Someone Please Help Me...

[nhp]

This is driving me absoloutely INSANE! I keep getting these ads CONSTANTLY telling me my computer is infected with spyware, yet these ads themselves are products of spyware! I cannot access my e-mail inbox, every time I click on it, I go to some search engine page with no name, and get bombarded with more pop-ups telling me to scan my PC and pay 34.95 to remove the spyware. Isn't this [censored] illegal? These people are screwing up my computer, and forcing me to pay them to fix it! That's extortion!! I've already tried the ad-aware 6.0 scanner, which used to work pretty good before, but it won't get rid of all this new stuff. It's been a week since I've read my e-mail, because there is just no way for me to view my inbox without all this crap happening. Does anyone know what I can do about this? Please before I put a fist thru my monitor. Thanks

[woody_968]

What program are you using for email. Outlook? Outlook express? I dont know much about it, but have heard there is something going around that shuts Outlook down when trying to get email. I think it effects those on XP but again I am not sure on this. I believe there is a windows update to help fix it. If your using one of those programs you might check for updates on windows.

[Barbara]

If you do have Outlook or Outlook Express, turn off the "preview" option for the inbox.

I got an anonymous email that would shut down Outlook immediately. Once I turned off the preview option, I could click on it and delete it.

Sorry I can't give you explicit directions on how to do this as I'm at work and we don't use Outlook here. We use Lotus Notes. /ccboard/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

Barbara

[SPetty]

<blockquote><font class="small">Quote Barbara:</font><hr> If you do have Outlook or Outlook Express, turn off the "preview" option for the inbox.<hr /></blockquote>To turn off the preview pane in Outlook, go to View -&gt; Preview Pane. It toggles the preview pane on and off.

[pooltchr]

I agree this stuff is a big pain. I think it must have been developed by a friend of a former president of Nigeria who keeps sending me e-mail!

[SpiderMan]

Same thing happened to someone else I know. After trying everything, we finally backed up her personal data and documents onto an external HD, then re-installed the operating system (deleting all programs and the old OS). Then we loaded her personal files back on and re-installed her other software from original disks or downloads.

Everything's clean now.

SpiderMan

[highsea]

Nat, has your homepage been hijacked?

Anyway, first thing you need to do is to run Spybot S&amp;D or Adaware. (either one) Choose to fix all the problems they find. Be sure to do the online update before you run the programs.

http://www.lavasoftusa.com/software/adaware

http://ct7support.com/downloads/spybot/1.3/spybotsd13.exe

then download hijack this.

http://www.wilderssecurity.com/attachments/hijackthis1977.zip

Run Hijack this and PM the log to me and I will review it.

-CM

[Singlemalt]

I use Spybot and it works really well.

"We will never disarm any American who seeks to protect his or her family from fear and harm."

President Ronald Reagan

[highsea]

Spyware Guard is a very good real-time scanner also.
I run it as well as Spybot S&amp;D.

http://www.javacoolsoftware.com/spywareguard.html

Go here to run some security tests on your browser:

http://www.jasons-toolbox.com/BrowserSecurity/

-CM