Now it's my turn to ask for computer help!

Sally'sConcerns | 12/05/04 | Sally'sConcerns

[Sally'sConcerns]

Before anyone asks I have AVG, Spybot, Ad-Aware, SpySweeper (paid for) and TrojanHunter. SpySweeper runs nightly as does AVG. I run Spybot every couple of weeks as back-up for SpySweeper. I'm on cable modem and the only protection I don't have is a firewall. I plan on securing that when my computer whiz son visits at Christmas. (I'm an almost computer idiot)

So my computer's been acting hinky and I don't know why. I decide to go to http://www.pcpitstop.com to check my computer. For some strange reason I click on the free scan from Stop-Sign. Stop-Sign finds stuff and the only way I can get them to "correct/fix" it is to purchase their program. Is it worth the money to buy their program? They did find several things such as the remains of IWon and AllAdvantage which none of the other programs found.

[Sally'sConcerns]

By hinky, I mean my computer has regularly been freezing up and I get blue screens of death one after the other. Also, when Alt-Control-Delete doesn't work when I cold boot there's no waiting time when I press the button. I have Windows ME and I always download their critical updates (even the one in the last few days).

Here's what Stop-Sign found:

Stop-Sign Threat Scanner Statistics: Files Scanned: 35465 Archives Scanned: 0 Threats Found: 31 Threats Stopped: 0 Threats Remaining: 31

31 Possible Spyware Infection(s) Possible Spyware: Status: SexTrail Cookie Infected CommissionJunction Cookie Infected AdServer Cookie Infected ClickedyClick Cookie Infected LiveStat Cookie Spyware Scan Details: Stop-Sign has found cookies belonging to SexTrail Cookie, which has been independently identified as possible Spyware cookies Stop-Sign has found cookies belonging to CommissionJunction Cookie, which has been independently identified as possible Spyware cookies Stop-Sign has found cookies belonging to AdServer Cookie, which has been independently identified as possible Spyware cookies Stop-Sign has found cookies belonging to ClickedyClick Cookie, which has been independently identified as possible Spyware cookies Stop-Sign has found cookies belonging to LiveStat Cookie, which has been independently identified as possible Spyware cookies Stop-Sign has found cookies belonging to MediatrackRevenue Cookie, which has been independently identified as possible Spyware cookies Stop-Sign has found cookies belonging to Omniture Cookie, which has been independently identified as possible Spyware cookies Stop-Sign has found cookies belonging to Cybereps Cookie, which has been independently identified as possible Spyware cookies Stop-Sign has found cookies belonging to Tracking.Cookie, which has been independently identified as possible Spyware cookies Stop-Sign has found cookies belonging to LuckyNugget Cookie, which has been independently identified as possible Spyware cookies Stop-Sign has found cookies belonging to WWW-porno Cookie, which has been independently identified as possible Spyware cookies Stop-Sign has found cookies belonging to Before-you-go Cookie, which has been independently identified as possible Spyware cookies Stop-Sign has found cookies belonging to CibleClick Cookie, which has been independently identified as possible Spyware cookies Stop-Sign has found cookies belonging to Entrepreneur Cookie, which has been independently identified as possible Spyware cookies Stop-Sign has found cookies belonging to SuperStats Cookie, which has been independently identified as possible Spyware cookies Stop-Sign has found cookies belonging to ABCsearch Cookie, which has been independently identified as possible Spyware cookies Stop-Sign has found cookies belonging to Agent Cookie, which has been independently identified as possible Spyware cookies Stop-Sign has found cookies belonging to Online-Casino Cookie, which has been independently identified as possible Spyware cookies Stop-Sign has found cookies belonging to Date Cookie, which has been independently identified as possible Spyware cookies Stop-Sign has found cookies belonging to DomainSponsor Cookie, which has been independently identified as possible Spyware cookies Stop-Sign has found cookies belonging to WorldBannerExchange Cookie, which has been independently identified as possible Spyware cookies Stop-Sign has found cookies belonging to SmartBargains Cookie, which has been independently identified as possible Spyware cookies Stop-Sign has found cookies belonging to Advertising Cookie, which has been independently identified as possible Spyware cookies Stop-Sign has found cookies belonging to AdLandPro Cookie, which has been independently identified as possible Spyware cookies Stop-Sign has found files belonging to NetSonic Web3000 Application, which has been independently identified as Spyware, or possible Spyware Stop-Sign has found files belonging to Custom Browser Custom Toolbar Application, which has been independently identified as Spyware, or possible Spyware Stop-Sign has found files belonging to iWon Toolbar Application, which has been independently identified as Spyware, or possible Spyware Stop-Sign has found cookies belonging to VTrack Cookie, which has been independently identified as possible Spyware cookies Stop-Sign has found cookies belonging to iWon Cookie, which has been independently identified as possible Spyware cookies Stop-Sign has found files belonging to Integrated Search Technologies ISTBar Application, which has been independently identified as Spyware, or possible Spyware Stop-Sign has found cookies belonging to MySearch Cookie, which has been independently identified as possible Spyware cookies

If possible, please keep any of your help real simple because I'm a numnuts when it comes to fixing my computer, that's one reason I have all of the protective programs I do.

I don't know how to fix or delete these problems without a program's help. Is it worth spending $35.00 for Stop-Sign to fix/delete the following stuff? And would any of this stuff cause the problems I've described?

Thanks in advance for y'all's help!

[Dyvim]

Honestly, most of those are Cookies, which aren't a problem.

You only need: Spybot and Adaware (though spybot is by-far the best).

Make sure you are updating definitions. Check out Spybot's forum on their website, many companies steal their database/program and then try to sell it to you.

-A

[lolhelp]

For goodness sakes, go to ZoneAlarmPro.com and buy their fire wall program, don't wait for your son. I was just like you and bought it and my son, who had set up my computer was so impressed with it, when his fire wall came up for renewal, he bought ZoneAlarm. I use ultra win 2000 and spybot. You could clean up a lot of space and get rid of all other programs you have.

[Jaysun]

Go here and download "Spy Sweeper". I had a similar problem a few weeks ago, and this is by far the best way to rid yourself of problems. It's free for 30 days, at which time you can simply uninstall it if you want. After you install it, it'll ask you if you want to update definitions. Click "YES" and when it's finished go to sweep and run it. It should take less than 5 minutes. Let me know how many viruses or traces of viruses you had, I think you'll be surprised.

http://www.webroot.com/downloads/

[konaice]

Couldn't even find Stop-sign on that site?

[Ex-Dem]

Not sure about Stop-Sign. Here's what someone at CNet had to say about it:

http://reviews.cnet.com/5208-6138-0.html?forumID=31&threadID=34364&messageID=396727

[Clara Lou]

Wow-- no firewall. Inconceivable. Other than that, I think you have spyware ora virus. Otherwise, why do you have all of those porn cookies?

[Sally'sConcerns]

Thanks for the advice but I already have the paid version of Spy Sweeper. It runs on a nightly basis. You're right in that I was surprised the first time I ran it.

[Loyal Buckeye]

I am no expert, but I ran a similar program not too long ago and it found over 400 threats. A further inspection disclosed that most were cookies, which are normal.

There are a lot of services on the net that provide free scans. Then you have to purchase their programs to remove the spyware.

I ended up purchasing XoftSpy. It found a few trojans and some spyware. My computer speed increased significantly and now doesn't take as long to boot up or shut down.

Take this FWIW.

[Dyvim]

Just to clarify, keep the Anti-virus, and then Spybot and AdAware.

You should regularly update your definitions, I think that is probably the only reason I could see things not caught by those two programs being a problem.

Btw, you don't need to do a nightly anti-virus scan if you are the sole user of your computer and your anti-virus has on-access/active scanning.

Also, get Firefox as your browser, can cut down on some problems people run into (ActiveX installation of spyware is just one).

I would get rid of the other spyware programs, kind of a waste of resources. In test after test, Spybot comes out on top with the most detections. Ad-aware offers an on-access/active scanning program, but it can be annoying (it warns on ALL registry modifications by default and blocks pretty much every popup/new window, not just ad ones) but if you are really paranoid, you should get it.

[dennisw]

You need a free zone alarm firewall a lot more than your anti spy programs. Use FireFox and a lot of spy crap, and crap ware won't even get on your computer

[Dyvim]

You shouldn't pay for ZoneAlarm, the free version is good enough. The pro just adds thing you already have with SP2 (i.e. popup blocking) and stuff your Anti-virus does. Regular version is fine.

[dennisw]

You need all....
But in order of importance ...

FIREWALL
ANTI-VIRUS PROGRAM
ANTI-SPYWARE PROGRAM

[CyberAnt]

Actually, deleting all the cookies is important. Assuming you have Windows XP, the next item would be to run Disk Cleanup.

Next .. run Disk Defragment.

If you don't know how to do those things, let me know. I just got through doing all that for my sister and my niece, and I can walk you through it - step by step.

Those 3 items should be run about once a week - depending on how active you are on the internet.

I also agree with post #2 - Spybot and AdAware are great free products, and should also be run about once a week.

[Loyal Buckeye]

Since we are talking computers, I have a question.

I just installed a new DVD-rom drive and it will not play sound when I pop in a movie. The new drive replaces an old drive that was not working. Any suggestions?

[asgardshill]

Everything you ever wanted to know about spyware.

[CyberAnt]

Actually, deleting all the cookies is important. Assuming you have Windows XP, the next item would be to run Disk Cleanup.

Next .. run Disk Defragment.

If you don't know how to do those things, let me know. I just got through doing all that for my sister and my niece, and I can walk you through it - step by step.

Those 3 items should be run about once a week - depending on how active you are on the internet.

I also agree with post #2 - Spybot and AdAware are great free products, and should also be run about once a week.

[konaice]

"Wow-- no firewall. Inconceivable. "

NOT!

Look, as long as you don't have file shareing turned on and you avoid Microsoft Internet Explorer and Outlook even ancient
windows98 machines are quite safe. I've had one on the net for 5 years now using the Opera Browser and Pegasus mail. Its sort of an expiriment to see how long it takes to get infected. Nothing. Never one incident, and I scan it daily to be sure.

Now would I recommend doing this with XP? No way. It it not safe to hook XP up to the interenet for even 5 minutes without a firewall.

I'd recommend The Original Poster have the wiz kid Son install linux, and thereby remove any cause for worry.

[CurlyDave]

I'm on cable modem and the only protection I don't have is a firewall.

This is the protection you need the most. A hardware firewall, which is always included with a router these days can be had for $20-30.

Installation is not hard at all. The secret is a pencil. That's right a pencil. Get the instructions out and check off each one as you do it. If it doesn't work, call the tech support number in the instructions.

This will prevent most new problems. For your existing problems, the easiest and least expensive way to be sure is to use the original CD to wipe your hard drive & start over. Takes time, but it works every time.

[Truth Table]

Okay Sally-

My advice is to use FireFox for your browser. It's free. I program, and I can tell you that active X is just bad news waiting to happen (as you've found out). I still use outlook as my mail client, but FireFox is a CCS Browser that uses XML and UXL. I used IE from 1995 until about 2 months ago when I downloaded Firefox so that I could check out tabbed browsing (Fire Fox uses what is called a "Multi Document Interface, or MDI, rather than a Single Document Inerface or SDI as IE does.)

The good news is that it looks like you do not have any viri , but you got lots ofcookies intentifed by your virus scanner as being installed by "spyware". This may not be true. I'd say delete your cookies and you should be good to go.

Benefits of Fire Fox:

Tabbed Browsing
Faster load / rendering times
No security issues
RSS feeds
Extensions
Themes Skins
Very coustomizable

Drawbacks
Almost none. Some (very few) pages render incorrectly because Fire Fox inforces strict CCS codes when it renders a page. There is an extension (view this page in IE) if you want to use IE to render a particular page.

Good luck

FireFox URL:

http://www.mozilla.org/products/firefox/central.html