Tangled in Spyware:

The Houston Chronicle ^ | October 31, 2004 | Anick Jesdanun [Associated Press]

[quidnunc]

David Eckstein turned on his computer one day and launched his Web browser, just as he had every day. This time, however, CNN.com did not automatically open. Instead, the page was a search engine he'd never heard of.

Eckstein tried changing the browser settings back to CNN but the search engine would return whenever he rebooted. Finally, he just gave up.

The San Francisco marketing consultant is yet another victim of spyware, an amorphous class of software that mostly gets onto people's computers without their knowledge. So resource-hungry, it often renders the machines unusable.

"It makes you want to throw your computer out the window," Eckstein said.

In the past year, the problem has become epidemic as people spend more time online and spyware developers get more aggressive.

"It makes spam look like a walk in the park," said Bob Bowman, chief executive of Major League Baseball's Internet unit, which in June started banning new advertisers from using such techniques.

As part of a government-backed study, technicians visited Jenna Dye recently in Young Harris, Ga., and found 1,300 spyware-related items on her machine.

"It would shut itself down in the middle of doing stuff. We had lots of pop-ups. The (CD-ROM) drawers would pop open," the mother of two complained. "It's frustrating. We spent $1,800 on our computer and we didn't want to use it."

Until the machine was cleaned up, Dye and her husband would make 2 1/2 hour trips to the nearest mall to avoid shopping online. "We use it every day now again," she said.

Spyware was found on the computers of 80 percent of participants in the study, conducted by America Online Inc. and the National Cyber Security Alliance.

-snip-

[Jeff Chandler]

I delete, too. It just says "quarantine" on the progress bar when it does. My motto is to shoot first and ask questions later.

[an amused spectator]

I'll assume that you have WinXP. Load msconfig.exe to your C:WINDOWS\system32 directory (you can find it on the Net) and uncheck playdrv.exe in the Startup tab. Apply, and restart.

This will kill the startup autoload, and then you can research the Google links provided by Musket.

[getmeouttaPalmBeachCounty_FL]

I learned about Ad Aware here last year, and I love it, too! My 6 year old loves seeing "how many bugs we can get rid of."

Makes the computer run a bit faster, too.

[an amused spectator]

Dialup or cable modem?

[Never2baCrat]

I installed SpywareXterminator from Stompsoft, it's an anti-spyware programme. Worth every penny. Another programme I had only picked up 2 problems. After I installed the programme and ran it, it found over 843 pests that the other one couldn't find. Check it out.

[Jeff Chandler]

Another great program is F-Prot: http://www.f-prot.com/. It's only $29.00 for home use and you can install it legally on 5 computers. It has found things that the big name virus protection programs missed, but what I like about it is it's easy on the system resources. My computers start up quickly and run fast even with the real time protection on.

[getmeouttaPalmBeachCounty_FL]

Thanks! Will look at it tomorrow. :)

[Babu]

I use AdAware, SpyBot, and Spy Sweeper. The first 2 are free, and the last is a pay, but worth it. You need all three. Each one gets some stuff off that the others don't. And Spy Sweeper is always active and as I understand it, gets at spyware buried in the registry that the freebies don't always get to. Adaware and SpyBot are ONLY working when you scan. Use all 3 for best results.

I have used Drudge as a home page for years and have never had a problem. Regular and on-going maintenance is the key to trouble-free compooter-motoring . . .

[Jeff Chandler]

You might want to download their trial version. I you decide to buy it, uninstall the trial version first.

[Jeff Chandler]

Oh, one more thing- I don't run the F-Prot function which scans web pages before letting you see them. It's the ultimate in protection, but there is a delay with each new page while it checks it out. I run everyhting else on it, though.

[longjack]

Just tried to update Ad-aware from work, and it did the same thing my two home computers did--show 5% complete and stop.

According to this:

DSLReports

Ad-Aware 6 support is ending....a change to Ad-Aware SE is necessary.

I just happened to stumble upon this. This probably explains the update problem.

longjack

[longjack]

I probably should have had the sense to provide the Ad-Aware SE download link....but better late than never:

Get Ad-Aware SE from Download.com

longjack

[dsc]

Ah, that splains it. Thanks for the info.

[Obi-Wandreas]

Higher market share will not result in more viruses for a few simple reasons:

1) Broken Windows Theory - Windows is like a bad neighborhood - such things are accepted. Mac users don't tolerate anything that doesn't "just work" If someone wrote a piece of mac software that installed this crap, it would be all over the web by the afternoon, and that person would never be able to write a piece of mac software again.

2) Better Security to begin with - Network services are off and ports closed by default. In addition, there are fewer places for crapware to hide. If it tried to install itself, it couldn't do it without authorization.

For a better explanation than mine

[IamConservative]

"AOL itself is one big piece of spyware."

Particularly AOL Instant Messanger. It loads Viewpoint and WebTangent - I think that's the name. Both as flagged by AdAware as spyware.

[shattered]

Ad-Aware 6 support is ending....a change to Ad-Aware SE is necessary

Thanks for the tip!

[jalisco555]

Thank you for the interesting link. I know that many here like to denigrate Mac users in general as granola-eating liberals but maybe the opposite is the case. Mac users are like President Bush- zero tolerance for enemy attacks and a willingness to pre-empt threats while Windows users are like Kerry- they regard viruses et. al. as nuisances to be managed and lived with, things to be reacted to after they happen.

LOL, OK let the flames begin!

[edchambers]

Cable, with a combination wireless/LAN router.One 98 machine is wired in one is on wireless and still the XP one is the only one that keeps dropping off.

[hsmomx3]

I noticed at the AVG site that you must download the free version. Is it a large download and also, is it easy to use? I am not too great when it comes to tech issues.

Thank you very much!!

[hsmomx3]

I run Adaware everyday as my kids are on the computer. They have websites which they update. And yes, there are times when we are on IE although I prefer my Netscape 7.2.

So far the program has caught many items. The EZula was the worst.