Need Some PC Help

[Njaco]

I've done it this time.

It seems I have pickd up some adware/malware from somewhere and its driving me nuts. Every time I'm on the Net, multiple pages for advertising pop up all over the place. I've ran several scans with the few programs I have, I've removed recently uploaded programs. I just can't find the things.

Anybody known any Anti-malware programs I can use?

 

[rochie]

i have had that Chris, what i did was start windows in safe mode then find the bugger and remove it manually

 

[stona]

Do you use any Tom Tom sat nav software?
Cheers
Steve

 

[Wurger]

Check if you have installed and then uninstall the soft..

Tuto4 PC
Internet Explorer Toolbar 4.6 by SweetPacks
Update Manager for SweetPacks 1.1
SweetIM for Messenger
SweetPacks bundle uninstaller
Softonic toolbar on IE.

It would be nice if you could send me a screenshot with all programs installed on your computer. Install the Addblock Plus for your net browser. But before you can do that check on all toolbars installed. Uninstall these that looking suspected. If you use the Firefox , go to ... Tools > Options > bookmark Content > mark the option "Block pop up windows".

 

[Njaco]

Where can I screen shot all the programs, Wurger? In the Windows Program File Folder? Its on the verge of impossible to use the internet. They pop up and every click of the mouse. Gawd............................

 

[Wurger]

You will find that info in the Start > Control Panel > Programs/Uninstall Programs. For checking what is running with the OS ( Windows ) while it boots > Programs/Change the Startup Programs.

 

[swampyankee]

If you plan on continuing to use IE, go into the security settings (very well hidden, they are, too) and make sure that IE is set to ask permission to run, download, or install anything and ask permission to open popups. The defaults, at least in some versions of IE and some releases of Windows is that IE, Outlook, etc will download and install everything that's presented on a Web page or an email. If that doesn't work, get Firefox or Chrome, where you can easily turn off JavaScript, Java, Flash, etc scripting, so the Web page can't do anything.

If that doesn't work, download NetBSD, reformat your hard drive, and install a new OS. If I recall, NetBSD, FreeBSD, and OpenBSD have no exploits. Most ISPs and many high-traffic sites use FreeBSD-- even Hotmail did for several years after Microsoft bought it.

So steps are, if you're wed to IE:
1) go into your security settings. I don't currently use IE (even at work: they use Chrome), so I can't give you the exact steps.
2) Where it has anything about installing or running anything, change it to either "trusted sites only" (those have security certificates issued by a third party, not self-issued, so even MS doesn't count as a trusted site when its security certificate is from Microsoft) or "always ask."

If you're not,

1: get either Firefox or Chrome (Opera may also be good; I've not used it for years, and was not happy with it).
2: get AdBlock and GhostScript. The former will block ads. The latter will turn off all the browser-side scripting. This is what causes the pop-ups.
3: set the security settings so that executable content (which includes Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and a whole plethora of other file types which would, at first sight, seem innocuous) is not automatically opened.
4: turn off third-party cookies. Firefox has an extension so that you can manage cookies at a very fine level.

Regardless of browser, get an anti-virus package. There are several available on cnet.com, some of which are both free and quite good. One other thing you could try is to set up a secondary account which can't install software. Windows and Mac OS X both let you do this, so you can do all your web browsing on an account upon which it's more difficult to install virusware, and do things like system maintenance (those updates that MS sends you about every three minutes) on a separate administrator's account. In networked and multi-user environments, whether they be based on Windows, Unix, or mainframes, J Random Luser can't install software.

 

[javlin]

I have the same problem Chris I downloaded a subtonic looking for the Pixresizer program and it jammed the F%$* out of me I cleared all the added programs but still getting hammered by something that is buried inside the files.I even did a restore point 45 min prior to the download still to no avail.I found this thread looking for adblock.

 

[rochie]

Also if using chrome, check the extensions and remove any dodgy ones.
Just had to do just that today on my Daughter's pc

 

[javlin]

Well found couphit in the puter as a cookie on a search Deeelete!!!!

MigApp is showing up now as a window for Spike.com auto opened while on the site

C:\Windows\sysWOW64\migwiz

 

[Marcel]

Still glady using linux

 

[Njaco]

You guys are confusing the hell out of me. How do you find these bastards? Something is embedded somewhere but I really don't know what I am looking at. If I go into sys32 files, what should I be looking for?

 

[fubar57]

I'm with Chris. Pretty sure I don't have anything, (scanned the crapped outta my machine with various, malware, spybot and anti virus programs) but I would like to know how to recognize something.

Geo

 

[Shinpachi]

I still use Windows XP for my workstation as my old software doesn't work well in the later version like Vista or 7 but I sometimes need to connect to the internet to download data.
I apply triple firewalls with XP, AVG internet security and FileSecLab software. They ban access even from Microsoft for fake update which is now most risky one to destroy my PC after the service was over in last April.

 

[Wurger]

Chris, the sys32 files don't have anything in common with the adverts appearing usually. It is more likely your net browser is the reason for. But to be sure you need to check what you have installed and being started when your Windows boots. Please follow my post #6 , take screenshots and send me them via my regular email or post in the admin section.

 

[Njaco]

Ok what folder or files do you want a screen shot of?

 

[Wurger]

I would llike to see the list of all installed programs there and the list of the Startup ones. Just take screenshots of these full lists accessed with the pathes I posted above. Also please remind me the Windows version and the kind of the net browser you have the problem with ( IE, Firefox, etc... )

 

[javlin]

You know Wojtek even after I deleted the programs still had a one liner in the registry that took over the browser looking enough like firefox until I saw a little emblem in the lower left corner of one of the programs I deleted.I just reformatted the harddrive saying screw it after five days of fighting the problem.I am now getting the wireless to work some what better.I had to go under wireless and enable WLAN connections and Cisco Linkys was enabled let the pages load as I am typing now.Now off to the adblock program you posted maybe that is slowing the down the loading of the pages

 

[Njaco]

I can't do anything.

deleted and reloaded Chrome. No good.

downloaded a program to clear virus. No good.

Installed a program from Google that stops the pages but hasn't deleted the virus. I still get pages but they warn of an infection.

 

[Wurger]

I think the problem with that is that most of you forget about the automatic system restoring that has to be set disabled before you start uninstalling such stuff. If it isn't done each restart of the OS causes restoring of the OS to the previous state. In other words all deleted files can be undeleted and restored. Any line in the OS registry can't cause restart of a deleted program or file when it doesn't exist on a HDD physically. It may bring on an error or hang of the Windows in the extreme case. The Adblock plugin doesn't seem to slow down of loading of pages. However we should remeber about updating its filters or at least checking on validity of these. I don't think , too many of computer users do that regularly. Also a reformatting of a HDD is the last thing we should think about. Of course it can be done if there is no way for saving of the Windows. But we have to agree that if it happens , all of our data is lost usually. Therefore there is something that is worth fighting for.