Techies- Help me get something annoying off my computer (XP)

[northzax]

yes, I know it's XP, yadda yadda, Macfiends begone.

so I seem to have this pop-up on my computer, best name for it is "adserve" which, whenever I am dialed in, gives me these repetitive popup ads. Some more details. it starts IE by itself to show me ads,.

I ahve done the following things:

1: ran adaware every week. doesn't do anything.

2: Deleted all my cookies every month or so. it's still there.

3: installed a pop-up blocker (provided by my ISP) it still happens.

4: turned my firewall (through Norton) to high, after that whole virus thing last fall. doesn't stop it.

It seems to be coming from my temporary internet file (it has the ads saved in there) and appears to be related to something called the "delfin media viewer" but erasing my temp files only prevents it from coming back until I dial up again. THen it returns.

How can I red myself of this plague? any ideas I may have missed?

ps: the first person who tells me to 'buy a mac' gets slapped, I have one., this is my work computer.

[Poseidon]

1. Okay

Download and run Spybot search and destroy.

You can find it here:

http://www.safer-networking.org/

Good luck!

[Kamika]

2. look in the uninstall menu

I found a spyware program there

[JohnyCanuck]

3. I think this is probably "Messenger Spam"

You can stop it by disabling the Messenger Service in XP. Note that this is NOT the same Microsoft Messenger that you use to chat and exchange messages with your friends etc. It is a service that was originally designed for sys admins to send informational messages to workstations.

Instruction on how to turn it off can be found here.
http://www.auburn.edu/oit/security/messengerService.html

Note that they give two sets of instructions depending on whether you run XP Pro or Home edition. You have to page down a bit to see the instructions for the XP Home Edition (look for the heading XP Home)

Typically a home computer user won't need to have it running and I don't believe that it is even used much in business situations either.

More info on Messenger Spam here:

http://aroundcny.com/technofile/texts/bit112702.html


Just when you thought spammers could hardly sink any lower, they've found a new way to make themselves even more despicable.
Purveyors of spam have managed to find a way to send unwanted advertising messages and pornographic invitations to millions of Windows PCs without using e-mail or a Web browser. They use the Windows Messenger Service, built into every Windows XP and Windows 2000 computer.
The Messenger Service is a legitimate function in modern versions of Windows. It gives people who run computer networks a way to send notices to users at their PCs. If you've ever seen a message pop onto your Windows screen at the office telling you that the system was about to be shut down, you've probably seen the Windows Messenger Service in action

[Democrats unite]

4. I agree with you 100%

and thats what I would have suggested if you had not.

[MsUnderstood]

5. The solution is here

Buy a Mac! hahahaha just kidding.

I hate when users post tech support questions and the response is "get another Internet browser,operating system, or computer."

Seriously, I searched google for "delfin media viewer" and found these instructions to fix it manually (in case your adware/spyware/pest patrol does not detect):
http://www.pestpatrol.com/PestInfo/d/delfin_media_viewer.asp

This page recommends changing your registry among other things so BE CAREFUL!

Good Luck! This might be a good site to bookmark for future sypware issues.

[northzax]

9. of all the solutions

this one seems to have worked (I slready had messenger turned off) a little scary to mess with the registry files, I must say.

Thanks to everyone with for the suggestions!

[Abaques]

10. I agree with you partially....

...its completely unfair to say "get a mac", but suggesting that people use Mozilla or Opera as opposed to IE is very valid tech support. While there are major and fundamental differences between using windows compared to macs, there are simply not that level of difference when using Mozilla or Opera as compared to IE.

Fact is that the reason most spyware gets installed is because of IE. Its that simple. Use Mozilla or Opera and you simply have ALOT less problems. Its not like its a big deal to change either. But yes, I have seen people who struggle with it... guess what, those people still struggle on IE.


BTW, I do tech support for a living. I know that you can't get everyone to switch and I do not try, but the people that do use Mozilla or Opera in my area DO NOT have problems... even the people who stuggle.

[MsUnderstood]

13. I do tech support for a living too

And in my experience, most websites are designed for Internet Explorer and most computers already have Internet explorer installed.

Yea, getting a new browser would solve the problem, but then it creates a whole bunch of other issues. For example, one user had a web page feature that through IE allowed a person to see a specific type of graphic. It was designed using IE. When netscape ran the same page, the page was blank.

IF the person used IE then the page would have displayed correctly. Since I can't get the web designer to change the page, I have to get the user to work with both browsers (or one).

At work, we keep our users on IE because that is the standard. I get annoyed if one of our employees calls me over to troubleshoot a problem he had because his netscape browser wasn't displaying properly.

[BlueEyedSon]

6. You could try Spybot search & destroy

http://www.safer-networking.org/

Assuming it's not a messeger thingie

[Robbien]

12. Thanks, I kept meaning to do this

It found 28 bots, and now that they are gone it seems my puter is not as slow. Thanks

[R3dD0g]

7. Spybot is great.

Another product I'm touting lately is Spyhunter. It's not freeware, though. It found a few programs that Spybot & Adaware missed.

[LTR]

8. Try Windows Update

I remember hearing that the more recent ones turn off messenger service.

Spybot and AdAware will not take care of it. It is not, I repeat NOT spyware.

Other methods mentioned in this thread should work.

[TrogL]

11. Install Linux

*runs, laughing maniacally*

[Occulus]

14. Bwaha! n/t

[LTR]

15. A little bit more info about Messenger Service

Shows how to get rid of it:

http://www.pchell.com/support/ipmessaging.shtml