Here’s a thread to discuss those weasels who put crap on our computers and are getting away with it, to the point of spawning a new industry - spyware removal!  Vent ur anger here. Share ur stories of violation.  Organize to defeat those bums.  whatever.

I just spent all morning trying to get rid of “abetterinternets” spyware called msbb.exe, also knows as 180solutions. This file was being dynamically created and placed in my c:/documents&settings;/user/local settings/temp and was very difficult to get rid of manually.  it also created a scary file ==>   that told me the program was trying to download crap from the internet and further infect me - but before it could download anything my version of ZoneALarm alerted me and I blocked it. GO ZONEALARM!

To finally get rid of this pest, which also was running a program called bridge.dll - placed in the startup - I had to use a great program called Ad-Aware.  This FREE program blew me away with it’s function and interface.  I found the instructions below for set up and I have cleaned my TR of ALL kinds of things that all the other sweepers/antivirus/firewalls have missed. I wish the same for all my TR brothers and sisters….

———————————————————-from a anti-hacker forum
Click here (  ) to download Ad-Aware and install. Before scanning click on “check for updates now” to make sure you have the latest reference file. Then click the gear wheel at the top and check these options:

General> activate these: “Automatically save log-file” and “Automatically quarantine objects prior to removal”

Scanning > activate these: “Scan within archives”, “Scan active processes”, “Scan registry”, “Deep scan registry”, “Scan my IE Favorites for banned sites” and “Scan my Hosts file”

Tweaks > Scanning Engine> activate this: “Unload recognized processes during scanning.”

Tweaks > Cleaning Engine: activate these: “Automatically try to unregister objects prior to deletion” and “Let Windows remove files in use after reboot.”

Click “Proceed” to save your settings, then click “Start”, make sure “Activate in-depth scan” is ticked green then scan your system. When the scan is finished, the screen will tell you if anything has been found, click “Next”. The bad files will be listed, right click the pane and click “Select all objects” - this will put a check mark in the box at the side, click “Next” again and click “OK” at the prompt “# objects will be removed. Continue?”.

Reboot when done.
——————————————————————-End Instructions

Question: How does a spyware program gets into our computer system? Does it “infect” our computer if we browse certain web sites? Or do we need to explicitly click “yes” to some warning (unknowingly???) in order for it to be installed in our computer?

deathstar, GREAT question!  hope someone here can answer.  I know one way to get spyware, and that’s to say download a zip file of icons from one of those “free” icon sites.  The download is an exe file that unpacks into a zip, or so you think.  It also installs the adware.  Sometime there is a check box (almost always set to YES as a default) where if you unclick the box, the adware is not installed. But in many cases, they don’t bother, they just infect u. This same scenario is true for cracks on the crack sites.  Don’t ask me how i know that! the exe files install the adware, as well as give you a serial # or whatever.

I’m sure there are other ways, but I don’t know of them. Like thru web pages?  active X?  dunno.  it’s something that we should all know, and perhaps do something to stop it!
jigs

Wow, ad-aware came up with 45 dodgy things on my work pc which is has multiple users, cheers Jiggy.

i know, this is a nasty situation and I cant beleive there isnt rioting in the streets over it. i mean we dont need a war on terror we need a jihad against hackers and adware.  what’s all that sh*t doing anyway, really?  I’m afraid my fears have come true and chuck norry is right, the metagroup running the global military/industrial complex had infected us all, and we are just sheep being led to the virtual slaughter. I’m covering my webcam eye from now on, no matter if the TR is on or not.

a few softwares install the adware themselves like kazaa. Some of them make it compulsory that u install the adware component (like Gator :x ) if u want to use the software for free. I have also seen one c_r_a_c_k_s (my roomie used to use it, not me :wink: ) website which will allow u to download a crack only if u let it install spyware/crap on ur comp (although it will stop bugging u after u click No 3-4 times).

I use both ad-aware and another program called Spybot Search & Destroy.  The combination of both of these programs is like a one-two punch for any spyware.

This is exactly what I do.  Luckily I seem to only get cookies to delete 8)

If you stick to trusting sites, you should be ok. I scan my desktop that I use to browse the web, my TR doesn’t get scanned, it’s usually Yahoo, and my 3 or 4 top forums…no risk there.

Erik

[quote author=“tifosiv122”]If you stick to trusting sites, you should be ok. I scan my desktop that I use to browse the web, my TR doesn’t get scanned, it’s usually Yahoo, and my 3 or 4 top forums…no risk there.

Erik

Are you saying that I “can” get infected juz by browsing websites?  :?

Your just now starting that? 
I cover mine permanetly with duct tape.
You pick up a lot of tips from the X-Files :xeno: ...

Juuusssstttt kidding…..well not really…lol but i seriously do keep it flipped over.

And I do use Spybot but the spy/ad ware is reinstalling itself everytime I reboot… So alas, what I have feard… I must unistall and reinstall my XP.

[quote author=“deathstar”][quote author=“tifosiv122”]If you stick to trusting sites, you should be ok. I scan my desktop that I use to browse the web, my TR doesn’t get scanned, it’s usually Yahoo, and my 3 or 4 top forums…no risk there.

Erik

Are you saying that I “can” get infected juz by browsing websites?  :?

Sort of. Depends on what you have enabled and which sites you go to.

Erik

i go with spybot as well 8)

spybot and ad-aware 6 here..

Spybot S&D actually found a few things that adaware did not, but when trying to remove DAP-related stuff it crashed and burned.  Well, at least it’s free.  the thing that irrates me is that I have a registered version Download Accelerator Pro which is not supposed to have that crap, but it does.:evil::evil::evil:  It’s all in the recycle bin now.  Opera has a great built in downloader that supports resume…so there.

:ph34r:

OnMyWayUp, make sure that you update to the latest versions of whatever spyware remover you have.  If you have an older version, it may not be detecting the latest spyware.  As jiggy mentioned, it is a big business out there to put spyware on peoples systems.  They are coming out with new stuff all the time.  Always update. :wink: