Help on the Computer:One more time

[Dennis Steele]

I know I have seen some help about popups,viruses,and spyware.
My computer is full of them!
I am running Norton Antivirus,and Spykiller.I have done all that I can to remove some stuff manually and have had some,but limited success.
My biggest problem now is anoying popups,and browser start page keeps getting reset automatically.Sometimes I cannot load IE Explorer and have to use MSN.
Are there any other programs I can try with what I have now,or one that will get all the bugs on my computer?
Are there any other programs that will help me out that I can run with what I have now?

[panolo]

IMO spykiller sucks. The program I use is adaware. It's free and you can update it for free also. You can download it at www.lavasoftusa.com This should clean your registry also. You can try and remove the programs manually. If they are "dumb" they will be listed under your add or remove programs link on windows. You can scan through the list of programs and eliminate things that don't belong. Be careful and make sure you are eliminating things that you don't need. If they are "smart" they will not list there and you have to dig them out. I look through my startup menu and also in my running process menu. I trace back anything funny looking to make sure that it is from a legit program. Also make sure you update your virus software every day or every other day. Putiing it on auto update doesn't always work so be sure to do it manually. Also you can do a free virus scan at www.pandasoftware.com If your norton isn't working.

I should also add that I use the Google pop up killer. It is free and works well. That might not be a bad idea either Dennis

[This message has been edited by panolo (edited 06-19-2004).]

[B-bear]

Using WIN98 or ME?
I think you're gonna need to bite the bullet on this one and just wipe it and upgrade to WIN XP. If you're hardware can handle it that is. I tried messing with mine for months and finally said screw it.
That's just my opinion-- I could be wrong.

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"...and so lives on the Legend of the Great Killer Bald Bear of Claire County."
John Candy
The Great Outdoors

[City_Slicker]

I would use Stopzilla. ITs awesome. Gets rid of everything. ITs 20 dollars a month. But they do have a 14 free trial. ANd you will be hooked.

www.stopzilla.com

[1DIRTBALL]

Sounds like you need a BFH.

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YOU CAN'T talk AN OLD talk'ER!

[Royce Aardahl]

smiley central has a free one that works fine

[Dennis Steele]

I am running XP.
I tell you.It seems to be an endless battle.
My wife works with a Mac,no probelms there.If Bill doesn't find some way to prevent this kind of **** ,I am going to the dark side!Preveinting this stuff should be standard on all computers.
Any other consumer product that has this many problems would not last long on the market.

Uhhh,
Done venting now.I feel better,wish my 'puter did.

[DavidH]

You could always install Firefox. Internet Explorer is a horrible browser to use. Too many security holes in it.

As well...you could also us Linux rather than Windows.

[Guest]

Here is what you can do...

1. Install a personal firewall.
I use Zone Alarm Pro. No problems with so ever.

2. Click on Start --> Run --> type msconfig and see whats in your startup options.

3. Make sure your antivirus is updated everyday.

4. Let me know if you have any more problems.

[walleyehawk]

Dennis

I have XP also and the spybots were driving me nuts. So I installed ad-aware, which I downloaded through pcworld onlines download page. It got most of them. I also added Spybot and that found a few more. Then to round it out, I ran Spy Sweeper and PestPatrol that I downloaded from the same sight. The last two I only have a trial version so it is not fully functional, but they all found stuff.

I know it is alot, but between them all, they seem to kill everything.

The other thing is I no longer download any free software as they are the usual culprit.

[upnorth]

I agree with the adaware, and spybot combo it does do a better job of cleaning things out. That and make sure you go to tools, options and then into advanced and make sure that you have enable active scripting turned off.

One last thing is to load a pop up blocker, the google toolbar does a fair job of that and it is a freebee. And if you do get popups don't click anywhere in the window, click the X in the corner or right click on the icon on the task bar and click close.

[Valv]

Click on Start, Run, type Regedit.
Double click HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE, then Software, then Microsoft, then Windows, then CurrentVersion.
Scroll down until you see Run.
Click on Run and check on right pane which program is running, you have to know which is the program you want to delete from system.

Do same thing for HKEY_CURRENT_USER

But beware this is the registry of your system, if you mess up it might be tough to fix.

This could be a start, if it doesn't fix it, you might want to check with a Pro and have it repaired at a shop.

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Val Vignati

www.kvesurplus.com
[email protected]

[This message has been edited by Valv (edited 06-20-2004).]

[minneman]

In addition to what Valv said if your not sure what to delete do a gooogle search on that particular item, it would help you id it.

[Guest]

Don't mess with the registry. It'll do you more harm then good if in fact you're not familiar with computers.

Just follow the steps I gave you and you should be fine. OR, if you want, I can take a look at it. I am a computer professional.

[Leader]

if your lookin for spy free downloads go to
http://www.zdnet.com/
at pcword and majorgeeks they support spyware.
my spybot stopped hidden downwloads at both sites.
spybot search @ destroy is hard to beat.(free)
and AVG 6.0 antivirus is one of the best, also free.

[This message has been edited by Leader (edited 06-20-2004).]

[Guest]

Dennis
Try Spybot Search and destroy, www.majorgeeks.com it seems to be the best I have found I tried adaware and imo its not that great a program being limited unless you want to pay for it. and then get 12 ghosts pop up killer it works great.
Hope this helps

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www.todaystackle.com
www.mattjohnsonoutdoors.com
www.otter.com

[This message has been edited by frozenminnow (edited 06-20-2004).]

[sami0115]

i hear that the more beer you drink the less you care

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YIPPPPEEEEEEEE

[FishinChad]

The easiest thing that I can think will help you is to just do a clean install from the Restore CD or Startup CD that came with your computer for this purpose. Make sure you back up anything that you need on your computer that didnt come with it. Put it all on a Zip Disk or if you dont have that and have a CD burner you can burn the software to a cd. Then after you do a full restore of system software, you just have to put all of your stuff back onto your computer.

Or just get a mac like me! Never have these kinds of problems, but I dont have some that you Windows users dont have.

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"Better get the net!"
-Fishin Chad

[taxmancommeth]

Take a look at www.zoomn.net for all your needs. He is my cousin and does all my work on computers. You can e-mail him @ [email protected] and mention that you are a FM'er and we might / should give you a good deal.

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GET-ER-DONE

[danny berg]

We have about 40 computers at work, and the only ones that are getting viruses are our XP's. All machines have the latest service patch installed. The 98's and ME's aren't getting the virusus. We also use AdAware at work and have instructed everybody they need to run at least once a week. What is happening with your pop-up's is they have dropped something in your registry, so everytime you go on the internet these pop-up's are activated.
Dennis, aren't you in the Chaska area?, If you want I can stop by on my way home from work some time this week and help you get everything cleaned.

Danny

[big_fish_guy]

webwarrior, he said he was running xp, so your solution won't work. (you figure out why)

Zonealarm will work fine as a firewall. And like someone mentioned earlier, the download from lavasoft will clear out the bad. I too highly recommend installing the google toolbar and enabling the pop-up blocker.
That should stop what ails ya.

[OldBear]

Adaware (lavasoft) here with Norton anti-virus and a Norton personal firewall.

[irvingdog]

Macintosh/Apple. Chuck your PC out the windows, and run Jaguar OS 10.2. Anti pop-up built right into the OS.

I turn it on and "BAM", I'm running. Fishingminnesota.com looks great on it!

[Bob O]

Dennis,
Do you reset your homepage, and when you exit and open the browser again it goes right back to the rogue site? If so, the problem may be a security settings file used by Internet Explorer. Somehow it gets set to read only, and your changes are ignored. I can look for the filename and fixit instructions when I get home tonight if you want.
Bob

[Guest]

webwarrior
I have downloaded several programs including Spybot from the geeks and have had no spy ware problems so far.