J - Many relieved thanks

I think one of the problems with spyware files and programs is that, although you first detect them and having done so, then remove them, back they come again.

Surely even MoneyAM are using spyware or spying techniques of some description to tell them 'where' and 'what' their users are doing on the MoneyAm site?

So what is the difference between 'innocent spying' and 'malevolent spying'?

Does it have something to do with making you download something onto your machine without your permission? Or at least without your understanding of what has been forced onto your machine? And if it's just a 'cookie' well, what's the harm in it? Aren't 'cookies' harmless, after all?

Do we really mind, providing it doesn't slow down our machines? But there again, if there's such a lot of it/them about they are bound to slow down our machines, aren't they?

Hmmm?

i now have spybot search & detroy,it's free from
http://www.safer-networking.org/

and have also got spyhunter $29 from

http://www.enigmasoftwaregroup.com/

this includes popup stop,
spyhunter found more spys,iam not a techy but feel alot better when the spys have been found and taken away,
my PC ok,trying to sort out my teenage sons PC,with him and his mates surfing,
i wonder what JOYS i will find,
he has said his pc is very slow to start up now,
spec is AMD 2400 with 512 ram,so i wonder what is making it slow,

steve

Had enough of the lap top shutting down today, just got the pests/spyware/adware or whatever it is removed and it then keeps shutting down due to a nachi worm or something similar.
had great pleasure in putting a hammer to the screen and now have a new laptop :-)

Dailos :-)
I have not had any more Trojan virus problems since I turned on prompt before saving a cookie in the Explorer options. Then you can choose which to allow or block for good.
Solved all of the problems!

Microsoft launch new toolbar incorporating a Pop-up blocker. http://toolbar.msn.com/

I have added the msn toolbar and it is enabled but is only accessed from a drop down menu etc. I have tried to make the toolbar area bigger by dragging down the tool area but the mouse doesn't change so that I can drag it (have I explained that properly?)

I would like the toolbar on top as an additional toolbar, could anybody assist?

I seem to have accquired a new toolbar rxmmstsvbl which keeps reappearing even after begin disabled - any idea how to permanently get rid of this?

I seem to have accquired a new toolbar rxmmstsvbl which keeps reappearing even after being disabled - any idea how to permanently get rid of this?

Aldi are stocking some more Medion Wireless Keyboard and Optical Mouse sets at 19.99 as from April Fool's Day. Perhaps best not to be an April Fool and buy a couple, might be a good idea? With an Optical Mouse you don't need a mouse mat, so there is an added benefit in that the problems of desk cleaning and clutter are helped.

Their latest computer deal is also on offer on this day too. It's a new ALDI-PC MEDION Titanium MD 8083 with Intel Hyper-Threading Technology 3.0GHz, priced at 749.99

Doc Staples also have a radio keyboard/mouse deal at the same price.

skinny, are you sure that name is correctc? what does the toolbar do? it sounds like a potential browser hijack to me, any other symptoms? eg browser slowed down? strange search pages appearing, odd entries in your favorites list?

Spaceman - just checked and I missed a T its rxmmststvbl - nothing on google - it seems to be another search type facility and knocks google off.

skinny, what about the other symptoms I mentioned? it definately does sound like a hijack. Does it have a title?

Spaceman - no other discernable symptoms - just tried a search and it points to this site http://lop.com/search/search.cgi?src=searchbar2&s=bbb
don't know where it came from - just want it to sod off!

OK skinny it is a hijack, have a look at this site for a bit of info :-http://www.spywareinfo.com/articles/lop/

if you have adaware installed try clearing it with that, if you havnt I suggest you download it, install it and update it then run it, also worth installing spybot s&d which does a similar job (I use both). If that does not clear it post back here.

Thanks Spaceman - downoloading adaware now...

The main reason these spyware programs are able to get a hold on your system is due to them having full access to the filesystem and registry. As such, they are able to install themselves everywhere and make it a nightmare to get rid of. Some of them even change the TCP/IP stack (http://www.new.net/ is a particularly nasty example) so that only rebuilding the system from scratch will solve it.

I have found that by having two accounts on windows machines (this only applies to win2k and XP), one which I use for my day to day browsing, chatting and emailing, and one that I use for installing software.

The day to day account I set as a 'user' account, sometimes known (in XP home i think) as a 'limited account', and any attempts to modify system files are refused by the OS.

The install account I use just for installing software (if installed on the admin account it is normally useable/visable to all other user accounts on the system normally) and once said software is installed, I switch back to the user account to use it.

Since doing that (and getting other people to do that) I can honestly say that I have had no spyware on my machine, nor have I had to fix any machines that have been invaded by spyware...

Just my 2p, if I have missed anything obvious, please let me know...

J.

I'm surprised at that Jon, since I was under the impression that spyware couldn't install itself much less modify the registry unless you specifically installed it by clicking on the usual install program warning, either on its own or as part of what you thought was a safe program to install. I've never had spyware either but then again I'm very careful what I install. Perhaps having the two accounts is just making you more careful what you install? The trap most people fall into is to click OK on the warning box without reading it just because the preceding page says that a warning box will pop up :-0

I used to have two logins but found it an immense pain in the neck in the end since any fiddling about with devices/drivers/registry etc. required a new log on and therefore couldn't be done during the working day when I wanted the screen setup to remain the same.

The problem has changed a bit now because of thees browser hijacks which install as BHO's and are a real pain.