I can't stop pop-ups on my wife's computer ...

[rkr1958]

This one has got me stumped. On her computer she's running ZoneAlarm Pro with the Ad Blocking (under Privacy) set to high. Also, I've run Spybot - Search & Destroy & EMCO Malware Bouncer ... numberous times. Numerous adware problems keep reoccuring. More problematic though is she gets pop-ups when she runs IE 6. I've also got AVG set to run daily anti-virus checks.

How is she getting pop-ups with ZoneAlarm Pro Ad Blocking set to high? Any suggestions on how I might stop these?


Also, I run the same programs (except I use Norton AV instead of AVG) on my computer ... no adware, no spyware, no viruses, no pop-ups. Our two computers are networked so I also run Norton AV from my PC on her machine. It always picks up one infected file that it always delete (W32.mydoom.M@mm in file csoconline.zl6.zm9) but it always somehow shows back up. Any suggestions on what to do? I guess she keeps reinfecting her machine ...

God I hate virsus writers, spammers, adware / spyware writers ...

[Faustus]

Get Adaware and try running a scan and removal from safe mode.

If its windows XP you can TRY using the system restore feature to go back to a time before the infection.

Beyond that look into Hijack This. Though personally I've never used it. I formatted a system the other day and somehow got some REALLY NASTY spyware on it real quick. After 15min of not getting rid of it I have up and just formatted it again. Spyware people are just the scum of the earth.

[hellbringer]

get firefox browser, i get like 1 popup a week but then again i only visit top notch sites.

also turn of your system restore boot up into safe mode and run all your adwares and spyware utilites. then reboot.

system restore saves copys of your harddrive and settings which includes spyware

[waheed]

Use a combination of tools.

I use Firefox browser, Adaware (running Ad watch in background) and Adsgones Popup Killer. I get no popups.

[rkr1958]

Get Adaware and try running a scan and removal from safe mode.

Thanks ... downloaded and ran it safe mode. It helped a lot ... the pop-ups seem to be gone. One tricky one that I had to remove manually was TBNS.exe ... None of the 3 that I tried (Ad-Aware, Spybot - Search & Destroy & EMCO Malware Bouncer) could get it. All three identified it but couldn't remove it. Things are better but I still have some work to do.

get firefox browser, i get like 1 popup a week but then again i only visit top notch sites.

also turn of your system restore boot up into safe mode and run all your adwares and spyware utilites.

I use firefox but this is my wifes computer. I have to keep this simple when it comes to her computer ... she uses it for email, web browsing and posting to a few board.

My computer stays free of viruses, adware and spyware (my scans are clean). With hers I just have to do the best I can to protect her computer and clean up after her.

The only shared folders that we have on our two networked computers are on hers ... not mine.

Use a combination of tools ... I get no popups.

Me too ...

[Faustus]

Do what I do.

1. Delete all IE shortcuts.
2. Install firefox.
3. Rename firefox icon "I browse the web" or just "Firefox Web Browser"
4. ...
5. Profit! (in the form of not cleaning spyware off the machine again)

[waheed]

Do what I do.

1. Delete all IE shortcuts.
2. Install firefox.
3. Rename firefox icon "I browse the web" or just "Firefox Web Browser"
4. ...
5. Profit! (in the form of not cleaning spyware off the machine again)

You missed out Number 4 :P

[Soopafresh]

The "Magic Bullet" (kinda) is running the cleaners in Safe Mode. This prevents the Spyware from loading in memory.

[smearbrick1]

You can also avoid recurring spyware/adware issues by turning off the system restore service. Besides, this service can hog alot of space depending on how many snapshots it has taken. Personally, since I've installed Sp2 and MS Antispy, I haven't had one issue with spyware/adware or popups.

[rkr1958]

Got everything but TBPS.exe (not TBNS.exe as I orignally posted). Apparent this is a HuntBar parasite variant. I download and installed Hijack This to try to remove this. It removes it but when I reboot her machine it comes back. At least I've got Zonealarm Pro configured not to let this parasite communicate with the web. When I blocked that sucker last night the pop-ups stopped. I was working on this morning to get it removed but had to leave for work. I'll try again when I get home.

1. Delete all IE shortcuts.
2. Install firefox.
3. Rename firefox icon "I browse the web" or just "Firefox Web Browser"
4. ...
5. Profit! (in the form of not cleaning spyware off the machine again)

Agreed. By the way, never thought of renaming the firefox ico to something else. Great tip. I'll have to use it. Thanks. Again, on my computer ... no problems ... it's clean of all dirty codes ... and I plan to keep it that way.

My wifes computer, well ...

Maybe you married guys can understand this but my wife likes IE and the mail program she's using (Incredmail) and doesn't want to change. Things are much easier in my household if I keep the status-quo on the programs that she uses on her computer and I just fix the problems behind the scenes. I also view this as an opportunity to learn. Learning is fun.

Our banking, taxes, ect. are done on my computer (be me mostly). Like I said ... I keep my computer well protected and invisible from my wife's computer.

[pbhalerao]

'CleanMyPC Registry Cleaner' is also a good tool to identify unknown ActiveX plug-ins. I had the same problem. After a careful scan of the registry using this tool, I was able to remove spyware which could not be done via Spybot.

[rkr1958]

You can also avoid recurring spyware/adware issues by turning off the system restore service. Besides, this service can hog alot of space depending on how many snapshots it has taken. Personally, since I've installed Sp2 and MS Antispy, I haven't had one issue with spyware/adware or popups.

Thanks for your inputs. My wife and I are both running W2k w/SP4 and no system restore services running. Isn't MS Antispy only compatible with XP?

[hellbringer]

lol another thing you could try is like whats been mentioned but name firefox to internet explorer and change the icon to explorers and maybe she will never noticed haha..now just to get her mail proggy to work with firefox...little research shouldn't be 2 hard

[rkr1958]

Thanks for all the responses and especially thanks to Flaystus for recommending Adaware & Hijack This. That HuntBar parasite was a real bear to get rid of but it looks like I finally did. Those two programs along with a little google research did the trick. All scans of my wife's computer using Adaware, Spybot - Search & Destroy & EMCO Malware Bouncer come up clean. Thanks again.

[guns1inger]

Also consider Spyware Blaster. It works like Spybot's immunize in that it stops them taking hold in the first place.

My protection is Firefox 1.2, Spybot S&D 1.3, Spyware Blaster 3.3, and a couple of firewalls. I was using MS anti-spyware beta, however it is really only of benefit to IE users, and does very little except block scripts from running if you use a different browser (eg. firefox).

[gguerra3]

I've used MS Antispyware for a couple of months now and has done th3 best job of anything else I've tried at preventing ad/spyware. As for firewall like Zone Alarm, it does not really block any adware/spyware as that comes in thru the browser. Firefox does a great job at blocking popups. I've only seen a couple of popups since I started using it.

[ViRaL1]

MS Anti-Spyware will run on 2000 Pro, and even 2000 Server.

[snitzle_iii]

what i would do would to
1. run spybot search and destory
2. run adaware pro...(u might want to pm me)
3. run giant
4. run hijack this (post it on hijack this so experts can look at it)
run everything in safe mode again

DELEAT IE OR atleast stop using it as much and get firefox.

[Skith]

I had to do something like this with my sisters computer, in the end, I had to manually remove pests by searching the registry for reported culprits that could not be removed with tools (I first exported the registry to backup file). In addition, I searched the hard drive (be sure to have show all file extensions, show system & hidden files enabled in folder view) and remove the offending files via safe mode command prompt. Having System Restore turned off is a must.

It took many hours of digging, looking through spyware scan details/logs. I started with *only* things that jumped out as "suspicious" and gradually continued removing things until it was all gone.

I did have one advantage, and that was that the computer did not contain any important settings or data, so breaking programs or even windows was not a concern.

I am not saying this approach is for everyone, but it is not impossible for a computer savy person.

I agree with switching her to firefox. If you think the change in appearance will "intimidate" your wife, then consider using a different Skin/theme.

If firefox is still to difficult, consider "Maxthon" (Formerly MyIE2). It is built over IE, offers many additional features (including Tabbed browsing), a good adblocker (in my experience). It's interface (aside from using tabs) is almost exactly like IE.

[ViRaL1]

If you've had to fight it this hard for much time, have you considered backing up and reinstalling Window$?

[Ma_Jie]

I have to second Viral here: just re-install Windows.

Then set her PC up w/ all the programs people have mentioned -- EMCO Malware Bouncer, AdAware, Spybot S&D, Spyware Blaster, and even Crap Cleaner -- and the PC should be OK.

BTW, newest Firefox is 1.0.3.

- Jie

[snitzle_iii]

yeh i just updated yesterday for my mom

[pfh]

She likes IncrediMail?? Yuck! That's a source of junk for sure. Too bad she likes it.