NationStates Jolt Archive

For a long time I was an ignorant n00b when it came to spyware. I was pretty much oblivious to its existence, and when I finally became aware of it, I had 300+ files on my computer of the junk. >__<

Since I got my new computer a year ago, I've been particularly mindful of the stuff. I use ad-blocking to prevent much of it from ever reaching me, I scan my system with Ad-Aware every 3 days, and I don't install programs from companies I don't know or trust.

So far, it has worked. Aside from the odd tracking cookie, I've had 0 spyware/malware programs on my computer in the past year. Until 2 days ago.

My routine Ad-Aware scan found 20+ spyware items. Mildly disturbing, but I removed them and went about my surfing. Today, I noticed my internet acting very strange, and decided to scan again.

64 new items.

I stopped and thought, and could only recall one thing installed during that 48 hour period; the FFDShow codec. I chalked the spyware up to that, removed it and the spyware, and forgot about it. Fast forward to 12 hours later. My internet is again acting up. I scan with Ad-Aware.

206 new items.

Now I'm damned certain I haven't installed anything new in the past 12 hours. So I'm confused as to how this spyware is getting on my computer. This is 3 sets of the junk in 48 hours, as opposed to a year of a clean PC. Can anyone perhaps suggest what the heck is going on? This is really getting to be a pain.

Scan your computer for viruses. You've likely got one or several trojans buried on your computer.

I'm pretty sure AdAware doesn't actually catch everything. So it's possible you have another program on your computer that spawns the stuff that AdAware is catching.

In addition to AdAware, I also have Spybot and Symantec. You might want to download spybot and run it after you've run adaware.

That's the limit of my knowledge.

Crap. >_< I'll try that, thank you. I hate scanning with Norton. It's slower than the second coming. -_-

--Edit--

Thanks, Erastide. I'll look into those as well. [sigh]

Don't use Norton. I've found that, since it's the most popular virus scan, alot of new trojans and worms are designed to avoid detection by Norton. Go to McAfee's website and download the free version of their virus scan and use that. It's likely that when you downloaded whatever that program was that you downloaded, that you also downloaded a bunch of viruses that have made their way into your system.

http://download.mcafee.com/us/eval/evaluate2.asp

A page for all their free downloads.

Well, shoot. o_o I guess it makes sense though. Thanks, I'll download McAfee. Oi vey, the joys of the interweb. ~_~

I have had a lot of success with Adware 6.0

Check out the website PCHell, it has lots of free stuff to get rid of unwanted crap

Another antivirus program that isn't half bad is AVG. I have used that and they have a free version (personal). My experience with it has been good, and I like the resident sheild it has. Now if they would only support the Mozilla Thunderbird e-mail program, I would be totally satisfied with it.

Here's the site if you are interested:
http://free.grisoft.com/freeweb.php/doc/2/

Another antivirus program that isn't half bad is AVG. I have used that and they have a free version (personal). My experience with it has been good, and I like the resident sheild it has. Now if they would only support the Mozilla Thunderbird e-mail program, I would be totally satisfied with it.

Here's the site if you are interested:
http://free.grisoft.com/freeweb.php/doc/2/

Oh, that's another point I wanted to make. Download Mozilla or some other internet browser. Internet Explorer is a magnet for viruses, if that is in fact the program you are using. Thank you Leviathen for reminding me.

I do use Internet Explorer actually. ^_^;; I have both Mozilla and Netscape on my computer, but I don't care for them much. Ah well, I guess I'm a glutton for punishment.

I apologize for not thanking everyone sooner; it was around 4AM by the time I had all the scans done. x_x Spybot found 5 items Ad-Aware missed, and McAffee turned up nothing. So hopefully it was just the stuff AA didn't find that was causing the problem. [crosses fingers]

I really do appreciate everyone who gave advice, thank you.

Unless you have the purchased version of adaware, you are open to reinfestation.

Unless they changed, the only gave out immunizers with the purchased version.

Your first step would be to dump IE. I used it for awhile. I was a Netscaper but changed after the great AOL buy out. Crash and freezed all the time after that!

A nice small slick browser is the FireFox browser by Mozilla. It doesn't have all the integreation stuff of Mozilla. Many people like it, but I don't.

I do use Internet Explorer actually. ^_^

You might try to dump it. IE is a whore for spyware and malware. Take a look a FireFox.

Also, it costs money but a very effective(I think one of the best) remover/preventer is PestPatroll!

Been very happy with it and it's solved many things the others have missed.

I'm pretty sure AdAware doesn't actually catch everything. So it's possible you have another program on your computer that spawns the stuff that AdAware is catching.

In addition to AdAware, I also have Spybot and Symantec. You might want to download spybot and run it after you've run adaware.


That is piece of advice #1.
Piece of Advice #2 is http://www.moosoft.com. Download the trial version of The Cleaner. Keep TCA Active & TCMonitor running all the time (especially monitor- it turns red and sets off a LOUD klaxxon whenever a file changes without your consent.)
Number three, if you're decent with computers, is Security Task Manager (http://www.neuber.com/taskmanager/) and the infinitely underrated Hijack This (http://www.spychecker.com/program/hijackthis.html). The former checks all processes running, rates them, and has a free "google research this process" function. The latter marks unusual internet activity so you can see what's going on behind the scenes and get rid of what shouldn't.

I don't have any specific tips, but here are two useful sites I've found:
http://www.spywarewarrior.com/rogue_anti-spyware.htm
http://www.virusbulletin.com/vb100/about/index.xml

make sure you have ad-aware se, ad-aware se is uber and every update detects a bunch of new stuff (ad-aware se 1.05 or something is the latest update of the program)

also get spybot s&d, while no where near as good as ad-aware it does pick up some stuff ad-aware misses


also mgiht want to go to pandasoft.com and run their onlien scanner (the best detection one that will also remove the viruses)

I'm pretty sure AdAware doesn't actually catch everything. So it's possible you have another program on your computer that spawns the stuff that AdAware is catching.

In addition to AdAware, I also have Spybot and Symantec. You might want to download spybot and run it after you've run adaware.

That's the limit of my knowledge.


Being the network tech for my school we have about 3000 students with computers on campus

With spyware being installed on most machines and the complaints growing we have found a regimin of

1 adaware
2 Spybot seach and destroy

Full virus scan (and we used to by default install avg untill we got a licence to distribute symantec)

restart

a full run through msconfig starup folder in safe mode


That usualy takes care of most of it
anyways personal record from adaware

26 k on a single machine

SAN scan
36 million :-P

Being the network tech for my school we have about 3000 students with computers on campus

With spyware being installed on most machines and the complaints growing we have found a regimin of

1 adaware
2 Spybot seach and destroy

Full virus scan (and we used to by default install avg untill we got a licence to distribute symantec)

restart

a full run through msconfig starup folder in safe mode


That usualy takes care of most of it
anyways personal record from adaware

26 k on a single machine

SAN scan
36 million :-P

i got a record of 8k on a single machine with ad-aware 4 (ad-aware se is picks up ALOT more stuff than ad-aware 6, so you can see how bad that computer was) and that was only before the crappy peiece of crap crashed

edit: malware and ad-aware also like to hide in system volume information. i had to open it up to clean out viruses and crap

i got a record of 8k on a single machine with ad-aware 4 (ad-aware se is picks up ALOT more stuff than ad-aware 6, so you can see how bad that computer was) and that was only before the crappy peiece of crap crashed
Yeah it wasn’t a personal computer … and it was with 6 …(not mine that is)

Sad thing was it was a student government computer :-P depressing


Lol

And the 36 mil was for the SAN sorry dident make it clear what it is … we use roaming profiles for about 14000 students so their cookies and temp files are stored on the san :)


we used to make bets how many a machine would have lol