I've been a busy boy cleaning this crap from friends' and co-workers' PCs.
I have found 2 things that will stop this shit right off and I will share with all who will listen.
Go to Google and search for these 2 pieces of software:
1. SpyWareBlaster
2. The Proxomitron
SpyWareBlaster functions much as SpyBot S&D's Immunize function does. It is easily and freely updated whenever you ask it to. It will load protection against thousands of spywarez and DOES NOT NEED TO BE RUNNING IN THE BACKGROUND TO DO THIS.
Install it, set it up and drop a shortcut for it into the Startup Group of your PC and it will load and run its protection at boot up and then you shut it down. Done.
The Proxomitron is a software proxy server that you set up to sit on port 8080. When you configure your browser to use a proxy for HTTP on port 8080, The Proxomitron is now an intermediate step for any traffic coming from the 'net to your browser.
It will work out of the box and protect against such things as popups and homepage hijackers. Run the install program, put a shortcut to it in your startup folder, and then set it as an http proxy on port 8080. To do this for IE go to tools, internet options, connections. Then click settings if you have a dialup connection or click lan settings if you have cable. Either way, the rest is the same. Check the box that says use a proxy server and then click advanced. Under proxy address by HTTP, type in "localhost". Under port, type in 8080. OK your way out and surf free of popups, ads, and other obnoxious stuff. It will also work for Mozilla Firefox as I use both.
You will have an icon in your system tray. If you want to bypass the program and see the page as it would appear normally, right click the icon and select bypass all filters and refresh the page.
Another thing. If you maintain the browser proxy settings as mentioned above and the Proxomitron is not running, you will not be able to connect to the internet. You will either have to reverse the proxy settings in the browser settings or start the Proxomitron.
Finally, this program is a stand-alone meaning it adds nothing to the registry or do such things as install dll's in the windows directory. This means if you don't like it all you have to do is not use it and if you want to uninstall it, just delete its program folder.
The Proxomitron is one hell of a piece of software and it is infinitely configurable and it is free.
I cleaned off my two Win ME systems, set up these two programs and have let my kids surf their asses off for the past week.
I just ran a complete AdAware and Spybot S&D scan on both and came up with NO SPYWARE AT ALL.
I cannot recommend this set of "shields" highly enough.
Good luck.
A hearty 'thank you' (again) to fellow Freeper, "No One Special" for putting me onto The Proxomitron.
"Filthy, nasty spywareses...
trying to ruin the Precious.
We won't lets that happen, no.
We'll shows them good!"