[hloriern]

I understand you don't want to talk about the person in question, but they are the key... Do they have physical access to your computer when you are not around it? Are they a neighbor, roommate, etc? What would be the repercussions of confronting them about this?

If they are not located in your immediate residence, what kind of Internet Service Provider (ISP) do you have? DSL, cable, dial up? I’m not a big AOL guru, but do they offer some kind of encryption feature within their email tool?

Thanks for your response...
Yes... this person has access to my computer when I am not around. My PC as well as my laptop. I ran housecall and downloaded a free spyware protection program on my laptop and I have no idea if this took care of the problem. One thing that happened is that I am now unable to send photos from my laptop via email... or upload photos to my myspace etc. It says that I have to give a username and password for (natopia 3000) or something like that. But when I put in my computer ID and password it does not work. I definitely want my privacy protected but I did not want to limit my own access. To answer your question... I have satellite internet.

[ScottGem]

Netopia is a Motorola product. Do you have a motorola broadband modem or router?

[hloriern]

Netopia is a Motorola product. do you have a motorola broadband modem or router?

Hello again ScottGem...
As far I know I don't have Motorola anything. But how would I know what modem or router I do have. I have my laptop with me but I cannot access internet from it at the moment.
Thanks again!

[ScottGem]

How do you connect to the Internet?

[hloriern]

How do you connect to the Internet?

I have a wireless router at home (not motorola), and sometimes I connect at other places with WiFi. My wireless adapter is "Linksys"... and I'm pretty sure that my router is too.

[ScottGem]

But the wireless router connects to something. That is your modem. What is that?

[hloriern]

But the wireless router connects to something. that is your modem. What is that?

At the risk of sounding like a total idiot... I'm not sure exactly what you mean. So... I will just say that the router is connected to my home computer and my satellite internet service (Hughesnet). Is that what you are talking about? Or do you mean something on my laptop? Sorry... but I'm technologically challenged!

[retsoksirhc]

How is it connected to hughesnet? Is there another little box? There should be a line coming in from the satellite, that goes into something else. It will be a round cable. Then the 'somthing else' will have another cable, which is connected to the router. The 'somthing else' in the middle is what we're talking about. Could get give us the name or model number on it?

[ScottGem]

What Chris said. The cable running from the satellite is (probably) a coax cable. There has to be a device in between the satellite and router that translates the signals into Ethernet. This device is called a boradband modem and Motorola is one of the largest makes of them. So it's a good chance that it is a Motorla device. If so, Hughesnet should be able to explain what that Netopia stuff is.

[Land_Of_The_Lost]

When you ran the spyware protection program did it come up with any files that it suggested should be removed or quarantined?

Also, do you keep your ID's and passwords written down anywhere that this person may have found? I would start by changing all my user account (both online and PC) passwords to something new, and complex.

[hloriern]

What Chris said. The cable running from the satellite is (probably) a coax cable. There has to be a device in between the satellite and router that translates the signals into Ethernet. This device is called a boradband modem and Motorola is one of the largest makes of them. So its a good chance that it is a Motorla device. If so, Hughesnet should be able to explain what that Netopia stuff is.

I'm not at home... but I will check as soon as possible. Thanks!

[hloriern]

When you ran the spyware protection program did it come up with any files that it suggested should be removed or quarantined?

Also, do you keep your ID's and passwords written down anywhere that this person may have found? I would start by changing all my user account (both online and PC) passwords to something new, and complex.

House Call said there were 8 that were suspicious... but the spyware that I installed said there were 75 but it didn't tell me how to remove them. So the spyware is installed but I guess the files are still on my computer.

[retsoksirhc]

For spyware, I would get Spybot Search and Destroy. Whatever house call didn't get, it will.

[hloriern]

For spyware, I would get Spybot Search and Destroy. Whatever house call didn't get, it will.

Thanks so much! I will install ASAP.

[hloriern]

For spyware, I would get Spybot Search and Destroy. Whatever house call didn't get, it will.

Okay... this is my question... I downloaded Spybot but it made me choose one of about eight different (I think they were called mirrors)... in order to download. I just randomly picked one called "spywarebot" and ran it. It said that it was free until it ran and then within about one minute it detected 365 questionable malware files on my laptop and asked me to pay $39 in order to sweep and destroy. I would not mind paying this... I just want to be sure that it is legitimate. The reason that I am skeptical is because when I ran House Call and another free anti-spyware program it took about 45 minutes to search my computer... so... is spywarebot actually that much faster... and is it legit? Please respond... I do not want to put in my credit card number unless I know that this is a legitimate site and it will fix my problem!
Thanks again!

[retsoksirhc]

Okay...this is my question...I downloaded Spybot but it made me choose one of about eight different (I think they were called mirrors)...in order to download. I just randomly picked one called "spywarebot" and ran it. It said that it was free until it ran and then within about one minute it detected 365 questionable malware files on my laptop and asked me to pay $39 in order to sweep and destroy. I would not mind paying this...I just want to be sure that it is legitimate. The reason that I am skeptical is because when I ran House Call and another free anti-spyware program it took about 45 minutes to search my computer...so...is spywarebot actually that much faster...and is it legit? Please respond...I do not want to put in my credit card number unless I know that this is a legitimate site and it will fix my problem!
Thanks again!

I think you got a different program. Spybot Search and Destroy is free, you don't have to pay to remove anything. I'd be skeptical of anything that scans for only about a minute, and then says it's complete. It can't have scanned your whole system that fast.

http://www.spybotupdates.com/files/spybotsd15.exe

That's a direct link to the download. It's called Spybot Search & Destroy (or Spybot S&D), not Spywarebot. If you've got spywarebot, you got the wrong one.

[hloriern]

I think you got a different program. Spybot Search and Destroy is free, you don't have to pay to remove anything. I'd be skeptical of anything that scans for onyl about a minute, and then says it's complete. It can't have scanned your whole system that fast.

http://www.spybotupdates.com/files/spybotsd15.exe

Thats a direct link to the download. It's called Spybot Search & Destroy (or Spybot S&D), not Spywarebot. If you've got spywarebot, you got the wrong one.

Ok... thanks. I googled Spybot S&D and that is how I ended up there. It started at a home site that was free but asked for donations... then took me to a place where I had to choose one of these so called "mirrors". I will try the above address this afternoon.
Thanks for your help!