Help!

PlaythingOrPet · Post by **PlaythingOrPet** » Fri Jun 25, 2004 9:39 am

Popups that get past the popup blocker. I made a nice little screen grab of the last one:

...Nor do I don't want a longer lasting erection or to see Cindy from London on her webcam! Jaysus!

I'm hopeless with computer jargon, so anyone know how to get rid of the little buggers in as few steps as possible?

Post by **BlueChair** » Fri Jun 25, 2004 10:27 am

Hmm... you might have spyware on your computer. I'd recommend downloading Adaware and doing scans about once a week.

El Vez · Post by **El Vez** » Fri Jun 25, 2004 2:30 pm

Nine-tenths of it is intimidation. If your computer fears you, it will work the way you want it to.

Gillibeanz · Post by **Gillibeanz** » Fri Jun 25, 2004 3:51 pm

We use this on our computer - its not expensive and you should see the amount of spyware we remove on a daily basis!!

http://www.enigmasoftwaregroup.com/

laughingcrow · Post by **laughingcrow** » Fri Jun 25, 2004 5:12 pm

I agree with Blue...I downloaded the AdAware thing, and this thing called CWShredder and it cleared me up a treat...I was getting a lot of blue screen 'low resources' stuff coming up.

selfmademug · Post by **selfmademug** » Fri Jun 25, 2004 6:02 pm

I just downloaded the AdAware thing and it found a ton of shit on my machine, as I knew it would, but mostly just cookies.

Here's a funny thing-- it costs $30 (fair enough) and since PayPal crapped out part way through, I decided to quite, and I got a message saying "Wait! You've just qualified for a discount!" And got it for $20 instead. Ha!

laughingcrow · Post by **laughingcrow** » Fri Jun 25, 2004 6:15 pm

I never paid for it...just ponced off the freeware version!

PlaythingOrPet · Post by **PlaythingOrPet** » Sat Jun 26, 2004 9:45 am

Thanks guys and gals for the info. Yeah, I kinda knew it was spyware, but wasn't completely sure. Not to worry, tho, because an extremely kind person has come to the rescue and given me what sounds like a very useful link.

El Vez - I already scream and gesticulate but it continues to laugh at me. It doesn't fear the Bunny at all.

El Vez · Post by **El Vez** » Sat Jun 26, 2004 9:59 am

PlaythingOrPet wrote:useful link.
El Vez - I already scream and gesticulate but it continues to laugh at me. It doesn't fear the Bunny at all.

Sometimes a whisper is much, much scarier than a scream. An icy stare, however, trumps them all.

PlaythingOrPet · Post by **PlaythingOrPet** » Sat Jun 26, 2004 4:57 pm

Oooh, I do a good icy stare.

*stares, er, icily*

Poppet · Post by **Poppet** » Mon Jun 28, 2004 2:09 pm

you tell your computer that poppet, your friend who works at

MASSACHUSETTS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY

will come and show it what's what if it doesn't straighten up.

that should appropriately scare it. even though i cannot program in any computer language. i just work here, somebody has to.

Copenhagen Fan · Post by **Copenhagen Fan** » Tue Jun 29, 2004 4:04 am

no to seeing Cindy on Webcam...unless it's free...and yes to 3 hard extra inches of trobbing grissle.

PlaythingOrPet · Post by **PlaythingOrPet** » Tue Jun 29, 2004 8:39 am

Thanks Pops. I'll give it a severe talking to, with suitable finger-wagging.

Do you have to Cope? That's put me right off my late lunch.

Copenhagen Fan · Post by **Copenhagen Fan** » Tue Jun 29, 2004 9:06 am

Playting or Pet....a man's gotta do what a man's gotta do to keep up with the demanding Danish women!

laughingcrow · Post by **laughingcrow** » Mon Aug 02, 2004 4:49 am

Erm, now I need help....even though I've got AdAware (updated), CWShredder, and a thing called Spybot - search and destroy, I keep getting this spyware hijacking my browser.
It's called Sp (Sp file shows up in my windows temp file, and loads of sp.dll files are set as default browser pages in the regedit)... and it keeps making my browser go to about:blank.
I can remove it a bit with AdAware, but it keeps on coming back! I've searched through regedit to try and manually remove it, and thought it had worked...it hadn't!
Any ideas????

ReadyToHearTheWorst · Post by **ReadyToHearTheWorst** » Mon Aug 02, 2004 7:17 am

LC,
You have Spybot, so have you kept it up to date and used the 'immunize' option? That can stop some stuff coming back. Spybot can also protect your IE settings, such as home page.

As to how to remove Sp, sorry, no idea.

laughingcrow · Post by **laughingcrow** » Mon Aug 02, 2004 6:03 pm

yeah everythings updated...but it still keeps coming back. Curse this lazarus like spyware! If I click 'back' the browser crashes, and my homepage is set to a poor man's google. Harrumph!

Anyone else know how to cure cyber-leprosy!?

pip_52 · Post by **pip_52** » Mon Aug 02, 2004 6:17 pm

I have the gray pop up boxes too, they drive me crazy.

The worst is when your homepage gets taken over and then everytime you launch explorer about a dozen pop ups launch as well.

LC - I love your avatar. That is all.

Post by **DrSpooky** » Mon Aug 02, 2004 9:52 pm

http://www.2-spyware.com/file-sp-dll.html is a link to an executable that claims to take care of sp.dll. Hopefully it won't try to charge you anything.

http://www.pestpatrol.com/PestInfo/T/TinyBar.asp has manual instructions for removing it.

Here at the Spooky household, we avoid a lot of problems by NEVER using Outlook in any form and using Internet Explorer only when a site doesn't work in another browser. Our browser of choice is Mozilla or FireFox from http://www.mozilla.org. Both share the same basic feature set including popup blocker and nice password manager. Mozilla includes things l ike an IRC client, HTML editor and more while FireFox is just a browser. It depends on what you need.

You might also try one of the free online virus scanners like http://housecall.trendmicro.com/houseca ... t_corp.asp or the entirely free for personal use http://free.grisoft.com/freeweb.php/doc/2/.

If you have high speed Internet connection (DSL or cable), then you should have a hardware router/firewall. If you have high speed Internet and their is nothing between your computer and the cable/DSL modem except a cable, then we need to discuss that further in this thread. You are living a dangerous life in a way that isn't even fun.

Be careful on the net.. practice safe browsing and don't get any communicable computer diseases.

PlaythingOrPet · Post by **PlaythingOrPet** » Tue Aug 03, 2004 5:24 am

It goes without saying no one should be using IE at the moment, you're just asking for trouble if you do. As with the Doc, I'm using FireFox as my browser now and have had no trouble with spyware so far (touch wood). Plus, it's dead nippy, much faster than IE.

laughingcrow · Post by **laughingcrow** » Tue Aug 03, 2004 7:17 am

Thanks DrS...need to implement your advice later.

Goes without saying...

...how am I supposed to know that? I always trust Unkie Bill!

Otis Westinghouse · Post by **Otis Westinghouse** » Tue Aug 03, 2004 6:15 pm

Yeah, it's default at work, default at home. I checked out Mozilla (which I'd like to use if only for its Homage to Moz connotations), but it seemed to indicate Mac OS X compatibility only, and I'm a hapless 9.1 boy (yes, I know...). Could Dr J or another Macologist give me instructions on what to use? I don't have any probs with IE, by the way.

I've always found Outlook tedious, and was inspired by the above to finally do what I tried ages ago and failed with, to download Eudora instead. It will probably go without saying that no-one in their right mind uses it, but it's by far the best one I've used, and, interestingly, much better on Mac than PC (based on experience of both at work). Had a moment of horror whenm after successfully importing all my old mail from Outlook, I then quit and re-entered and found none of it was there, but then it was OK after repeating the procedure. At least you can filter addresses to trash with Eudora, unlike Outlook (on Mac, at least). I know the spam addresses constantly change, but at least 'Ted Ciuba' will get his comeuppance. Anyone else been visited by Ted?

We now have to use the tedious Lotus Notes at work. Bells and whistles package, but essentially a crappy email programme.

Post by **DrSpooky** » Fri Aug 06, 2004 7:56 am

I have been asked by a couple of people about hardware firewalls/routers. Back to school time is hectic around here and I apologize for the delay. I haven't read all of this and want to add some more links and personal thoughts but this looks like it is a good introduction to the issues.

http://www.firewallguide.com/

They cover the basics of keeping your computer safe. A router/firewall is listed as the 2nd line of defense. A router/firewall is small piece of hardware that acts as a dedicated and simple wall between your computer(s) and the outside world. They have a way to limit what gets in or out of your "home network." It is WAY simpler than your PC, very seldom needs a software upgrade and do not run MS-Windows. By being dedicated network applicances they do not tend to have the security holes that a desktop operating system does.

Usually they have 4 places to plug in a "CAT 5" Ethernet cable. Another feature many have is wireless access. Usually the wireless access points are not any more expensive than those without. All of the ones I have seen have a "administrative web interface" -- you point a browser at it and in < 10 minutes it is installed. At the bottom, I give a link to a couple of router/notebook wireless network adapter deals which about about $50 for mid-line wireless technology.

I have had used 5 brands of them over the years -- Linksys, D-Link, NetGear, Seimens, and Belkin. I started with one which did not have wireless access and upgraded. All of them are slightly different in how you configure them via the menu system but do the same thing. RIght now we have two in the house. One is the main fitrewall/access point for cable modem to the house and has wireless. The other is used downstairs to "route" one cable to 2 more computers and provide better wireless coverage throughout the house. Together, I spent less than $120 on them and one included a wireless network card for my laptop.

I a bought http://www.d-link.com/products/108mbps_xtremeg.asp with the wireless network laptop card for $79 after rebates. It is the state of the art. A week later, I bought a card/router combo for our sister-in-law whigh was a generation back on the wireless for $19 after rebates.

http://www.buy.com in Home Networking has two combo deals right now which are about $50 after rebates

http://www.buy.com/retail/department.as ... 3410&mp=60

It is the D-Link and NetGear. These are 54 Mbs (802.11g) products. The one I bought for $79 after rebates was "Extreme-G" and is 108 Mbs. I do not think it has a formal IEEE international standard yet.