Popups, Popups, Popups

Hallie · Joined: Aug 28, 2008 Posts: 3

Hello! I am hoping someone can help me. Starting yesterday, I started getting lots of popups. A lot of Smacchat ones, some pornographic ones. I have never had this problem before. I have popup blocker on, I ran adaware and spybot search and destroy, but they only came up with some cookies to remove, nothing serious. I've never had anything on the computer that one of those things didn't take care of. I am not super computer literate, so not sure what to do next. Can someone help?

Thanks!
Hallie

drwho07 · Joined: Nov 29, 2007 Posts: 1134 Location: Central FL, USA

What browser are you using?
Firefox has a great popup blocker,
BUT,
if the popup is coming from a program on your computer, the blocker may not work all that well.
AdAware and Spybot S&D are good for what they were meant to do, but neither will find and/or remove all Viruses and Trojans.
That's just not their thing Rolling Eyes

You need AVG 8.0 FREE for that.

Another great add-on to Firefox, to prevent a lot of Adware and popups, banners, etc, from invading your screen, is, "AdBlock+".
I won't go browsing without it. !!!
It even removes all the ads and banners from this forum, making it much easier to read.

So many web sites have sold out to the Advertisers....it's a jungle out there! Evil or Very Mad

Just a thought!

The Doctor Cool

Hallie · Joined: Aug 28, 2008 Posts: 3

Thanks for your suggestions - I am not running firefox but IE 7. I downloaded AVG and it ran for 2 hours and removed 2 infections, but unfortunetly, did not stop the popups.

Any other suggestions?

zlim · Joined: Mar 11, 2005 Posts: 2422

You probably have malware.
Go here
http://help.lockergnome.com/general/read-posting-ftopict47177.html
follow the directions then post your HiJack log. in this section
http://help.lockergnome.com/general/HijackThis-Logs-forum-48.html

pcrattail · Joined: Jun 11, 2004 Posts: 406

And I know it is "unpopular" to use an "external" pop-up blocker....... but...
I use one called .. NoAds.
It is older, but it does its job very well.

The only "quirk" with it, is that you Use the X (close) button on its top to "close" it down to the Taskbar. If you used the EXIT button, it will EXIT the program and not block for you.

I have NEVER had ONE Once of Problems with it and have used it for 4 years now.

Hallie · Joined: Aug 28, 2008 Posts: 3

Thank you for the suggestions. About 20 minutes after AVG ran the first time, it popped up and said that I needed to add updates. So I added updates, ran it again, it found 2 more infections, and that seems to have solved the problem. No more pop ups!

Thanks so much for your help!

Hallie

drwho07 · Joined: Nov 29, 2007 Posts: 1134 Location: Central FL, USA

AVG will automaticly update at least once a day, if allowed to.

I tell everyone, when they first install AVG to get an update and keep asking for updates till it finally tells you that no new updates are available.

Three of four updates may be required on a new installation of AVG before it's completely up to date.

Good Going!

Doc Cool

PS: I'm currently using AVG professional and it gets updates every four hours, all day long. I think thirty bux for a two year subscription was a pretty good bargain.

pasquanel · Joined: Jun 20, 2005 Posts: 398 Location: Maine

I've been using AVG internet security for most of the past year and as they say so far so good! Cool

rovingcowboy · Joined: Jan 26, 2003 Posts: 1217

i use avg, and other programs some have said here, there are never too many for me to use since i can't program any fix for any bad thing that might happen to the computers when online.

but i use the old free surfer mark 2 pop up blocker.
only it does seem to let some by anymore but they only get by once. then it keeps them away after that.

there are flash ad's now also, which makes it harder to get rid of them since some programs need flash to work, seems like the advertiser's find any way of making a mess of our web surfing they can. Sad

pcrattail · Joined: Jun 11, 2004 Posts: 406

Sounds like .. NoAds .. and .. Surfer Mark 2 .. are a lot alike.
The only difference is... NoAds blocks by using the "window" name.
If a Window pops up named..... Spanky Boys .... then NoAds can be used to block that window.
IF "Spanky Boys" tries to come back...... it shuts it down.
NoAds doesn't care what program is behind the pop up... just the pop up window itself.

drwho07 · Joined: Nov 29, 2007 Posts: 1134 Location: Central FL, USA

I've been using Firefox since the early Beta days.
(Several years now)
It just gets betterer and betterer!

I've not seen a popup in so long I probably wouldn't know one if I saw it.

But if you want to be driven right out of your gord....just log onto ad heaven, Lockergnome Forums!

I would NOT even be able to read this forum if it were not for "AdBlock+" and "NOScript".
NoScript is optional, but AdBlock+ is an absolute MUST-HAVE!!!!

I was ready to leave this forum permanently, till some kind soul put me onto "AdBlock+".

PopUps? What's that? Rolling Eyes

Doc

pcrattail · Joined: Jun 11, 2004 Posts: 406

Between .... NoAds and NoScripts..... I am the same.
Haven't seen a Non-Wanted Pop Up ad in AGES.

drwho07 · Joined: Nov 29, 2007 Posts: 1134 Location: Central FL, USA

Operating a "CLEAN" computer, for me, is NOT Optional.
It's a prime necessity!

It just blows my mind how some folks can have a computer that's constantly being deluged by pop-ups and ads, and being infected by every sort of malware.

All the programs to prevent the above, are 100% FREE, and just need to be downloaded and installed (properly) to prevent any form of Malware from ever getting a foot-hold.

Then, every PC Security program should be checked for updates on at least a Weekly (not weakly) basis. Wink

And, if the program can perform a scan of the HD, that should be done after getting every update.
Spybot Search & Destroy, which I install for every one of my customers, will get an update every week. Updates are posted on Wednesdays.
I give every customer a full page of instructions on how to get updates and run scans with Spybot S&D.
I'll gladly email this sheet to anyone asking for it.
Just the installation and setup instructions for Spybot, take up a full page of 10 point type. It will never run efficiently if not set up properly.

I've seen computers with a three year old version of AdAware on it, for instance. The person erroneously thought they were safe, but the program had never had the first update and the scans were never run.

Just 'having' a program on your PC does NOT make you safe.

Y'all have a great day now, Y'hear?

The Doctor Cool

The Mayor of New Orleans has just announced that evacuates may start returning home immediately. 9-03-08

pcrattail · Joined: Jun 11, 2004 Posts: 406

Yep ....... a car "analogy" will work here.

I have NEVER know (except maybe Richy-Rich aka Bill Gates) a person to BUY and DRIVE a car without EVER having the OIL Checked.

Oil will "run low" at some point. I also haven't seen a person NOT change the Oil (at least once) every year.

Heck, People even "clean" the trash out of the car MORE often than they "clean" their computers of the "crud files" that infest them.

This is called "maintenance"!
But .. HEY..... those are NOT the people who VIEW our LOVELY forum.
Maybe Someday we will "book-mark" certain forum subjects, and FORCE them to read. LOL

drwho07 · Joined: Nov 29, 2007 Posts: 1134 Location: Central FL, USA

The first twenty years of my professional career were all about "Maintenance".
I saw the good and bad of it. The good was when a machine 30 years old still ran as good as new....

The bad was when people would badly neglect their equipment and then have to pay the high price of repairs when it broke down.

Cars or computers, makes NO difference..... every mechanical device needs maintenance.
It's just as much a fact of life as old age and wrinkles.

Doc