still thinking on this - are all of your windows updates up to date? I've been trying to search microsoft for a clue. It mentions the messenger for XP and for 2000 systems- and you have ME - but wow - it sure sounds like spyware or messenger. I'm wondering if something corrupted your spybot so that it isn't really picking up spyware on your system. I've never had that happen with that particular program, but I have had it happen with others when that clientman spyware got on my computer. don't click on any links that pop up - there was an article in our newspaper about 2 people who clicked on links saying you had spyware on your computer to scan now, and how that scam worked. It wasn't pretty. One got a virus on his system and the other actually clicked the link and the program downloaded to his computer and he had a very difficult time removing it afterwards. I cleaned a friend's sister's computer, who was having a similar problem - but they had over 700 spyware programs running on their system and several viruses - and they were running winxp - the 1st thing I did was put the google toolbar on to control the pop ups so that I could get in to other parts of their computer, and to web sites. even with nothing opened, their system generated hundreds of pop ups within seconds. CrisS ----- Original Message ----- From: sylviavandewall To: pctechtalk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx Sent: Friday, November 07, 2003 4:36 AM Subject: -=PCTechTalk=- Re: problem Hi Cris and Troth, Thank you both for looking into this for me. I did all the things suggested. All the updates with AdAware and Spybot. = Run Panda and House Call online. Used my own Norton virus scan and they = all came up with nothing. On my Windows Me I don't have Administrative Tools from Microsoft called = Messenger Service. The pop-up I get are 2 different ones. The one I just got a few minutes = ago said: STOP you could be in danger. Your computer keeps records of all your internet surfing and usage = activity. You CANNOT clean this history without the proper tools. And than they want me to click on their ad which I did not do jet. The other one has 3 Net in the toolbar, that's all and they give all = sorts of advertisement. I don't have a firewall because I've always find that difficult to use, = I know it is not smart but I have a firewall on my computer downloaded = but did not install it jet. I'm always afraid firewalls block everything = also the things you want. I tried disconnecting but than the pop-up don't show up. Only when I'm = connected. Sylvia. It seems like your system is definitely hit with some sort of adware. = Not sure what, however. Could even be a virus, but I'd less likely = believe a virus than an adware app. You said you have Ad-aware and SpyBot, and you've updated and ran the = SpyBot. Double-check updates for Ad-Aware as well, and do another scan. What about the pop-ups that you get? Is there any indication of a name = of a program or something? The popups, do they have a title? We're = trying to get some sort of hint of what's running, or what to search for = in Google to find a cure. Another thing... if you don't have a firewall running, get one and make = sure its running. Then you can probably see what's accessing the net for = the popups. Also... try disconnecting from the net entirely, and seeing if the = popups still come up. :::Troth ::: ____________________________________ Computer driving you nuts? //www.freelists.org/webpage/pctechtalk ____________________________________ ::: Original Message ::: Sent Thu, 6 Nov 2003 12:33:40 +0100 by sylviavandewall | | Hello to all, | I'm having a problem on my computer. I don't know if it is a virus or = =3D | that it is called another name but I could use some help here. First I = =3D | have these pop-up ads and I think that changes the things on my = computer =3D | because after I've had those when I go into my favourites, I can't = open =3D | them anymore. Also the images on my folder change every time. I have = =3D | wastebaskets on files and telephones on other files but when I open = them =3D | they open in the regular way. After I restart the computer things are = =3D | good again until the ads pop-up again. The pop-ups come, say about = every =3D | 15 minutes when I'm online. | I have WindowsMe and Norton System Works, also spybot and adAware. I = run =3D | the virusscan from Norton and also the online scan Housecall, but =3D | nothing was found. Still I think something is really wrong. | I'm not an expert on the computer so I don't know where to look and = how =3D | to find things that don't belong there. | Help please, | Sylvia.........Holland. | | To unsub or change your email settings: | //www.freelists.org/webpage/pctechtalk | | To access our Archives: | http://groups.yahoo.com/group/PCTechTalk/messages/ | //www.freelists.org/archives/pctechtalk/ | | For more info: | //www.freelists.org/cgi-bin/list?list_id=3Dpctechtalk To unsub or change your email settings: //www.freelists.org/webpage/pctechtalk To access our Archives: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/PCTechTalk/messages/ //www.freelists.org/archives/pctechtalk/ For more info: //www.freelists.org/cgi-bin/list?list_id=3Dpctechtalk To unsub or change your email settings: //www.freelists.org/webpage/pctechtalk To access our Archives: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/PCTechTalk/messages/ //www.freelists.org/archives/pctechtalk/ For more info: //www.freelists.org/cgi-bin/list?list_id=pctechtalk To unsub or change your email settings: //www.freelists.org/webpage/pctechtalk To access our Archives: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/PCTechTalk/messages/ //www.freelists.org/archives/pctechtalk/ For more info: //www.freelists.org/cgi-bin/list?list_id=pctechtalk