THANK GOD for Ad Aware, and GODDAMN malware!!!!!

[1monster]

I came home this afternoon to find that my computer, which was perfectly okay when I left for work this morning, was infected with the same damned malware that cost me $125 last August to get fixed.

At that time, I did not have Ad Aware, but installed it immediately on getting my CPU back, and I'm so glad I did. It took a while, but Ad Aware was able to over power and remove the malware and remove it.

Nothing I tried the time before worked. I had to have a back up DVD of my files made (and I forgot back up of Microsoft Office 3000, so I lost it along with my password... don't want to fork out $150 to get it again either) and the computer wiped and reset...

This time Ad Aware did the trick for me for free.

But what I want to know is how the damned stuff got on there when there was no one home to be on line to download it???

The malware is the one that tells you that your computer has a virus and to immediately got to some website or another to download, at a cost, the cure for the worm.

Aren't shakedowns like this one illegal? It is a form of extortion. "We are holding your computer hostage until you pay us $$$$...

Where are the Internet police when you need them? Shouldn't they be chasing these bastards down?

Hi Agent Mike... Can you get on this ASAP before someone makes a version that overrides Ad Aware? They've alreay overridden Nortion, McAfee, AVG, and Spybot...

[thunder rising]

1. Linux doesn't seem to have a need for Ad-Aware

[1monster]

2. Just keep posting that and I'm sure some virus maker will find a way...

The bastards.

[PFunk]

22. Neither do macs...

But I brought a copy of MacScan anyway and I'm surprised at all of the ad tracking cookies I have to purge every morning when it self activates every day. This is getting out of hand folks.

[Beelzebud]

44. Or proper video drivers, sound drivers, etc. etc. etc.

Recommending Linux to someone that doesn't know their way around a computer is like telling someone a kit car is cheaper than buying a ferrari.

[Tandalayo_Scheisskopf]

3. Are you using...

Firefox and it's extensions "AdBlockPlus" and "NoScript"?

The combination is a fine first defense against such things. Of course, some meaningful assistance on the part of both China and Russia, on getting virus and malware concerns shut down would also help, but I am not holding my breath on that one.

[HCE SuiGeneris]

4. Much prefer SpyWareBlaster as a frontline defense...

in conjunction with Firefox of course.

[1monster]

5. What is SpyWareBlaster and where do I get it?

[in_cog_ni_to]

30. I use Spyware Blaster too. It keeps all that crap off your computer. Link to free download:

http://www.javacoolsoftware.com/spywareblaster.html

and I use Spybot. Here's a link to the free download:

http://spywarebot.com/?hop=advanced99&p=3&gid=1072645447&gclid=cjg1jqo0_jacfuv0oaod-jo0oq

You might want to download Firefox too...best browser EVER. Ever since I got rid of Microsoft's Internet Explorer and my Norton anti virus, my computer has been great.

Link to Firefox:

http://clark-hosting.com/mozilla/index.html

[Reciprocity]

37. Will any of this work with Vista?

[in_cog_ni_to]

42. Does anything work with Vista? Just Kidding! I have no clue. I run XP. You may be able to get that

info at the links I posted.

[Reciprocity]

45. Vista is a POS!!! .

I'm on a dial up this took forty minuets to download and then it tells me, the files are corrupted.

[in_cog_ni_to]

46. That's what I've heard and why I stuck with XP. Can you go back to XP? Get rid of Vista?

What were you downloading?

[1monster]

54. Thank you. I will download it after I reset my computer. Just after I signed off line last night,

the damned malware was back. Just got rid of it again, but I'm going to save as many of my files as I can and reset to factory settings.

I ran Avast and it says that my operating system is corrupted and to reboot the entire operating system.

Damn!

[1monster]

6. Isn't Firefox an operating system? Here's were I show my ignorance...

:blush:

[The Straight Story]

9. Firefox is a browser

If you want to now more just PM me, would be happy to help ya out!

[Warpy]

15. Firefox is a browser

It's Netscape before AOL bought it and screwed it up. It's attracting hackers and other scumbags, but the addons mentioned above will stop most of them. http://www.mozilla.com/firefox/

The only time I use Internet Explorer is with a few stupid games that still won't run on Firefox, even with the Explorer extension.

Ad Aware is freeware and will catch most spyware. It also erases some of your stored passwords, so if you store them, be prepared to restore them after you run the program. http://www-Ad-ware.com

Zone Alarm is still free to home users. It's a firewall that keeps a lot of intrusions from happening whether or not you're anywhere near the computer. http://www.pcworld.com/downloads/file/fid,7228-order,1-page,1-c,alldownloads/description.html

Putting your puter on a router will also stop a lot of intrusions because it closes a lot of the ports hackers use to gain access. Mine's on a DSL router backed up by a wireless router because the phone jack's in an inconvenient spot.

[The Stranger]

47. Thanks for all of this from the non-computer people.

Big help to those of us who can't distinguish a computer from a Ferrari.

One question: what exactly is a "router" and where does one find one?

[Dawggie]

48. For most home users a router is a piece of hardware that allows you to share your internet

connection with more than one computer. If you have a printer that is network ready, it will allow you to use that printer from any of your computers. A wireless router will do all that plus let you use your laptop (if Wi Fi ready) anywhere in your house without having to connect to your internet connection physically.

You can find routers at Best Buy, Circuit City and thousands of internet shops such as Tiger Direct, etc.

PM me if you need any other information.

[The Stranger]

50. Excellent, and thanks!

[Warpy]

49. Just think of your computer as a series of little black boxes

that each performs a function. Inside your computer is the CPU, the box that decides where all the electrons go to do various things. The RAM is the temporary memory, where the CPU interprets the letters I'm typing on this screen. They'll go away out of the RAM as soon as I hit send, and the RAM will be able to receive more temporary stuff. The drives on the front of your computer are other black boxes that receive media that can allow you to play games, watch movies, learn a language, or do whatever is on them. The CPU is the traffic cop that tells every other black box what to do and when.

A router is outside the computer. I have two, which is overkill for most people. One is a DSL modem, a gadget that connects one to four computers directly to a fast phone connection. The other is a wireless router, another box that connects to the modem and sends all the signals to and from computers in my house back and forth to the modem and through it, back and forth through the net. It comes in handy when I'm hiding in bed with a box of tissues and my laptop. It also creates havoc for would be hackers, since they have to hack through the built in firewalls in both routers and then confront Zone Alarm.

If you have two home computers and would like to connect them both to the same internet connection without running wires all over the place, you can get a wireless setup at any place that sells computer innards. You'll need the router box and the receiver, which you can usually get both internally and as a USB connection for a laptop.

[The Stranger]

52. Thanks very much.

Very much appreciated.

[Wiley50]

7. Thanks for reminding me!

I've had AD-AWARE for two or three years now and was using AVG too

But I had to wipe my hard drive a couple of months ago (hardware problem) and start over.

I decided to use AVAST! for anti-virus this time instead of AVG. Works great!

But I had forgotten to dl ad-aware again.

Thanks!

But I forgot where to get it from?

Can you post the link?

Wait! I remember now. It's made by Lavasoft

But if you have it would you please post the link for others that need it

[1monster]

10. Here you go folks, the free version of Ad Aware... It is worth having.

http://www.lavasoftusa.com/products/ad_aware_free.php

[BlueJazz]

8. It probably "Rode in" on another file before you turned the Computer off....

...although Waking up a computer is not that hard to do, if it's set up right.

You might want to get "Spywareblaster" also..It's free.

I use 3 things and have never had any trouble in 6 years

Nod32
spywareblaster
ad-aware

[madeline_con]

11. I think the little buggers jump on while your'e innocently surfing,

and then "inform" you of all kinds of problems the next time you startup. :shrug:

At least that seems to be the M.O. of some of them.

[parasim]

12. Virus-free since '89...

But then I use a Mac, so I'm good to go.

Sorry to hear about your virus problems...

[parasim]

23. Notice how everybody ignores the Mac user?

Probably don't want to be reminded how much their choice of computer really sucks... heh heh...

[parasim]

25. Ya got that right...

But, hey, probably best that way. The fewer Mac users there are, the less likely those virus writing bastards will target the Mac.

[parasim]

26. Good point.

:toast:

[LTR]

29. Not so fast, Mac snob!

From Leo Laporte:

http://techguylabs.com/radio/ShowNotes/Show401#toc3

There’s a new Mac Trojan in the wild. Theres a lot of talk that Leopard doesn’t handle the firewall very well. If you have Leopard you should absolutely go into the security settings and make sure that you have it set to “block all traffic unless I approve”. You can find some suggestions to make protect yourself better at this site: http://www.macworld.com/news/2007/10/30/leopard_security/index.php?lsrc=mwrss

http://www.tuaw.com/2007/10/31/intego-reporting-new-os-x-trojan-horse-in-the-wild

:argh:

[parasim]

40. wow, I haven't been called that in a while...

I thought I gave up my computer bigotry a decade ago... I guess I came off as quite the snob, eh? sorry about that. I was just funnin'... I dunno, maybe I kinda miss the ol' mac vs pc flamewars.

and yeah, i'm up on all the leopard security issues and I think I'm good... but thanks for the links anyway.

[1monster]

28. I've used Macs at school, but to be quite honest, I don't find them "user friendly."

They can be a pain in the patootie a little less than quite regularly.

So, they don't, as a general rule, need a lot of anti-virus and anti-spyware. That is a plus, but as long as the anti-virus and anti-spyware software handles the problems, I'll stick with the PCs.

(not ignoring you at all. Just don't find any point of intersection. And, yes, I know that Bill Gates "borrowed" the windows idea from MacIntosh/Apple)

[ProudDad]

35. Y'all did know that if you plug in a 3 button mouse

with a scroll wheel to a mac running Mac OS X -- you get your right click and scrolling back!

[1monster]

36. They are not my computers. They belong to the schools in which I work and

I don't often get to use the same computer often enough to invest in the mouse...

[ProudDad]

38. Just carry the mouse (they're about $15-20)

and plug it into the USB port of whatever computer you're using. If it's OSX -- it'll automatically detect it and do the right thing.

It's very cool...

[parasim]

39. Don't mind me, I'm just kidding around here...

I really could care less what you or anybody else uses computer-wise. For me, the Mac has worked brilliantly over the years and i've always found PCs to be non user-friendly, but hey, I know, to each his own.

I've always scoffed at those at who see preference of computer as some sort of religion, despite my snide, beer-induced comments on your thread.

and yes, i also know that Apple "borrowed" the windows idea from Xerox PARC.

i only commented because it's true that I have not had a virus in a long long time.

I apologize for my dickheadedness...

cheers!

[navarth]

13. Opera.

AVG anti-virus.

[1monster]

18. Sorry, it knocked AVG anti-virus out of the ball park... froze it up in less than five minutes.

[navarth]

43. wow. impressive.

well done, asshole virus-writer, wherever you are

[ProudDad]

62. You may actually have a hardware problem

an incipient failing hard drive will exhibit those symptoms...

[1monster]

64. Which symptoms? I've had this virus before and it is nasty. After having it cleaned, the PC was

fine. AVG is back up and running, as well as Avast, Norton, and Spybot. Ad Aware cleaned the grabage off, but somehow I have had Trojan Horse downloaders placed somewhere in my programs and it is hidden so well that, thus far, none of the programs I've used can get rid of it.

I had a similar problem with my last (Windows 98) computer. I would run all the antivirus/spyware programs, AND delete it from my registry, but it would reinstall itself with in minutes of cleaning it out.

I'm hoping that this is not the case with my XP computer. I don't want to go VISTA.

[bigmonkey]

14. I never worry about viruses.

As a linux user for over 5 years, I've been hearing for the whole time that same old story about how the linux viruses are coming soon. No sign yet. I have no software on my machine to fight viruses, adware, spyware, and I don't have any of that crap on my machine.

I can't understand why people put up with the Windows situation when there's a community-supported, free alternative that would be easy to learn. It's anti-corporate, works really well, saves me money, and encourages me to play nice with others. I really don't understand why people are so attached to what is obviously a bad technology.

In the meantime, can I suggest OpenOffice for Windows instead of Office 3000? Free, reads and writes Windows formats, and works really well for all but the most Office-adapted writers.

And I really don't think we need anything like "Internet police" just so folks can continue to make a choice that they then complain about all the time. (You are probably joking to some degree, but still...)

[1monster]

16. But I think the Internet Police already exist to watch over what we post. I was just

suggesting a better use for them. (And, yes, I was semi joking, but if deliberately infecting other's CPs with viruses is against the law, who do we report it to? And will the do anything about it?

I might try Open Office. I wasn't sure if it would make all of the Office 3000 bits work, like being able to write a Power Point as my kid has to do Power Point presentation for school on a seemingly regular basis...

[DS1]

17. The stuff to 'clean it up' IS the Malware

that's the trick, by even clicking on that crap, you've already fallen for it.

[1monster]

19. Since I got infected with it before, I didn't fall for it this time. Even so, it

was a bitch!

The malware puts up a warning that looks just like a Windows warning. It's easy to think you are just clicking on a Windows window.

[nebenaube]

20. there's a new worm running around... n/t

[WillyT]

21. I Use...

Spybot - (mainly for blocking the suckers from getting on).

Ad-Aware - For normal usage. Every time you go on the net, you will get something.

Windows Defender - as the only one that can shut down a running process and then get rid of it, when Spybot and Ad-Aware can't.

:shrug:

[LTR]

24. I recommend Avast

http://www.avast.com/eng/avast_4_home.html

Great antivirus that zaps and alerts on malware/spyware/trojans/viruses/etc. on first contact. And it's free for personal use.

Much better than that Norton shit. That's a virus in itself!

And if you pay $125 to get malware off your system, you're paying $125 too much. In the future, just Google the name of the pesty app, and you'll see many pages with detailed instructions as to what it is and how to get rid of it.

[1monster]

33. I did that, but everything that was suggested didn't work. Everytime I tried to

go anywhere on the Internet, the virus seemed to multiply more and more. In the end, I had about twenty windows from it going at a time no matter how fast I closed them. Every virus and spyware program I tried to download was frozen or refused permission to download and the malware didn't allow me to access the reset to an earlier date (before the infection).

This time, I did not make the mistake of signing on to the Internet and I had my computer set up so that the virus could not open an Internet connection without my permission.

I think that is partly why I was able to use Ad Aware to clean it out before it overwhelmed my PC.

Believe me, I wasn't happy with paying $125 to have my P.C. cleaned up the first time, but I tried EVERYTHING that was suggested on the Internet and by others who know computers well.

And $125 was cheaper than trashing the CPU and buying a new one.

[Gloria]

27. Ad Aware. Spyblaster, and Spybot all on my mother's XP laptop ....AA knocked

out that damned Netsky malware.....I use all 3 and also Windows Defender.

I think the thing can come through Microsoft's Live Whatever it is....I had done a recover on the laptop and when things began updating...including this Live whatever which hand't been on the original install....well, apparently it can come from there!!

I've used Avast, too, for virus protection. Isn't AVG no longer free? Computer Associates via her ISP is a pain, but tells you what the risk is on various viruses floating around....

[in_cog_ni_to]

31. The basic AVG is still free. I use it.

http://free.grisoft.com/doc/2/

[Feron]

32. Some preventative steps you may want to take...

if you haven't already that is.

In Windows, Active-X and Javascript are the main ways you will be infected when using Internet Explorer. I turn them off and only put Windows Update into the Trusted Zone. I also use another browser such as Opera or Firefox for my main surfing.

Also every second Tuesday of the month, Microsoft issues updates and patches. You can either turn on Automatic Updates or notifications. OR just check and install once a month. That way any vulnerabilities that can be fixed are patched. Updating your browsers and email client is a good idea as well.

A firewall is also a must. Zonealarm offers a free one.

And finally the obvious: don't run unsolicited email attachments and turn off the preview pane in your email reader.

More suggestions can be found here: http://www.dslreports.com/faq/seclean/4.0_Prevention

[1monster]

34. I'm not sure why, but my computer will not let me download MicroSoft updates...

They were blocked by security. :eyes:

My puter is also pretty stingy with authorizing Active X downloads... I guess I need to check my settings again to make sure they haven't been messed with by the virus or some other type of thing...

[blogslut]

41. Probably a good thing

When I run XP, I have the update feature turned off. If I want updates, I'll go get them myself, thank you.

There is indeed a lot of malware/spyware/invasive tracking crap going around. There's also a lot of proposed bills, sitting in committees, to address the problem. Sadly, most of the legislations were toothless and obsolete when they were written.

Even Firefox users are seeing nasty tricks directed at their browsers.

Install and run all the programs mentioned above: SpywareBlaster, AdAware, Zone Alarm, AVG, FireFox addons like AdBlock and NoScript. Never trust one program to keep you clean. Use a variety.

[Dawggie]

51. My Dad had that POS virus as well.

He couldn't do anything on his computer without pop ups stopping any sort of action. Many of the pop ups were made to look like Windows waning massages. I would love to catch the bastards that wrote that code and... Grrrr.

Took me an afternoon to get all of it out of his machine.

[catmandu57]

53. I had a major problem in 06

Every version of malware killer I tried to download wouldn't, the malware was preventing it. i went down to my local mart and bought some penicillin for my machine called Spyware Doctor, it kicked the living daylights out of my intruder, best thirty bucks I've ever spent.

Since then I've shifted to Firefox, comodo firewall, avg antivirus so i have suspenders and a belt, I feel very secure, I had adaware and spybot installed and neither of them would do the job, the spyware doctor was great.

[1monster]

55. I'll check it out! Thanks for the tip.

[The Backlash Cometh]

56. My computer was compromised yesterday too. It was running fine

when I left to do an errand, and when I came back, my internet security software wouldn't allow me to connect to the internet. Something had compromised it.

I think I'll download ad aware just do be safe.

[1monster]

57. Do the Avast too. I just ran it and it found FOUR bleeping trojan horses on my P.C.

But at least they are now safely locked up in the virus chest/vault.

[The Backlash Cometh]

58. Do you have a direct link to a free Adaware download?

Every effort I make gets hijacked by Adaware Alert.

[1monster]

59. Direct link to Ad Aware 2007 download...

http://www.lavasoftusa.com/products/ad_aware_free.php

Try going to your browser and deleting history, files, and cookies. That may help.

I was getting a bunch of attacks last night trying to get me to uninstall Ad Aware. That must mean that Ad Aware is working and the virus writers are trying to get people to off load it so the virus can take over thier computer.

on edit: http://www.lavasoft.com/ This is the url for the lavasoft home page. The link to the free Ad Aware download is on the far right in green.

[Justice Is Comin]

60. I know about as much

relating to computer technicalities as I do about Lithuanian car parts. But I do pretty good.

I used C-Net. Here is the link..... http://netscape.com.com/2001-20_4-0.html

This site tells you all about the most popular software and what it does. You can read the reviews of others who installed it. When an item is very popular, it's a pretty safe bet you will like it too.

First I installed Firefox and that is absolutely unbeatable. I got their most popular extensions that I read carefully about that seemed like they would be useful to me. Then I used C-Net for computer protection software approved by many who already downloaded it. This is also a very safe site to download from.

I haven't had any problems with the ones I've chosen and my computer runs like a gazelle, glitch free.

[1monster]

61. Thanks. Checking it out. My PC seems to be virus free at the moment, and I now have

five anit-virus, anti-spyware programs with at least three more ready to install... Firefox is on my list to try and I have your link up and ready to do.

Thanks.

[The Stranger]

63. Kick.