PC help

[Darrell O'Neill]

Hey guys, not a westie question a PC one.

Think i may have a small problem,

when i open up internet explorer my home page has changed......even when i alter it in internet options, the next time i open it it's changed back again, to some site offering me PC privicy software. Also getting alot of pop-ups even when aol has supplosed to block them.

Have chacked it with Norton anti-virus and whole PC is OK.

any ideas??

cheers guys

[karlgurney]

Go on to www.cnet.com and go to downloads, do a search for a program called ad aware and download it, sounds like you have some spyware in urgent need of removal.

someone else i'm sure will come along with some more advice to help you out if this doesn't work.

Karl

[Darrell O'Neill]

urgent??

how urgent?

[Crash Override]

Check to make sure what number your computer is dialing up as there are some pop ups that come up which won't let you close them with out clicking ok, this then allows them to hijack your dial up and use it on premium lines (normally adult lines if you know what I mean). There was something about it on watch dog couple of weeks ago, you should be able to check numbers by going in to dial up properties - I think, if anyone knows exactly they might let you know. It might be advisable not to leave your computer plugged in to the phone line until you know exactly what the problem is and check your phone bill too. Normally servers should block pop ups out but it not full proof, especially if you've been surfing through other server sites - unfortunatley it's just one you have to watch out for, if you have that pop up that won't go away make sure you don't click ok and just disconnect from the line, only real way to be sure.

Anyone with any more info or ideas on this post in, quiet a serious issue here.

Any way rambled on enough and I hope this helps good luck with sorting your problem.

Crash.

[Darrell O'Neill]

Thanks,

i'm going to need all the help i can get guys

[Mike]

As already stated goto Downloads.com and download adaware 6. you will most probably find that you have alot of spyware on your computer that you didnt know about, especially in cookies. just select all and delete or clean up once a search has been done. It may ask for a reboot, and scan after reboot, just click on "ok". This should solve any problems. if not PM me and i'll give u another spyware program to get rid of them.

just a definition of spyware for you. In general they are nothing to be worried about, but just not good to have.

"A technology that assists in gathering information about a person or organization without their knowledge. On the Internet, "spyware is programming that is put in someone's computer to secretly gather information about the user and relay it to advertisers or other interested parties." As such, spyware is cause for public concern about privacy on the Internet."

mike

[Man On The Clapham Omnibus]

I've had this problem and Adaware and Spybot didn't cure it. I succeeded in getting rid of it from Windows 98 and IE 6.0 by using scanreg/restore and restoring the windows register to a date prior to the problem appearing. You'll have to do it quick, though, 'cos there's only a limited time to go back to, IYSWIW I still have a niggling prob with my laptop 'cos I didn't get to it quickly enough. There's a naughty web URL, that I haven't visited, that appears as a "completed address" automatically when I enter the initial letter of it. No matter how I try - erasing cookies, deleting history, and deleting files, it's still there. I've had to turn off "auto complete" to avoid it popping up at "inconvenient" moments.

[Blatman]

MOTCO

Sorry if this lot is egg suckingly obvious........

Stick the url in the search on the Symantec or Norton web site, or in a Google or Yahoo search, or even, God forbid, Microsofts knowledge base....... I'm sure you'll find a solution.

Or if you fancy a challenge, press [ctrl][Alt][Del] to see what's running. Anything that doesn't look right in the processes list, make a note of what it's called on a bit of paper, then select it, and End Task.

Then go to Start > Find.

Type in the what you wrote down.

Make a note of where it is and what else it's called.

Then go to Control Panel > Add/Remove Program(mes).

If it's in the list, remove it. It *should* delete now that you've stopped it running. Lots of these "things" won't delete while the programme is running, and lots of them are programmed to run at start up, so you may want to check your start up folder too. If it's in the start up folder, delete it out of there too.

Then restart the machine.

If it's come back, then it's Regedit time, which is serious, but do-able as long as you take precautions, IE, back-ups of your registry on some sort of removable media.........

[Man On The Clapham Omnibus]

Thanks Blatman, The tip to try [cntrl] [alt] [del] and look for unfamiliar things is one I did know and used it to detect a problem a short while ago. The rest is new and I'll certainly try it, thanks.

[Darrell O'Neill]

Thanks guys.

seem to be ok now, used ad aware prog.

you seem to have to pay to be able to delete the spywatcher prog. the scna prog is free but to remove and fix the problems you have to pay...........great thinking to the guy who thought of it!!

Thanks guys once again,

now i just need to find me a westie so i can have more problems for you lot to sort out!!

[scruffythefirst]

Check to make sure what number your computer is dialing up as there are some pop ups that come up which won't let you close them with out clicking ok

Alt + f4 closes whichever window is in focus.

[Darrell O'Neill]

Be warned guys!!!!!!!

just had the telephone bill for last month.......dial-up was hi-jacked, cost me twenty quit for one call.......now the missus finks i'm a perv!!

[Darrell O'Neill]

Be warned guys!!!!!!!

just had the telephone bill for last month.......dial-up was hi-jacked, cost me twenty quit for one call.......now the missus finks i'm a perv!!