Anyone else getting this popup using Mozilla?

[LiberalUprising]

Pop up says

"Update now - Mozilla"

"Spy software may be installed on your computer"

It then lists several locations of supposed spyware and at bottom says

"Unable to remove items"

"Click ok to remove items"

I use Spyware Exterminator, Ad aware, Norton System Works 2003, all are updated and show no problems when run.

Ran find files and none of these show up.

Where does this come from and how do I keep it from coming back?

Popup stopper on mozilla is set to allow no popups.

[RoyGBiv]

1. Where are you getting it?

Or is it random?

Sounds like a javascript "popup" to me. Those aren't blocked by typical popup blocker methods. To disable them, you have to disable java.

[LiberalUprising]

2. Getting this and other P/Us

randomly with mozilla and firefox.

What is the downside to disable java?

Thanks!

[RoyGBiv]

5. Downside

If it's random, it probably isn't a java popup as I was thinking of it. Could be a messenger exploit? Not sure, but I'm thinking along the lines of spyware of some malware variation. It could be fueled by java.

The downside to disabling java is that these days, you're disabling a lot of the web content out there. If you have a good firewall and know how to use it well, you can selectively disable java. I'm not sure if Mozilla allows this kind of selection at the moment or not since I haven't looked into it.

Whether this is a java popup you're experiencing or not, you will encounter them eventually, and they'll get to be more common. It's the next natural progression caused in part by the effectiveness of pop-up blocking in FF and Mozilla.

[charlie]

7. Note

It's Javascript you'll want to toggle. Java won't affect popups.

[RoyGBiv]

12. Good note ...

Yes. I was being sloppy with my terms.

[bemildred]

3. Edit->Preferences->Privacy&Security->Popup Windows

Check "Block unrequested popup windows"

Read the note and click "Help".

Checkout Tools->PopupManager

[Jersey Devil]

4. Yes, got it a few minutes ago at rawstory.com

and I am running Spybot and Spywareblaster.

[KitchenWitch]

6. I, too have been getting pop-unders lately

I looked in all my settings and have everything set to block, but some are still getting through!

[charlie]

10. Could be the extensions you're using

Some of them interfere with Firefox's native popup blocking.

Find and save (or bookmark) an URL that consistently spawns a popup. Close all instances of Firefox and reopen it in safe mode. Instructions here:

http://kb.mozillazine.org/Safe_Mode

Check your popup blocking status to be sure it's on. Revisit the popup URL.

If you don't get popups, you'll need to uninstall all extensions, close and restart in regular mode, then re-add them and revisit the URL, one-by-one, until you identify the culprit when a popup shows.

Also, be aware that what the blocker suppresses is newly spawned windows. Some popups aren't windows at all, but DHTML widgets, which can't be blocked (unless you want to turn Javascript off). If the popup doesn't add a new item to your taskbar, you're looking at a DHTML doodad.

[KitchenWitch]

11. Thanks

they are definitely not DHTML thingies since they show up in the taskbar. Just downloaded an ad blocker extension and it seems to have stopped!

[CrownPrinceBandar]

8. I'm getting the same pop-up.........................

It all started for me when I switched from Win2K Pro to XP Pro. At first, I thought it was the Messenger service, so I went in and turned it off. However, I'm still getting the pop-ups occasionally. I have also blocked pop-ups in Firefox to no avail.

I read some articles on the MozillaZine that there are a number of folks having the same issue and that either there is some javascript that is causing the pop-ups, or that finally the pop-up blocker in Mozilla has been defeated.

Snoop around here and see if you see anything that describes your issue:

http://forums.mozillazine.org/search.php?mode=results

Keep us posted!

[LiberalUprising]

9. Thanks!

nt