
megabyte!". Things change.

First off, the popups are bogus. They are trying to sell you something.
Secondly, Antivirus software and firewall software do nothing for
Spyware/Adware.

Please Notice that if you use AOL, you should at least upgrade to 9.0 or
greater before doing any of the fixes. I know you can get AOL 9.0 at almost
any convenience store, gas station, super market or other retail outlet in
the world, so this should not be a problem. Also, if you are using AOL 9.0,
you will not be able to perform the first step in this list. You should
look into another solution, such as ZoneAlarm, for a firewall.


Turn on that firewall...
http://www.microsoft.com/WindowsXP/home/using/howto/homenet/icf.asp


Make sure you have all the updates (critical) installed from:
http://windowsupdate.microsoft.com/
(Scan for updates, Review and Install)


Get rid of the spy/ad/mal-ware..
(Yes - using MORE than one of these..
I recommend at least the first three. Also..
UPDATE the definitions for them before using.)

Spybot Search and Destroy
http://www.safer-networking.net/

Lavasoft AdAware
http://www.lavasoft.de

CWSShredder
http://www.spywareinfo.com/~merijn/downloads.html

Hijack This!
http://mjc1.com/mirror/hjt/

I also like "The Cleaner" and "SpywareBlaster" and "SpywareGuard".
- http://www.moosoft.com/
- http://www.javacoolsoftware.com/

The first is a PAY product, but useable for 30 days - it has found and
eliminated problems in the past the others did not. The latter two are
prevention mechanisms. SpywareBlaster is a FANTASTIC free product, I
suggest getting this after you cleanup and keeping it updated as well.

And Assortment of Others:
http://spywareinfo.com/

ALSO - Be sure to IMMUNIZE after you clean up. SpywareBlaster and Spybot
Search and destroy both have these features - use both!


After you cleanup your PC somewhat of spy/ad/mal-ware, verify your antivirus
software is updated and run a full scan of your computer. If you have no
antivirus software - get one NOW! Grisoft AntiVirus:
http://www.grisoft.com/us/us_dwnl_free.php


Empty your Temporary Internet Files and shrink the size it stores to about
80 to 120MB (seems to be an optimal size for the normal user)

- Open ONE copy of Internet Explorer.
- Select TOOLS -> Internet Options.
- Under the General tab in the "Temporary Internet Files" section,
do the following:
- Click on "Delete Cookies" (click OK)
- Click on "Settings" and change the
"Amount of disk space to use:" to something between 80MB
and 120MB. (Betting it is MUCH larger right now.)
- Click OK.
- Click on "Delete Files" and select to
"Delete all offline contents" (the checkbox) and click
OK. (If you had a LOT, this could take 2-10 minutes or
more.)
- Once it is done, click OK, close Internet Explorer
- Re-open Internet Explorer.


Uninstall any software you do not use often/ever. (If you have something
installed but never use it, uninstall it.) If you go through Control
Panel -> Add/Remove Programs and see things you seldom if ever use, it is to
your advantage to remove it.


Also, if you are tired of Web Page Pop-Ups/Unders.. You could try the
Google Toolbar.
http://toolbar.google.com/


Stop loading applications at logon.. run MSCONFIG and look under the startup
tab for things you DON'T want to startup! Search the Internet with Google
to discover what things are safe to remove and what things may even be
malware infecting your computer.


Better control your email and lessen the amount of time you spend dealing
with SPAM:
SpamBayes
http://spambayes.sourceforge.net/
or
Spamihilator.
http://www.spamihilator.com

 

[Bruce Chambers]

Greetings --

Most antivirus applications do not scan for or protect you from
adware/spyware,because, after all, you've installed them yourself, so
you must want them there, right?

To deal with issues caused by any sort of "adware" and/or
"spyware,"such as Gator, Comet Cursors, Smiley Central, Xupiter,
Bonzai Buddy, or KaZaA, and their remnants, that you've deliberately
(but without understanding the consequences) installed, two products
that are quite effective (at finding and removing this type of
scumware) are Ad-Aware from www.lavasoft.de and SpyBot Search &
Destroy from www.safer-networking.org/. Both have free versions.
It's even possible to use SpyBot Search & Destroy to "immunize" your
system against most future intrusions. I use both and generally
perform manual scans every week or so to clean out cookies, etc.

Additionally, manual removal instructions for the most common
varieties of scumware are available here:

PC Hell Spyware and Adware Removal Help
http://www.pchell.com/support/spyware.shtml


Bruce Chambers

--
Help us help you:




You can have peace. Or you can have freedom. Don't ever count on
having both at once. -- RAH

 

[Peter van der Goes]

I am getting pop-ups saying that spyware/adware is detected on my computer

and telling me to download scanner/removal software - should I click on them
and do this?

If I do have this, I'm not sure why as I have up to date Norton Anti Virus and a firewall.

Any help much appreciated.

Thanks

No. They may be just links to software you have to $$ for, or they might be
links to sites that will end up putting spyware on your system.
Google up SpyBot and AdAware to get some pretty good protection against
adware/spyware. As you've already been told, anti-virus software does
nothing to protect you against adware/spyware.

 

[Guest]

Try going to a website called www.webroot.com this site has a free download program that will allow you to remove or quarintine any spyware.

safe hunting..

 

[Guest]

Hi,

I've been through all the v. comprehensive suggestions made by Shenan (thanks!) on the Spyware/Adware post- mainly all seemed very good and got rid of a lot of malware. I have installed the Cleaner and tried to remove unused progams - when removing one (A desktop messenger I didn't think was very important) the cleaner came up with the following alarm/message

An alarm has gone off on the following monitored item. This means the data within the item has changed. What would you like to do

HKLM\Software\Mocrosoft\Windows\Current\Version\Ru

Examine or edit the changed dat

or

Ignore this alarm and accept the changes.

I 'examined' the data and didn't really know what it meant so ignored the alarm. The message has come up again while I was surfing the net.

What should I do?

Thanks

 

[Shenan Stanley]

I've been through all the v. comprehensive suggestions made by Shenan
(thanks!) on the Spyware/Adware post- mainly all seemed very good and
got rid of a lot of malware. I have installed the Cleaner and tried
to remove unused progams - when removing one (A desktop messenger I
didn't think was very important) the cleaner came up with the
following alarm/message:

An alarm has gone off on the following monitored item. This means the
data within the item has changed. What would you like to do?

HKLM\Software\Mocrosoft\Windows\Current\Version\Run

Examine or edit the changed data

or

Ignore this alarm and accept the changes.

I 'examined' the data and didn't really know what it meant so ignored
the alarm. The message has come up again while I was surfing the net.

What should I do?

Thanks.

It alarmed that something was changing your RUN key...?

That particular key is used every time you start up your computer. Whatever
is in it will run every time your computer starts. This could be good (if
you were installing something on purpose and wanted it to start every time
you booted) or BAD if you weren't installing anything and therefore, didn't
really want anything to start every time you booted..

Although, from your description, you were removing something.. So that key
could have changed because you were the one changing it - this could be a
self-caused (and therefore harmless) alarm.

Do this if you are worried:

Start -> Run
Type in :

MSCONFIG

Go to the STARTUP tab..
Find everything that is starting up in that registry key - do you recognize
the one that it warned you about?
Do you mind posting it here if you have?

Essentially, however, I am betting you won't find it in startup anymore
because it was YOU doing the removal and it was just makiong SURE you wanted
to do it. =)