posted
So a guy that I worked with asked me to look at his girlfriends computer for him. It's been running really slow. Has tons of pop-ups popping up all the time. And has tons of programs running on start up.
So I hook it up and first notice that it doesn't have any sort of virus protection or spyware removal tools.
So first thing I did was download Ad-Aware. It proceeded to find 1189 files! 1189! I've never seen anything like it before.
Spybot just found another 50.
I'm gonna run Hijack This now to see what else is running on start up and whether there's anything else I can get rid of.
Besides putting some virus software on this thing after that, is there anything else I should do?
Posts: 8741 | Registered: Apr 2001
| IP: Logged |
posted
My friend's computer is so virus and spy ware ridden that it's can't even finish running adaware. Used to get about forty popups a minute (not exaggerating; God knows what sites he goes to). It now is partially hidden behind piles of old papers and used tissues.
Pity, too. His desk is quite nice.
Posts: 2258 | Registered: Aug 2003
| IP: Logged |
This thing was getting about 8-10 pop ups a minute. 3-4 at a time.
It's much better now. It's amazing what some people get themselves into. And continue to just live with untill it reaches outrageous proportions.
Posts: 8741 | Registered: Apr 2001
| IP: Logged |
quote: My friend's computer is so virus and spy ware ridden that it's can't even finish running adaware. Used to get about forty popups a minute (not exaggerating; God knows what sites he goes to). It now is partially hidden behind piles of old papers and used tissues.
Pity, too. His desk is quite nice.
I've actually seen that problem. Ad-Aware is getting bogged down because it's trying to unload the spyware before deleting it. There's a way to prevent that, but it's explanation is kinda long (Lemme know if you want it, though).
Anyway, Strider, the best way to clean a computer off is to make sure you do all spyware/virus removal in safe mode (hit F8 before the Windows Splash screen comes up and select it from the list). This is because most programs aren't capable of removing some files if they are running at the time. I imagine you're probably going to find anywhere from 30-100 chunks of spyware every time you scan with anything. Install AVG (Norton and McAfee don't find most marketing type viruses because they often come with installed software and those scanners don't like interfering with Weatherbug or Kazaa for some reason) and run a scan in safe mode. It'll probably get the root of the problem faster than you'd think.
Posts: 3003 | Registered: Oct 2004
| IP: Logged |
posted
What is it with some people and pop-ups? I know some folks that only have to sit down at a computer for five seconds, and it is immediately overrun. While I've never really had a problem with it. I pick a few sites that provide services I like, I stick with them, and I don't have any problems. Where are these other people going?
Posts: 1907 | Registered: Feb 2000
| IP: Logged |
posted
Don't hafta go anywhere. The most heavily Internet-advertized "anti"spy/"anti"ad/"anti"malware programs and pop-up"blockers" are nearly always particularly nasty bits of malware themselves. Click on such a "warning"pop-up ad, and your computer is trashed by pop-ups and/or hijacked to send spam&malware. Especially if you try out or buy their program.
Legitimate anti-malware programs rarely advertise -- favorable word-of-mouth and e-zine recommendations are sufficient -- and nearly strictly on MAJOR computer e-zines and MAJOR tech-geek sites.
Then there are the "You have won..." sites which usually place malware into your machine. As well as "money-off"coupon sites, "free"smiley sites, "free"music sites, "free"wallpaper/screensaver sites, more than a few gaming and gambling sites, etc.
And especially the doubleclick.com affiliated sites often found as pop-ups on major legitimate news sites. Hit the site wrong without anti-malware protection, and doubleclick/etc will put a hard-to-extract bit of ad&spyware on your machine.
Plus there are the totally-out-of-control blackhat-hacker cultures in Brazil and Russia. Click on the wrong link in eg Spain or the newer EU countries, and you could end up downloading Brazilian or Russian eg keystroke loggers contained within viruses designed to neutralize&"stealth"past the most popular anti-virus and anti-malware programs.
posted
And here, if you take your computer in to a shop for any kind of service, the staff will install for you, at no special request from you, at no charge for you, all sorts of "useful stuff." I've seen the results - over 150 virii and over 1000 ad/spyware. Yummy!
Good for me, though, as it provides me with spending money. Posts: 8355 | Registered: Apr 2003
| IP: Logged |
posted
BTW: If ya try to shut down those "anti"malware pop-up"warning"ads by clicking on the ad directly -- even with the right-click button -- there is a too-strong possibility that you'll be enabling their malware to infect your machine. In these cases, what you see and what you think those on-ad controls are for isn't necessarily what those same symbols mean in legitimate advertisements. Use the bar which displays the browsers&documents&programs that you have up&working to kill those "pop-up"s. And if ya can't, use CtrlAltDel. And if ya still can't, save only what ya must, then shutdown&restart. It's a good security practice to do that for closing every pop-up. For that matter, for closing every browser window.
If I hafta shutdown&restart, I prefer cutting the power at the surge-protector over the programmed shutdown procedure, and over the powerswitch on the computer itself. Under the hafta-shutdown&restart scenario, when I want something off, I want it off now. And not have the stupid machine possibly rewrite/copy malware into the startup files as part of its shutdown procedures. Then, I'll run Adaware and Spybot before opening up any new browsers, documents, or other programs. Then delete all of the TemporaryInternetFiles and Cookies when I open the first browser window.
Similarly, ads and webpages can have hidden links -- eg white links printed on white background -- which can cause your computer to be directed to other addresses to be malwared if ya click on the wrong spot. Even though the ad or webpage remains unchangingly on-screen. And there are effectively-invisible single-pixel spyware which will monitor your computer for as long as you have that ad or webpage running on your machine. Even while the ad or webpage is not displayed on-screen.
posted
You know, I find it's almost always faster for me to go into the registry and clean things up before running anti-spyware. The most egregious offenders are often also the most obvious.
Posts: 37449 | Registered: May 1999
| IP: Logged |
posted
My friend, the computer genius, wiped all the crap off my computer and set things up to where I have to hold down the control button to be able to open up new windows while on internet explorer. It was a little hard to get used to (for about the first 15 minutes), but now I love it- no pop ups whatsoever. It's a beautiful thing. *wipes tear from cheek*
Posts: 186 | Registered: Dec 2000
| IP: Logged |
Printer-friendly view of this topic
![[Big Grin]](biggrin.gif)
![[Roll Eyes]](rolleyes.gif)
![[Cry]](graemlins/cry.gif)
