Internet/Computer help for an old duffer

[Agamemnon]

When starting my home computer up, this http://www.123found.com/ page keeps loading as my homepage. I access tools and change it back to my old page, but then the next time I open up again, there is that damn http://www.123found.com/ page again.
Any advice please?

[Werebear]

The first thing I'd do is download AdAware 5.0 and run it. This will get rid of all your spyware. I think it's at www.lavasoft.com.

[Quailman]

I sometimes have problems with changes not taking hold depending on how I close down an application. That probably doesn't apply in this instance, though.

[Silversunset]

Have you tried deleting cookies and temporary internet files?
That COULD have something to do with it.
(those are under tools)

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[One Skunk Todd]

The URL for Lavasoft has changed. http://lavasoft.element5.com/

[Agamemnon]

Thanks. I found the Adaware on a local server site 'Blueyonder' and have run it through the system. I'll see what happens tomorrow, and thanks again for the help.

[Planky]

It's always possible there is a piece of software on your pc that is changing it. I hate programs that do it, and ones that put bookmarks in your favourites.

[Werebear]

Just out of curiousity, how many files did it find, old bean?

I thought I was bad with 17 once. Then my friend ran it on his system, and had around 350. *Boggle*

[Samadhi]

What OS do you have Ag?

If you change the homepage, close IE and restart it without rebooting does it still go to 123found?

[This message has been edited by Samadhi (edited 07-10-2003 07:05 PM).]

[Vinny]

oh hey old bean, check to make sure your modem cable isn't all twisted and stuff. Sometimes the bits get stuck because the wire are all tangle up and any changes you made don't take place.

[jesternl]

OK if that doesn't help there's a few more tricks, but we need a little more info :
What version of windows do you use, and what browser do yo uuse?
You can also try a similar program as ad aware, called Spybot Search & destroy

Feel free to email me if needed, it's been my job for quite a while to talk old duffers like you through the problems they're in

[Bicho the Inhaler]

I just ran Ad-aware. I was infected with 252 files! I guess a bunch of sickos are now experts on my GL posting habits...

[Beartalon]

If running Adaware, be sure to get the updated reference files. I download once per week, and scan. Mostly, it finds tracking cookies, but once it identified a virus.

[Agamemnon]

Right, bear with me as I'm not a computer buff like the rest of you, so treat me gently

I ran that Adaware thingy and it came up with 55 dodgy files. 21 of the dodgy files it showed belonged to this thingy application my wife uses called 'Gator', (Keeps a list of user names ans passwords for different logins and stuff) which has been on the computer now for about 2 years or so. Now, seeing what that Adaware thing does, it looks like that 'Gator' thingy is a spyware gizmo and it should be deleted, but since we've had if for this long and it's caused no problems should I be ok in keeping it? Problem is that my homepage STILL logs onto that http://www.123found.com/ shit.

Samadhi - I'm still using the old antique windows 98 stuff
Jester - IE6

[Planky]

Gator is spyware, thats for sure. You usually get it through installing programs that bundle gator with it. I'd be wary of any program that stores usernames and passwords, thats uses gator. Oh and when you remove all the things adaware picked up, don't remove the one labelled "alexa", because it will screw scandisk up

[This message has been edited by Planky (edited 07-11-2003 04:28 AM).]

[Agamemnon]

Originally posted by Planky:

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Oh and when you remove all the things adaware picked up, don't remove the one labelled "alexa", because it will screw scandisk up

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Now you tell me!

[Beartalon]

Run msconfig, or have a friend run msconfig if you don't want to personally mess around with the way your computer starts. Chances are, there is some background program still running that is interfering with your browser.

Click the startup tab. If there's something in there you don't recognize, look it up in Google. Usually that will tell you what is adware/spyware and what's actually required, and sometimes how to get rid of them, including files and registry keys. Deselect the ad/spy spy, apply and restart. Sometimes this will cause errors as the ad/spy progrms try to run. Ignore them.

If Google or some other search engine didn't give you links to remove the stuff, find the directories the ad/spy stuff is in, and delete them.

Hopefully they won't be back.

[MatthewV]

get a mac. dont I say this everytime something like this comes up?

[Planky]

If you see gmt or cmesys in the startup tab in msconfig, unselect them.

[Agamemnon]

Thanks again for the advice. I'm going to try and have a go at it again later this afternoon.

[Logain]

Agamemnon, please try these two things...

1) Open your task manager (right click on the taskbar) and click the PROCESSES tab.
Check all your running filenames with this site http://www.answersthatwork.com/Tasklist_pages/tasklist.htm and take any action it suggests.

2) Press Start->Run, then type in regedit, ENTER. Go to the following key:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run

If you see anything that should not be in there listed from the above web site, delete the key. Anything you are unsure of, do a Google search on it or ask about it here.

Almost all Spyware and viruses I have come across initiate from that registry key.

[ChienFou]

I've got a fix for this or a similar problem somewhere, there's an entry in the registry which f**ks the thing up, to do with startup. Give me a bell old boy and I'll look it out if you haven't sussed it yet. chs CF

[extropalopakettle]

I second jesternl's suggestion to use spybot. You can get it (like most things) from CNet's download.com, here: http://download.com.com/3000-2144-10194058.html

I found it to work better than ad-aware.

[jesternl]

And Gator = no more privacy.

[ChienFou]

Pretty l33t software. thanks

[Dragon Phoenix]

I have been using adaware for some time, just now I downloaded and ran the SpyBot thing. Over 200 files.

[Samadhi]

I find Webroot's Spy Sweeper to be better than ad aware and spybot.