What happened to my taskbar?

[Marshall Schuon]

Hi all. Hope somebody can help with this. I had six of my
grandchildren here this week (whew!) and they spent a lot of time on
the two networked computers. And somehow I now have this problem.

What happens is that some of the time, a call for a webpage puts its
normal identifier in the taskbar -- but then it adds a second block of
type that says "--- Microsoft Internet ..."

After the website is closed, that second Internet notification stays
there and has to be closed manually with a right click/close. Most
annoying, especially as these pile up across the task bar after I have
visited several sites.

As I say, it doesn't always happen, just most of the time. And ideas?

Marshall

 

[Rick \Nutcase\ Rogers]

Hi,

Sounds like they probably installed a BHO or other malware. You have some
cleanup ahead of you.

1) Install, update, and run AdawareSE from www.lavasoft.de

2) Install and run Spybot from www.safer-networking.org

3) Install and run Spyware Blaster from
http://www.javacoolsoftware.com/spywareblaster.html

4) Turn on the native firewall or install a third-party one (a third party
firewall will notify you of outgoing traffic as spyware programs "phone
home", the native one won't).

http://www.kerio.com/kpf_home.html
http://www.zonelabs.com/store/content/home.jsp
http://www.tinysoftware.com/home/tiny2?la=EN

5) Also check these links for helpful advice on removing garbage:
http://aumha.org/a/noads.htm
http://aumha.org/win5/a/parasite.htm
http://www.mvps.org/inetexplorer/Darnit.htm

--
Best of Luck,

Rick Rogers, aka "Nutcase" - Microsoft MVP

Associate Expert - WindowsXP Expert Zone

Windows help - www.rickrogers.org

 

[Marshall Schuon]

Hi. Thanks so much for the response. I've been using AdAware and
Norton Firewall, but I'll give it another try. Marshall

 

[Marshall Schuon]

Hi again. After I wrote the note below, I received a reply thinking
it might be the result of some kind of malware. I have now cleared
every likely suspect out of the computer, but it's still happening.

If anyone has any further ideas, I'd be DElighted! It seems likely
that this is the fault of IE itself, or maybe the Nvidia card. I've
tried messing with a lot of the settings, but so far the dreaded damn
--Microsoft Internet ... notification keeps appearing.

It is as if the web page is being loaded on two displays
simultaneously, and that's what the taskbar is telling me. Is that
possible? Is there a ghost in this machine?

Marshall