another question re: pop ups, etc
Thread Starter
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Postmaster
Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 4,532
Likes: 5
From: Trussville, Alabama
Nope, no Messenger on Win 98.
I seem to have made improvements re: the pop-ups. I think clearing out much of the spyware helped there.
But, the shortcuts that appear on my desktop are really aggravating. I can't seem to find where they are coming from. They also appear under my favorites in IE.
Netscape runs fine. No pop-ups there.
I went thru msconfig and eliminated several things that I thought were bogus - some stuff that was being launched from Windows/system/temp, so I know it's not hings Windows loaded. I then went to that directory and manually removed the questionable files. So far, no negative impact on Windows, and I'm guessing those were some sort of spyware/virus/somethign? that wasn't being caught.
This crap, and having to deal with it, REALLY AGGRAVATES ME, but I guess that is what the developers of such crap want. They get a kick out of screwing up others computers.
I wish I could develop a magical way of making a dog turd appear beside their bed every morning. If they shoveled it up and threw it out, it wouldn't matter. There would be a fresh dog turd there the next morning.
On second thought, it would be IN their bed, not beside it.
I seem to have made improvements re: the pop-ups. I think clearing out much of the spyware helped there.
But, the shortcuts that appear on my desktop are really aggravating. I can't seem to find where they are coming from. They also appear under my favorites in IE.
Netscape runs fine. No pop-ups there.
I went thru msconfig and eliminated several things that I thought were bogus - some stuff that was being launched from Windows/system/temp, so I know it's not hings Windows loaded. I then went to that directory and manually removed the questionable files. So far, no negative impact on Windows, and I'm guessing those were some sort of spyware/virus/somethign? that wasn't being caught.
This crap, and having to deal with it, REALLY AGGRAVATES ME, but I guess that is what the developers of such crap want. They get a kick out of screwing up others computers.
I wish I could develop a magical way of making a dog turd appear beside their bed every morning. If they shoveled it up and threw it out, it wouldn't matter. There would be a fresh dog turd there the next morning.
On second thought, it would be IN their bed, not beside it.
Tuned
Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 479
Likes: 12
From: Louisiana
Right click on the desktop shortcuts and choose propertities. Look at the target and start in boxes. They just might be URL's to web sights and might not go to a file on your hard drive. Do they come back when deleted?
Did you try the Shieldsup link? https://www.grc.com/x/ne.dll?bh0bkyd2
If you have open ports you will keep getting more spyware / adware no matter what you do. Then it's time for a firewall.
Did you try the Shieldsup link? https://www.grc.com/x/ne.dll?bh0bkyd2
If you have open ports you will keep getting more spyware / adware no matter what you do. Then it's time for a firewall.
Last edited by byronbgs; Mar 3, 2005 at 08:57 AM.
Elder User
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 788
Likes: 1
From: Hendersonville, TN
try hitting Ctrl-Alt-Del. When the dialog opens, make a list of all the programs running. The popup crap will usually have bizarre looking(nonsense) names. Kill all those first. Then click start->find->files or folders. Type in the name of the program, find it and delete it. Run Msconfig and uncheck it there. Download Spybot and run it. Reboot and repeat till it's clean. I like the dog turd idea. Maybe another in their car, and one that hides in their coat closet and appears at random around the house. I gotta get to work on that...
Thread Starter
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Postmaster
Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 4,532
Likes: 5
From: Trussville, Alabama
Byron:
I have already checked on the shortcut properties. They are just URLs - no file on my hard drive that I can find to associate with them.
I get lost there. How do they come back if they are just URLs ??
SOMETHING on my computer has to be recreating them after I delete them.
200000+F150:
I have already done the cntrl+alt+del thing and killed quite a few bogus applications that were running. Things with stupid names liks "W1ju4ts".
I then unchecked them in the msconfig startup menu.
I have used the search function to find all I could and manually delete them.
There is still somthing there that I can find running everytime I reboot. It shows as an application in (I believe) Windows/system. I delete it, reboot and it is back running. I can't find where the "parent" is that is creating this offspring.
I guess I'll just have to keep chipping away at it. I wonder if deleting IE completely, scrubbing the hard drive as best I can, then reloading IE, would help.
Probably not.
I think I might just scrap IE and use Netscape and/or Firefox.
I used Firefox a year or so back and seemed to remember having some problems with it. They probably have a newer, better verison out now.
I have already checked on the shortcut properties. They are just URLs - no file on my hard drive that I can find to associate with them.
I get lost there. How do they come back if they are just URLs ??
SOMETHING on my computer has to be recreating them after I delete them.
200000+F150:
I have already done the cntrl+alt+del thing and killed quite a few bogus applications that were running. Things with stupid names liks "W1ju4ts".
I then unchecked them in the msconfig startup menu.
I have used the search function to find all I could and manually delete them.
There is still somthing there that I can find running everytime I reboot. It shows as an application in (I believe) Windows/system. I delete it, reboot and it is back running. I can't find where the "parent" is that is creating this offspring.
I guess I'll just have to keep chipping away at it. I wonder if deleting IE completely, scrubbing the hard drive as best I can, then reloading IE, would help.
Probably not.
I think I might just scrap IE and use Netscape and/or Firefox.
I used Firefox a year or so back and seemed to remember having some problems with it. They probably have a newer, better verison out now.
Elder User
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 867
Likes: 0
From: Fairbanks, Alaska
BrianA,
As D-Ranged said a last ditch thing to do would be to reformat ("crash") your computer.
I know I had to do that a few times over the years whenever I got a bad bug. I got pretty good at it too - it's surprising how quickly you can dump and then rebuild a computer when you've done it a few times! If you need any tips or shortcuts to doing this email me and I'll help you through it.
Not something I would do as a first choice, but you seem to have run up against a wall on this. Any ideas on where you might have picked this nasty up at?
As D-Ranged said a last ditch thing to do would be to reformat ("crash") your computer.
I know I had to do that a few times over the years whenever I got a bad bug. I got pretty good at it too - it's surprising how quickly you can dump and then rebuild a computer when you've done it a few times! If you need any tips or shortcuts to doing this email me and I'll help you through it.
Not something I would do as a first choice, but you seem to have run up against a wall on this. Any ideas on where you might have picked this nasty up at?
Elder User
Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 942
Likes: 0
From: South Texas
Try Spybot Search & Destroy....Run it in Advanced mode and allow it to download and install both the Beta programs and Beta definitions. Catches much more than the standard files do. (will remove your autologins, FTE and others, so be perpared to set them up all over again)
Also if on DSL or Cable modem, install Sygate Personal Firewall (free to the public and works great with Win98)
Dialtone
Also if on DSL or Cable modem, install Sygate Personal Firewall (free to the public and works great with Win98)
Dialtone
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Lead Driver
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 8,140
Likes: 4
From: Oak Harbor, OH
In my view ANY program that require a SUBSCRIPTION to use are the ones CREATING the viri and pop-ups. Firefox is FREE, and has a FREE pop-up blocker. Ad-Aware and SPybot are FREE, AVG anti virus is FREE (and recently found 57 more virused than an a up-to-date copy of norton).
Elder User
Joined: Nov 2002
Posts: 543
Likes: 1
From: South East Texas
What your getting dumped on your desktop is from "coolweb search" Adaware should have found it. I got it on here, Win98-IE5.5 three times and Adaware cleaned it out all three times. Make sure you keep checking for updates in Adaware. I installed "Spyware Blaster" on here a few months ago and it stops all that junk before it can get on your computer. I haven't gotten one of those coolweb things or browser hijackers or anything since installing Spyware Blaster. If your running IE6 it will even stop adware and malware cookies. That and Spybot S&D work in the background to catch that junk. As far as popups, I installed "Popup Cop" two years ago and haven't seen a popup since.
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Postmaster
Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 4,532
Likes: 5
From: Trussville, Alabama
UPDATE:
looks like I got rid of most everythign except for the web shortcuts that pop up on my desktop. I'll worry with those when I have the time.
A friend told me about this: http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/d...displaylang=en
And said it is good. Any experiences?
looks like I got rid of most everythign except for the web shortcuts that pop up on my desktop. I'll worry with those when I have the time.
A friend told me about this: http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/d...displaylang=en
And said it is good. Any experiences?
Senior User
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 471
Likes: 0
From: Michigan
I've personally never heard of it, but they say it's brand new as of January 6. At least, I thought that's what I read. I suppose it couldn't hurt... as long as it doesn't cost anything, you could just try it and let us know if it does the trick!
Tuned
Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 479
Likes: 12
From: Louisiana
Here is a review http://www.flexbeta.net/main/printarticle.php?id=84 that shows the pros and cons of the software.
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