This is really off-topic but should be of interest to all of us utilizing the internet. Spyware is a plague on our PCs and our personal privacy. I run multiple anti-spyware programs and find that no one program will find and eliminate all the spyware that you pick up from surfing the web. Microsoft has released a beta version of it's own anti-spyware program. You can download it here:
Anti-Spyware

I've run the full scan and it's picked up a number of spyware programs that Ad-aware, Spybot and CW Shredder didn't locate. The download is free to Microsoft users.

Sorry about the off-thread post, but I hope you find it useful.

Thanks for the link. I run Ad-Aware, and thought it was enough to get rid of all the spyware garbage...

EDIT: It found 11 "bugs" that Ad-Aware didn't!

Thanks much,
I will download and run it on all my computers.
lawndart

Forrest,

I just went trhough it all and there sure was some stuff there.

Another couple of computers to do and I am there.

Thanks for the link.

Mike

Every computer needs:

1. A firewall - Zone Alarm is free @ www.downloads.com
2. Virus protection - McAfee is the best in my book (keep it updated)
3. Spyware Zapper - So far the new Microsoft spyware seems good, Ad-AwareSE, SpyBot
4. Run Disk Cleanup every few days
5. Dump IE Temp Cookies and Files every week
6. Run Defragment every week

If you will do this religiously, your computer will like you...

quote:

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Originally posted by Zero Drift:
Every computer needs:

5. Dump IE Temp Cookies and Files every week

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How do you do that? Doesn't Disk Cleanup do this?

Regards,

Terry

Go to Tools and Internet Options and you will see it Delete Files.

If you have not done it before it will take quite a while as there will be 1000s of them

Mike

Funny you should talk about this, the clean ups. I never knew about doing this until a friend of mine stopped over the other day, we were looking at sites and he asked how often I did a clean up. I didn't know what he was talking about, well after he showed me what and how to do it, (it took quite some time) I see a difference in my PC. Told you before I was not with it when it came to PC's!!!

Forrest,

Can you go to the part of the board GO and then Chatrooms and see if it works as I am getting Connecting which stays there since I installed the spyware. I turned off the anti spyware and rebooted etc but no success.

So be interesting to see how you go.

Mike

I posted this in the Announcements forum but thought I would pass it along here also. It is rather long but does contain some good information. (Note: The article was written before the Microsoft beta version anti-spyware software was released.)

-Bob F.


2004 Houston Chronicle

Got spyware?

Here's how you may be able to tell:

• Lots of popups -- Excessive popup windows while in the browser. Some may appear when the browser isn't running. They may contain offensive images, such as pornography.

• Mystery icons -- The appearance of unknown icons on the desktop.

• Mystery toolbars -- The appearance of extra toolbars top Internet Explorers, linked to unfamiliar search engines, or with specific purposes, such as searching for pornography.

• Slow system performance -- Your PC behaves sluggishly, particularly when connected to the Internet.

• Instability -- Your system crashes, or in Windows 95/98/ME, system resources are quickly depleted.

• Hijacked startup pages -- Your browser's startup page changes to something you didn't choose, and attempts to restore it are unsuccessful.

• Redirected Web sites -- Clicking on a popular Web site (particularly search engines), or entering its address manually, brings up a completely different site.

Spyware/Adware Because it is easily the most ubiquitous scourge out there, users are lured into installing spyware via everything from Web pages to free software to spam e-mail. It will report your online activity to advertisers — and sometimes parties with more malicious intent — and slow your once-zippy machine to a crawl. Trying to remove it can seem close to impossible, and a burgeoning industry has grown up around cleaning spyware-infested PCs.

The purveyors of spyware have grown increasingly sophisticated in getting users to install it, so that even the techno-savvy are occasionally fooled. A friend whose tech skills are pretty polished recently was lured into installing an unwanted toolbar in Internet Explorer. The popup box that snared him looked just like a Windows system message, and he reacted to it on reflex, clicking OK, thinking the window would simply go away. Gotcha!

There's plenty of information online about avoiding and removing spyware. (See www.chron.com/spyware, for example. [SEE BELOW] ) There's also lots of software to help, but be careful — there's now spyware masquerading as spyware-removal utilities



Spyware: They came from cyberspace

By DWIGHT SILVERMAN
2004 Houston Chronicle


Ken Dwight sneers at a survey showing more than 90 percent of computer users who access the Internet via high-speed connections have spyware on their computer. He doesn't believe it.

"From what I'm seeing, it's more like 100 percent," he says.

Dwight, a Houston computer consultant who specializes in virus and spyware removal, works mostly with small businesses and home users.

No one is spared, he says.

"Just about every PC I look at has something on it, whether it's a hijacked Web page, some kind of search bar that phones home, or adware that comes as part of another program," he says.

Forget viruses. Spyware, adware, hijackware and parasiteware have become the new Axis of Evil for computer users. The programs can report your computing behavior to others, serve up ads you may or may not want, or change your browser's startup and search pages. They are often piggybacked on software offered as free.

These programs can ruin both the online and offline experience, slowing a personal computer to a crawl, changing system settings and even prevent victims from getting to common pages on the Internet.

The problem has become so widespread that there's now talk of anti-spyware legislation similar to the federal CAN-Spam Act passed last year.

The National Cyber Security Alliance, a collaborative effort between the computer industry and the U.S. Office of Homeland Security, determined in a June 2003 study that 91 percent of all home users of broadband Internet access -- typically the phone companies' DSL service and the cable TV industry's cable modem option -- have some form of spyware or adware on their PCs.

Increasingly, users may have some kind of spyware or adware on their systems and not even be aware of it. Even scanning software designed to detect and remove it may be ineffective.

"I've seen programs that can change the names of their .EXE files," said Dave Methvin, PC Pitstop's chief information officer, referring to the part of a Windows-based software package that actually launches the program. "You go to delete the file, and it comes back with a different name."

Spyware is primarily a problem for Windows users, and particularly for those who use Internet Explorer.

Here's a guide to avoiding and removing spyware, adware and browser hijackers on Windows PCs that use Internet Explorer. It requires a basic knowledge of how Windows works, and it is highly recommended that you back up any crucial data or programs on your personal computer before trying to remove spyware.

Step 1: Avoid spyware

The best strategy in the fight against spyware is to avoid it altogether. With a little vigilance, common sense and safe-surfing practices, you may never need to follow the steps in the rest of this guide.

• Avoid bad online neighborhoods. Just as you wouldn't go walking late at night in a bad part of town, don't go wandering around Web sites with questionable content. Sites that offer pornography, free downloads of copyrighted music and hacked copies of popular software programs are often also distributors of spyware and browser hijackers.

• Just say no. Web sites of all types may try to install plug-ins to your browser. Some are fine, such as Macromedia's popular Shockwave plug-in for viewing Flash animations. Others, though, can install spyware or hijack your browsers. When a site wants to install software, you'll see a popup called a certificate that will give you some information about the software and who is offering it. If it's a name you know -- such as Microsoft, Macromedia, Apple, etc. -- it's probably safe. But if you don't recognize it, or particularly if the plug-in offers to provide free software, music or porn, then decline.

• Tweak your settings. Your browser's security settings for Internet Explorer should be set to at least medium to prevent automatic launching and installation of Active X and Java programs which are often used to perform actions in a Web browser. In IE, click on Tools, Options, then Security. From here you can adjust your settings. Keep in mind that if you increase security above medium, some Web sites may not work properly.

• Investigate free software. Although there is lots of free software that really is free, a lot of it comes with a catch. Do some research before downloading a program by entering its name into a search engine such as Google along with the words "adware" or "spyware." Carefully read the fine print on the program's source Web site, and if you do install it, pay close attention to the licensing agreement that will appear as art of the installation routine.

Certain kinds of software are more apt to contain spyware or adware than others. For example, peer-to-peer, music-file-sharing programs, such as Kazaa or Grokster, are notorious for components that come along for the ride. In general, any free software that purports to get you something else for free is likely to contain spyware or adware.

Step 2: Let Windows remove it

Some spyware and adware programs do allow computer users to remove them easily. Check in the Add/Remove Programs module in the Windows control panel for the offending item. Try running the uninstall process.

If you don't see it listed there, check in the Windows Program Groups -- Start, Run, Programs -- for a folder related to the program. If there is a corresponding folder, there may be an uninstall icon inside it.

Some spyware uninstallers, though, will only generate error messages. If that's the case -- or if no uninstaller can be found -- you'll need to take more drastic measures.

Step 3: Spyware removal software

Spyware has become such a universal problem that an entire industry has grown up around software designed to remove it. Initially the purview of developers of shareware and freeware, the demand for spyware removal tools has inspired giants such as Symantec and Network Associates to jump into the market.

But the most popular programs -- and often the most effective -- remain those developed and created by programmers as freebies online.

A warning: Spyware removal programs aren't perfect. They won't remove all programs, and using them could cause other programs to stop functioning -- for example, if you remove adware that's required for another program to work. And some of them make changes to key system files, including the Windows Registry. Use at your own risk.


• AdAware -- http://www.lavasoft.de One of the most popular removal programs, AdAware takes aim both at spyware and browser cookies. It's also one of the simplest to use.

After installing, check for online updates to its database of bad programs and download it if one's available. Follow the prompts to check your computer for spyware and tracking cookies.

When it's completed -- it may take several minutes -- you'll see a list of cookies and possible programs. Right-clicking on any program in the list brings up a menu with lots of options, including the ability to select all the items on the list. Once you've chosen the items to remove, click Next and AdAware will delete them.

If you remove something you later wish you hadn't, AdAware's Quarantine feature lets you restore it.


• Spybot Search & Destroy -- http://www.safer-networking.org A little harder to use but more thorough, Spybot Search & Destroy is the other leader in spyware removal.

After installing, you can launch Spybot in either advanced or easy mode. Spybot also can download updated information about new spyware programs, so be sure and download its definition files before scanning.

Like AdAware, a scan takes a few minutes and produces a list of suspects. You can click on some items and get more detail about them before deciding whether to delete them.

Spybot also has an Immunize feature, making it impossible for some programs to change them. In Advanced mode, you can delve deep into system settings, including turning off programs that are set to launch at startup.

Here's a tip for both AdAware and Spybot. Restart your computer before running either one, and don't launch any browsers before launching Spybot or AdAware. This prevents programs designed to launch with the browser from loading into Windows' memory and can can keep them from being removed. Failing that, try running both in Windows' Safe Mode (at bootup, just before the Windows startup logo appears, hit the F8 key, and at the menu that appears, choose Safe Mode). This keeps spyware from launching when Windows itself starts up.


• Hijack This! -- http://www.spywareinfo.com/~merijn/ A program designed to fix browsers whose home pages and settings have been altered or "hijacked," Hijack This! requires some knowledge to be used safely.

After scanning your system, which takes just a few seconds, it shows in a single window a list of items that could be related to browser hijackings.


• CW Shredder -- http://www.spyware.info.com/~merijn/ Developed by the same author as Hijack This!, CW Shredder removes a very common piece of spyware known as the Coolwebsearch Trojan. It takes advantage of a flaw in a key component of Windows -- Microsoft's version of the Java Virtual Machine -- to install itself via popups often found on porn and illegal software (a.k.a. "warez") sites.

Run CW Shredder after installing, and have it look for updates. Then click the "Fix" button, and the the program will both scan and fix any problems it finds. If your system does not have this kind of spyware, it will give you the good news.

Step 4: Turning off spyware

In those cases where spyware is stubborn, you may be able to prevent it from starting up when Windows launches.

If you are using Windows 98, ME or XP (but not Windows 2000), click on Start, Run, then type MSCONFIG and hit Enter. This will bring up the System Configuration Utility, and from here click the Startup tab.

Here you'll find programs that are activated when Windows boots, and by unchecking the boxes next to them, you can prevent most of them from starting. The list can be mystifying for even experienced computer users, but there's a searchable guide to the most common startup programs at http://www.sysinfo.org/startuplist.php .

Once you've determined what you need or don't need, you can uncheck the undesirables, then click Apply and OK. Restart your computer.

After the restart, the utility will appear again. You can check to see if any of the items previously unchecked have been rechecked, which some of the nastier spyware programs will do.

( Windows 2000 users will discover that the System Configuration Utility is not available on their PCs. Instead, try using Startup Control Panel, available at http://www.mlin.net/StartupCPL.shtml )

Step 5: Removing browser-based spyware

Some spyware components are browser plug-ins, also known as Browser Helper Objects.

In Internet Explorer (IE), you can find Browser Helper Objects, or BHOs, in the Temporary Internet Files area. Click Tools, Internet Options, then Settings on the General tab. From there, click on View Objects.

A folder called Downloaded Program Files will appear, and from here you can identify and possibly delete suspected BHOs. As with the startup items found in the System Configuration Utility, the item names can be cryptic. A list of common BHOs can be found at http://www.sysinfo.org/bhoinfo.php

You may find you cannot remove some, because the browser is open and using them. An alternative is to restart the computer, then go to the Internet Options module via the Control Panel. This lets you get to the same menus without opening IE.

You can also get to it by clicking on My Computer, the C: drive, the Windows folder, and then opening the Downloaded Program Files folder.

Finally, if those tricks don't work, try removing the BHOs while in Windows' Safe Mode, again making sure you don't launch Internet Explorer first.

Even these strategies may not work. For advanced help, try some of the tips located at www.spywareinfo.com , or ask the experts that hang out in the forums there.



Types of spyware

• Adware: Software that displays ads, a trade-off for the program being offered free. May or may not report surfing behavior to advertisers.

• Spyware: Software that reports anything from Web site visits to keystrokes and passwords to a third party. May or may not display ads.

• Parasiteware: Software that is included in a stealth fashion with another program. Indications that it's included with a program are usually buried in the host software's license agreement.

• Browser hijackers: Software that changes the home page and other settings on a Web browser. May also prevent access to some Web pages.

• Cookies: Mostly harmless, used by Web sites to store passwords and settings, or for webmasters to see what areas of their own sites are most popular. But some, called data miners, may report surfing behavior across Web sites.

quote:

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Originally posted by Mike375:
Forrest,

Can you go to the part of the board GO and then Chatrooms and see if it works as I am getting Connecting which stays there since I installed the spyware. I turned off the anti spyware and rebooted etc but no success.

So be interesting to see how you go.

Mike

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You'll probably have to log in again as you have deleted your cookie that automatically logs you in. I can get in all the chatrooms with the Microsoft Anti-spyware program running. I hope it keeps me from getting inadvertently sucked into the political chat blackhole.

If you delete your cookies (like I just did), you will have to sign back on to all websites on which you are registered.

Regards,

Terry

I have deleted all cookies, temporary files, rebooted, relogged, turned off and turned back on.

I will wait a while and see what happens then uninstall the antispyware and recheck.

Mike

Hmmmm. A Microsoft spyware program???

I would trust that about as much as Bill Clinton on a date with my daughter.


douglast

I spent 3hrs this past weekend removing 579 spyware violations and 3 Trojan viruses from my Niece's computer. This on a 4month old computer.

One of the Trojans was particularly nasty and could regenerate itself even after quarantine. Disabling the broadband connection while running Adaware did the trick. Our IT guy at work has had to run Adaware in windows safemode once to get at some of the offensive bits.

I also am a HUGE fan of Zone Alarm's software.

Also Postini's mail filtering service really work's on spam and scans for viruses.

quote:

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Originally posted by Mike375:
I have deleted all cookies, temporary files, rebooted, relogged, turned off and turned back on.

I will wait a while and see what happens then uninstall the antispyware and recheck.

Mike

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Mike..did you delete the cookies under your profile settings on this software?

Go My Space Profile Cookies

That also clears the cookies for you on our server.

Don

quote:

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Originally posted by douglast:
Hmmmm. A Microsoft spyware program???

I would trust that about as much as Bill Clinton on a date with my daughter.


douglast

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Quite true. Though I feel I'm doing away with a multitude of little spies in favor of one big one. I did notice that the Microsoft program will displace google as your search engine. I had to reset a couple of things. Also, I chose to opt out of the "Spynet"; I don't think Microsoft needs to be updated about everything I do on my PC.

Now that I have my machine all cleaned up, I'm off to surf some porn and do a little internet gambling.

Don,

I got it fixed.

Uninstalling antispyware did not work or cookies and then I suddenly remembered what just about works for eveything over here.

Tur of the cable modem and turn of the radio connection and the computers. Then turn the modem back on, wireless back on and computers back on and it works. I shouldd have done that after I installed the antispyware.

Mike