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    lxamon's Avatar
    lxamon Posts: 14, Reputation: 2
    New Member
     
    #1

    May 10, 2008, 03:13 PM
    An advertisement has taken my home page
    Before I send this question I check similar questions but that helped just halveway.Yesterday I received one of those pop ups from an spyware company,threatening me of the risk my computer was.My computers been working OK with some other programs I have (AVG.Cleaner.Optmize).I clicked cancel but instead of going away I took me to a home page of the spyware.The problem is that if I go to Tools-Internet Options and in the upper part I choose my home page (yahoo) I click apply and Yahoo comes back and the computer works normaly THE PROBLEM IS THAT whenever I return to Internet the Spyware offer pops up as my home page again.
    My computer is DELL Dimension 8300 and I run Win XP.Thanks for your help
    vingogly's Avatar
    vingogly Posts: 718, Reputation: 105
    Senior Member
     
    #2

    May 10, 2008, 04:46 PM
    I'd download and run Ad-Aware (free) and Spybot Search & Destroy (also free). They each tend to catch different adware - and these are things that AVG won't catch. Good things to run on a regular basis.
    Bluerose's Avatar
    Bluerose Posts: 1,521, Reputation: 310
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    #3

    May 10, 2008, 05:08 PM
    Try a system restore. Choose a date before the add appeared and simply follow the instructions on the screen.
    lxamon's Avatar
    lxamon Posts: 14, Reputation: 2
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    #4

    May 11, 2008, 08:46 AM
    Quote Originally Posted by vingogly
    I'd download and run Ad-Aware (free) and Spybot Search & Destroy (also free). They each tend to catch different adware - and these are things that AVG won't catch. Good things to run on a regular basis.
    Unfortunately after downloading AdAware and using it the add still keeps showing in my home page.Going to tools-internet options still works.Know anything about Malware products?
    Any other ideas.Thanks for helping.
    lxamon's Avatar
    lxamon Posts: 14, Reputation: 2
    New Member
     
    #5

    May 11, 2008, 08:51 AM
    Quote Originally Posted by bluerose
    Try a system restore. choose a date before the add appeared and simply follow the instructions on the screen.
    I tried a system restore,which I`ve done many times,but in this case I was informed that system restore was not possibley from that date? so I use some 6 different dates but still have the same response.Thanks anyway
    vingogly's Avatar
    vingogly Posts: 718, Reputation: 105
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    #6

    May 11, 2008, 10:39 AM
    Quote Originally Posted by lxamon
    Unfortunately after downloading AdAware and using it the add still keeps showing in my home page.Going to tools-internet options still works.Know anything about Malware products?
    Any other ideas.Thanks for helping.
    I'd also run Spybot S&D, since it can catch other things. Here's a thread from the Spybot forums that may be helpful. Adware may have "locked" your browser's home page - the thread tells you how you can (hopefully) unlock it in Spybot.

    Regarding malware products you purchase, for home use I'd recommend McAfee. Steer clear of Norton/Symantec, in my opinion; McAfee is the better choice. Here's why.

    Vasily
    Bluerose's Avatar
    Bluerose Posts: 1,521, Reputation: 310
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    #7

    May 11, 2008, 12:42 PM
    I don't use XP now, I'm using Vista, but when I was using XP and the addy thing kept coming up because the kids had been looking for game cheats and codes. At one point I opened a new usser account, moved my stuff to it and then deleted the old usser account. That meant I set up a new desktop in another name and then after moving everything over, I deleted the old desktop account. That cleared it. Don't ask me how that worked but it did. It was either that or a serious restore from disc.
    lxamon's Avatar
    lxamon Posts: 14, Reputation: 2
    New Member
     
    #8

    May 11, 2008, 06:18 PM
    Quote Originally Posted by vingogly
    I'd also run Spybot S&D, since it can catch other things. Here's a thread from the Spybot forums that may be helpful. Adware may have "locked" your browser's home page - the thread tells you how you can (hopefully) unlock it in Spybot.

    Regarding malware products you purchase, for home use I'd recommend McAfee. Steer clear of Norton/Symantec, in my opinion; McAfee is the better choice. Here's why.

    Vasily
    Malware is not anything I bought,that's the name of the add that took my home page.The good news is that using spybot and doing a lot a analysis and accepting and denying some pops ups during thir process I finally got rid of the nasty add.I hopè this will be for good.
    Thanks very very much:) :)
    vingogly's Avatar
    vingogly Posts: 718, Reputation: 105
    Senior Member
     
    #9

    May 12, 2008, 06:49 AM
    Quote Originally Posted by lxamon
    Malware is not anything I bought,thats the name of the add that took my home page.The good news is that using spybot and doing a lot a analysis and accepting and denying some pops ups during thir process I finally got rid of the nasty add.I hopè this will be for good.
    Thanks very very much:) :)
    Malware is a general term for software that does bad things on your computer (mal = bad). I was referring to programs that remove malware, like the McAfee suite. I'm glad Spybot worked for you... as I said, it and Ad-Aware tend to find different things. To keep your computer clean, run Spybot, Ad-Aware, and Windows Update once a week, and continue running AVG and keep its virus definitions up to date. :)

    Vasily
    invisibleman_productions's Avatar
    invisibleman_productions Posts: 207, Reputation: 12
    Full Member
     
    #10

    May 14, 2008, 12:30 AM
    To prevent spware infecting your browser only use
    Firefox+Adblock Plus +noscript
    Download and run Firefox to protect your from future spyware attacks and pop ups which are coming in through internet explorer (Trojan downloaders, win32 ) .Then update your windows through Firefox
    Browser attacks aren't easy to spot because they piggyback on legitimate traffic that doesn't exhibit many obvious warning signs
    Security News from the net: spyware fighter essentials
    Install addition protection into Firefox with
    Adblock Plus
    Adblock Plus: Installation
    There's a browser safer than Firefox...
    ... it is Firefox, with NoScript!
    NoScript - JavaScript/Java/Flash blocker for a safer Firefox experience! - get it! - InformAction
    vingogly's Avatar
    vingogly Posts: 718, Reputation: 105
    Senior Member
     
    #11

    May 14, 2008, 06:32 AM
    Quote Originally Posted by invisibleman_productions
    To prevent spware infecting your browser only use
    Firefox+Adblock Plus +noscript
    Adblock Plus will prevent popup ads while you''re visiting websites, but it will not prevent your being infected by spyware or adware. You still need to run Ad-Aware and Spybot S&D or applications like them.

    Vasily
    invisibleman_productions's Avatar
    invisibleman_productions Posts: 207, Reputation: 12
    Full Member
     
    #12

    May 14, 2008, 08:29 AM
    vingogly yes . As you had already posted links to the user and the user used spybot to remove the offending spyware. The only thing left was prevention of reinfection hence I posted only the preventive measure.

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