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| Thread ID: 30963 | 2003-03-08 00:37:00 | does anyone no..... | beetle (243) | Press F1 |
| Post ID | Timestamp | Content | User | ||
| 126467 | 2003-03-08 00:37:00 | i have a pop up from microsoft bothering me, and somehow its changed my screen and it is called hotbar or something like that what is it? does thing cost? and how do i get rid of it? is this like incredimail? it seemed to install its screen bits and it had no quit or cancel button, dont no how it got there, the kids maybe? *sign * another thing to go wrong.......... life before the computer was easier wasnt it? beetle |
beetle (243) | ||
| 126468 | 2003-03-08 00:46:00 | Friend of mine got that and got rid of it through Control Panel/Add-remove programs. Go there and have a look and remove it should be easy peasy. | mark c (247) | ||
| 126469 | 2003-03-08 04:17:00 | It is spyware beetle. Get rid of it with Adaware or Spybot. Both are free downloads and one or other or both are compulsory programs to have and use if you surf the Net or download programs. Cheers Billy 8-{) |
Billy T (70) | ||
| 126470 | 2003-03-08 04:38:00 | would it cause problems? i uninstalled it hopefully. what is exactly spyware? a virus program? to much information going on in my head, may over heat and crash. beetle |
beetle (243) | ||
| 126471 | 2003-03-08 07:20:00 | Uses resources and calls home. It is more of a nuisance than anything else but do a Google search if you want more info. You should run Adaware or Spybot regularly regardless. Uninstalling doesn't remove all files by any means, and there are many other nastier secret additions to your computer files that you won't know about. Adaware & Spybot are free and easy to install. Just double click the download exe. I'd install Adaware first, then Spybot only if you feel the need. Search F1 in either program name over the last 90 days for more recent posts. Go to it. Cheers Billy 8-{) |
Billy T (70) | ||
| 126472 | 2003-03-08 09:16:00 | Spyware usually gets used legitimately to collect information about what you see online to "help" advertising companies to develop ever more intrusive advertising pitched directly at you personally. Some spyware may just log adverts you see on each page and some may log every single webpage you visit. The logs are uploaded to the spyware servers for the perusal of all and sundry at usually prescheduled intervals or in realtime. Nobody knows for certain that spyware does not do more as "commercially sensitive" excuses are used by spyware makers to hide what they really do. There is of course the classic PR lines available for your perusal at the spyware makers site but you have to be pretty gullible to believe what they claim about their products. There is usually a big downside to these types of programs running secretly on your machine and that has to do with system stability which is quite badly compromised on a lot of the systems infected with spyware. Spyware is getting far worse as the public become aware of it and try to fight it themselves through various means which is obviously going to lead (as appears to be happening now) to spyware which is hidden from the user far more effectively (say installed and run with a rootkit) and maybe collects far wider a variety of info from your machine. Spyware should be outlawed completely (as should spam) but all the leeches that use it would hate that so it's probably going to be a few years yet. The best thing to do is download say Adaware and Spybot and run them once a week each and update them monthly. There is also a tool called spywareblaster which removes CSLID keys from the registry allowing certain spyware distributors to automatically allow infection (these keys are installed courtesy of microsoft i.e. they are part of a standard windows install). If these CSLIDs are deleted from the registry (which spywareblaster does) then at least some of the spyware can never install no matter what. Basically we are a war for control of our machines in the brave new commercial internet so just keep up with the latest, use every tool available and you should be able to stay free from this insidious beast. |
John Grieve (367) | ||
| 126473 | 2003-03-08 09:29:00 | And one more thing while I am in rant mode. Following the instructions provided by the spyware manufacturer/distributor to uninstall the spyware never removes it all. Usually one program/service is left behind as well as several registry keys allowing simple reinfection at your next friendly spyware install garage online. There are a number of sites now with detailed instructions on how to really remove the spyware if Adaware and Spybot cannot. Just do a search on Spyware and Scumware removal and you will find it. |
John Grieve (367) | ||
| 126474 | 2003-03-08 09:34:00 | ok onto it .....tommorow. i check it out and do some reading but not just now my eyes are not working well on the screen... catch you tomorow beetle |
beetle (243) | ||
| 126475 | 2003-03-08 22:25:00 | That's good stuff John. How about integrating your two posts, adding a coule or three URLs and posting again as a FAQ? There is nothing there yet about spyware. Cheers Billy 8-{) |
Billy T (70) | ||
| 126476 | 2003-03-09 04:55:00 | > That's good stuff John . How about integrating your two posts, adding a coule or three URLs and posting again as a FAQ? Good idea Billy -- yes please, John . :-) Let me see . . . . . ummm . . . . how about FAQ #8c? Or maybe FAQ #17 might be better? :-) |
Susan B (19) | ||
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