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Most of these posters probably can't figure out how to use the spyware removal software, for them it would be easier.
Advice is what you meant, I believe?
Ahem! So you consider digging up and popping in the windows installation CD, reinstalling an operating system onto a hardrive partition, reinstalling all your computers device drivers and re-downloading and installing all the applications us uneducated ones use daily easier than running a simple adware program? Not everyone who contracts spyware is a moron. Trojans can come from anywhere and I'm fact, nowadays you don't even need to have your internet browser OPEN to contract them.
Most of these posters probably can't figure out how to use the spyware removal software, for them it would be easier.
I see, so backing up data, a format & reload, and a reinstall of all necessary software, and re import of backed up data is easier than clicking a few buttons in a piece of software? Give me a break, we've hand held many people through the process of running a malware scanner, it's not as hard as you claim it to be, and if you had to ask if advise meant advice you have other problems you should be worrying about.
Thanks to all those who responded. Fortunately, the problem has been fixed for now. After doing some research & seeing the recommendations to use malwarebytes.org software, I downloaded the free version, updated & ran a full scan-- took over 90 minutes to complete! But just as I saw that I had 41 contaminated items on my laptop & was about to take the next step, my roommate came home from his job & saw that I was trying to solve this situation. Convinced that I must be doing it all wrong, he proceeded to take over & wound up working over 4 hours to finish correcting my virus/spyware problems (the Google/Yahoo search re-directs.)
While I'm grateful he offered his help, I think I was just about to solve things on my own, using the Malwarebytes software. But my roommate seemed to think that was a bad idea, he was sure I couldn't possibly have found a solution on my own! Instead, he expressed concern that I was using something "suspicious"-- HA! Shows how much he knows, right? Maybe the fact that I'm an older female who's never been tech savvy & has only had a laptop for a year and a half led him to believe that I couldn't possibly have done the right research to find a reasonable solution? In fact, he was sure I was being scammed by fake security software & that I had been lured to it by an evil pop-up!
Hey, I'm not that naive/stupid, but if my roommate wants to spend most of his Friday night working on my laptop & correcting problems for me, I say "Go ahead!" What he eventually did after disabling/removing my Mcaffee security program was to download a free security software called "Avira Antivirus" which a friend of his recommended, available at http://download.cnet.com/Avira-AntiVir-Personal-Free-Antivirus/3000-2239_4-10322935.html?tag=mncol#editorsreview. While it seems to have done the trick for now, maybe if there's a next time, I should just trust my own judgement & do things myself, right?
That basically shows that your room mate really hasn't much of a clue what he's doing, Malwarebytes is one of the best free scanners out there, it is very likely you WERE on the verge of solving your own problem. I personally wouldn't let that person anywhere near my equipment, but you issue is resolved so that's what matters.
It's doing this on my computer too. Started a week or two ago. I suspect it's a spyware trojan. I'm going to renew my Norton subscription and run a scan to remove it. I would recommend you do the same thing (using your own spyware remover of course).
Edit- just saw you had already ran a scan. Make sure your spyware definitions are up to date in McAfee. I know it's a trojan and if we just started experiencing these problems then it's probably a relatively new one.
And you wonder why you had it in the first place...
Quote:
Originally Posted by KarmaPhx
Spyware, just use Adaware or Spybot Search and Destroy, or reformat.
Please stop posting if this is the best you can provide for advice.
Quote:
Originally Posted by newbie09
Thanks to all those who responded. Fortunately, the problem has been fixed for now. After doing some research & seeing the recommendations to use malwarebytes.org software, I downloaded the free version, updated & ran a full scan-- took over 90 minutes to complete! But just as I saw that I had 41 contaminated items on my laptop & was about to take the next step, my roommate came home from his job & saw that I was trying to solve this situation. Convinced that I must be doing it all wrong, he proceeded to take over & wound up working over 4 hours to finish correcting my virus/spyware problems (the Google/Yahoo search re-directs.)
While I'm grateful he offered his help, I think I was just about to solve things on my own, using the Malwarebytes software. But my roommate seemed to think that was a bad idea, he was sure I couldn't possibly have found a solution on my own! Instead, he expressed concern that I was using something "suspicious"-- HA! Shows how much he knows, right? Maybe the fact that I'm an older female who's never been tech savvy & has only had a laptop for a year and a half led him to believe that I couldn't possibly have done the right research to find a reasonable solution? In fact, he was sure I was being scammed by fake security software & that I had been lured to it by an evil pop-up!
Hey, I'm not that naive/stupid, but if my roommate wants to spend most of his Friday night working on my laptop & correcting problems for me, I say "Go ahead!" What he eventually did after disabling/removing my Mcaffee security program was to download a free security software called "Avira Antivirus" which a friend of his recommended, available at http://download.cnet.com/Avira-AntiVir-Personal-Free-Antivirus/3000-2239_4-10322935.html?tag=mncol#editorsreview. While it seems to have done the trick for now, maybe if there's a next time, I should just trust my own judgement & do things myself, right?
Your roommate is not a person that should be working on your PC. But I think you already knew that.
Free version of Malwarebytes and Foxfire works well for us. Foxfire slows down your system but the updates keep your system relatively safe, well worth the protection. We never have any private or sensitive info on our ancient mish mash of a system so if it goes bye bye to a virus it's no big loss. I need a new system anyway !
What are you the new self appointed moderator now ! What skin is it off your nose if you think a persons help is not up to your standards.
Because bad advice is worse than none at all, if you were paying attention you'd notice that I also told the person that posted this that it was bad advice. It' has nothing to do with Tek's standards, it has to do with helping people that post here and not making the problem worse or causing even more problems, that's not too hard to understand is it?
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Maybe the fact that I'm an older female who's never been tech savvy & has only had a laptop for a year and a half led him to believe that I couldn't possibly have done the right research to find a reasonable solution? 
In fact, he was sure I was being scammed by fake security software & that I had been lured to it by an evil pop-up!
What he eventually did after disabling/removing my Mcaffee security program was to download a free security software called "Avira Antivirus" which a friend of his recommended, available at 
