what would cause this

[charlie]

This may not be something that can be answered here, but
I'm looking everywhere for a solution.
I have Windows XP Pro installed. I have Zone Alarm
Installed and I had AOL instant messenger installed.
Recently I started searching for spyware/adware and the
likes on my system. For the heck of it I used the
netstat command at a DOS prompt to see what connections
where there and found 'aim1.adsoftware.com' listed. I am
fairly positive that this is spyware/adware related.
I went to my Zone Alarm and entered the
aim1.adsoftware.com in my list of blocked sites. It
causes my IE to not make corrections when I do. Why
would that site, if anyone knows, cause this to happen.
It doesn't effect any other connection, i.e. email etc.
As I said, I uninstalled AIM when I found it. Unless AIM
left it behind. I'm open for any place to look, links to
sites that could shed light on this etc.
Thanks,
Charlie

 

[allan grossman [ms-mvp]]

Hi, Charlie -

I use Pest Patrol's database to research this stuff. I
don't know what the name of the program AIM installed was
but if you want to, take a look at
http://www.pestpatrol.com and see what you can find.

There's a free program called Spybot Search and Destroy
that might help - you can grab it at

http://security.kolla.de

But - be sure you know what you're killing with Spybot.
I had it kill a pretty essential part of logging on to
our work network and had to reinstall Windows Scripting
Host so login scripts would run again. Spybot has pretty
good explanations for everything it flags to be deleted -
the only reason I broke my PC with it is I wasn't paying
attention

Good luck -

 

[Kent W. England [MVP]]

You have the Aureate spyware. See http://www.cexx.org/aureate.htm You
need a spyware remover. The Aureate dll is known to cause instability.

AOL adds its server names to your Trusted Zone, to set you up for their
spyware, if they ever choose to download it to you. Remove their server
names from your Trusted sites list. I don't know whether AOL and Aureate
are related, but Aureate may have come through AIM, a web site activex
drive-by download or something you clicked.

 

[charlie]

I did a search on my hard drive for aureate.* and came up
with nada. I looked in my trusted sites and there isn't
anything listed there. I've used Ad-aware 6 pro and
spybot and neither referenced that particular entry or
anything like aureate, advert or anything. I know it's
here somewhere, it's evading me somehow. In the mean
time I've updated my host file with the usual 127.0.0.1
for the known spywares from aureate and radiate along
with some other ones. The listing is still showing up in
my netstat, but when I do a trace on it, it shows it's
looping, so hopefully that took care of that part. I
just don't understand why entering it in my Zone Alarm
and blocking it would cause IE not to work.
Thanks
C

-----Original Message-----
You have the Aureate spyware. See

http://www.cexx.org/aureate.htm You