Unfortunately, I inadvertently allowed an adware app called GameVance to be installed on my computer. It's driving me crazy and it won't allow mw to delete it. Can anyone help me remove this advertising menace?
posted by Dolley on Jul 11, 2009 - 5 answers

i want to remove stopzilla from my pc it just will not let its self be removed from add remove programs... i got the annoying spalsh to go away but i think its still there [more inside]
posted by quseio on May 18, 2009 - 3 answers

Can you help me clean up my friend's computer? [more inside]
posted by weapons-grade pandemonium on Jan 29, 2009 - 17 answers

My google search results are redirecting me to certain sites (see 'more inside') due to adware/spyware that AdAware and Norton can't find. It's intermittent, and happening to both Firefox, IE, AND Chrome, although Chrome is choosing to simply not load the pages and gives me error messages. I can't google a solution because of the redirecting problem. Can you help? [more inside]
posted by flibbertigibbet on Jan 10, 2009 - 20 answers

Firefox and sometimes IE opens random websites on its own , in new windows. I ran AVG scan and Anti Spyware as well as the Rootkit module. But even when it says my system is clean, the new windows come up in Firefox, about every two minutes. I noticed that Firefox doesn't even need to be running at first for this to occur. AVG resident shield does find sometimes a Trojan virus in some random dll (just popped up again, it's called Trojan Vundo) and I press heal or move to vault, but that didn't fix the problem. I also ran hikackthis and tried to delete whatever I deemed unnecessary or suspect from the registry, also deleting the associated files on the hard drive. But to no avail. My system is windows XP. Any other good free programs I can try to clean up my system? What about good cheap payware? AVG has been good until now but obviously it cannot cope with this new threat even in its most up-to-date form.
posted by spacefire on Dec 14, 2008 - 22 answers

Now I'm just mad. Before I drag my stupid, crap laptop over to the Geek Squad, help me figure out some solutions for what's like a malware/adware problem. [more inside]
posted by santojulieta on Aug 16, 2008 - 24 answers

Please help me get rid of this spyware infection before I just give up and re-install Windows. [more inside]
posted by Venadium on Feb 7, 2007 - 14 answers

Could there be a virus downloading from my computer that cannot be detected by a bandwidth monitor? [more inside]
posted by cda on Jan 10, 2007 - 11 answers

Windows XP problem possibly involving Windows Defender or spyware. [more inside]
posted by kensanway on May 17, 2006 - 3 answers

I've got a bunch of spyware/adware. It got on to my computer all in one go, though I'm not sure how, and now I can't completely get rid of it. Worse, I don't even know exactly what it is. [more inside]
posted by borkingchikapa on Dec 8, 2005 - 20 answers

Spyware, adware, and viruses. I'm sick of feeling like a moron. [more inside]
posted by patrickje on Jul 8, 2005 - 20 answers

I love Firefox like the next guy, but I think it's popularity has killed off its best feature: ad/pop-up blocking. How do I make all the pop-ups stop? [more inside]
posted by trinarian on Jun 22, 2005 - 11 answers

Hasn't anyone written a tiny-footprint antivirus program that monitors changes being made to certain registry and Windows system directories? I sure need one. [more inside]
posted by shannymara on Jun 12, 2005 - 12 answers

I am experiencing a problem with adware. Several files are showing up on a regular basis with the designation "Booked Space." I can delete them using Ad-Aware, but they just turn up again (about fifteen files at a time) a few hours later, wreaking all kinds of havoc. Any idea where they come from or what to do about them?
posted by Secret Life of Gravy on Jun 7, 2005 - 13 answers

An extremely malicious malware/adware program has rendered my C: drive inoperable. I have a second hard drive in the closet, which I can connect as the C: drive, install XP onto, and then connect the old C drive as the D drive and copy some vital files over. Can I get most of my data safely this way? [more inside]
posted by XQUZYPHYR on May 2, 2005 - 12 answers

What are your opinions of the ethics of spyware and adware? ..and do you think they play an important role in e-commerce? [more inside]
posted by lemonfridge on Mar 26, 2005 - 14 answers

I'm going to be visiting my in-laws this weekend, in part to treat their ailing computer, which sounds to be suffering from a myriad of malware. I want to make sure I have the complete set of tools I need. More details inside. [more inside]
posted by monju_bosatsu on Aug 20, 2004 - 9 answers

Help! I have run Adware and cleaned up my computer, but there is one thing stuck in my browser - one of those "we'll help you search!" things. How to get rid of something like this? I can't find it in the add/remove programs list, and Adware didn't come up with it. How to find it for removal? (Sorry, I am somewhat knowledgeable with computers, but not a whiz). This is Windows XP.
posted by agregoli on Aug 19, 2004 - 16 answers

I have something on my MS Word window I can't get rid of, and I think it's spyware. Pic of offending thing inside. [more inside]
posted by johnnydark on Aug 5, 2004 - 8 answers

Shareaza-- What's wrong with it? There must be a catch. I read about it a week ago, finally got around to researching it tonight, and couldn't find anything insidious about it. So I installed it. I just downloaded a file at over 600 k/s. Did I sign my soul over to the devil in the fine print of the EULA?

I'm not sharing anything likely to get me noticed, I ran spybot and ad-aware and they both came back negative and I'm finding lots of stuff I want at great speeds. Again, what's the catch? I'm too cynical to think that anything works that well right out the gate.
posted by Mayor Curley on Jun 19, 2004 - 8 answers

Something is royally screwed with my PC (Windows XP). I had some kind of spyware involving the file "bridge.dll", I found instructions online to get rid of it, but I still have problems. When I reboot, my Quick Launch toolbar is no longer there, and when I use the "Email", "WWW" and other buttons on my Logitech keyboard, it opens up 3 instances of the programs. Adaware and Norton Antivirus turn up nothing. Anything I can do?
posted by Orange Goblin on Jun 15, 2004 - 9 answers

Multipart question: Scumware, spyware, adware, it's all malware, I say. Currently using both Spybot and Adaware to catch and kill most of this crap.
1. Looking for feedback on the best spyware killers for home and work.
2. Are Norton and Macafee working on adding spware killers to their anti-virus packages?
3. Some of this stuff launches using svchost.exe. Where in the registry, besides
HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run and its relatives, do services launch?
[Inside, there is more] [more inside]
posted by theora55 on Jun 3, 2004 - 12 answers

I've got a file on my pc which won't go away. I was infested with the Zestyfind adware a couple of months ago. Ad-aware managed to get rid everything but a .dll file (the name for which I'm posting inside the thread). Each time I run adaware it deletes the file or tells me it will next time I reboot, but even after that there it is still. Until now it would load up a window with some advert on. Now it's started crashing explorer instead because of an error accessing said .dll (I've tried using other browsers and it still happens -- it must be just because I'm online). Anyone got any ideas because this is driving me up the wall. [more inside]
posted by feelinglistless on May 25, 2004 - 11 answers

Ad/Spyware problem. My fiancee was looking for some freeware and when she installed Kazaa (not lite) a bunch of programs were installed. We've tried everything we can think of and can't get rid of something called media-search.net. (more inside) [more inside]
posted by graventy on Apr 4, 2004 - 9 answers

As embarrassing as it is to confess, I am not very sophisticated with computers and technology. Recently my computer has become the eager droid of "purityscan," which (to my never ending frustration and dismay) opens a few hundred pop-ups per hour. I Googled for the best spy/pop up removal software, but I am unable to tell the good guys from the bad guys. I downloaded and ran "adaware" but now that they have identified "368 spyware components" on my computer they want $30.00 to remove them. I have no problem paying to end this problem, but I do not want to pay for dreck or pay evil extortionists who create the problem and then sell the solution. So: Which software is best, from an honest company, to fix this loathsome problem?
posted by limitedpie on Mar 5, 2004 - 19 answers

I've got some kind of adware on IE 6.0 that is putting hot links on MetaFilter and other pages for certain keywords, like "Photoshop" or "diamonds". The links lead to search engine websites. It is really gumming up the works. I've tried Spybot but that didn't remove it. Anyone have any ideas? Thanks.
posted by trigfunctions on Jan 27, 2004 - 7 answers