Hello.

I think my computer has a virus. I have Norton Anti-Virus, I downloaded SpyBot, and AdAware, and scanned and deleted anything I found, but it's still being crap. Really slow. It may have something to do with the way it highlights certain words making them 'sponsored links'. For example, when Bonnie referred to a 'pampered pussy' the other day, it made a link out of one of those words. Clue: it wasn't pampered.

Other favourites seem to be internet, shows, books - that sort of thing.

Anyway, it's being really bloody annoying and I need to know what to do.

cheerio!

Deffo sounds like spyware scooby.

Do you download alot of porn?

Are you the only one using the computer Scooby? Be a bit embarrassing when one of your parents decides to have a surf lol!

Im sure Blink will have a solution. Maybe check in Add/Remove programmes for anything weird?

I hope nothing Ive ever posted has been highlighted!

Maybe you could run a competiton. Guess the poster who uses the most naughty highlighted words lol. Im sure Groucho would be a strong contestant. Ha ha.

Christ - the plot thickens.

I'm using my sister's account on my computer and it's being absolutely fine and dandy.

What on earth is going on?

cheerio!

Sounds very dodgy to me Scoobs, but I have no idea what it is, or what you can do about it!


Not much help, am I? :ohmy:

Try this Scoobs.

http://housecall.trendmicro.com/housecall/start_corp.asp

I downloaded Stinger when I had this.

google Stinger, download straight onto computer and run.

I would love to shoot the little squirts who do these virus's, its the same as someone damageing your property, cost me £50 nicker in the summer to get mine sorted. :boxing:

It would appear something is running in the program under your profile, that is unwanted.

Click on the "Start" button and go to "Run". Type in "msconfig".

This is the Windows configuration utility. You should have a tab at the top called "Startup". If you click this option, it will give you a list of programs that are automatically being loaded into memory when you start your PC. If there are unnecessary ones (and there will probably be quite a few), uncheck the box next to them and they won't be loaded next time. If anything you actually WANT fails to load, you can always load the utility again and just recheck the box.

When you start Windows the next time, you will get a message saying that msconfig is now starting every time you start Windows as you have chosen selective startup mode. When you are satisfied that Windows is loading to your satisfaction, you can check the box when this message comes up and you won't see it again.

This works on Windows XP but I don't know what other versions of Windows do; however I am sure that msconfig is on older versions as well.

No msconfig on Win2000, but there is a utility that works in a similar way if you have that op systems Scooby.

Good idea Ceridwen. However, when you look at your startup progs in msconfig Scoobs, some of them may be totally unrecognisable, but they might be pretty important. Others are a waste of space. Knowing which is which can be tricky, so I'd post a list or have a word with someone like Blink before trying this.

You could also try using Disk Cleanup to get rid of unnecessary files, followed by a good defrag!!

yea that was like me. not naming any names but i got sent an email about some stupid virus which turned out to be a hoax. anyway i deleted the teddy bear icon the email said to do and it turned out i deleted a programme i actually needed. got pretty ****ed off with the person who sent it and it was someone from this board too.

There's an excellent website you can check which tells you all the common hoaxes. If you google "Hoaxbusters" you'll find the page. I always check on there before I take notice of these e-mails, I have found every one has been a hoax that I've ever received!!

yea that was like me. not naming any names but i got sent an email about some stupid virus which turned out to be a hoax. anyway i deleted the teddy bear icon the email said to do and it turned out i deleted a programme i actually needed. got pretty ****ed off with the person who sent it and it was someone from this board too.

Was it me? I remember sending that to some people cos I thought it was genuine. Sorry :ninja:

I've been getting an influx at the mo...

sender...nstevens message: thanks : )) with an attachment.
sender...Peis message: thanks : )) with an attachment.

I just deleted them without opening attachment.

:ohmy: They werent' from you were they peej???

In answer to Scooby's opening post:

The kind of behaviour you're experiencing is usually not down to a virus or spyware as such. More likely, it is a "feature" of some freeware you might have installed - notably file sharing programs. I'm afraid I can only speculate about which program might have caused it.

Anyway, beware of freeware. It's usually free for a reason. Often that reason is associated to advertising, as in Scooby's case. (If you want "true" freeware, search for "Open Source" software rather than freeware.)

The feature that Scooby is complaining of is naughty. It probably rewrites affiliate links (such as the ones Haydon uses here) so that the writers of the program get the affiliate revenue rather than Haydon getting it.

How to fix this problem

The easiest solution is to install a copy of BHODemon (http://www.definitivesolutions.com/bhodemon.htm) (that's right, more freeware). This program searches for these so-called "Browser Helper Objects" which tinker with your browser and make it do things you don't want it to do. The program enables you to switch them off, and gives you guidance about some of the naughty BHOs.

Oh, you could also consider NOT USING ~&$%!*# INTERNET EXPLORER!

Blink, Radio 2 did a feature on "Firefox", a new web browser.

Is that any good do you know, is it worth downloading it and having a go. and how difficult/easy is it to download and install these kind of programs. I'm always scared of it interacting in a strange way with other things and my computer not working.

Andrea, I have both internet explorer and firefox on my pc, more often than not I surf the web using firefox, I find it a pretty cool browser, better than IE, I like the features and the layout of this browser, it seems to me to be a lot more stable than IE.

If you want to give it a whirl you can download it here http://www.mozilla.org/

I'm on BT Yahoo and they send you a free program to get rid of spyware and BHO Helpers. I had several on my machine, which interestingly my super duper up to date all singing all dancing version of Nortion Internet Security Suite failed to pick up.

Anyway I am now BHO free but my CD burning software doesn't work any more. Bit of a ****** really as it came with the PC. Ho hum.

no pj you can rest quietly in yer bed tonite, it wasnt you. im sure you would have known by now if it were!! and it wouldve came in the form of a not nice email or text or maybe even phonecall if i were ****ed off enough.

Blink, Radio 2 did a feature on "Firefox", a new web browser.
Actually no, it isn't new. It has a longer pedigree than Internet Explorer. It came from Mozilla, which in turn came from one of the first widely-available browsers used on the internet fifteen years ago (curses! I forget the name!).

The browser I use, K-Meleon (http://kmeleon.sourceforge.net/), has pretty much the same heritage, but I prefer it to the Mozilla offering because it is extremely quick. Having said that, Firefox[/quote] is getting a better reputation for speed and stability, so I might give that a whirl myself. (I gave up on previous Mozilla browsers because, although considerably better than IE, they were still too bloated and buggy.)

The choice is yours. The download size is pretty similar; the features are pretty similar too. K-Meleon is more streamlined; Firefox has more features. Both are pretty easy to install and customise, although Firefox is probably better suited to less experienced users.

is it worth downloading it and having a go.
Definitely!!! GET RID OF INTERNET EXPLORER NOW!!!!

It's not just because IE is big and buggy - it's also because IE is getting VERY out of date and is RIDDLED with security holes that all but invite hackers to take control of your PC. No matter how much effort is involved in installed a better browser, trust me, it [u]will be worth it.

Addendum: having read the support forums for the two browsers I mention above, it looks to me that Firefox is marginally more crash-prone than K-Meleon.