Some tech advice please

[jackrussell]

Have an AntiSpyware program that has downloaded itself onto my computer. Can't make it go away..keeps coming up and warning me of potential hazards of some sites (CowboyZone included).

Where oh where do I start?

 

[iceberg]

Have an AntiSpyware program that has downloaded itself onto my computer. Can't make it go away..keeps coming up and warning me of potential hazards of some sites (CowboyZone included).

Where oh where do I start?

it shouldn't warn you about a site per se - but let's back up a bit and i'm sure i'll be able to help.

what AV package are you using? http://free.avg.com has some good stuff, they just nag you to buy it now.

when you go to some sites and you get the message, what is the exact message? now i know cbz may do it, but do all sites that give it, give the same message?

in your AV package, does it say who the offending source is?

 

[Meat-O-Rama]

It's not a virus so much as it is spyware. A regular anti-virus sweep isn't going to find it. You can either pay for a good anti-spyware software or do a search on the name of the software that it's trying to get you to buy and find instructions on the net for removing it.

 

[BrAinPaiNt]

Did it change your homepage to something like awesomehomepage?

 

[jackrussell]

it shouldn't warn you about a site per se - but let's back up a bit and i'm sure i'll be able to help.

what AV package are you using? http://free.avg.com has some good stuff, they just nag you to buy it now.

when you go to some sites and you get the message, what is the exact message? now i know cbz may do it, but do all sites that give it, give the same message?

in your AV package, does it say who the offending source is?

The meassage is the same everytime...prompting me to either ignore site(recommended) or open site anyway(not recommended).

I'm McAfee.

I'm getting more than just warning pages..i'm getting little popups from my start menu wanting me to ...well...read the next quote..it's spot on as to what i have.

It's not a virus so much as it is spyware. A regular anti-virus sweep isn't going to find it. You can either pay for a good anti-spyware software or do a search on the name of the software that it's trying to get you to buy and find instructions on the net for removing it.

This is what I'm seeing. It's called WinSpyWareProtect. They keep popping in wanting me to buy or I'm unprotected . Instructions from McAfee haven't helped, I am unable to complete them. It involves running a DOS virus scan, as the program will hide in a SAVE file and never get spotted.

Did it change your homepage to something like awesomehomepage?

No, it didn't change to your homepage.

 

[iceberg]

yep. cowboy monkey is dead on. what i was after was the offender so we can look it up.

check out this link:
http://www.2-spyware.com/remove-winspywareprotect.html

may be a manual process but i'd want that junk off my machine too.

 

[jackrussell]

yep. cowboy monkey is dead on. what i was after was the offender so we can look it up.

check out this link:
http://www.2-spyware.com/remove-winspywareprotect.html

may be a manual process but i'd want that junk off my machine too.

yes it is VERY annoying...but surprisingly, I think I've fixed it.

System restore seems to have taken care of it, and at the same time, sped up my computer!

thanks for the help..i'll favorite your link for the next time it happens.

Hey, while I have you techies here...any of you bit torrent music? I started a few weeks ago, its become an obsession!

 

[iceberg]

yes it is VERY annoying...but surprisingly, I think I've fixed it.

System restore seems to have taken care of it, and at the same time, sped up my computer!

thanks for the help..i'll favorite your link for the next time it happens.

Hey, while I have you techies here...any of you bit torrent music? I started a few weeks ago, its become an obsession!

not a huge bit torrent person. is this a peer to peer system like limewire and the like? i still buy cd's today cause i can't find an online service i like for nationals.

www.emusic.com has good indie and *old* nationals where the rights are easier to sell in this fashion, but itunes can't figure out paypal and best buy wants like $13 a month just for the option to download songs.

i'm all for this kind of technology, but it's a tough market moreso now than ever. i view this as a great way to download songs you already have on cd. hell, i'm lazy and don't wanna drag 'em all out. but i just want artists to get $ as they should. not sure how bit torrent does it but i'll look.

 

[jackrussell]

not a huge bit torrent person. is this a peer to peer system like limewire and the like? i still buy cd's today cause i can't find an online service i like for nationals.

www.emusic.com has good indie and *old* nationals where the rights are easier to sell in this fashion, but itunes can't figure out paypal and best buy wants like $13 a month just for the option to download songs.

i'm all for this kind of technology, but it's a tough market moreso now than ever. i view this as a great way to download songs you already have on cd. hell, i'm lazy and don't wanna drag 'em all out. but i just want artists to get $ as they should. not sure how bit torrent does it but i'll look.

The only bit torrent sites i use only allow non commercial music to be shared...nothing of the artists released product.

Alot of audience concert recorded music...and some very good concerts that were broadcast live over FM radio back in the day. These are of excellent quality as they are soundboard sourced for the radio broadcast.

In the 70's it was a big thing to have radio simulcasts of live events. I just found a Harry Chapin recording from '79 where he did what was then 'lunchtime concert' broadcast on WMMS in Cleveland. I found it on DIME, which has a full scope of music on their site.

I get all of my Springsteen stuff off Jungleland.

 

[Mash]

download superanitspyware.......u can get it here

http://www.download.com/3120-20_4.html?qt=superantispyware&tag=srch&tg=dl-20

download the free one SUPERAntiSpyware Free Edition 4.15.1

another I like using is adaware....u can also get that from download.com and is free.


Be carefull with restore .......the maleware or virus may still be there.....there is a option on the superantispyware that will check restore files also.

 

[DallasFanSince86]

Glad you got your computer fixed. Those programs are a pain in the butt.

The only bit torrent sites i use only allow non commercial music to be shared...nothing of the artists released product.

Alot of audience concert recorded music...and some very good concerts that were broadcast live over FM radio back in the day. These are of excellent quality as they are soundboard sourced for the radio broadcast.

In the 70's it was a big thing to have radio simulcasts of live events. I just found a Harry Chapin recording from '79 where he did what was then 'lunchtime concert' broadcast on WMMS in Cleveland. I found it on DIME, which has a full scope of music on their site.

I get all of my Springsteen stuff off Jungleland.

Sounds like great sites. I will check them out later.

 

[Concord]

The only bit torrent sites i use only allow non commercial music to be shared...nothing of the artists released product.

Alot of audience concert recorded music...and some very good concerts that were broadcast live over FM radio back in the day. These are of excellent quality as they are soundboard sourced for the radio broadcast.

In the 70's it was a big thing to have radio simulcasts of live events. I just found a Harry Chapin recording from '79 where he did what was then 'lunchtime concert' broadcast on WMMS in Cleveland. I found it on DIME, which has a full scope of music on their site.

I get all of my Springsteen stuff off Jungleland.

http://i105.***BLOCKED***/albums/m217/bigdawg61/BuzHead.jpg

 

[CATCH17]

Go to every porn site known to man.

That should fix your problem. :gent:

 

[Rampage]

download superanitspyware.......u can get it here

http://www.download.com/3120-20_4.html?qt=superantispyware&tag=srch&tg=dl-20

download the free one SUPERAntiSpyware Free Edition 4.15.1

another I like using is adaware....u can also get that from download.com and is free.


Be carefull with restore .......the maleware or virus may still be there.....there is a option on the superantispyware that will check restore files also.

superantispyware is #1 :laugh2:

 

[jackrussell]

Go to every porn site known to man.

That should fix your problem. :gent:

Thanks.

A word of experience is always helpful.

 

[jackrussell]

http://i105.***BLOCKED***/albums/m217/bigdawg61/BuzHead.jpg

When free radio was great.

 

[Concord]

When free radio was great.

Yep...MMS was the King at that time.

Miss those days of my youth.

 

[LeonDixson]

As long as you techies are on the line, so to speak, maybe you can help determine what's wrong with my system. I use CA antivirus, firewall, spyware, and spam filter. It is provided free by my ISP, RoadRunner.

The antivirus will not complete a scan. It crawls at a snail's pace and stops completely for a long long time. It ran continuously for a day and a half and only made through 80,000 files. Any idea what's bogging it down?

 

[LeonDixson]

download superanitspyware.......u can get it here

http://www.download.com/3120-20_4.html?qt=superantispyware&tag=srch&tg=dl-20

download the free one SUPERAntiSpyware Free Edition 4.15.1

another I like using is adaware....u can also get that from download.com and is free.


Be carefull with restore .......the maleware or virus may still be there.....there is a option on the superantispyware that will check restore files also.

I downloaded superantispyware, the free version, but I can't open it to complete the install. The same thing happened when I downloaded Yahoo antispyware. Any guesses why it won't open? Could I have a malicious spyware or virus that prevents installing tools to get rid of it?

 

[BrAinPaiNt]

As long as you techies are on the line, so to speak, maybe you can help determine what's wrong with my system. I use CA antivirus, firewall, spyware, and spam filter. It is provided free by my ISP, RoadRunner.

The antivirus will not complete a scan. It crawls at a snail's pace and stops completely for a long long time. It ran continuously for a day and a half and only made through 80,000 files. Any idea what's bogging it down?

Clean out your cookies, temp internet files, history and Cache (cache if you use something other than internet explorer).

Also before you do a virus scan,

1.disable your network by right clicking on your network neighborhood icon (probably called my network places),

2 click properties on the drop down menu,

3.right click on the local area connection (or roadrunner connection, not sure what yours will be named).

4. On the drop down menu click on the disable.

Let it disable, wait a minute (shouldn't take that long but just being safe).

Start your virus scan and let it run till it is complete. Hopefully it will not take so long or stop.

Once it is done, do steps 1-3, on the drop down menu for #4 click enable.

Hopefully that will work.

Sometimes if you don't clean out your cookies, history, temp internet files (or cache) you can get a HUGE amount of files on your system that you might not be aware of which will cause the virus scan to take longer as there is more to scan.

Also sometimes you might have a program that is connecting to the net behind the scenes, does not always mean bad programs, sometimes it can be just windows checking for updates or other programs checking for updates. This can mess with a scan.

I normally don't have to do that for a virus scan, however when I defrag my hard drive, I always disable my network connection because it will always either stop or start over before it is done.

Hope that helps.

If not I guess you could try restarting your computer into safe mode and doing a virus scan.

Here is the one caveat that might screw things up for you. If the virus scan given to you is over the internet...those methods I gave you will not work. I don't know how your provider does it.

However you could always try this free online virus scanner, you will have to download some stuff from them but it is free...I think they also have a free online spyware scan but I have never used it so I don't know if it is any good or not.

http://housecall.trendmicro.com/