HUGE PROBLEM! needhelp asap.

[madstork91]

While casually browsing this morning all my IE windows shut down and all of a suddent my comp had downloaded some new anti spyware program. WTF??? Upon its down load a nice little message was coming up from the taskbar



Upon seeing all of this and deciding that this programs assumtious action of scanning my hdd for spyware and viruses was ****ed up... I clicked start/theprogram/uninstall... Afterwhich now nothing wants to run exactly right. For instace the only way for me to get to a website now is to open up mycomputer and type in a web address. Thats right... the normal IE icons will not launch IE...

Here is a list of what applications are running on my comp. Feel free to review them and tell me what and how to remove from the shit asap. ty.

 

[Jakal]

I'd suggest a system restore. You can find it in the Help and Support option on the Start menu. It's listed under Performance and Maintenance in the Help and Support window. If you've got any antivirus programs you should have run those first.

I don't know all of the programs you've got installed but your app list is horribly long. I've only got 35 processes in mine.

Just be sure to get your antivirus and spy-ware ad-ware programs running to get rid of the bug. If all else fails there's always C:\format C:
I hope you can get it worked out!

 

[Rob Williams]

If you are foolish enough to use IE, don't bitch to us when you have stuff like this happen.

 

[living_joke]

You got like TWICE as many programs running in Windows XP then you should upon a normal bootup.

And according to your task manager you have IEXPLORE.EXE running twice. It thinks you are running internet explorer, whether you are in fact doing it or not.

Your biggest problem is having automatic downloads turned on. You should never download an application unless you MANUALLY tell it to download. Automatic downloads can be hijack by malicious software, and that is probably how you got infected in the first place.

 

[madstork91]

Mat would dissagree with you on the automatic downloads part.

Ok... this spyware remover has reinstalled itsefl while i was away at class... the name of it is spyware quake 2.0

As for the number of applications... a few of them are related to the wireless kayboard and mouse... the rest iunno wtf...

 

[madmat]

Set your browser to ask before downloading anything. Go get Spybot Search & Destroy and AdAware and run them. There are spyware proggies out there that are actually spyware infestations and that's what I'm afraid you got hit with.

You can also get with me in I.M. and I'll point you to some other help.

 

[Rob Williams]

Or use Firefox/Opera so this shit doesn't happen in the first place...

What does it take to get people to realize that IE is nothing but problematic...

 

[Ben]

Yes Techgage is going to launch a new feature soon that if you visit the site in IE, it will automatically download and install Firefox and set that as your default browser. It will do all of this, automatically and for free! We plan on launching this new feature on April 1st.

 

[discharge]

Yes Techgage is going to launch a new feature soon that if you visit the site in IE, it will automatically download and install Firefox and set that as your default browser. It will do all of this, automatically and for free! We plan on launching this new feature on April 1st.

It would be funny if you could use the security holes inside of IE to automatically install a non-microsoft browser like FireFox. Make use of Microsoft's weaknesses to get people to change to a different browser

 

[Ben]

It would be funny if you could use the security holes inside of IE to automatically install a non-microsoft browser like FireFox. Make use of Microsoft's weaknesses to get people to change to a different browser

Yep, thats exactly what were going to do.

 

[xstatic]

Yep, thats exactly what were going to do.

I would like to see you do that, but I will miss you when Microsoft catches on to what you are doing and sues you. It was nice knowing you while it lasted.

 

[Ben]

I would like to see you do that, but I will miss you when Microsoft catches on to what you are doing and sues you. It was nice knowing you while it lasted.

Microsoft doesn't sue people for exploiting holes in their products. And if you looked closer you would notice that I said it was going to launch on April 1st. If you still don't understand then,

 

[madstork91]

i guess thats all i can do... i think i have adaware on here now, mat ill beback on later to catch you.

 

[Fr00zen]

Or use Firefox/Opera so this shit doesn't happen in the first place...

What does it take to get people to realize that IE is nothing but problematic...

I been using IE since Windows 95, and update to the newest version everytime it comes out. I never had adware or spyware installed on my computer. The trick is making sure you setup IE with the proper settings.

It is not the browser that is at fault. In this case it is the user at fault. The biggest mistake you can make with IE is leaving certain features turned on at all times especially dangerous features like active scripting. You should only activate those features for sites you trust. IE has 3 different security settings that they call "zones". You have the general purpose "Internet Zone" and you have a "Trusted Sites Zone". On my IE, only those sites which I add to my Trusted Sites Zone have features like active scripting and java turned on. I went thru with a fine tooth comb and my general Internet Zone only has those minimal features that are absolutely necessary turned on. Only my Trusted Sites Zone get access to the additional features.

 

[Rob Williams]

Or you could just use Firefox and not have to change anything...

I am not saying if you use IE that you will always run into problems, because you are right... you can use it wisely and be problem free. This is not the problem with Madstork. It's clearly evident that IE is his problem, so that is why I recommended Firefox or some other alternative browser.

Yes, you know how to use IE safely.. that doesn't mean others want to go through all the hassle of setting up 'zones' properly, especially when these alternative browsers currently offer better protection anyway you look at it.

 

[madstork91]

I just recently came across this...

http://blogs.zdnet.com/Spyware/index.php?p=802

Im far from the only person having this problem currently... even ppl far wiser than me are being annoyed. Yes its the same problem...

 

[Rob Williams]

And you still won't get the hint to use a different browser.

Sorry for being so blunt, but I don't know what it would actually take to make people realize that IE is shit.

 

[Fr00zen]

I just recently came across this...

http://blogs.zdnet.com/Spyware/index.php?p=802

Im far from the only person having this problem currently... even ppl far wiser than me are being annoyed. Yes its the same problem...

I went and read that page. They provide links to a tutorial that shows you how to remove it. Did you follow the instructions in the tutorial and did you successfully remove it?

 

[madstork91]

I am in the last step of the process right now... scanning it using that panda site...

Im so far not impressed. It is scanning all my files one by one and within the first 5 min it shows the status thus far as: 7 viruses, 40 spyware, 3 hacking tools/potentially unwanted tools

Kinda BS if you ask me. I ran adaware before i found this thing, it removed a few items, nothing big. I also used spybot s&d... I find it hard to believe that much could have so easily been located by an internet based scanner so quickly.

Edit: Oh and as for the problem being solved... Yeah! that shite aint on me no more... and IE is operational again.

Id also like to make it clear that IE isnt usually my browser of choice, but I do use it often.

 

[madstork91]

sry for the double post... but a double edit seems rediculous and im kinda updating the progress anyhow.

This panda scanner bassically found the "viruses" to really be nothing more than places in certain programs that "might be vulnerable" to certain types of viruses. WOW...

as for the spyware... Cookies, one of which was from adaware.

Oh and the "hacking" tools... Spybot and adaware... I cant remember what the third one was.