Firefox is non-functioning; SpyBot has disappeared.

[Sal Minella]

Clicking on the Firefox icon in my Startup menu produces nothing; can get on the net immediately using ie.

In the "Currently Installed Programs" listing, Mozilla Firefox still appears, but Spybot does not, nor does Accuweather.

I notice the loading of the Accuweather bar has been getting slower and slower and sometimes the whole screen says "Website not available" but it seems to be waiting for the Accuweather bar to finish loading, which sometimes it doesn't.

I am using the ie access but all my wonderful bookmarks are in Firefox, and is anyone else so afflicted?

Went to the Mozilla site and downloaded the 3.5.5. again but nothing happens on clicking "Run." (this would lose all my bookmarks even if it did work).

Running XP with DSL on a five-year-old Compaq. Could this be old age? (mine or the computer's)

Recently downloaded/installed the Java update, but certainly haven't fiddled with any other settings. (Microsoft's helpful little Diagnostic Test tells me to call my computer manufacturer)

Am bewildered that the Accuweather bar has stopped working and presents little empty boxes in the bar instead of suns and clouds, and has totally disappeared from Installed Programs list.

Am even more bewildered that Firefox has disappeared.

:cry:

[DainBramaged]

1. Go down to my thread on software apps and download from links provided

and install. Sounds like some Trojan has invaded.

[Sal Minella]

5. The free registry scan is lovely and colorful and found 458 errors

and now it wants $30 to fix them. (PURCHASE NOW!)

This is not what I had in mind, exactly.

[DainBramaged]

6. Sal

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=242x27120


CCleaner is free always.

[Sal Minella]

10. The CCleaner was indeed free, but Malwarebytes

(which I had hoped would get rid of the demons that ate my Firefox and Spybot) led me to/through Uniblue Registry Booster which requires my generosity to the tune of $30 to clear up the 458 "errors" it says it found.

[Why Syzygy]

11. How did it do that?

I don't see any ads on the Malwarebytes site. Did you use http://www.malwarebytes.org - ORG?

If you saw false advertising, that could be part of the issue.

Edit: You must have used DB's link to majorgeeks? The ORIGINAL SITE links should be posted. Not links to third parties for downloads.

MOST of the people who help out here will NEVER recommend software that is pay for, unless it is clearly stated or widely known.

[Sal Minella]

12. This is the site

http://www.majorgeeks.com/Malwarebytes_Anti-Malware_d5756.html

that led me to the Uniblue Registry Booster $30 fix.

I'll try the one you posted.

Thanks for sticking with me here.

[DainBramaged]

14. Sal, there are TWO versions of Malware Bytes, free and pay

you just have to pick



http://malwarebytes.org/


http://download.cnet.com/Malwarebytes-Anti-Malware/3000-8022_4-10804572.html?part=dl-10804572&subj=dl&tag=button


there is the free link from CNet. The free version works GREAT, always has.

[Why Syzygy]

16. He doesn't need to go to CNET.

The original MB site has the free version. There's a BIG BLUE BUTTON to download the FREE version.

[DainBramaged]

17. takes ya to download.com aka Cnet

:hi:

[Why Syzygy]

19. I like to give the original source site.

That way they have access to all the information, not just a downloaded file.

If MB wants to use CNET, no problem. At least you know it comes from their own site.

However, for something such as Revo, which I often recommend, the original site has a lot of user advice and instructions. Likewise, many of the free anti-virus sites have forums and whatnot that could be advantageous to the end user. Ccleaner does as well.

[Sal Minella]

22. I clicked on the only big blue button I could see and it ultimately

took me to another demand for $30.

That seems to be the going rate. If I could be sure that $30 would get rid of my 458 registry errors, or six-hundred some registry errors (as one search found) or eight-hundred some registry errors (as another found) I would indeed pay the $30, at this point, but I don't trust any of these damn sites any more.

On one of the "free" downloads, you have to buy Netflix or promise to buy $50 worth of something, or donate to a charity to get the "free" download -- so I tried to donate the requisite $30 (!) to United Fund, and was told my "bank" refused my credit card (which is absurd) and I should "use a different credit card" (I have only one, which I pay off every month, but now this outfit has my CC number -- fortunately the limit on the card is very low).


While I am having my friend in Minneapolis locate a secondhand Mac on Craig's List, how do you think it would work if I just UNINSTALLED all the old Firefox 3.5.5 stuff and installed the new Firefox beta from the Mozilla site?

Obviously I would still have internal problems -- I mean, something ate my Spybot and something ate my Accuweather, and I'm sick to death of trying to open a site in ie and having the damn thing time out and say "Page cannot be displayed." I thought the Accuweather updating in the status bar was causing that, but it's not.

I could have the computer geek in the next town over just wipe the hard drive and start over, but he charges $100 to do that and I think my finances would be better served by buying a second-hand Mac in Minneapolis.

I love Macs and am on this sorryass Compaq because my daughter gave it to me free.

Didn't mean to vent. btw I am not a "he," but a white-haired little old lady addicted to DU and Netflix and e-mail, and I actually thought Norton was doing its job. I notice I always have glitches after Microsoft does one of it's "updates" but this time I just feel doomed.

Have to go clean house, company coming!!!

p.s. -- thanks for your responses -- much appreciated!

[Why Syzygy]

25. omg...

The big blue button should not have taken you anywhere asking for money. I think you're system may have been hijacked. Can you get email? I could email you the malwarebytes program. Or do you still have the download file for Spybot?

DO NOT put your credit card number into any more pages until your system is cleaned!

[RoyGBiv]

18. Yes, well ...

It's always nice for people who recommend things to let others know of such issues if they are in fact aware of them. Otherwise we can end up with situations like what we see here.

[Sal Minella]

21. The "free" choice zipped past and it went immediately into the long

scan, ending in the demand for $30. It didn't give me time to click on the free version, okay?

[Why Syzygy]

26. Something is terribly wrong.

DO NOT put your credit card number into any more web pages.

[Why Syzygy]

2. Are you running XP?

Do a search for the Firefox files. Start > Search > All files and folders > C: drive (or your hard drive) > firefox - just for FYI for now to see if it is present

Get Revo uninstaller >
http://www.revouninstaller.com/revo_uninstaller_free_download.html

Malwarebytes >
http://www.malwarebytes.org/

With Malwarebytes, do an update and then a full scan. Allow it to fix any issues found.

If you are still having issues with the Accuweather bar, use Revo to uninstall (Advanced option - removing all indicated registry entries and files) and then reinstall it from a fresh download.

Please reply with update to your issue.
What anti-virus program do you use?

[Sal Minella]

3. Yes, XP.

Just ran the CCleaner (which took forever, but the old Compaq just went zippywhippy to DU and My DU.)

Will try Uninstaller and then see if it will give me the Malwarebytes page without timing out.

c u later

[Sal Minella]

4. Revo does not show Accuweather among the apps icons.

Will try Malwarebytes now.

My anti-virus is Norton/Symantec.

My next computer is a Mac.

[david13]

7. I'm not one of the gurus and don't know a lot, but I found norton to be

useless, and expensive for nothing. I would recommend you dump that. And also McAfee. Avast seems to be doing good for me.
dc

[Sal Minella]

9. Thanks. Advice well-taken.

Edit to add -- The Norton busybox is always "idle-time scanning" up in the corner and it seems to be downloading new virus definitions about every thirteen minutes, so I don't know how the heck it missed the one that got me.

[Why Syzygy]

8. Does it show Firefox?

The registry cleaner in Ccleaner is sufficient. I run Windows Live One Care online version, and it will find a few additional, but not many.

[Sal Minella]

13. Yes it shows the Firefox icon, but not Accuweather.

I killed off the status bar where the accuweather boxes lived, but am still getting timed out when trying to get into websites.

[Why Syzygy]

15. It might take a while to run Malwarebytes.

Allow it to fix whatever it finds. Is your Firefox icon launching FF now?

Use Revo (Advanced option) to uninstall that piece of crap software that wants $30.

[madokie]

20. If you're willing to try something different

go Linux. I'm like on my second or third week of pretty much ubuntu and I can't imagine ever going back to xp. I've even got autocad working using wine and it's as fast as it ever was running in xp.

You can get some great help here and many of your questions can be answered by reading the linux threads here on du.

[Sal Minella]

23. Hi Madokie --

If I didn't have an overwhelmingly busy Holiday season already underway, I would try converting to Linux, having seen nothing but GOOD comments about it -- seems everybody who's tried it is happy with it.

But I'm short of computer-fiddling time (while trying to hang onto my innerwebnet-tubes access), and switching over to Linux would take more brainpower and time than I can invest right now.

Thanks for your post -- you are one of the people I read and enjoy consistently.

[Sal Minella]

24. Okay, nobody's going to believe this

and I certainly don't believe it.

This morning I heard the familiar loud POP signaling that a squirrel (once again) has made his way into a local transformer and shorted it out, then black monitor screen and dark in the house.

After a few seconds, the lights went back on as usual and I punched the Restart button on the hard drive case, hoping to still have e-mail at least left even if all other internet capability was gone, and . . .

It opened up in Firefox! (Complete with all beloved Bookmarks.)
Which is especially bizarre because I had switched preference to ie.

And the Accuweather bar at the bottom works fine.

I have NO idea what's going on, would have expected a restart to make everything worse.

So I thank those of you who gave time and assistance and advice, and this afternoon I shall make a small offering of roasted peanuts to the squirrel gods in the back yard.

[Why Syzygy]

27. omg II

:mouthagape: Please still download the FREE version of Malwarebytes and scan.

Are you links still being hijacked?

That is amazing.

[Sal Minella]

28. Am doing.

In process of scanning.

The malwarebytes.org link gave me a whole different download procedure just now -- and no request for funds. e-bam.exe had not appeared before.

[canetoad]

29. Do you reboot the machine often?

Maybe that was just what it needed. I wonder if it's possible that Norton had gone buggy and was blocking access to certain internet connecting applications.

[Why Syzygy]

30. I hope that's it. nt

[Sal Minella]

31. Hi -- I reboot almost never --

put it to sleep overnight and when not using it during the day. During the thunderstorm season is the only time it gets shut off occasionally.

I acquired this habit in the belief that restarting was the time any virii present would do the most mischief.

I have the Malwarebytes scan paused right now and will resume scanning and report back later -- thanks for keeping me company, you guys -- :)

[Why Syzygy]

That is a relief.

When my pc starts acting up, reboot is one of the options to resolve issues. It used to be one of our troubleshooting steps at the tech support line too.

[canetoad]

33. Yep. We should never underestimate

the healing and restorative powers of a good reboot.

[Sal Minella]

40. I have this concept held deep in my heart now . . .

Experience is a great teacher, indeed.

[DainBramaged]

34. So I was accused by you of leading you to a pay version of software I recommended,

but rally wasn't what it appeared to be, and you hadn't restarted your computer first? And this whole fight over links turned out to be horseshit, a hijacked browser that something you downloaded then cleaned, accusations that were unnecessary, misunderstanding the links I posted, attacks by others here with an axe to grind, and everything is now hunky dory?


And I'm the bad guy.........


:eyes:

[canetoad]

35. Ah, spending your day

making friends and cheering up lives I see. It must be great to be you.

[Why Syzygy]

36. All Sal's issue did

was bring attention to the third party links. When I read your original thread, I did not notice because I already have all the utilities I need.

So, that issue remains. It is still best (immho) to give the software owner's link, so the end user has access to the help and documentation.

Two opinions are not that rare. Anyone who posts at DU should know that!

[DainBramaged]

38. No it gave impetus to others with an axe to grind and lectures that were and are still unnecessary

Good night.


Next time, I'll avoid these situations like the flu ward at the hospital.

[Sal Minella]

39. My dear DB --

I didn't accuse you of anything -- I clicked into the site you gave me, which whizzed past the free button into the pay-for scan, and I reported what happened. Clicking on the same site today produced the genuine Malwarebytes site, not a bilious green imitation.

I have no idea why that url would produce one fake and then one real Malwarebytes site, and your guess on this is certainly as good as mine.

I didn't know that restarting one's computer was in the mix of possible fixes. I've been led to believe that viruses, if/when present, do their worst damage on restarts, and thus I've always tried to avoid restarts.

I didn't misunderstand the links you posted -- but it is true they didn't lead to a free download the first time.

I plead ignorance. I am old on top of being ignorant, which does not help.

I am grateful to everyone who offered advice, and by way of apology for your hurt feelings, can I take you to Dairy Queen and buy you a Blizzard or something?

:)

Really -- thank you!

[Why Syzygy]

41. What a lady!

:applause:

[Why Syzygy]

37. You didn't do anything wrong.

I'm glad all you needed was a reboot.

[DU GrovelBot]

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42. Just a peace of advice for anyone scanning for malware when their machine is acting up.

Do it from Safe Mode. Safe mode with networking, in case you need to download anything.
F8 during reboot. That way the malware most likely will still be dormant and therefore can't interfere with the scanning.