Pop-up ads/Spyware/Virus problems - all related posts in here.

[Ginger Tosser]

If you use 2000/XP you could create a restricted user account for downloading/browsing flith/mp3/torrents etc. If the account gets borked then delete the profile.

[phillai]

I've been away from my computer for about a week and and I swear my borther's been looking at dodgy porn as I've got these two stupid cashweb toolbars which I just can't get rid of.
I've tried using ad-aware and spy stopper and there is no reference to this cashweb thing on my start menu or in my add/remove program files...
Any ideas people?

[The Mole]

please help (porn on startup)

I managed to get myself a nasty trojan (secure html hijacker) installed but i have ridded it after almost 4 hours of trying, however it has installed something that on start up of windows auto opens internet explorer and a random page of porn.

What do i have to do to stop this from happening

please help

[[email protected]]

why are you complaining ?

Try adaware and have a look in controlpanel add/remove programs to see if its lsted in that section.

[The Mole]

I have done that.

I have ran spy sweeper and ad aware and nothing.

[marcus]

do start/run msconfig and then select startup and see if its listed in there as something which starts with windows. Run search & destroy also. Clear out temp internet files, and cookies. Look in registry under HKLM\software\microsoft\windows\current version and look at the run/run once keys to see if anything is there that shouldnt be.

[The Mole]

Nothing unusual there

Any other suggestions.

[phillai]

do start/run msconfig and then select startup and see if its listed in there as something which starts with windows. Run search & destroy also. Clear out temp internet files, and cookies. Look in registry under HKLM\software\microsoft\windows\current version and look at the run/run once keys to see if anything is there that shouldnt be.

Marcus, what should be in on the run/run once bit?

I don't wanna delete anything that I shouldn't!

Also, I did the msconfig thing ages ago and found nothing there...

I've tried to look for help on google about this cashweb thing and found nothing.

I am starting to question if it's anything to do with the latest version of my google taskbar that I've got installed as I hear some people say that this is spyware and some say that it isn't.

[marcus]

Ive got the latest google and dont have any issues like yours, in fact I find it great.

Whats in your run/run once keys? I dont have anything in mine at the moment.

Is there a cashweb website at all? You could go there and see if theres any detail on how to remove that ad program.

Create a new profile on your PC, login and see if it comes up. If it doesnt, Id work off the new profile, copy your docs faves etc over and delete the old one. Personally I never work under an admin-level login, I have a user account which I use day-to-day which locks down the C drive and I cant install anything, when I need to run an install I just log in as an admin. Works a treat for me.

[Tom Salter]

You usually have a couple of driver things in your Run/RunOnce part. If something points to your Windows directory, usually it's a bad sign.

TBH just run ad-aware, Ive found Spybot to be a pile of ****ing **** recently.

Either that or do a System Restore to a point before you got infected.

[phillai]

Just done what you guys have said to no avail.

Ad-aware does detect something but if I run it again it detects something again straight away, so something is wrong.

Anyway, I've got some pics for you to see if there's anything wrong with with what's suppose to be in my run folders...

http://www.icestormcity.com/phillai/ad1.jpg

http://www.icestormcity.com/phillai/ad2.jpg

http://www.icestormcity.com/phillai/ad3.jpg

http://www.icestormcity.com/phillai/ad4.jpg

http://www.icestormcity.com/phillai/ad5.jpg

http://www.icestormcity.com/phillai/ad6.jpg

http://www.icestormcity.com/phillai/ad7.jpg

[yashiro]

If you get really desperate catch me on irc and I'll fix it via remote connection.(assuming you're on xp)

[marcus]

What I think we need is a basic guide of prerequisites of what to do if you have spyware/adware installed on your PC, and to edit it into the first thread here. A lot of what has been said is repeated information, and it would be easier if we could point people there first to exhaust those possibilites and save us reinventing the wheel as it were.

I can jot down what I know in list form an post it here, and others can add to the list. By the end I reckon we should have a list which would deal with most of the problems people are getting.

*Delete all Temporary Internet files (Tools/Internet Options/Delete Files (and Offline content)
*Delete Cookies (Tools/Internet Options/Delete Cookies)
*Run AdAware (link)
*Run Search & Destroy (Link)
*Run MSConfig (Start/Run/MSconfig + Enter) and disable startup items except Systray and AV references.

[Super Stu]

Write a PC faq

I've been busy.

[Tom Salter]

Oooh, another thing. Disable your anti virus whilst you run ad-aware/Spybot. I've noticed it makes a difference sometimes.

You definately tried a system restore?

Also, check your Startup directory in the start menu...