Tech?:Did I get spyware from Google or somewhere else that affects my Google results?

finnman69 | 5/4/4 | finnman69

[finnman69]

I suspect I have some sort of hijack software that has change the way my searches on Google come up. Until very recently google searcehs were quick and I would get responses as normal.

Now it seems to freeze for a few seconds and the first page of responses are links to other ad or search services. Example for a google search for 'test' I get this on the 1st page:

100% Free Certifications and Elearning Certy.com offers Free certifications/tests in HTML, Java, ASP, C#, Project Management, English, XML, EJB

Diabetics! Health Break Through! At last..there's hope for Diabetes sufferers. Sportron Diabetic Pack is the answer for millions of Diabetics who want to enjoy a better quality of life. Find out Now!

Test Jobs View Test job listings and apply online.

GET PAID TO DOWNLOAD FREE SOFTWARE! Get paid to download Free Software. Make Money with your computer.

Better Trading with Technical Analysis We offer annotated charts with technical analysis showing trends in stock prices and improving your trading decisions. Our unique newsletter provides annotated charts on Dow Jones, Nasdaq.

The second and subsequent pages are normal result pages. Any suggestions what has infected me. I am running ad-aware and zone alarm and think I might have accidently let something in. I ran ad-aware again w/ the updated database.

I live for Google and this is highly annoying. Any suggestions?

[Gamecock]

Ping for a later read.

I am having the same problem.................

[FierceDraka]

I'm a Mozilla user, too. I hate spyware - with a passion.

But it provides me a steady part-time income from removing it. The cool thing is that I get a real charge out of tracking down those little pieces of turd-ware and destroying them. Puts a smile on my face, my users are happy, and I get some beer money.

[dfwgator]

I spent about eight hours (without taking a break) fixing this on one of my friends machines. It was nasty, every time you'd stop the process that generates the popups, another process would immediately start. Had to reboot the machine in safe mode to finally delete the items from the registry as well as the executable that was generating the processes. That's the key, even with AdAware Spybot etc., removing these things usually is going to require going into Safe Mode to delete the offending files, and if you don't get them all, the popups come right back.

[finnman69]

Akkkkk, the price you pay for looking at porn. You might not go blind, but your computer will.

[FierceDraka]

My advice? Backup your documents, format your hard drive and MBR, reinstall your OS, include all the appropriate hardware drivers, install your licensed software (no games) and then get a copy of Ghost by Symantec. Make an image of your hard drive before you connect to the net and save the image to CD-R or DVD-R.

A little extreme to get rid of some spambot turdware, don't you think? LOL

But I admire someone who loves overkill - if you want to get something done, do it totally and without remorse. ;-)

[VOA]

Non-expert suggestions:
1. I had a hijacking of MS IE 5.5 a few months ago.
I only got rid of it by using
a free-trial version of "TrojanHunter" that identified the specific nasty and
got rid of part of it.
Then running Spybot R&D a couple of times finally seemed to end the problem.
I have no way to explain why the repair required both programs AND repeated use
of the programs. The only reason I repeated the programs was out of sheer, blind desparation.

2. One of the big computer shows on radio here in Los Angeles (on KABC 790AM; www.kabc.com)
is raving about SpySweeper by Webroot. I haven't used it, but here's a link;
you can try a trial version.
http://www.webroot.com/wb/products/spysweeper/index.php
Good luck and good hunting. Slay the dragon!

[Revolting cat!]

As usual, the Redmond company's ambassadors to Free Republic are missing from these threads. But can anyone explain what exactly did we gain in OS functionality, ease of use and whatever, by having these huge holes in the computer system? I mean, to allow websites out there whose only function should be to send us text and pics, and bits and bytes of streaming aidio and video, to allow them make configuration changes on the operating system and programs of the receiving computer is absolutely insane! Who designed this, the UN?

[happydogdesign]

Ad-aware, Spybot, Search and Destroy, and SpywareBlaster are all excellent free programs that will get the junk off your pc, but certain types of spyware will download harmless sounding programs that will continue to update and download nasty stuff even after you eliminate the bugs.

ZoneAlarm®, in addition to being a good firewall, also can be set to require permission for any program trying to access the internet. Many of these bugs aregiven files names similar to legitimate Windows processes, and this feature can help track them down.

The following sites are good resources for finding and separating the bad stuff from the real Task List processes

Kephyr has a great Spyware and Adware Encyclopedia and a lot of other info.

Andrew Clover also has a great spyware, adware, and parasite info page

The Windows Process Library helps sort it out what is going on in your processor's background, and Answers That Work also has loads of info including Task List Programs

[FierceDraka]

Filthy, nasty spyware.

I'd have told someone in a situation like that to invest in a router and Zone Alarm Pro. Once I got rid of all the crap from the turdware, disabled unsafe AxtiveX controls, of course.

If they refused to do so, and came up with it again, I would have charged them to remove it the second time.

I've got my stuff rigged up to block any incoming or outgoing traffic not specifically authorized by me. If by some glitch anything was to get in and try to signal to home base, Zone Alarm catches it and brings it to my attention. From there it's just a matter of Search and Destroy.

[dfwgator]

Ever since I've had Zone Alarm, and have used Mozilla, I haven't even had a whiff of spyware on my machine. (Knock Wood)

[FierceDraka]

MS tries to make their OS's all things to all people. Your UN analogy seems to be correct.

[FierceDraka]

LOL Same here. I've even managed to tame IE to not let any of that garbage in, if you can believe that.

[savedbygrace]

For later reading

[Bloody Sam Roberts]

I tried Spybot S&D, BPS Spyware Adware Remover, and Ad-Aware.

I just cleaned off a half dozen hijackers from a friends PC. One of them was so nasty that it would not let the Spybot S&D to run, nor would it allow the Spybot S&D setup executable to run, nor would it allow the Spybot S&D website to be accessed! It even went so far as to not allow the filename "spybot" to be displayed even from another networked PC. I could see the setup file on my other PC on the network but on the 'infected' PC, the file would not show up and no amount of searching or command line magic would get access to it.

Only when I changed the name of the file would it allow it to be seen...but it still wouldn't run. I had to do some registry editing to even get Spybot S&D to open and run but once it did it found the crap and cleaned it off. What a pain.

It's getting so that viruses are the least of our worries. Norton and AVG can handle those. It's this other crap that is pissing me off.

[Marie Antoinette]

Thanks for reminding me to run my Ad Aware. Found some stinkin' malware. Argh!

[Bloody Sam Roberts]

You've hit the nail on the head.

I have two suggestions:

1. Run Spybot S&D regularly and then install and run the 'Immunize' feature.
2. Since MS IE is the target, download, install and learn to love Mozilla Firefox. You'll never want to go back to MS IE again. I haven't.

[don-o]

bump for later

[pickemuphere]

Congratulations! Now, on a count of three, everybody CLAP!

A pox on you!!

[Jeff Gordon]

I didn't download anything ...

Did you, by chance, view some internet video using Windows Media Player? If you don't have a firewall you could get infected and not know it.

[Bloody Sam Roberts]

Puts a smile on my face, my users are happy, and I get some beer money.

A great little sideline isn't, it? I've cleaned 3 this week and have 2 more setup for the weekend.

All I say is "Gimme the box."