Seems Like Spurious Links in Threads

[Bob Green]

I have noticed that when reading a thread posted, there appears to be a link about the subject.  When clicking on it, it takes me to some sort of survey that has nothing to do with the original thread.

 

What is that all about?  For instance, I have typed the word "Survey" here and it directs to a link I had no control over.

 

If I don't have enough **** land on my PC (with all the Firewalls, anti-virus software et-al), I could do without it.

[SteveD]

use the force wuv use the force

[Captain Colonial]

Slightly concerned about this.  As no one else has reported it yet, and I haven't seen it on three different computers and three different browser types, I wonder if you've picked up some malware, Bob.

 

As much info as you can share about exactly what happens, threads where it happens, etc will be helpful for us, and we can then see if we can help you.

[Man On The Clapham Omnibus]

Nothing seen here either...

[Norman Verona]

Not here.

[peterg]

I suspect Bob has been a victim of malware as the Memb Sec implies so needs to download and run MalwareBytes anti-malware to get rid of it ;-)

[Dave Eastwood (Gadgetman) - Club Chairman]

Nothing here either, maybe a screenshot would help?

 

it does indeed sound like your browsers been hijacked by malware though.

[echoz]

no surveys here either :S 

[Bob Green]

Hi

 

Thanks for the quick replies.

 

I have just checked it out on my laptop and the issue isn't there so I guess it is some malware about somewhere; just what I want on a new PC.  I will get my son to re-install Windows 8, download yet more anti-****e software and try again.

 

Many thanks for your assistance in this frustrating matter. 

[peterg]

Bob, since I bought a new laptop 18 months ago I've been using Windows 7 and the only anti-shoite software I have used is MS Security Essentials(free), MS Windows Firewall(free) and MalwareBytes anti-malware(free) with no problems whatsoever and the big advantage to MS Security Essentials is that it imposes almost no overhead on the PC unlike some of the other like AVG and Avast....

Good luck sorting it out

[dombanks]

Bob, since I bought a new laptop 18 months ago I've been using Windows 7 and the only anti-shoite software I have used is MS Security Essentials(free), MS Windows Firewall(free) and MalwareBytes anti-malware(free) with no problems whatsoever and the big advantage to MS Security Essentials is that it imposes almost no overhead on the PC unlike some of the other like AVG and Avast.... Good luck sorting it out

 

 

if they are any good then i might give them a shot as i got a nasty bit of crap just before christmas on mine. it basically took over the PC and only displayed this screen saying i had been caught illegally downloading and had to pay a fine through some website (ukash or summat). if you restarted then the desktop would appear but then drop to this screen immediatly. i had to do a do one of those restore things back to  a point to be able to get it to go away and then avast spent hours doing a scan and a boot scan. most annoying when i wasnt even doing anything dodgy.

[Dommo]

Windows 8 has security essentials built in. Doesn't seem to have caught Bob's problem, slightly worrying!

[Blatman]

Bob - Try to fix the problem as suggested by using Malware Bytes.

 

Dombanks - I would try to resist re-installing Windows as a first option.

Like the answer for Bob, try to fix it with Malware Bytes or similar.

 

As you both have a pretty good idea of what the symptoms are, go to a non infected machine and Google the symptoms. I would imagine there will be a fix that can be downloaded from McAfee or Norton or somewhere.

Norton (Symantec) also have a pretty good, and free to use anti virus scanner which I have used a couple of times to clear out infections of malware and virii.

 

Remember that for a virus or malware to work it has to be running on the machine which means it is probably (not definitely) but probably visible in the list of running processes. In a few cases in the past it has been necessary to locate and stop the process before the item can be 100% successfully removed.

[BLiNK Motorsport]

Bob,

It's quite a well known virus called 'text enhance' most good anti virus will get rid - its well documented on the Internet

HTH

[Bob Green]

Hi again

 

Ray, my son has remotely carried out some sort of Voodoo on the PC and also installed Malware Bytes, which I have to say appears the issues have gone away.

 

Many thanks for your suggestions and thoughts; you have made an old fart very happy.