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Tenacious Spyware Problem (Vanity)
6/16/04 | Me, Myself, and I

Posted on 06/16/2004 10:42:22 AM PDT by Born Conservative

Please excuse the vanity (this is my first vanity post). I am having a problem with spyware. It started when my 11 year old son installed a "really cool" screensaver on the computer (running XP Home) from "screensaver.com". As soon as he told me he did that, I knew that I was up the creek without a paddle. So, I ran Spybot, and then Ad Aware, and "fixed" my Spyware problems. Right. Needless to say, my computer is still infested.

I then did some searching on the web,and downloaded Hijack This, since my browser was hijacked to a different home page (msn.com). Since I wasn't sure which programs were spyware, and which were not, I haven't "fixed" them with Hijack This yet. I also downloaded Aluria's free spyware scanner, and it shows 17 spyware files. The files include Wild Tangent, IWon, Cydoor, 2020Search, Comet Cursor, WhenUSave, and MyWay Speedbar. I did re-run the SpyBot and AdAware, as well as CWShredder (run in Safe Mode), but the spyware persists. I am also up to date on all Windows updates. Any help would be appreciated. I do have a log file from the Hijack This if that would help.


TOPICS: Miscellaneous; Your Opinion/Questions
KEYWORDS: help; spyware
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To: Born Conservative
I am pinging this open because I have been days trying to eliminate belt.exe and its associated files and decided tonight to manually delete them per Symantec's instructions; when I opened the hidden files I saw that belt.exe had been last modified 8/13/2003; the only thing is, I bought this cpu new 02/12/2004.

In other words, either CompUSA sold me a refurbished computer without wiping the drive or COMPAQ pre-installed a trojan adware pgm.

Anybody have any ideas about this before I yell at CompUSA?

101 posted on 06/19/2004 7:22:00 PM PDT by Old Professer (lust; pure, visceral groin-grinding, sweat-popping, heart-pounding staccato bursts of shooting stars)
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To: Born Conservative
I am pinging this open because I have been days trying to eliminate belt.exe and its associated files and decided tonight to manually delete them per Symantec's instructions; when I opened the hidden files I saw that belt.exe had been last modified 8/13/2003; the only thing is, I bought this cpu new 02/12/2004.

In other words, either CompUSA sold me a refurbished computer without wiping the drive or COMPAQ pre-installed a trojan adware pgm.

Anybody have any ideas about this before I yell at CompUSA?

102 posted on 06/19/2004 7:22:07 PM PDT by Old Professer (lust; pure, visceral groin-grinding, sweat-popping, heart-pounding staccato bursts of shooting stars)
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To: Born Conservative

Consider these...
CyberPatrol -- blocks undesirable sites ($39/year)
SpyBot (free)
Ad-Aware (free)
Norton or McAFee Anti-Virus (~$40/yr)


103 posted on 06/19/2004 7:25:42 PM PDT by Tax Government (Democrats are waging undeclared civil war against our system of government.)
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To: Old Professer

Belt.exe and how to fix it.

http://computercops.biz/postt7729.html


104 posted on 06/19/2004 7:29:52 PM PDT by Freemeorkillme (Strike at the heart of the enemy! Support your conservative media now by picking up the pen!)
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To: Born Conservative
"System Restore to an earlier time."

Agreed, just restore to a time previous to your son using the computer.

That is the easiest and safest way to get your computer back.

105 posted on 06/19/2004 7:39:51 PM PDT by Souled_Out
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To: Old Professer


The only reason I'm pinging you is that I've participated in any number of spyware threads and updated my FR homepage to include and bloviate about my spyware prowess :)

I do this spyware thing daily, and have updated my homepage here on FR to reflect it.

-Mal


106 posted on 06/22/2004 8:49:47 PM PDT by Malsua
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