Do you wish to download and Install viruses and adware?

Archived discussion from Toril-2.
Gerad
Sojourner
Posts: 591
Joined: Sun May 13, 2001 5:01 am
Location: Cincinnati, OH
Contact:

Do you wish to download and Install viruses and adware?

Postby Gerad » Tue Dec 16, 2003 6:10 am

How do I make it stop?!?!
All that garbage that pops up for no reason saying 'do you want to blah blah blah'
there has to be a security setting for that...
I am running IE 6 and windows 98se...
Thanks in advance,
-g
<I>When a man lies, he murders some part of the world
These are the pale deaths, which men miscall their lives
All this I cannot bear to witness any longer
Cannot the kingdom of salvation take me home?</I>
Corth
Sojourner
Posts: 6002
Joined: Sat Jan 27, 2001 6:01 am
Location: NY, USA

Postby Corth » Tue Dec 16, 2003 8:24 am

Shake. I just want to opt in to email spam mailing lists....
Having said all that, the situation has been handled, so this thread is pretty much at an end. -Kossuth

Goddamned slippery mage.
Arilin Nydelahar
Sojourner
Posts: 1499
Joined: Sat Jul 27, 2002 5:01 am
Location: Virginia Beach
Contact:

Postby Arilin Nydelahar » Tue Dec 16, 2003 8:30 am

Don't run ie6? Use something better? Firebird? Mozilla? And, uh, ditch windows and go linux. :P
Shevarash OOC: 'what can I say, I'm attracted to crazy chicks and really short dudes'
Colje
Sojourner
Posts: 157
Joined: Mon Feb 11, 2002 6:01 am
Location: Tønsberg,Norway

Postby Colje » Tue Dec 16, 2003 10:17 am

firewall + "stop popups" option.

Works for me.

/Colje
ssar
Sojourner
Posts: 1446
Joined: Tue Jan 30, 2001 6:01 am
Location: Newcastle, NSW, Australia
Contact:

Postby ssar » Tue Dec 16, 2003 10:22 am

Try using Spybot, we have found it works better than Adaware (adware/spyware removal freeware programs).
Other than that, it's pretty much: Care with what you install/Software compatibility, Antivirus/Firewall, BIOS/Chipset/Driver/Windows updates, and of course regular backups.
BEER
Tanji Smanji
Sojourner
Posts: 765
Joined: Thu Apr 18, 2002 5:01 am
Location: Atlanta, Georgia

Postby Tanji Smanji » Tue Dec 16, 2003 6:18 pm

Turn off Windows XP messenger. Best thing I ever did to stop those annoying popups.
Ragorn
Sojourner
Posts: 4732
Joined: Mon Jan 29, 2001 6:01 am

Postby Ragorn » Tue Dec 16, 2003 7:06 pm

Start -> Control Panel -> Administrative Tools -> Services

Go halfway down, disable Messenger. Make sure you disable the Startup function also, or it'll turn itself back on.

For anti-adware programs, I run AdWare and SpyBoy S&D every so often, when I feel like I'm getting hit with too much spam. I also keep Panicware Popup Stopper running at all times.

Oh the world we live in.
- Ragorn
Shar: Leave the moaning to the people who have real issues to moan about like rangers or newbies.
Corth: Go ask out a chick that doesn't wiggle her poon in people's faces for a living.
Azenilsee
Sojourner
Posts: 199
Joined: Sat Nov 03, 2001 6:01 am
Location: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Contact:

Postby Azenilsee » Wed Dec 17, 2003 2:31 am

If you run IE, install the Google Toolbar instead of any other 'popupstopper' apps. You get the benefit of popup blocking, searching Google straight from IE as well as some other nifty stuff.

I personally use Agnitum Firewall and Mozilla for pain-free browsing. The firewall blocks ads too, so its a plus when you're bandwidth deficient like me. :)
Azenilsee - Faern Dalharil
mynazzaraxxsyn
Sojourner
Posts: 479
Joined: Mon Jul 07, 2003 10:00 pm
Location: Ixarkon
Contact:

Postby mynazzaraxxsyn » Wed Dec 17, 2003 4:26 am

Ragorn wrote:Start -> Control Panel -> Administrative Tools -> Services

Go halfway down, disable Messenger. Make sure you disable the Startup function also, or it'll turn itself back on.


Holy shit dude you ROCK, you rock for Jesus.

Thanks!
Lilithelle stops using a softly throbbing piece of flesh.
Gura group-says 'ill go solo the biznatch, just don't tell Stamm'
Kossuth responds to your petition with 'is it bad that the two words i think of when i see yer title are hottub and cthulhu? :('
moritheil
Sojourner
Posts: 4845
Joined: Wed Jan 31, 2001 6:01 am

Postby moritheil » Wed Dec 17, 2003 5:23 pm

There's also a simple hack that you can do that prevents Messenger from ever taking up any of your memory again, but it has the unwanted side effect of making "Critical Updates" appear that beg you to download it again.
Yotus group-says 'special quest if you type hi dragon'
Shevarash OOC: 'I feature only the finest mammary glands.'
Silena group-says 'he was so fat and juicy..couldnt resist'
Ruxur
Sojourner
Posts: 749
Joined: Thu Oct 09, 2003 5:39 pm
Location: Anniston, Alabama

Postby Ruxur » Wed Dec 17, 2003 6:36 pm

i have found that the combination of Spybot search and destroy from www.download.com works quite well, if you keep it updated and do a sweep bi weekly. Also in combination with this google toolbar would be a good idea.
Cofen group-says 'wtf, why am i missing a cursed khanjari?'
Alendar group-says 'i r rednek i can only afford the monitor i have mud on and the broken monitor under it'
Nonox tells you 'i think someone casted 'power word gay' on pril'
Malacar ASSOC:: 'must... mp...soon...underwear...cringing...at...oncoming...onslaught...'
Ragorn
Sojourner
Posts: 4732
Joined: Mon Jan 29, 2001 6:01 am

Postby Ragorn » Wed Dec 17, 2003 11:12 pm

Also, if you have a virus making your AIM profile change to something gay like "HAHAHA I can't believe I found Britney Spears naked HERE (link)", go here: http://digitalmatter.net/index.php to get rid of it automatically.

NOTE: This seems to have worked for me, I take no responsibility if it is, in fact, another virus :D
- Ragorn
Shar: Leave the moaning to the people who have real issues to moan about like rangers or newbies.
Corth: Go ask out a chick that doesn't wiggle her poon in people's faces for a living.
Gerad
Sojourner
Posts: 591
Joined: Sun May 13, 2001 5:01 am
Location: Cincinnati, OH
Contact:

Postby Gerad » Thu Dec 18, 2003 5:34 am

Im talking not about the standard window pop-up,
Im talking about the pop up that hits when you download a self-installing .exe file...
i.e.
Do you wish to download and install free instant porn acess to over 9000 hot santa pr0n sites and sell your soul to the eternal one, ktulu?
<I>When a man lies, he murders some part of the world

These are the pale deaths, which men miscall their lives

All this I cannot bear to witness any longer

Cannot the kingdom of salvation take me home?</I>
kwirl
Sojourner
Posts: 780
Joined: Thu Feb 08, 2001 6:01 am
Location: Delaware
Contact:

Postby kwirl » Thu Dec 18, 2003 7:23 am

that isn't so much a pop up as an ad

if that file is launched from the .exe - then it was put there on purpose, if i understand you properly. probably some warez site alternative advertising revenue scheme. anyhow - people who think switching to linux is a cure for pop-ups and spyware are retarded.

dont switch to linux unless the only thing you use your computer for is to post on slashdot.

if you type, talk, game, chat, use any form of peripheral device, have more than 1 MB of HD space, or use your computer for anything that has more than 16 colors - then windows is your OS, not linux.

if you lick the oldschool black and green command line interface and don't need to actually 'see' any graphics on the web, then linux might be your ideal solution. note that linux users think that john travolta doing disco is worthy of emulation. . . do you want to trust THAT with your computer?
Gerad
Sojourner
Posts: 591
Joined: Sun May 13, 2001 5:01 am
Location: Cincinnati, OH
Contact:

Postby Gerad » Thu Dec 18, 2003 1:57 pm

THIS is what im talking about:
<img src="http://www.iownjoo.com/freeimghost/spacecowboy/annoying.jpg">
<I>When a man lies, he murders some part of the world

These are the pale deaths, which men miscall their lives

All this I cannot bear to witness any longer

Cannot the kingdom of salvation take me home?</I>
Ragorn
Sojourner
Posts: 4732
Joined: Mon Jan 29, 2001 6:01 am

Postby Ragorn » Fri Dec 19, 2003 1:13 am

Oh hmm.... well, those offers are often embedded in the code of the site you're visiting. Other than that, the only thing I can think to do would be to run adaware and spybot and see what they pick up.
- Ragorn
Shar: Leave the moaning to the people who have real issues to moan about like rangers or newbies.
Corth: Go ask out a chick that doesn't wiggle her poon in people's faces for a living.
mynazzaraxxsyn
Sojourner
Posts: 479
Joined: Mon Jul 07, 2003 10:00 pm
Location: Ixarkon
Contact:

Postby mynazzaraxxsyn » Fri Dec 19, 2003 1:22 am

Ragorn wrote:Oh hmm.... well, those offers are often embedded in the code of the site you're visiting. Other than that, the only thing I can think to do would be to run adaware and spybot and see what they pick up.


Thats how I got my trojan.downloader virus/spyware one of those pop ups gerad posted.
Lilithelle stops using a softly throbbing piece of flesh.
Gura group-says 'ill go solo the biznatch, just don't tell Stamm'
Kossuth responds to your petition with 'is it bad that the two words i think of when i see yer title are hottub and cthulhu? :('
Gromsharulaz
Sojourner
Posts: 54
Joined: Mon Jan 29, 2001 6:01 am

Postby Gromsharulaz » Fri Dec 19, 2003 6:52 am

I'm with everyone else, stop using IE and you won't see so much annoyance. But if you insist on using the Redmond virus magnet - you need to disable the install on demand crap, so go into the security tab and play around with disabling the active-x stuff, specifically the download active-x settings but you may need to do others as well. Of course, this will probably cause you more annoyance as websites suddenly stop working but it's worth a shot. It should be in IE, under the Tools -> Internet Options.

Gromsharulaz Darkmace, Insane MS Despiser of the Underdark
ssar
Sojourner
Posts: 1446
Joined: Tue Jan 30, 2001 6:01 am
Location: Newcastle, NSW, Australia
Contact:

Postby ssar » Fri Mar 26, 2004 5:52 am

The incidence of these and other related problems has increased markedly over the past couple of years for many people I know and deal with through work.

Unfortunately, there seems to be a few extremely malicious viruses/trojans/adware programs that really infuse them selves into windows and the registry so deeply that nothing except a reformat and fresh windows install can completely eradticate all traces of it.

Thankfully I beleive some understanding, commonsense, and various preventative procedures can satisfactorily minimize the effects or such.

There are several key aspects to maintaining the integrity of our computer software and data, including:
Backing Up Data, Computer Virus Prevention, Adware/Spyware Prevention, Internet Security, Software Updates & Maintenance, Software Compatibility, Using Multiple Email Accounts including Free Web-Based accounts (e.g. Yahoo/Hotmail) and finally Installing Software & Hardware with Care.

I wont go into much detail about it all, except to say we currently install Ad-Aware 6 and Spybot S&D 1.2 freeware programs (completely update them and run full scans) on new PCs we build as well as many of the used PCs customers bring in to us for problem-solving, etc.

Also I have found emptying various temporary file directories in windows can help too, in Windows 98 they are:
C:\WINDOWS\Cookies
C:\WINDOWS\TEMP
C:\WINDOWS\Temporary Internet Files
(Although you should not delete any "index" DAT file)
This doesnt apply to Win2kPro or WinXP, as the code is different and MSIE's control and the disk cleanup options are pretty much all you have manual access to.

The latest version of MSIE (Microsoft Internet Explorer) is almost essential, as it's security and cleanup updates are good. (For those that use MSIE at all, that is).

We also ensure the Windows firewall is active on dialup accounts, but it is a low level firewall and requires an additional software or hardware firewall for much more secure protection.

There are other aspects to it all too, of course.

S.
BEER

Return to “General Discussion Archive”

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 18 guests