Computer security issues perhaps?

[Nikolas]

I was wondering about 2 different things and thought you might give me your insights:

1. Lately, over the past 3 days that is, I've been invited by some random people on MSN. Some ahmed_something@something.else or so... different names each time. At first time, there were 2 persons, and because many people do contact me, I added them. Pretty soon the one "guy" started asking for a webcam connection. I didn't have my webcam connected either way, so I declined and asked who was he. No reply, he came back, nudges, etc, and kept asking for webcam connection. Then he started talking in arabic (typing that is). In that moment I deleted his account. He kept bothering me so I blocked him and I keep blocking every person with simmilar e-mail ever since.

Any ideas on what this is, or if they have gained access somehow to my computer by adding them to my contacts?

2. I bought 2 years ago spyware doctor. Legally and all that. But after a while I stoped using it because it was a real hog and used non real time adaware instead. Adaware stoped working at some point so I came back to spyware, only that after a few efforts it didn't find any infections. Weird...

So I installed adaware 2007, which found some 300 infections. all deleted all fine. I search 4 times a week or so with adaware 2007, which seems to be doing a fine job!

Today, however I run spyware (after 34 days), and scanned, and to my amazement it found NO infections whatsoever. I know that adaware will find at least 80-100 ones, since yesterday.

Any ideas if anything is wrong?

:S

[rharpe]

Hey Nik, long time no speak!

1.) I would install Adaware 2007, update it, run a "deep" scan.
2.) I would install Spybot - Search and Destroy, update it, also run a "deep" scan.
3.) I would install M$'s Malicious Software Removal Tool, update it, and run a scan.
4.) I would change my password to the instant messenger.
5.) I would check my registry for any programs that do not belong in there. (Always a good idea to know what is on your system -- because if you do get "trojanized" you won't even know it!)
6.) Make sure your antivirus is updated to the latest signature file, and run a "deep" scan on your system.
7.) If you continue to have problems, view what is running in the task manager processes. (There might be something that looks suspicious. If so end that process.)
8.) Look inside your startup programs doing the msconfig command from "run". Identify everything that is good and see what is not needed at startup.
9.) If nothing changes, try to go back to an earlier date by doing a "system restore".
10.) If all the above does not work, backup your data and do a complete reinstall of your OS after formatting your entire computer. (This is a last resort option... no to be taken lightly. You lose everything and have to reinstall everything, which could take a very long time.)

Let me know how things go.

[twin-moon]

One great tool which has helped me out lots of times is HijackThis.
It shows you which programs are loaded at startup so you can remove any suspicious items. Also handy to decrease your loading time.