August 26, 2004

• firefox
• First off, make sure you've downloaded Ad-aware SE (new version). Do a full scan under "Custom Scan Mode" and remove anything it finds. Download and run Hijackthis. Don't delete everything it finds! Save a log and send it to me (email is the profile). I'll email you back with what you can get rid of and you should be good to go. Hope that helps!
• Oh, and get the Google Toolbar or Service Pack 2 for XP if you're on Winxp to help with regular popups within Internet Explorer.
• Listen to damnitkage, for he speaks truth. Since I moved to FireFox, I haven't seen a single popup. Not a single one, literally.
• Yup. I also concur with the "get Firefox" suggestion (if you can, that is). I didn't do it for a long time - I couldn't be bothered learning a load of new shortcuts for a different browser, couldn't be bothered with the download time... I finally did, and it's so much better than IE (which I liked as a browser) that I can't imagine ever going back. And the extensions available are fantastic. Oh, and genial clearly a dude of the highest quality. MoFi tech support is ++good...
• @damitkage and BBF: I already have Firefox and Google toolbar. I only use IE for those pages that don't load properly in Firefox. @genial, I have SP 2 for XP. I have hijackthis and will be contacting you soon.
• pyrrthon1, could you link to one of the pages that firefox doesn't load properly, i am just curious to see what the problems are.
• @Iwanttogiveyoubabies: it's really just pages which are supposed to launch binaries in a separate window, like .wmv, quicktime files. They usually don't launch, that's all.
• well, i just hope your problem isn't what mine had. started out with popups that wouldn't stop, despite the google toolbar. then all of a sudden my search page was hijacked. then everything started going wrong. i tried everything you guys suggested here and it was some evil spyware that automatically reinstalled as soon as it was uninstalled. my tech finally had to give me a new hard drive! my sweetie recently had some very stubborn hijacker that INSISTED on making his home page some weird search engine. CHRIST. this is just computer rudeness.
• I've had the best luck with these free utilities: - Spybot Seek & Destroy, and - AVG Free Edition (better than Norton Anti-virus, IMO) Once you install and update the above two apps, install Google toolbar, and go to Windows Update and install any outstanding critical updates. HijackThis is good, but you gotta know what you're doing or have a geek friend to help you. Good luck!
• My advice: stay away from the pr0n. Oh, and Drudge is pretty obnoxious these days, too.
• AVG is fucking FANTASTIC!! I cannot stress enough how worth it it is to have that. I never have had a problem with pop up or spam. I have xp professional, is that why? I am somewhat computer illiterate so I don't know really how good it is.
• I agree with a lot of the suggestions above, but also try Spyware Blaster, which is supposed to prevent the evil stuff from being installed on your computer.
• Had similar problems too after somebody installed lots of beta chinese (PRC and Taiwanese) voicechat software. After 2 weeks of yelling at the machine, I just bit the bullet and did a system restore. All is good now, and beta chinese/Taiwanese chat programs have been banned henceforth.
• Two tips that are necessary when running adaware and spybot. 1)turn off system restore (google how to do it). More and more spyware are tricking Windows into thinking they are necessary parts of the os and when adaware or spybot removes them, windows uses system restore to automatically put them back. You can turn it back on when you are finished. 2)Turn off EVERYTHING that is running in the background that isn't ABSOLUTELY necessary. This includes the stuff down in the lower right hand corner. run msconfig and see what is starting on startup and also go to Black Viper's web site of xp services and sysinfo's list of startup items. HOWEVER, be CAREFULL!!! if in doubt, leave it on, or do a google search for the name. If it keeps coming back, then chances are that some freeware program you are using is reinstalling it. Kazaa perhaps??? Spyware Blaster is also a good idea.
• *installs AVG* *runs AVG checker* *gets rid of two trojans* *makes note to self to stay away from the pr0n and Drudge (the bastard!)* *thanks MoFi profusely*
• The KaZaA thing may be it, but I'm using Kazaa Lite, which is supposed to be spyware free...or should that be "supposed"?
• Depends where you got it. Some K-Lite sites will give you the program with a bunch of spyware tacked on. It can be even worse than Kazaa proper.
• As far as pages not downloading stuff with firefox, another great backup browser is Opera. I use it as my #2 browser and IE as my final option.
• One thing I forgot to mention, and that is that I'm not having any problems with popups using IE; it seems to be confined to Firefox.
• Do you have the popup option turned on?
• One thing I forgot to mention, and that is that I'm not having any problems with popups using IE; it seems to be confined to Firefox. That may be the first time in recorded history that anyone has ever expressed such an idea. ;)
• What version of Firefox?
• @mct: Firefox 0.9
• Well, that throws out the only possibility I could think of. Of course, there was a recent security problem found, wasn't there? You may need to upgrade to the most current release.
• Maybe I'll uninstall and reinstall Firefox.
• It's somewhat off-topic at this point, but AntiVir Personal Edition is another good, free antivirus program.
• I uninstalled and reinstalled and that appears to have solved the problem. I guess I should have done that in the first place, but it didn't occur to me that the problem could be solved that simply. I hope it sticks. Thanks to all.
• A third free anti-virus is Avast!. I have both AVG and Avast! on my computer and they seem to do a good job.
• Hey, let me drag this back onto the sidebar: How is zonealarm? Worth a damn? I FINALLY got broadband at home, and I'll be damned if I can find my BlackICE Defender CD.
• Zone alarm is a firewall - it stops programs from accessing the internet, and (hopefully) other people from accessing your computer. It is also better protection against worms (a real probelm on my network) than an antivirus alone. If you're on broadband, you should try to have both a firewall and an anti-virus program - the firewall keeps the worms off the computer altogether and the antivirus catches them in case you need to turn the firewall off (some programs, like interent phone, may not work with it on.) Zone alarm is definately worth it - I've been running it for years. It's also available in a free version (free for individuals and non-profits), which is been plenty for me. Available here - don't worry about the "reccomended" (aka expensive) stuff. DISCLAIMER - not a computer scientist/programmer, just happy with my firewall - it kept the nasty worms everyone else was getting off my computer. I know that when they get on they are quarentined by my Symantec, but I like knowing they can't get on in the first place.
• Sorry - I thought you asked "what" is Zone alarm - that's why the over long explanation (I needed it at first) - please don't be offended. But yes, it does the job. I should read more carefully :)
• Downloaded, and installed. Thanks. Now comes the annoying process of training it to know what to allow...
• It should recognise your browsers and mail right away - the rest of the programs you just have to click "always" if you don't want to be asked. Or you can go into the program menus and do a bunch at once.
• Yeah, I know. I just hate initial configuration, mostly because I'm lazy and want my software to read my mind. Plus installing this and AVG has roughly doubled the boot time of my poor, pathetic excuse for a PC. After Christmas I get a new one, just have to hang on for a few more months...