My Apologies June 24, 2007
Posted by charmingbutsingle in Blog, General Clumsiness and Related Stupidity.trackback
Don’t worry, I didn’t become unsingle in the past five days. I haven’t posted because I have had a slight spyware-adware-trojan-worm-grayware problem. (Or whatever it is that you call it when programs and files and God-knows-what-else overtake your computer and you get crazy popups and they will not go away, no matter how much your try to bargain with your computer. (“You can have my e-mail password, but not my PIN number!”) No matter how much you bang on the keys and scream, “But I only use Mozilla Firefox! I don’t file share! I use three different anti-spyware programs!”)
It got so bad at one point that I woke up at 4 a.m. the other morning convinced – convinced! – that someone was in my bedroom because I heard talking. Once I realized that I was, in fact, alone in my bedroom – typical! – I tracked the source of the noise to my laptop. And when I opened it, I found at least 40 popup windows, including more than one talking popup, which was the source of the imaginary intruder.
I seem to have it somewhat under control now – at least to the point that I can remove everything for a little while. And then when I restart? Boom. All back. So I unplugged from the Internet (really pissed the spyware off, FYI) and thought about the problem and decided that the best thing to do would be to draft someone else with more knowledge of these issues and skill at PC maintenance into the War to DeSpywareify my laptop.
So, you know, just as soon as my little sister has some free time …
But yes, I will be writing this week. Promise.
P.S. How exciting is my life? Blogging and watching “Elizabethtown” for the 25th time. Hot.
wow, I just got to your blog through Sahara’s links…and I’m just thinkin…you’re quite an interesting person and I really like your blog!
Hope your computer will stay ok for a long time now.
I’ll be back soon.
Peace,
Peta
Ugh, I feel for you. We had spyware issues a few years back… it was AWFUL!!!! Here’s hoping the problem can resolve itself with minimal efforts and pain-in-the-ass-ness.
Assuming you run Windows: BEFORE you try to remove the adware, go to “My Computer”, choose “View system information”, and under tab “System restore” turn OFF that system restore. The reason your problem comes back is likely that your system restore keeps a copy and reinstalls it when you start up again.
Then run Spybot-SD and Adaware and see whether the problem persists. Sart up again and only after that enable system restore again.
I you haven’t already done so, I can recommend installing Javacool Software’s “SpywareBlaster” (its free). It prevents a lot of trouble.
Given that you use Firefox, your “problem” evidently manages to circumvent the FF pop-up blocker in some way. Are it Firefox windows that show the pop-ups?
It’s not the number of anti-malware progs you have, it’s quality of active protection and detection that counts. We all have personal faves, but Kaspersky is mine. The thought of Russian anti-virus experts toiling away in the small hours to combat the latest threats is like a warm blanket.
Anyway, go here…
http://forums.majorgeeks.com/showthread.php?t=35407
Ouch. Yeah, disconnect from the interwebz, enter safe mode and run all of your software too. Usually helps me. Make sure they’re all up to date, as well.
Good luck.
Welcome back, You need to get another movie to watch over and over!
sorry no computer help from me. Who do you have your eye on now? How’s work? any drama with the girlfriends? What is your best feeling? Come on Charming I’m on summer break and and need some interesting reading… fill that void in my heart and soul. That place in the pit of my stomach that needs info from the oposite sex that makes me think I’m spying on the other team, learning thier weaknesses, so I can make a gameplan for my next date! ha missed ya.
Hey Mav, how’s Iceman?
Elizabeth town and blogging… what could be better?! Okay, perhaps a bottle of non-frozen wine and a hottie by your side…
Eeeek. You’ve scared me now. I am technophobe…
Hope you get it all fixed soon
To all ‘technophobies’ and even to ‘technophilies’: shut down your crapy Windows boxes and install Linux on your boxes…
I really thought the Mac fans would post the first smug “Get off of Windows” comments, but I forgot about the Linux users!
Your move, Apple fans.
(And as an aside, I really love Macs, I just can’t afford a new computer right now. Unless someone wants to donate one to the cause.
)
same here. Me heart macs. But can’t get one. Tragic, really.
Linux is beyond me. But my first date after the ex had me when she said she was “considering putting Linux on her laptop.” That was truly sexy. She also had a nice ass.
[Charming] “I really thought the Mac fans would post the first smug ‘Get off of Windows’ comments, but I forgot about the Linux users!”
That wasn’t meant as a compliment, was it? Any chances of dating, though…?
(Not all Linux users are (Linus-Torvalds-alike) geeks.)
[wailin] “[...] she said she was ‘considering putting Linux on her laptop.’ That was truly sexy.”
Right, even without — as you said — “nice asses.”
Charming, would that be a new strategy…?