(OT) Computer Hijacker?

[mottlee]

I have some program that I can not find that keep putting "Links" into IE it is a DSKTPTR I keep pulling it out of the reg yet it stipp pops up I do not remember D/L anything any help is greatfull, I do not think uninstalling IE will help yet this is the step I am to http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/confused.gif http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/fear.gif

[Gandalf Parker]

Doesnt sound familiar. Does taskmanager have anything interesting? Something like WinAdCtl or Gainer?

Do you have the usual killers to run? a virus scanner? ad_aware? spybot?

[Suicide Junkie]

Do you mean real links to somewhere, or the "links" folder in your Favorites?

[mottlee]

I got it...found a "Mistery dll" sooo I deleted it and I'm good now..they were real links, if the page had "Games" some place in the text it would be a different color and active, took you to different places have no Idea where it came from http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/frown.gif

[mottlee]

Gandalf Parker said:
Doesnt sound familiar. Does taskmanager have anything interesting? Something like WinAdCtl or Gainer?

Do you have the usual killers to run? a virus scanner? ad_aware? spybot?



Nope task manage looked normal

[Azselendor]

Try looking for some strange programs in your add/remove programs list and get adaware from download.com

[Karibu]

I recommend you run spybot S&D. Most propably it finds and removes all spyware and adware from your computer.

[Fyron]

Karibu said:
I recommend you run spybot S&D. Most propably it finds and removes all spyware and adware from your computer.

You will also want to run Adaware. Spybot misses things that Adaware catches, and occasionally Spybot will catch things that Adaware misses...

[Gandalph]

I have found Webroot's Spy Sweeper to be the most effective, catching things that are missed by both Adaware and Spybot. It can also run in the background to prevent hijackers, new things in startup (registry or folder), additions and subtractions to your Favorites, etc.

[Fyron]

But is it free? And are the things that it catches actually spyware, or is it just over-protective about cookies and such?

[Gandalph]

It is a free download. Webroot wants you to Subscribe to update the definitions it uses, but I have found if you download and install every 3-4 months, the program stays up-to-date this way. In it's report screen, it ID's everything it finds, in detail, so you can tell what's there and often where it came from. I had not touched on it's cookie handling capabilities as that is seperate from the spy sweep part of the program.