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

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

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

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

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

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