OT - Porno Ad Pop Up... :(

[Guest Scott Campbell]

There's zero chance a "virus" installer like this would have an uninstaller. Half the legitimate programs I have don't have uninstallers and thus aren't in the add/remove programs list. But you might be interested to see what's there in any case.So after checking that, check the obvious other places as well - start-up folder, registry run sections ("Run Service", "Run Service Once", etc). It could bt that simple, but I doubt it. I would hazard a guess that it attached itself to another system file.You say you restored back to before this happened. Did you restore everything, like all the system files and both registries and all ini files?

[Guest]

What you are looking for is BHO Cop. Internet Explorer has whats called Browser Helper Objects that get run every time you startup IE. Unfortunately (and typically for Microsoft), there is no way to get rid of these, uh ... "helpers" ... from within IE or Windows itself because you have no idea what DLL's contain them. Typical "Microsoft Security". :-batAnyways, the "helper" you installed is most likely the problem. To get rid of it (and possibly any other "helpers" you may have inadvertently installed), download BHO Cop from PCMag. This utility lets you view and remove any helpers attached to your IE. Note: some helpers may indeed be good, such as any toolbars from the likes of Google that you may have installed. In general however, most of these "helpers" are porn, spam or spy related and send your every move on the web to some huge database.http://common.ziffdavisinternet.com/util_g...1&i=1134,00.gifBHO Cophttp://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,4149,2023,00.aspGood luck,http://members.rogers.com/eelvish/elrondlogo.gifhttp://members.rogers.com/eelvish/flyurl.gif

[Tom Allensworth 1,532]

The link she no work. :)

[Guest]

Are you sure, my man? Works in my browser... Probably because I don't have a "helper" thats blocking my access. :-)Here's a direct link to the download, if that may help:http://common.ziffdavisinternet.com/downlo...1023/bhocop.ziphttp://members.rogers.com/eelvish/elrondlogo.gifhttp://members.rogers.com/eelvish/flyurl.gif

[Tom Allensworth 1,532]

That fixed it. Thanks! This may well end up on our Editor's Pick List.

[Guest]

This explains something very weird that happened to me a couple weeks ago. I'm on a cable connection with a static IP address. My machine ran very slow for several days and I couldn't find the reason. It went back to normal after defraging the hard disk but I noticed that the disk was nearly full. It had been about 50% free not long before. Zone Alarm then started telling me that a program with an obscure name was trying to act as a server and I kept blocking it. I found and deleted the program (forgot to write down the name) and started exploring my hard disk. I found about 10 gigabytes of short porno movies on it. Someone had uploaded them in the background and was trying to set my machine up as a server dishing them out in the background.I think this technology has already been hijacked. I have my machine buttoned up pretty tight. Zone Alarm kept the stuff from being transmitted but they were able to load it without detection.

[Guest]

A great program I use and can recommend is Web Washer. It blocks popups as well, but goes beyond that and blocks just about anything you don't wish to have running: Ads, popups, scripts, layers, frames, forms, flash/shockwave, animations, web bugs, referers, cookies, etc.This tool can be as proactive as you wish on all sites, or you can set it up to only block specific sites. I usually keep the scripts, popups, flash/shockwave, cookies, ads, web bugs and referers disabled for all sites, then those that I trust and visit often, I add to the "allow" list which gives them full access (such as AVSIM). Be aware that this can be somewhat of a pain if you visit lots of sites where you want these features to be enabled (eg: if you do a lot of shopping on the net, they'd need to be added, etc)... You'd be adding lots of those site manually to your "allow" list.The good thing is you can tailor it to your needs. I've tried lots of similar tools (and still recommend you run a good firewall such as Outpost: http://www.agnitum.com/products/outpost with its plugins disabled), but this one is by far the most powerful I've run across. Even better: its fully free for non-commercial use.Web Washerhttp://www.webwasher.com/en/products/wwash/index.htmA big Note here: AVSIM requires referer access be enabled for any downloads to work properly... So, make sure you add them to your "allow" list (and support their ads and the like in the process)! Just be aware that any problems you may have on the web with content working once this is installed is probably because its installed. When in doubt, don't doubt the web site you're visiting: check Web Washer first.Take care,http://members.rogers.com/eelvish/elrondlogo.gifhttp://members.rogers.com/eelvish/flyurl.gif

[Dean_EGTC 57]

Same here Elrond. I use Outpost and WWasher right across my network here. Once configured it does kill most things.

[Guest Joshieca]

>Are you sure, my man? Works in my browser... Probably >because I don't have a "helper" thats blocking my access. >:-) >>Here's a direct link to the download, if that may help: >>http://common.ziffdavisinternet.com/downlo...1023/bhocop.zip >Thanks....I will check it out tonight when I am back on my PC...Sometimes its good to have Mac....Its a lot easier to get rid of junk like that, if it every happens. :)

[Guest]

Having read all the other replies, I have one more suggestion. Go to Programs - Accessories - System Tools and run System Information. In it go to Software Environment, then to Startup Programs. Look for anything you think shouldn't be there (be careful, some obscure names are actually important to Windows, so don't go to the next step below if you don't know. Just reply here with a list of what seems weird and I'll try to help).The next step I mentioned is to get rid of what shouldn't be there. If you look in the Location column (still in System Information), it will tell you where is located the instruction that makes the program run everytime you start Windows. It's probably in the registry. You'll need to find the specified location in the registry (left part of the registry editor), find the offending entry (right part of the registry editor) and then remove it (note the value of the entry to find out where the actual file is hidden: the registry entry only tells Windows to run the program, it's not the actual program). Make sure you don't delete the entire folder (left part of the registry editor) in the registry (that's what's called "location" in the System Information program) as some other entries (right part of the registry editor) within that location can be important. To start the registry editor, go to Start - Run, and type regedit.Again, the registry is the most important item in Windows. Don't do anything if you are not 100 % sure. Just ask if you need help.It's not guaranteed that you will solve the problem that way, but it has happened to me once before and I got rid of it that way, so you never know. In the System Information tool, you can also go to Running Tasks to look at what is currently running on your computer, but be prepared for a long list (that's normal).EDITED for spelling__________________________________________________________EricList of all airlines, aircraft manufacturers and aircraft types recognised by ATC:http://www.geocities.com/eric_2203/orhttp://ftp.avsim.com/library/esearch.php?D...atID=fs2002misc

[Guest Scott Campbell]

...I flattly refuse to use IE or any other MS internet program - like Outlook, which should be renamed: "Please anyone out there, come hack my system and screw up entire networks." Truth in advertising. ;-)I'll stick with Netscape and Eudora, thanks.

[Guest]

I had a friend that had the same problem

[Guest]

Roger,If you haven't already, go to your "Programs" section in ZoneAlarm and make sure ALL the arrows are checked to prevent server permission. You can check the ones on the left to allow internet access. This works for me.Also, I set the automatic lock at 5 minutes, so when I leave the computer it locks all inbound and outbound traffic completely. Kind of a pain to remember each time I come back, because I have to manually unlock it again. But it's worth it.Carl

[Guest Joshieca]

I have tried all of the above... it came back a few mins ago. :(BHOCOP found nothing....I clean out any programs, files, etc, even from the registery....came back...So now what? Anyone suggest anything before I nuke this thing and start over again? :(

[Guest Scott Campbell]

I'm afraid I'm fresh out of ideas. I tend to completely back up my windows whenever I add something new and it's working, or make a bunch of changes, so I keep a good back-up for just such occurrences. I do a full system back-up about once a month.I wish you good luck.