I have a problem

Warfire80 · **I have a problem**

So with the annoying pop ups I have been getting, I got a prog from work called adware(made by lavasoft), well it found something like 200 files on my comp that were doing the popups and so on(like gator, gain, etc....)....then it tells me that I have a parasite and a security hole on my comp, and asks me to spend $30 on a 6 month subscription(which I didnt subscribe) and it will remove all that crap. So I had it quaruntine the files, it got rid of alot of crapola but I am still getting the pop ups. Any help would be great in this time of need. I am trying not to spend the $30 so if anyone knows of any progs that I can use it would be nice. Oh and I am also running a firewall and I do have anti-virus software.

Danger Dude · 01:53 PM

When was the last time you updated the Ad-aware software. You mentioned adware which confuses people because Adware is a spyware program and it deluges your computer with spam and pop ups. Ad-aware by lavasoft is the best program I have seen to do the job, you can pay for upgraded version but the freebee is all you need. Also once you have it quarantine go back and delete it.

Here is the problem pop up and spyware guys are constantly updating their programs to get by security measures. Prime example is I was running Ad-Aware 5.7 and loved it. After a night of surfing I would usually have 12 Spyware programs it would find. One day I decided to update to Adaware 6.0 and ran it and it found 147 spyware programs and that was after I had run 5.7. The new found spyware had much different names. I was amazed

**Brent** · 06-15-2004, 02:41 PM

Download Spybot here and update it and run it

Get a Virus Scanner (If you need one let me know)

Turn on your Windows Firewall

Make sure ad-aware is updated.

Run Windows Update and Office Update

Keep running Spybot and Ad-Aware until it finds nothing. You may have to go into Safe mode if it can not get rid of everything in Normal Mode.

Let me know if you are still haivng problems.

**Brent** · 06-15-2004, 02:43 PM

I can give you more things to do after you get all the spyware off so that it does not happen again.

**Brent** · 06-15-2004, 02:53 PM

That is a scam btw dont pay it.

Warfire80 · 06-15-2004, 03:02 PM

ok, I am at work right now, so I will do that when I get home.

Falcon · 06-15-2004, 04:43 PM

yea i had the same exact problem u have just run spybot and adaware and u should be all set they both get things the other doesnt catch, once i ran those two i havent had a problem since. Just do tthose programs at random, and u can do the stuff brent says

BlkStang4Me · 06-15-2004, 04:48 PM

I had that happen to me before. Turns out I had a program that was installed when I installed Bearshare on my computer. I can't remember the exact name that it was called but I found it in the registry of my computer. Go to the Run command and type in regedit.

Once there go to HKEY_Local_Machine\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVerison\Run

In there you will see various things that start up with your computer. You can usually figure out what it is because it shows the path of where it was installed...ie Norton, Quicktime...etc. Look for something out of the ordinary. You can delete everything in this folder but I wouldn't recommend it....it wouldn't hurt your computer but prevents some of the programs from starting up with your computer like antivirus. You can be selective. If you are not sure, write down all the information about it so if you delete and reboot and then found out something was wrong, you can put it back.

KrazyPony · 06-15-2004, 05:04 PM


Quote: Originally Posted by BlkStang4Me I had that happen to me before. Turns out I had a program that was installed when I installed Bearshare on my computer. I can't remember the exact name that it was called but I found it in the registry of my computer. Go to the Run command and type in regedit. Once there go to HKEY_Local_Machine\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVerison\Run In there you will see various things that start up with your computer. You can usually figure out what it is because it shows the path of where it was installed...ie Norton, Quicktime...etc. Look for something out of the ordinary. You can delete everything in this folder but I wouldn't recommend it....it wouldn't hurt your computer but prevents some of the programs from starting up with your computer like antivirus. You can be selective. If you are not sure, write down all the information about it so if you delete and reboot and then found out something was wrong, you can put it back.

He is somewhat correct, but if you are not familiar with going this far into your computer for repairing and deleting files...i would be very careful on doing this. You make one wrong click of the mouse and delete a registry key you will have more problems than spyware after the reboot...

but this is the area in which files will be run from normally in the registry.

KrazyPony · 06-15-2004, 05:11 PM

I have to deal with this stuff ona normal basis at work...

I would recommend the following:

1. Run Ad-Aware 6 ( with most current def. files to be updated)
2. Run Spybot 1.3 ( DITTO ABOVE )
3. Pest Control
4. Google PopUp Blocker, to block most popup ads
5. If running WinXP or Win2k ( Stop the Messenger Service from running )
6. Update with most current Windows Updates as suggested
7. Update NAV or what have ya, with most current Def for Virus A/V Apps
8. Run Stinger Virus Removal tool, http://vil.nai.com/vil/stinger/

And you should be in good shape, I have most of these in place onmy system at home. And did a scan the other night and found 0 items for Spyware, i was shocked!

n8r · 06-15-2004, 06:01 PM

Mozilla or Mozilla FireFox. Haven't had a problem with popups EVER!! You choose what sites to give u pop ups and also protects against spyware getting on ur comp. And its free. And it ownz Internet EXPLODER www.mozilla.org

**Brent** · 06-15-2004, 10:54 PM

I havent had any tracking cookies or any Spyware in about two months. You just have to be smart with what you install.

99% of filesharing programs have Spyware/Adware. By simply going to some sites you can get it. You jsut have to be smart

Laser02 · 06-15-2004, 11:27 PM

Nobody mentioned HiJackThis. That is the best tool for disabling spyware.

KrazyPony · 06-15-2004, 11:41 PM

I have a list of programs that can be used, but i just mentioned a few that I normally use unless its worse than normal....

yo can even try bazooka aswell, does a scan of any spyware that might be on your system and tells you how to remove them manually if any detected!

Thomas91169 · 06-17-2004, 03:48 AM

hey i just installed spybot S&D and scanned. found 200 something files that ad-aware missed. but everytime i go to delete(fix the problem) it freezes about 25% through. dammit. wtf mates.

Danger Dude · 06-17-2004, 07:41 AM


Quote: Originally Posted by EclipseGSTdude hey i just installed spybot S&D and scanned. found 200 something files that ad-aware missed. but everytime i go to delete(fix the problem) it freezes about 25% through. dammit. wtf mates.

Then some of what it is deleting is not spyware but something the program thinks is spyware. That happens especially with some of the newest spyware programs mimic normal programs

V6STANG007 · 06-17-2004, 08:22 AM

I have a suggestion: Stop downloading so much PORN!!!

**Brent** · 06-17-2004, 11:30 AM


Quote: Originally Posted by EclipseGSTdude hey i just installed spybot S&D and scanned. found 200 something files that ad-aware missed. but everytime i go to delete(fix the problem) it freezes about 25% through. dammit. wtf mates.

Go in Safe Mode and run it. Its trying to delete something in use and its freezing.

Restart your computer hit F8 until you get a menu and then go into safe mode