OT HEEEELP MY @#*%& COMPUTER IS *$&%%&

[Starhawk]

Okay I went surfing the net, and next thing you know I have some damn thing called an Active X controller installing AND I CAN'T STOP IT! and now every time I log on the stupid internet the bLasted thing brings up shop at home JUNK and slows the whole dang computer down.

Anyone out there PLEASE tell me how I can find and destroy this stupid Active X controller!? My spyware and antivirus software won't track it and system restore won't delete it because it was installed http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/frown.gif Please help (and no I don't know it's name http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/frown.gif

[Slick]

Well, first I'd recommend listing your computer specs and OS.

Next, if it is Windohs, run msconfig and check if it has added anything to the startup sequence. Uncheck if necessary.

However this sounds like a plugin to your browser. It might help if you mentioned what browser you are using as well.

[Suicide Junkie]

Ugh. You were using IE weren't you.
Active X isn't the adware, though. Its just Microsoft's nastyware doggie-door.

Grab Mozilla/Firefox or one of the other soon-to-be-suggested safe and open-source browsers.

Then try to figure out what the nasty is actually called.
You could try googling for (and posting here) a more detailed description of what you see, and see if it turns up anything.

[Starhawk]

My spyware killer calls it (eXact Homeshoppingbuddy) or something like that, I delete it but the dang Active X keeps re-attaching it http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/frown.gif

Okay my Windows OS is XP
My Browser is Cox HighSpeed with popupblocker enabled http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/frown.gif

[Fyron]

My Browser is Cox HighSpeed with popupblocker enabled

Rebranded Internet Exploder. Get Mozilla Firefox (http://www.spreadfirefox.com/?q=affiliates&id=15944&t=1). It is only a 4.9 MB download, so it is not too bad for dialup even... Most internet-spread malware gets into your computer through the 8 bajillion security holes in Internet Exploder (or Outlook). The AdBlock extension makes it even better.

You'll need to run some powerful anti-spyware programs. Ad-Aware (http://www.lavasoftusa.com/support/download/) is one of the best, and free for personal use. Don't bother with the "pro" Version and all that. The other of the best is Spybot Search & Destroy (http://www.safer-networking.org/en/index.html). It is always a tossup which actually comes out on top... Best to use both, as one will sometimes miss something that the other catches. Either of these should eliminate your problem.

A good firewall is a plus. Disable that crap that is built into XP and run Kerio Personal Firewall 2.1.5 (http://www.kerio.com/dwn/kpf2-en-win.exe) (NOT the more recent 4.x Version!). It can help protect your computer.

[Rathar]

Try trendmicro.com, they have a very handy Online virus scanner that catches a bunch of other crap and after that your standard anti-spyware doodad tends to strip the rest.
Using two anti-spyware programs is a good idea as previously suggested!

[Instar]

You don't need to get Firefox. Try out Lavasoft AdAware, its decent.
IE6SP2 (XP SP2) has a built in method for preventing this kind of hijack. Forced ActiveX installation isn't cool. If you're using XP, get SP2. If not, seriously consider upgrading.
If you want to continue using IE, consider getting DropMyRights from MSDN, it uses a program to prevent IE from running as admin if you are running as admin (a serious no no)
http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/default.asp?url=/library/en-us/dncode/html/secure11152004.asp

[Atrocities]

Pest Patrol works really well as well, but it might delete your MP3's if they were aquired through a RIAA trick p2p program. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/frown.gif

[Captain Kwok]

Often, this sort of hijack uses a .dll file to re-install itself after it has been removed. Search for all the files on your computer that were Last modified after you started noticing this junk.

If you are using XP, then your user directory (documents and settings, your user name) has some hidden folders called local settings / application data - I believe you might find the file there.

[Fyron]

Instar said:
You don't need to get Firefox. Try out Lavasoft AdAware, its decent.
IE6SP2 (XP SP2) has a built in method for preventing this kind of hijack. Forced ActiveX installation isn't cool. If you're using XP, get SP2. If not, seriously consider upgrading.
If you want to continue using IE, consider getting DropMyRights from MSDN, it uses a program to prevent IE from running as admin if you are running as admin (a serious no no)
http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/default.asp?url=/library/en-us/dncode/html/secure11152004.asp

Yes, you most certainly do need to ditch IE. Even the IE of XP SP2 is nowhere near sufficient. It is still garbage.

Further, Windows XP is no upgrade over older Versions of Windows (expcept win95 or winME...). Do not waste your money on it. Find a copy of Windows 2000 instead, and save yourself the bloat of XP...

[Fyron]

Rathar said:
Try trendmicro.com, they have a very handy Online virus scanner that catches a bunch of other crap and after that your standard anti-spyware doodad tends to strip the rest.
Using two anti-spyware programs is a good idea as previously suggested!

If Trend Micro's scanner misses stuff, why bother with it? Just use the best anti-spyware programs right off the bat and save yourself the trouble...

[Rathar]

Well, trendmicro is mainly anti-viral but it catches a surprising number of other stuff! I am basically suggesting that you attack the pesky thing from as many angles as you can.

[Instar]

Imperator Fyron said:

Instar said:
You don't need to get Firefox. Try out Lavasoft AdAware, its decent.
IE6SP2 (XP SP2) has a built in method for preventing this kind of hijack. Forced ActiveX installation isn't cool. If you're using XP, get SP2. If not, seriously consider upgrading.
If you want to continue using IE, consider getting DropMyRights from MSDN, it uses a program to prevent IE from running as admin if you are running as admin (a serious no no)
http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/default.asp?url=/library/en-us/dncode/html/secure11152004.asp

Yes, you most certainly do need to ditch IE. Even the IE of XP SP2 is nowhere near sufficient. It is still garbage.

Further, Windows XP is no upgrade over older Versions of Windows (expcept win95 or winME...). Do not waste your money on it. Find a copy of Windows 2000 instead, and save yourself the bloat of XP...


I don't know what part of XP is bloat. Sure, the UI has a lot of frills that really aren't needed, but overall, for me, the experience is better. The differences between XP and 2000 can be really minor at points (same 32bit codebase and all), but there are enough that make me like XP a smidgen more.
I'm still using IE, and I feel very secure doing so. Using DropMyRights and SP2 features, I consider myself as secure as any other browser. The biggest issue with IE is that it runs as the user, that is, if the user is running as admin, so is IE; it assumes the admin knows what he's doing.

[AgentZero]

Which can be a dangerous thing sometimes. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif In terms of UI though I'd seriously recommed you download Blackbox for Windows http://www.bb4win.com . It's just so much more streamlined than anything I've seen Microsoft come up with. For example, when I right click on empty desktop in Blackbox, I get a menu (that I customized myself) that starts out with Programs (Start-> Programs), next on the list is Desktop (where I can acess any program that has a desktop icon), then a series of menus organized into Art (for Art programs, duh), Games, Internet, etc. I find it's just way handier than the Windows UI, and when I have to Windows at work I constantly find myself wanting to bash the keyboard in fustration over how much more cumbersome the interface is.

[Baron Munchausen]

Hmmm....

How does this compare to LiteStep? I've been thinkng of trying LiteStep for some time but never got around to actually installing it. Now I find there is a choice in replacement shells for Windows. The fact that BlackBox is hosted on Sourceforge gives it a good recomendation, though... http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/laugh.gif

[Aiken]

I used Litestep several years ago, and now use a bb4win fork called bbLean (http://bb4win.sourceforge.net/bblean/). Well, I found LS is a way too geekish. It requires quite a lot of time to tune it up and grasp the config files. And the main problem is that each theme utilizes its own set of plugins (typically) so you will have to configure it again and again if you change themes frequently. bb4win is free of this problem, because its theme is actually a color scheme. With LS you can create a feature-rich enviroment (huge amount of plugins) with as many bells and whistles as you wish. bb4win has less plugins and wherefore functionality, and targeted to create a minimalistic enviroment, which is still comfortable and easy to use.
LS is much more powefull undoubtly, because it can simulate blackbox easily (but bb4win can't simulate LS) but also consumes much more resources (21 Mb for LS against 2,5 Mb for bb4win on my system).
I'd suggest you to try both, because the approach is quite different.

[Raging Deadstar]

There is a lot of overkill when it comes to security. Much of it can be avoided by common sense.

I'm Running Windows XP, Service Pack 1 (I refuse to install SP2, I'll wait a few months before installing anything with that's reputation)
Mozilla Firefox 1.0.
Trend MicroInternet Security. (Virus Scanner+Firewall)
Spybot Search and Destroy.

That's it. I check my e-mail Online via hotmail, and with Firefox nothing gets past. Half the time I'm unsure if i have an Active Firewall, and I virus scan once a month...Rarely get anything. Maybe I'm lucky, or Maybe it's just common sense on how to avoid this kind of stuff by the sites you visit and the people you talk to.

[Atrocities]

SP 2 is awsome..... I have had no pr

***SYSTEM ERROR***

[David E. Gervais]

SP2 does not like my system. I have tried installing it 3 times, and each time, once installed it freezes on bootup. I have waited as much as 30 mins to see if it is just doing a bunch of micromanagement or sys file updates. but no way. I have to physically shut down the computer and then when I boot it says there was an error. I boot in safe mode and manage to get into windows. then I simply say 'reboot' and it boots fine. it locks up only when a cold boot is attempted. (I find it very strange that it likes rebooting from safe mode but fails on a cold boot.)

Oh well, it's not the end of the world, I too have SP1 installed and all the critical updates. My system runs fine.

nuf said, Cheers! http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif

[kerensky]

Reading all you guys have said about using IE, I'm sarting to wonder if my pc is an exception. We use IE/Netscape and have had no problems on either our 2k pro or xp pro computers. We also have norton antivirus/internet security pro, which generates it's own firewall. Plus our dsl router has its own firewall....

[Fyron]

You are already doing most of what needs to be done to minimize the risks of using IE. The other would be a powerful ad-filter to eliminate popup, popunder, etc. ads that are likely to install crap in your system through IE holes, though I suspect Norton Internet Security does something like that already... An anti-spyware program (Ad-aware and/or Spybot; most others are junk) run once a week or so completes the protection.

Of course, it is still better to go with a secure browser, such as Mozilla or Mozilla Firefox. They are based on the old Netscape (the new Netscape is based on Mozilla...), so adapting to Mozilla should be a snap...

[Instar]

Fyron, IE6 SP2 has a popup blocker that is decent enough. It kills most popups that I don't want, and doesn't kill ones that I do want.

[Fyron]

For XP only... Not only popup ads have malicious code in them. IE is still a very insecure browser, and will probably always be so.

Only over-zealous popup blockers kill popups that you do want. Firefox's blocking extensions only block unsolicited popups as well... Who said anything about popups anyways?

[Instar]

Imperator Fyron said:
The other would be a powerful ad-filter to eliminate popup, popunder,

[Fyron]

Popups are one small part of that... Any sort of ad can potentially carry nasty crap. Note the etc. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/tongue.gif