Someone is putting a virus in my computer, and they can know where I am surfing on the internet.
I don't really know much about this. What should I do?

Sounds like Spyware to me. I had a hell of a time with that on my old computer...

Do you have KaZaA on your computer? p2p networking? Comet Cursor? Some of these are the biggest causes of Spyware.

What you need to do is download some kind of removal tool- I recommed Spybot- Search & Destroy. I use it. Run it and see what turns up.

Speaking of that...I used Ad-Aware to scan my computer, which seems to be working fine. Except that it finds IBIS Toolbar everytime, and says it gets rid of it everytime. I can't find it anywhere on my computer, and I don't know how to get rid of it.

Thanks, but how do they know what I'm surfing??

double :)

Originally posted by FullHouseFan8795
Thanks, but how do they know what I'm surfing??

Spy-ware. It's basically self explanitory, but if you want to get technical-

Let's start with a common type of spyware: Adware. In simplest terms, Adware is a software program that tracks for a website’s owner the web pages you visit and collects information about your preferences. So basically, it watches what you do and where you go. I didn't really believe it at first, but yes. Anyone with Spy-ware in their system has people spying on them. Adware helps the website owner learn more about customer preferences, but, most importantly, adware helps the website owner sell advertising space. How? No clue. It baffles me. But the stuff's a bitch to get rid of.

When you visit a site that uses and/or is supported by Adware, the adware is downloaded onto your computer. News outlets, industry portals, search engines, shopping sites, travel sites, and sites offering free “shareware” frequently use adware. Nearly everyone has some sort of Adware on your computer- it's just a matter of if you search your system for it or not.

The job of most adware programs is to collect demographic information about you—what web sites and web pages you visit, what banner ads you clicked and what terms you search. Some particularly invasive programs continue to track the sites you visited long after your have left the site where the adware resided. Some adware continues to collect data until it reaches a pre-determined expiration date or you delete it, either of which could be years. The demographics are sent to the media network’s central database.

The media network gives the adware to hundreds of website owners, accumulates a large inventory of ad space to sell, uses the demographics it collects to identify sets of web sites that make good advertising packages, and sells the packages to advertisers. The advertiser buys a package and his or her ads suddenly appear across dozens of sites before people who, according to their demographics, are interested in the advertiser’s product. This is why you can visit a site and see a banner ad for a vacation resort while your friend visits the same site and sees an ad for diet supplements.


So basically, if you don't get rid it, you're screwed :)

I'll ask my Dad to help me fix it later :)

If you have windows XP you can hit CTRL+ALT+Delete, go to the 'processes' tab, and probably figure out hich program is doing that.. then go to control panel > add/remove programs and remove it.

I can get rid of it for you FullHouseFan8795. Do you have AOL?

I think you should probably read this.


http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=1804&ncid=738&e=7&u=/washpost/20040625/tc_washpost/a5524_2004jun25

Well, before you know, probably somebody in Hong Kong will be ordering tampons, and someone in Mexico City will get the bill. Everythings probably gonna get screwed up.

Hmm, based on the reports, all the infections appear to be coming via Internet Explorer.

Mozilla (Firefox 0.9, to be precise)...gotta love it

Originally posted by GMunster
I can get rid of it for you FullHouseFan8795. Do you have AOL?

Yes, but I can't use it. I have AIM...will that help?

Is there something I can download in about 5 minutes to get rid of it without having to pay money?

I've recently had problems with Spyware it totally messed up my entire computer and I had to reload windows *sighs* (thank god for my brother the computer whiz) anyways THE best thing to do to PREVENT getting it is not to download Kazaa,Morpheus,Weather Bug ..things like that I had Morpheus and Weather Bug and My brother had said those two things are the Most used for Spyware after we reloaded windows those were the first two things to go

I think you can download something called spy sweeper i think it's free.

Thanks, everyone! I'll try some of your ideas.

Originally posted by FullHouseFan8795
Is there something I can download in about 5 minutes to get rid of it without having to pay money?

Spybot Search and Destroy or AdAware are the most popular/working

This is annoying. Whenever I try to download something it says I don't have the "application" for it or something like that.
What should I do now?

Originally posted by FullHouseFan8795
This is annoying. Whenever I try to download something it says I don't have the "application" for it or something like that.
What should I do now? i dont know where you are trying to download it from, but try Spybot (http://www.safer-networking.org/) or AdAware (http://www.lavasoftusa.com/software/adaware/)

it may be possible that spyware running on your computer is preventing you from running or installing these programs...

if so, your 2 best options would be to go straight to Spyware Info forums (http://www.spywareinfo.com/forums/) for help, or try to end all of the spyware running in the background on the processes tab and then download it....

OR switch to firefox (http://www.mozilla.org/products/firefox/)

How much can this spyer see what I'm doing?
Like right now, does he know I'm posting this post, or does he only know I'm here at sitcomsonline.com?

And how could you get in someone else's computer to see what they're doing? I could never find that out.

Originally posted by FullHouseFan8795
How much can this spyer see what I'm doing?
Like right now, does he know I'm posting this post, or does he only know I'm here at sitcomsonline.com? well, depending on what type of spyware it is, it could be passing on information as simple as what site you are on, but it could be as bad as redirecting you to phoney websites and using a keylogger program to steal your passwords and financial information....

Originally posted by FullHouseFan8795
And how could you get in someone else's computer to see what they're doing? I could never find that out. they dont need to "get in" to your computer; all it needs is to get installed into your internet browser (as a Browser Helper Object), then it can do pretty much anything if your security settings allow it...

one current outbreak reportably was able to infect computers just by loading an image from an eBay webpage, and another one from the Kelly Blue Book website

Originally posted by robyrob
well, depending on what type of spyware it is, it could be passing on information as simple as what site you are on, but it could be as bad as redirecting you to phoney websites and using a keylogger program to steal your passwords and financial information....

What's the worst thing that can happen?
I'm a little bit worried because I don't want my computer to be ruined (well, nobody does)!.

Originally posted by FullHouseFan8795
What's the worst thing that can happen?
I'm a little bit worried because I don't want my computer to be ruined (well, nobody does)!.

The worst (at least as far as I've ever heard of) is that they can watch what you're typing... EVERYTHING, including passwords. They can also install "dialers" which are programs that dial long distance numbers from your computer and rack up huge phone bills.

There could be worse. But that's the worst I've ever heard.

Originally posted by FullHouseFan8795
What's the worst thing that can happen?
I'm a little bit worried because I don't want my computer to be ruined (well, nobody does)!. well, they cant do anything to physically damage your computer; you could always just reinstall Windows if it got messed up....

however, you could see huge credit card bills, things purchased on your eBay account, your email addresses taken over and used to send spam, the dialers racking up your phone bill, and maybe more that i cqant think of right this minute....

for now, please go to Housecall Online (http://housecall.trendmicro.com/) and do an online virus sca, and try to download Spybot again

Originally posted by -*Forever*-
The worst (at least as far as I've ever heard of) is that they can watch what you're typing... EVERYTHING, including passwords. They can also install "dialers" which are programs that dial long distance numbers from your computer and rack up huge phone bills.

There could be worse. But that's the worst I've ever heard.

*gasps* I hope that doesn't ever happen to me!
Right now, the only problems I have with my computer is that it freezes about 10 times a day, it doesn't let me download stuff...I think that's about it.
And I get a lot of things popping up telling me to download stuff like "Spyware" and "Spynuker".

Originally posted by robyrob


for now, please go to Housecall Online (http://housecall.trendmicro.com/) and do an online virus sca, and try to download Spybot again

I tried it...but I don't know if it worked.

Is there a way I can see what the spyer of my computer is doing to my computer right now?

Originally posted by robyrob
one current outbreak reportably was able to infect computers just by loading an image from an eBay webpage, and another one from the Kelly Blue Book website

I heard about it -- it was the res://<random>.dll/<random>.html#<random> outbreak. I've been surfing the SWI forums lately. Thank God I haven't been hitten with it yet.

I used to have that problem, but than my mom got
AdAware.

I heard about the virus yesterday.I was off all day

Originally posted by Rurry007
I used to have that problem, but than my mom got SpyWare or AdAware, I think it was AdAware, but im not 100% sure.

spyware = bad
Adaware = name of program to curb spyware

:)

Your mom got spyware?

:lol:

Eh, it was Ad-Aware. Spyware's the stuff that Ad-aware removes.

Originally posted by FullHouseFan8795
I tried it...but I don't know if it worked.

Is there a way I can see what the spyer of my computer is doing to my computer right now? this "spyer" is not a person with some strange motives directed at you personally, it is a piece of code/program that gets onto your computer and does these things automatically,

and they don't really care so much what you are doing, it is more to do with how they can take advantage of what you are doing...

Originally posted by Miss Vicki
spyware = bad
Adaware = name of program to curb spyware

:)

LOL im not a computer genius :lol:

Originally posted by Rurry007
LOL im not a computer genius :lol:

Me either, it takes me a while to learn how to do some stuff on it.
I'm more of a computer addicter or computer freak, lol :lol:

Originally posted by FullHouseFan8795
Me either, it takes me a while to learn how to do some stuff on it.
I'm more of a computer addicter or computer freak, lol :lol:

It never hurts to learn a thing or two to keep your computer safe so that your surfing experience is a pleasant one, not a frustrating one. :)

I'm a surfer too, but I also like to maintain it so I can have the best possible surfing experience (and so that the guests that use my computer can, also). :)

Here FullHouseFan, go to this link http://aolsvc.downloadcenter.aol.com/main.jsp2

Download Ad-Aware and SPybot - Search and Destroy. Both will WIPE-OUT those viruses.

Originally posted by GMunster
Search and Destroy
RUNNING! On our way, HIDING! You will pay, DYING! ONE THOUSAND DEATHS! :guitar: Searchiiiiiing... SEEK AND DESTROY! :singer: :guitar: :drummer:

i wanted to mention that there is another great, free (as always) tool you can use to help protect yourself against online scams, called
Spoofstick (http://www.corestreet.com/spoofstick/) - you can install it into Internet Explorer or firefox/Mozilla, and it tells you the real address of the site you are on:

What is SpoofStick?
SpoofStick is a simple browser extension that helps users detect spoofed (fake) websites. A spoofed website is typically made to look like a well known, branded site (like ebay.com or citibank.com) with a slightly different or confusing URL. The attacker then tries to trick people into going to the spoofed site by sending out fake email messages or posting links in public places - hoping that some percentage of users won't notice the incorrect URL and give away important information. This practice is sometimes known as “phishing".
http://www.corestreet.com/spoofstick/

Originally posted by safety pin
RUNNING! On our way, HIDING! You will pay, DYING! ONE THOUSAND DEATHS! :guitar: Searchiiiiiing... SEEK AND DESTROY! :singer: :guitar: :drummer:

My God girl, go get some help! :help :(

Originally posted by GMunster
My God girl, go get some help! :help :(
it's a song. :o

Originally posted by safety pin
RUNNING! On our way, HIDING! You will pay, DYING! ONE THOUSAND DEATHS! :guitar: Searchiiiiiing... SEEK AND DESTROY! :singer: :guitar: :drummer:

You need to seek Professional help AS SOON AS POSSIBLE!!! :crazy:

Originally posted by Brent88
You need to seek Professional help AS SOON AS POSSIBLE!!! :crazy:
tell that to metallica. they wrote it :grr:

I have to chime in here of course. How exactly do you reload Windows? And when you do this, how much (if any at all) stuff is lost? Like, will I lose all programs I've installed into my computer and all of the files (like Word files) I have saved? And when you do this, does the spyware stuff go away by itself or do you still have to do something to get it off?

I think someone should just explain the whole entire process to me...

well reloading windows you pretty much lose everything you had its like starting over a clean slate so to speak and when I had to reload windows I had to call dell to help me through it so I guess it all depends on the computer you own

I have an HP, so I wonder if the process would be any different than with Dell or Gateway etc. When we first got our computer, it came with all the disks we needed to start Windows, and I think I can pretty much get through all of that.

But then again, I'm gonna keep on doing scans and stuff. It seems to be the safest, less riskier (not really risky, but more comfortable) way of doing things.

Yes Dell had the same disk and all when I got My computer but in order for us to reload it correctly we had to call so they could talk us through it which is what You may have to do as well

Originally posted by JT
I have an HP, so I wonder if the process would be any different than with Dell or Gateway etc. When we first got our computer, it came with all the disks we needed to start Windows, and I think I can pretty much get through all of that.

But then again, I'm gonna keep on doing scans and stuff. It seems to be the safest, less riskier (not really risky, but more comfortable) way of doing things. in most cases the disks that cames with your computer (be it Dell, HP, eMachine, IBM or whatever) are drive image disks, in other words they use a program like Norton Ghost to create a copy or image of the system with Windows and all the drivers and software installed and set up properly.

What this means to you is that in most cases this does not allow you to perform a non-destructive reinstall; it has to delete or clear the partition on the hard drive then it copies the image onto the drive or partition - so be sure to back everything up before you do this

if you have access to the same version of Windows on an original disk, you should be able to repair or reinstall Windows over top of itself by booting to the cd and following the prompts to repair the installation (XP Home or Pro) , this would allow you to keep your data and programs intact, but it will clear some things, so I would still back everything up

the downside to the repair operation is that it may not remove all of the spyware - where the image recovery process would guarantee a clean installation

Originally posted by safety pin
tell that to metallica. they wrote it :grr:

But you're the only one crazy enough to do it! :lol:

Originally posted by GMunster
But you're the only one crazy enough to do it! :lol:
Go to one of their concerts. it'll be more insane than typing the lyrics with a bunch of smileys. focus on their bassist, rob. he is a crazy mother ****er on stage and many others agree. when i saw them live i thought goddamn he needs to calm down.