Spyware, Malware, Browser Hijacking, etc.

Is your computer taken over by popups?

July 17, 2004 by Ian Brown No Comments

The first thing I want to talk about is the dreaded popups. You know, those windows that pop up every time you go to a new site. It has become so common that the average person thinks that it is normal. Well, guess what? It’s not.

So many people are being affected by this latest craze of the marketing industry, but not many people know that they can fix this issue. So, I will divulge the secrets on how to take care of it right here, right now. After you read this article, you will no longer have to deal.

First and foremost, you must download and install the following free programs:

These programs will scan your computer for the latest spyware, malware, etc., and get rid of it. Not only that, but Spybot will also immunize your Internet Explorer via its IMMUNIZE feature so it does not contract spyware in the future…a very cool option.

I suggest that you scan your computer with these programs once per week. When you peform your scan, make sure you update the program first.

In Ad-aware, when you first start it up, you will see the link “Check for Updates Now.” Click on it. If there is one, then click on “Connect” to download and install it. Do this while booted up normally.

In Spybot, when you open it up, there will be a button entitled, “Search for Updates.” Click on it. If there are any updates, then click on the button “Download Updates.”

After you have performed these updates, run a scan with both programs. You will need to do these scans in SAFE MODE to make sure you get ALL of the spyware. Also, perform these scans ONE AT A TIME. Do not try to save time by doing both scans at once. This can seriously damage your computer.

To get your computer into SAFE MODE, do this:

  1. Either reboot your computer if your computer is on, or start up your computer if it is off
  2. Immediately start hitting your F8 key repeatedly until you see a black screen with a text menu
  3. Use your arrow keys on your keyboard and select SAFE MODE and hit your key on your keyboard
  4. The next page should only have one thing listed…your operating system (Windows XP, Windows 2000, etc.)
  5. Hit your key on your keyboard with your Operating System highlighted
  6. When it boots up, a window will pop up explaining that you are in Safe Mode…click OK

Once in SAFE MODE, open up each program and perform their respective scan. Again, do each scan separately.

With each program, after the scan is complete, make sure all of the items that it has found have a check mark next to them so that the program will get rid of them when you go to the next step (to check them, RIGHT-click on them and select the appropriate option (e.g. “Select All Objects” for Ad-aware).

Perform each scan again to make sure that it found everything, as some spyware has layers to it. When you run the scan and it does not find anything, then you are done. This applies to both programs.

But popups take several forms. The form that most people are familiar with are the popups that one gets when browsing websites. They pop-up right in front of you in a browser window as you are going from one website to another.

However, there is another form of popups. These are popups that pop-up on your computer screen even when you have no programs running! And they don’t look like a website ad. They look like a regular computer window with a text ad.

EXAMPLE:

msgr_spam

(click to enlarge)

To rid your computer of these popups, you need to change the setting of a program within Windows 2000/XP called Messenger (and I am NOT talking about MSN Instant Messenger; this is an entirely different program that is part of the Windows 2000/XP operating system). Here is what you need to do:

  1. Click on your START button
  2. In Windows XP, go to CONTROL PANEL, and in Windows 2000, go to SETTINGS => CONTROL PANEL
  3. In Windows XP, if the CONTROL PANEL that just popped up is all blue, then click on “view in classic mode” on the left”; Windows 2000 users don’t need to do this
  4. Double-click on ADMINISTRATION TOOLS in CONTROL PANEL
  5. Double-click on SYSTEM
  6. In the window that pops up, scoll down the list until you see the program called MESSENGER
  7. RIGHT-click on it and select PROPERTIES
  8. In the middle of the window that pops up, under SERVICE TYPE, select MANUAL from the drop down menu
  9. Below that, under Service Status, if it says STARTED, then click on the STOP button below it (make sure no pop-up ads created with this program are open when doing this)
  10. Click OK
  11. Close the SERVICES window and the ADMINISTRATIVE TOOLS windows
  12. DONE!

You should no longer receive these annoying popups.

If you would like to hire me to take care of this for you, then contact me.

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Written by Ian Brown
Ian has been involved with computers since very young. He took his first computer class when he was just 8 years old. He always had an affinity for computers, but never really took it seriously. It was not until he graduated from college and experienced the real world for a while did he realize that computers may be where his talent and passion lie. He has since branched out into Internet marketing and LOVES it. He currently resides in Los Angeles where he services clients ranging from residential to small business to celebrities.