"They" are taking over my PC

[twomedicine]

I have developed a problem again with Adware or something. It’s been going on for a few weeks and is very agresive, & annoying. I am wondering if anybody else has gone through the same and fixed the problem.

Evidently some site put something on my HD and despite my getting rid of stuff, thing keep coming back without my knowledge, such as the Bargain Buddy, Gator, and other similar crap. It’s as if “they” have my number and shoot things in while I am going to my Excite page or Weatherunderground page….. It started with a Home page change and pop up that works only when I close IE browser. It even does it when I have logged off, so it’s on my HD. The address briefly is shown as www. Belgiandip.com with a few extensions, and with a vacant page. I tried to go to that URL but only found an IP address in return.

I found a bunch of files created about that time and got rid of most. One is called bsx32 and just came back today along with an additional search tool on my browser that I have rid most off, except I cannot get it out of my Add/Remove program listings. I had other .bsx files created on the day my problem started and I removed them since I’d never heard of a *.bsx file.

I downloaded and have run Spybot, but it really hasn’t done much, and may have brought me more vendors. Also there’s a suspect Application under C:\Windows\System that was created then, and changes its name every day but it will not let me delete it, it says Windows is using it. Under the Properties of that Application (Icon looks strange too) the Company is totempole (not Microsoft). Can I get rid of it in DOS?
Other than that the PC runs OK, but it’s as if some company has my address and pipes new stuff in now. Other than Formatting the HD, does anyone have any suggestions?

I am running Win98 and have IE 6.0 and have all the current updates and Security patches. I clear Temp files cache all the time, and look at cookies (for giving me some idea of a file name to look for). I don’t have a Firewall since I heard it would really slow this already slow PC while surfing. I also complete a “find files created during the last day” just about every time I log off the Web, now.

Does Mcafee’s Internet Security Suite 6.0 prevent this stuff?

I’d like to postpone a Format until I finish off the several tax returns still in process.

 

[double_take]

I use a program called Adaware. it's a free download for personal use. You can find it on Lavasoft's website.
http://www.lavasoftusa.com/

 

[SoBeLover]

Double Take is right. Adaware is a great program for getting rid of spyware and adware....I highly recommend it. I usually run it once a week and you would be surprised at how much adware/spyware has accumilated in just one week.

 

[snowburns]

adaware or pest patrol (what we use at work)
www.pestpatrol.com

 

[huskyfan23]

That undeleteable file, just ctrl+alt+del and end the task, then delete it. Spybot should pick up on all that other stuff, you can also just go settings/control panel/add or remove programs, and delete Gator, etc, and whatever else looks strange to you. Make sure you update Spybot before you run a check. You can go Start/Run/Msconfig/Startup and uncheck things in there too.

 

[twomedicine]

Thanks so far, I'll try out more of those suggestions tomorrow. It seems that I get hit hard in the late eve or very early morn with new stuff, so I'd better try staying off the air .


I still cannot delete that Windows\System\*.exe application file, and it changed its name 2x today...go figure

I am stuck with 2 entries in my Add/Remove programs list, they are called My Search and Search assistant. They appeared as a new search box similar to what Yahoo does to a browser. I did delete them as files in the Programs folder first so maybe that's why I am stuck with them on the list.

New PC with XP and built in Firewall ? Maybe once I return to work.

 

[Commtech]

Have you run a Virus Scan yet??? A file that does not allow you to delete of that nature sounds like it may be a virus. I had 2 virus's that had the same trouble deleting the file that was the cause. I have heard that some virus's are now developed just to do spam etc...

 

[huskyfan23]

I second the virus scan. If that doesn't fix it, reinstall Windows. By reinstall, I mean repair, so you still have your settings and all that. Restart with the CD in your computer, press a key to run it, let it do its checks, press enter to reinstall, prses F8 to agree, then when it shows the previously installed version, press R to repair it. That is, if it comes down to this

 

[twomedicine]

Yes, it was "they"

Thanks for the direction regarding my problem. I think this is solved for now.

Hopefully I was able to rid this PC of the Trojan Downloader(s) it picked up during January. The McAfee Virus scan picked it up. I wished I knew where that clown lived that sent this Trojan.

Now I can see why that file (1 of 3 exe files) could not be deleted. It was listed in the Registry to run at start-up. It can't be deleted while running I suppose, but wasn't showing up when I did a Ctrl-Alt-Del for ending tasks. But it was one of the exe files and it changed it's name several times a day.

Anyway I had to go through Regedit and get rid of stuff first and then restart and then track down the exe files and delete. My system resources are 10% less encumbered now.

I'll keep my fingers crossed for a while because it sounds like this kind of stuff doesn't have to come through emails. A Firewall would probably have prevented this from happening.

Keep your eyes peeled for this one.

thanks again (for now)