Adventure Game Studio

Community => General Discussion => Topic started by: Edwin Xie on Mon 20/09/2004 02:47:41

Title: Important!!! Programs that install themselves to my computer
Post by: Edwin Xie on Mon 20/09/2004 02:47:41
Ok, this is really important, programs keep getting into my computer and install themselves. It happened right after I click the link to the old productions forum in the ezboard in the sticky in the Completed games Annoucements. Please tell me how to resolve the problem. Please! This is is a very bad issue and I do not have enough time to think over how I wrote this.
Title: Re: Important!!! Programs that install themselves to my computer
Post by: auhsor on Mon 20/09/2004 02:54:56
Ok, what type of programs are installing? Are you using Internet Explorer?

Oh and the old ezboard forums are quite dead. Not much reason to stay there.
Title: Re: Important!!! Programs that install themselves to my computer
Post by: Edwin Xie on Mon 20/09/2004 03:29:31
They're ad-bots! And I am using internet explorer
Title: Re: Important!!! Programs that install themselves to my computer
Post by: Evil on Mon 20/09/2004 03:39:02
Ad-Aware baby.
Title: Re: Important!!! Programs that install themselves to my computer
Post by: Barbarian on Mon 20/09/2004 05:25:12
As mentioned already in another recent post:

You should try SpywareBlaster (A good free utility that protects your system against most known spyware that tries to invade through browsers):

Check it out at:
http://www.javacoolsoftware.com/spywareblaster.html

Remember to update it after installing to get the most recent protection.

   And do you have an anti-virus program running as well as using a firewall?
Title: Re: Important!!! Programs that install themselves to my computer
Post by: auhsor on Mon 20/09/2004 10:37:12
I would recommend reading through LGM's little step by step guide: http://lilgryph.sitesled.com/docs/tweaky-clean.rtf If you follow all the directions on that, then that would most definately get your computer running alot better.
Title: Re: Important!!! Programs that install themselves to my computer
Post by: Moox on Mon 20/09/2004 20:51:35
Never hit yes on those accept this applet popups
Title: Re: Important!!! Programs that install themselves to my computer
Post by: wyr3x on Mon 20/09/2004 21:03:48
ad-ware ... or DeepFreeze ...    baby ? ( :P )
Title: Re: Important!!! Programs that install themselves to my computer
Post by: Isegrim on Mon 20/09/2004 22:40:00
Some other things that help preventing that crap from re-installing:
1) Disable ActiveX whenever it's not essential
2) Disable JavaVM or at least get rid of the Microsoft one and replace it by the Sun Java VM
3) Set up a firewall
4) (as already suggested) use Mozilla/Firefox
Title: Re: Important!!! Programs that install themselves to my computer
Post by: Mr Flibble on Mon 20/09/2004 22:48:28
Quote from: LostTraveler on Mon 20/09/2004 20:51:35
Never hit yes on those accept this applet popups

Never hit 'no' either. Close it from the taskbar.
Title: Re: Important!!! Programs that install themselves to my computer
Post by: BlackMan890 on Mon 20/09/2004 22:52:38
i happened to us :(
in my country, i have to pay 1 dollar for each 28mb i download, then there was this program that installed it itself to our computer, and that program took over 1000 mb!!!!
we had to pay over 35 dolars for it, so call yourself lucky
Title: Re: Important!!! Programs that install themselves to my computer
Post by: Mr Jake on Mon 20/09/2004 23:03:58
how the heck did you not notice a 1000MB download.....
Title: Re: Important!!! Programs that install themselves to my computer
Post by: Edwin Xie on Tue 21/09/2004 06:49:57
These things have been messing up Internet Explorer lately. I have tried LGM's guide before so I have Spybot S&D to delete those adware but.....Internet Explorer. These things have been adding that toolbar. What I need to know is how to get rid of these things. Once and for all. And stop them from coming back. There were no applet pop-ups. I just clicked on that link and then it started downloading huge amounts of ad-bots without my permission. Strange huh? We better ask AGA since he posted the link (http://pub205.ezboard.com/fdosuserforumsfrm5).
Title: Re: Important!!! Programs that install themselves to my computer
Post by: Barbarian on Tue 21/09/2004 07:49:08
Get and run Smartkiller cleaning tool and CWShredder from:
http://www.siena.edu/antivirus/spyware/cws.asp

From Internet Explorer, click Tools then Internet Options, then Security tab, then highlight Internet icon, then Custom Level button. Go through and check the various settings, and set option to either Disabled, Prompt or Enabled (if it's something you're not sure of, then Prompt is usually a good setting to try).

Ad-Aware is a good free utility that scans for and safely removes most known spyware and sometimes finds things Spybot Search and Destroy misses (and vice-versa):
www.lavasoft.de

Run and enable the Spywareblaster program I mentioned previously as well.

Good luck.
Title: Re: Important!!! Programs that install themselves to my computer
Post by: Mr Jake on Tue 21/09/2004 09:47:41
I clicked the link, no downloads for me, you already have some sort of trojan/spyware/ad-ware.

QuoteWe better ask AGA since he posted the link.
I hope you aren't accusing him of anything......
Title: Re: Important!!! Programs that install themselves to my computer
Post by: auhsor on Tue 21/09/2004 10:23:10
I clicked on the link and there was a popup that was blocked by firefox and some sort of javascript popup thingy, which you can just close, which incidently advertised some spyware cleaning sites. It must be just be something already on your computer causing these problems.

There was another thread just very recently which might have links to sites that can help: http://www.agsforums.com/yabb/index.php?topic=16756.0
Title: Re: Important!!! Programs that install themselves to my computer
Post by: Edwin Xie on Sat 25/09/2004 07:50:59
Ehh, the main problem is that these things messed things up and I used spybot search and destroy and found 60 entries and after I deleted all the entries, still internet explorer is messed up. I can't check my e-mail either. Something is really messing me up.
Title: Re: Important!!! Programs that install themselves to my computer
Post by: Mr Jake on Sat 25/09/2004 08:08:28
IE is messed up? thats because it is IE.

Perhaps you should of had/get a virus scanner?
Title: Re: Important!!! Programs that install themselves to my computer
Post by: Edwin Xie on Sat 25/09/2004 18:59:02
I tried to use the 3 recovery disks this computer came with and it was like hitting the reset button on my computer which resetted every setting this computer has....but I am afraid that it would come back. Last night I tried to post here but there was a mysterious message that said that LSA Shell has run into a problem and the 30 second time till restart thing which I believe were symtoms of the Sasser virus. Sorry if this is off topic but things have been messing my computer up lately.
Title: Re: Important!!! Programs that install themselves to my computer
Post by: Edwin Xie on Mon 27/09/2004 03:38:28
AHH! They got me again!!!!!And I mean the adbots. :(
Title: Re: Important!!! Programs that install themselves to my computer
Post by: 333 on Mon 27/09/2004 13:47:55
yeah man I have stupid ad problems too but its my sisters fault. Ad aware dousn't work for me there is always a the same file it can't get rid of it.
Title: Re: Important!!! Programs that install themselves to my computer
Post by: TerranRich on Mon 27/09/2004 14:43:34
It's funny. My friend Todd's parents have this problem with their computer. Slow as all hell, icons galore on the desktop, useless and unwanted processes running, never-ending pop-ups, and web search toolbars everywhere. They use IE.

Todd and I haven't had one single problem in months. We use Firefox.

Got it? Stop using IE. Deny all access to IE in Control Panel and system settings. It is possble to all but delete IE. Search for sites on "removing internet explorer". Although you cannot physically delete it (SERIOUSLY, try deleting "IEXPLORE.EXE". It comes back. Literally, Windows will replace it immediately in front of your eyes.), you can stll deny all access to it. I have never gotten ONE IE pop-up. As for the numerous toolbars, use Control Panel -> Add/Remove Programs to remove all search toolbars and other suspicious programs that you have never installed and DO NOT look important.

Next, use a spyware/adware removal tool. Ad-Aware doesn't work very well for Todd's parents, so I suggest trying out several different ones (Spyware Search & Destroy, Spyhunter, SpyStopper, et. al.) and see which one works the best. Maybe even using more than one will ensure that everything is deleted, and permanently. I've had to uninstall "180Search" about 20 times, as well as "SearchBar" and some other useless shit.

On another note, if there is ANYBODY out there who can help me either hack into or temporarily bring down the web sites of these search toolbars (like 180Search), please PM me. I seriously want to get back at these assholes. I'm very serious.
Title: Re: Important!!! Programs that install themselves to my computer
Post by: Albert Cuandero on Mon 27/09/2004 18:06:24
I had the same problem - these are the steps I took to solve it:

- first I blocked access to all the sites in my history I didn't explicitly name to visit
- I pushed the privacy and security bars as high as possible
- used Panda Antivirus (gets many installers down) and Ad-Aware from Lavasoft to kill most tracking shit
- I manualy removed any programs from the registry I didn't install myself.
- since I knew the date the BPFU happpened (I visited an "art gallery" in UK) I next listed all files modified since then and deleted each and every one I didn't know belongs to the system and is supposed to be changed (I killed windows about 3 times by this, but it recovers itself in case of "hardwired" XP)
- One last thingy was left... a senseless process that boosted the "winlogon" prog to run constantly and block 50% of my CPU power, 80% of mem and 90% of my LAN traffic. Remiving this bugger was tricky:

It had a regentry that installed another regentry automaticaly if it was erased. One was called "Save On Net Traffic" - quite obviously something you would kill, but the other one, the real installer was called "WinUpgrade" or something similar. But by reading bootlogs with care I found out, this can't really be anything by µ$oft so I blocked access to it, then deleted the other one and restarted, now I could remove the installer and my problems were gone.

It took me altogether about 12 hours of intensive work to accomplish this.

Since then (6 months ago) I am using Panda on full setting, Windows Firewall and Ad-Aware (scans after each session) and full security on IE (the "don't touch or accept unless I tell you to"-setting). Besides the Windows updates help a lot (don't forget to check security patches for office though, otherwise your Outlook is your weakest point!). I am still attacked from time to time but so far I could prevent FUs (knock on wood, walk around the house, spit over the left shoulder...)

Hope this little novel helps you Edwin Xie...
Title: Re: Important!!! Programs that install themselves to my computer
Post by: Edwin Xie on Thu 30/09/2004 06:07:40
Now here is a wierd and cool thing about Spybot S&D, I reinstalled it since it got me again and I had to format my hard drive and then recover the files on it. It had the optional files, SD Resident and Teatimer..... they both completely stopped those ads, I don't have the ad problems anymore and now SD Resident blacklisted 1,173 processes (which I bet are those mailicious ad-bots!). But I am worried that they might take over my computer in some way.
Title: Re: Important!!! Programs that install themselves to my computer
Post by: Albert Cuandero on Thu 30/09/2004 19:59:56
Are you using a fixed IP-Adress or a dynamic one?

Anyway I would recommend a firewall. XP comes with one alread, you can look up on the µ$ homepage how to activate it.
Title: Re: Important!!! Programs that install themselves to my computer
Post by: Barbarian on Fri 01/10/2004 02:09:08
I also recommend using SpywareGuard:
http://javacoolsoftware.com/spywareguard.html

And check out the various other products on that site. They offer good protection against Spyware/Adware junk, and free utilities.

Of course having a Firewall and Anti-Virus program enabled should be a priority as well.

Edit: Another good site with many good (and free) utilities for defending against and ridding yourself of Spyware, over at:
http://www.spywareinfo.com/~merijn/downloads.html

Title: Re: Important!!! Programs that install themselves to my computer
Post by: Edwin Xie on Fri 01/10/2004 03:15:59
Quote from: Albert Cuandero on Thu 30/09/2004 19:59:56
Are you using a fixed IP-Adress or a dynamic one?

Anyway I would recommend a firewall. XP comes with one alread, you can look up on the µ$ homepage how to activate it.

The µ$ homepage? I think my IP constantly changes (since I am using a modem).