restore Cd how to use

Hi, my computer is under a year old and has norton protecting it,this is set
to automatic updates. How ever i have spent a week trying to get rid of
trojan feat 2. I have looked at various sites and downloaded several
including spy bot ad aware ectra but nothing is stopping my pages from being
hijacked and adds being thrown at me (normally for add stoppers and trojan
stoppers). I should like to restore my computer back to its original
settings. I have the discs but no information on how to use them. can any one
point me in the right direction please. many thanks
Irene

Did your computer not come with instructions on how to use the restore CDs?
In any case, restore CDs are proprietary, so you'll have to ask the company
that made your computer.

Modem Ani

"Irene" wrote in message
...
Hi, my computer is under a year old and has norton protecting it,this is
set
to automatic updates. How ever i have spent a week trying to get rid of
trojan feat 2. I have looked at various sites and downloaded several
including spy bot ad aware ectra but nothing is stopping my pages from
being
hijacked and adds being thrown at me (normally for add stoppers and trojan
stoppers). I should like to restore my computer back to its original
settings. I have the discs but no information on how to use them. can any
one
point me in the right direction please. many thanks
Irene

Irene


Please try the processes below.. and do them in order.. none of the
processes are beyond the abilities of a newbie user..



You would be better advised to work on the problems rather than start over
now, have the same things happen again, and then have to repeat the
process.. maintaining a computer should be done regularly, and will only
take a few minutes per week..



OK.. start by turning OFF the System Restore function.. click on the Start
button.. right click on 'My Computer', then select Properties.. now select
the 'System Restore' tab..

Check the box "Turn off System Restore" or "Turn off System Restore on all
drives".. now click on 'Apply'.. you will be asked if it is ok to lose all
restore points.. answer YES to this.. now click on 'OK'



Now to the removal process..



Run a one shot virus remover.. I have found that McAfee Stinger works for
people.. download and run it..



http://vil.nai.com/vil/stinger/



Another alternative is ..



http://housecall.trendmicro.com/hous...start_corp.asp



Finish this process first..



You will also need to download Spyware removal software.. Spybot and Adaware
are available at these websites.. both are free.. download and run them..
don't forget to check for updates after you have started them..



http://www.safer-networking.org/en/index.html



http://www.lavasoftusa.com/software/adaware/



.... and this link is for the latest Microsoft helping..



http://www.microsoft.com/athome/secu...e/default.mspx



Spybot has the ability to immunize a system, but there is better for this
function, so download and run Spyware Blaster too.. again, check for
updates..



http://www.javacoolsoftware.com/



Time to turn ON System Restore.. this is obviously like turning it OFF, so
just reverse the procedure..



If you have any sense, you will now remove any programs that are known
carriers of all things bad.. some, like Patchou's MessengerPlus can be
installed such that the sponsor software does not get installed with it..
the sponsor software, if left, will re-infect your system immediately it is
run again.. use ADD/REMOVE PROGRAMS to un-install and then re-install,
taking care to check the box that gives you the option of NOT accepting the
sponsor crap.. if a program installation process does not allow you to do
this, forget about it.. leave it well alone..



If you have had your Internet browser hijacked, that is to say, you get
redirected through a search engine NOT of your choosing, you will need
different tools..



HijackThis is a popular and effective tool.. download it from here..



http://www.spychecker.com/download/d...ijackthis.html



CWShredder will eliminate CoolWebSearch and variants.. there is a free
download here..



CWShredder.. http://www.intermute.com/spysubtract..._download.html



about:blank.. http://www.securiteam.com/securityre...RP0L0UD5U.html or

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



For other tools in the fight against spyware, visit this website and
bookmark it..



http://www.pchell.com



Mark Hasting has put much work into this site.. it is an invaluable site,
both for reference and fix-its..



You must also run a firewall and anti-virus program.. here are some links
for you..



http://www.mcafee.com

http://www.symantec.com

http://www.zonealarm.com

http://www.kerio.com

http://www.sygate.com

http://www.avast.com

http://www.grisoft.com



If you do not run a firewall and anti-virus solution, you are leaving
yourself open to attacks of all kinds.. these two types of program are your
first line of defence..



So by now, your system should be in reasonable shape.. you will have tools
'locked and loaded', ready for weekly use against those who seek to destroy
your pleasure.. incorporate these into a housekeeping policy that includes
running Defragmenter and Disk Cleanup, and you will be able to easily
maintain your system..



Please return to this thread and provide feedback.. it is the only way that
helpers here can determine how effective the advice given has been..



Good luck..


--
Mike Hall
MVP - Windows Shell/user

http://dts-l.org/goodpost.htm





"Irene" wrote in message
...
Hi, my computer is under a year old and has norton protecting it,this is
set
to automatic updates. How ever i have spent a week trying to get rid of
trojan feat 2. I have looked at various sites and downloaded several
including spy bot ad aware ectra but nothing is stopping my pages from
being
hijacked and adds being thrown at me (normally for add stoppers and trojan
stoppers). I should like to restore my computer back to its original
settings. I have the discs but no information on how to use them. can any
one
point me in the right direction please. many thanks
Irene

Why do you think it necessary to turn off SR before doing clean up jobs,
surely it would be better to leave this alone until problems have been
sorted out, at least that way if something gets screwed up you can get
back to a working system by using it. After the system has been cleaned
you could flush out SR to get rid of any rubbish left in there and set a
new clean checkpoint.
Joan


Mike Hall (MS-MVP) wrote:

snip
OK.. start by turning OFF the System Restore function.. click on the
Start button.. right click on 'My Computer', then select Properties..
now select the 'System Restore' tab..

Check the box "Turn off System Restore" or "Turn off System Restore
on all drives".. now click on 'Apply'.. you will be asked if it is ok
to lose all restore points.. answer YES to this.. now click on 'OK'


snip

Joan

If something gets screwed, using System Restore will in all probability
re-introduce every problem.. this assumes of course that System Restore
completes without errors.. it may or may not complete because the problem
infection is well embedded in every restore point.. virus and trojan authors
are not stupid and recognised aways back that System Restore had to be
targeted.. Help and Support, and any incumbent diagnostic tool can be and
often are disabled in the same way..

It is important to eliminate as many possible causes as normal removal
procedure allows.. leaving useful utilities that were downloaded and run
with 'sponsor programs' intact, P2P sharing programs et al must go.. there
is little point in carrying out any clean up procedure if on a reboot, it
all comes back because the offending software is still there, having been
given clearance by the user to operate freely at some earlier point in
time..

So, the user completes, in order, all that I suggest and duly reboots, and
as long as the tools have done their job, System Restore will contain one
restore point, and it will be a good one..


--
Mike Hall
MVP - Windows Shell/User
http://dts-l.org/goodpost.htm





"Joan Archer" wrote in message
...
Why do you think it necessary to turn off SR before doing clean up jobs,
surely it would be better to leave this alone until problems have been
sorted out, at least that way if something gets screwed up you can get
back to a working system by using it. After the system has been cleaned
you could flush out SR to get rid of any rubbish left in there and set a
new clean checkpoint.
Joan


Mike Hall (MS-MVP) wrote:

snip
OK.. start by turning OFF the System Restore function.. click on the
Start button.. right click on 'My Computer', then select Properties..
now select the 'System Restore' tab..

Check the box "Turn off System Restore" or "Turn off System Restore
on all drives".. now click on 'Apply'.. you will be asked if it is ok
to lose all restore points.. answer YES to this.. now click on 'OK'


snip

I hear you, g and yes it could bring back the problems but at least
there would still be a system to try again.

The clean up and tools you recommend should do the job nicely but there is
always the chance a user could by mistake not do a certain procedure
correctly or hit a wrong button and *be up the creek without a paddle*
but at least they would have the option to go back through SR and start
again.

I don't in any way want to argue the point with you as I know there are
many who agree with your approach but of course many others who don't, I
was just asking the reason why you suggested it.

I will bow out gracefully now and let you continue with your excellent
help g
Joan


Mike Hall (MS-MVP) wrote:
Joan

If something gets screwed, using System Restore will in all
probability re-introduce every problem.. this assumes of course that
System Restore completes without errors.. it may or may not complete
because the problem infection is well embedded in every restore
point.. virus and trojan authors are not stupid and recognised aways
back that System Restore had to be targeted.. Help and Support, and
any incumbent diagnostic tool can be and often are disabled in the
same way..
snip

Joan

I have seen more than a few problems created by System Restore restoring
virus infections, much to the surprise of the user, and cases where System
Restore failed completely, making the situation worse.. there is a
temptation by some to format and start over when this happens, which is what
I am trying to avoid..

That said, users are welcome to use whatever part of the advice they think
will work for them, and if it does, all power to them..


--
Mike Hall
MVP - Windows Shell/User
http://dts-l.org/goodpost.htm





"Joan Archer" wrote in message
...
I hear you, g and yes it could bring back the problems but at least there
would still be a system to try again.

The clean up and tools you recommend should do the job nicely but there is
always the chance a user could by mistake not do a certain procedure
correctly or hit a wrong button and *be up the creek without a paddle* but
at least they would have the option to go back through SR and start again.

I don't in any way want to argue the point with you as I know there are
many who agree with your approach but of course many others who don't, I
was just asking the reason why you suggested it.

I will bow out gracefully now and let you continue with your excellent
help g
Joan


Mike Hall (MS-MVP) wrote:
Joan

If something gets screwed, using System Restore will in all
probability re-introduce every problem.. this assumes of course that
System Restore completes without errors.. it may or may not complete
because the problem infection is well embedded in every restore
point.. virus and trojan authors are not stupid and recognised aways
back that System Restore had to be targeted.. Help and Support, and
any incumbent diagnostic tool can be and often are disabled in the
same way..
snip

"Mike Hall (MS-MVP)" wrote:

Irene


Please try the processes below.. and do them in order.. none of the
processes are beyond the abilities of a newbie user..



You would be better advised to work on the problems rather than start over
now, have the same things happen again, and then have to repeat the
process.. maintaining a computer should be done regularly, and will only
take a few minutes per week..



OK.. start by turning OFF the System Restore function.. click on the Start
button.. right click on 'My Computer', then select Properties.. now select
the 'System Restore' tab..

Check the box "Turn off System Restore" or "Turn off System Restore on all
drives".. now click on 'Apply'.. you will be asked if it is ok to lose all
restore points.. answer YES to this.. now click on 'OK'



Now to the removal process..



Run a one shot virus remover.. I have found that McAfee Stinger works for
people.. download and run it..



http://vil.nai.com/vil/stinger/



Another alternative is ..



http://housecall.trendmicro.com/hous...start_corp.asp



Finish this process first..



You will also need to download Spyware removal software.. Spybot and Adaware
are available at these websites.. both are free.. download and run them..
don't forget to check for updates after you have started them..



http://www.safer-networking.org/en/index.html



http://www.lavasoftusa.com/software/adaware/



.... and this link is for the latest Microsoft helping..



http://www.microsoft.com/athome/secu...e/default.mspx



Spybot has the ability to immunize a system, but there is better for this
function, so download and run Spyware Blaster too.. again, check for
updates..



http://www.javacoolsoftware.com/



Time to turn ON System Restore.. this is obviously like turning it OFF, so
just reverse the procedure..



If you have any sense, you will now remove any programs that are known
carriers of all things bad.. some, like Patchou's MessengerPlus can be
installed such that the sponsor software does not get installed with it..
the sponsor software, if left, will re-infect your system immediately it is
run again.. use ADD/REMOVE PROGRAMS to un-install and then re-install,
taking care to check the box that gives you the option of NOT accepting the
sponsor crap.. if a program installation process does not allow you to do
this, forget about it.. leave it well alone..



If you have had your Internet browser hijacked, that is to say, you get
redirected through a search engine NOT of your choosing, you will need
different tools..



HijackThis is a popular and effective tool.. download it from here..



http://www.spychecker.com/download/d...ijackthis.html



CWShredder will eliminate CoolWebSearch and variants.. there is a free
download here..



CWShredder.. http://www.intermute.com/spysubtract..._download.html



about:blank.. http://www.securiteam.com/securityre...RP0L0UD5U.html or

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



For other tools in the fight against spyware, visit this website and
bookmark it..



http://www.pchell.com



Mark Hasting has put much work into this site.. it is an invaluable site,
both for reference and fix-its..



You must also run a firewall and anti-virus program.. here are some links
for you..



http://www.mcafee.com

http://www.symantec.com

http://www.zonealarm.com

http://www.kerio.com

http://www.sygate.com

http://www.avast.com

http://www.grisoft.com



If you do not run a firewall and anti-virus solution, you are leaving
yourself open to attacks of all kinds.. these two types of program are your
first line of defence..



So by now, your system should be in reasonable shape.. you will have tools
'locked and loaded', ready for weekly use against those who seek to destroy
your pleasure.. incorporate these into a housekeeping policy that includes
running Defragmenter and Disk Cleanup, and you will be able to easily
maintain your system..



Please return to this thread and provide feedback.. it is the only way that
helpers here can determine how effective the advice given has been..



Good luck..


--
Mike Hall
MVP - Windows Shell/user

http://dts-l.org/goodpost.htm



Hi Mike
This sounds like really good advice several things you mentioned are true
for me. The day my home page was hijacked and "about blank "became my home
page i tried to use restore to go back to an earlier date. It told me it
could not restore to any point i tried. After down loading some of the tools
you mentioned it told me i was infected with cool webseach and trojan horse
12q and some thing else malware?. i had naively thought i could just put in
the discs and press the button and go back to the begining!. Any way i will
try your method. Can you tell me how to print off your instructions please .
i have highlighted the information but only the section showing in the window
actually prints.
many thanks
Irene

Irene

Do you highlight the text and use the 'copy' function such that you can
paste into a WordPad document and then print out, or are you trying to print
directly from wherever you are viewing?.. try the former..

I use Outlook Express to access newsgroups.. this page will tell you how..
scroll down to the How to: Newsgroup part..

http://www.microsoft.com/windows/ie/...e/default.mspx

Others will tell you to use this or that or anything as long as it is not a
Microsoft program.. for now, just try OE.. if it works for you, stick with
it..

Post back with your progress.. and Good luck..

--
Mike Hall
MVP - Windows Shell/User
http://dts-l.org/goodpost.htm





"Irene" wrote in message
...


"Mike Hall (MS-MVP)" wrote:

Irene


Please try the processes below.. and do them in order.. none of the
processes are beyond the abilities of a newbie user..



You would be better advised to work on the problems rather than start
over
now, have the same things happen again, and then have to repeat the
process.. maintaining a computer should be done regularly, and will only
take a few minutes per week..



OK.. start by turning OFF the System Restore function.. click on the
Start
button.. right click on 'My Computer', then select Properties.. now
select
the 'System Restore' tab..

Check the box "Turn off System Restore" or "Turn off System Restore on
all
drives".. now click on 'Apply'.. you will be asked if it is ok to lose
all
restore points.. answer YES to this.. now click on 'OK'



Now to the removal process..



Run a one shot virus remover.. I have found that McAfee Stinger works for
people.. download and run it..



http://vil.nai.com/vil/stinger/



Another alternative is ..



http://housecall.trendmicro.com/hous...start_corp.asp



Finish this process first..



You will also need to download Spyware removal software.. Spybot and
Adaware
are available at these websites.. both are free.. download and run them..
don't forget to check for updates after you have started them..



http://www.safer-networking.org/en/index.html



http://www.lavasoftusa.com/software/adaware/



.... and this link is for the latest Microsoft helping..



http://www.microsoft.com/athome/secu...e/default.mspx



Spybot has the ability to immunize a system, but there is better for this
function, so download and run Spyware Blaster too.. again, check for
updates..



http://www.javacoolsoftware.com/



Time to turn ON System Restore.. this is obviously like turning it OFF,
so
just reverse the procedure..



If you have any sense, you will now remove any programs that are known
carriers of all things bad.. some, like Patchou's MessengerPlus can be
installed such that the sponsor software does not get installed with it..
the sponsor software, if left, will re-infect your system immediately it
is
run again.. use ADD/REMOVE PROGRAMS to un-install and then re-install,
taking care to check the box that gives you the option of NOT accepting
the
sponsor crap.. if a program installation process does not allow you to do
this, forget about it.. leave it well alone..



If you have had your Internet browser hijacked, that is to say, you get
redirected through a search engine NOT of your choosing, you will need
different tools..



HijackThis is a popular and effective tool.. download it from here..



http://www.spychecker.com/download/d...ijackthis.html



CWShredder will eliminate CoolWebSearch and variants.. there is a free
download here..



CWShredder..
http://www.intermute.com/spysubtract..._download.html



about:blank.. http://www.securiteam.com/securityre...RP0L0UD5U.html
or

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



For other tools in the fight against spyware, visit this website and
bookmark it..



http://www.pchell.com



Mark Hasting has put much work into this site.. it is an invaluable site,
both for reference and fix-its..



You must also run a firewall and anti-virus program.. here are some links
for you..



http://www.mcafee.com

http://www.symantec.com

http://www.zonealarm.com

http://www.kerio.com

http://www.sygate.com

http://www.avast.com

http://www.grisoft.com



If you do not run a firewall and anti-virus solution, you are leaving
yourself open to attacks of all kinds.. these two types of program are
your
first line of defence..



So by now, your system should be in reasonable shape.. you will have
tools
'locked and loaded', ready for weekly use against those who seek to
destroy
your pleasure.. incorporate these into a housekeeping policy that
includes
running Defragmenter and Disk Cleanup, and you will be able to easily
maintain your system..



Please return to this thread and provide feedback.. it is the only way
that
helpers here can determine how effective the advice given has been..



Good luck..


--
Mike Hall
MVP - Windows Shell/user

http://dts-l.org/goodpost.htm



Hi Mike
This sounds like really good advice several things you mentioned are true
for me. The day my home page was hijacked and "about blank "became my home
page i tried to use restore to go back to an earlier date. It told me it
could not restore to any point i tried. After down loading some of the
tools
you mentioned it told me i was infected with cool webseach and trojan
horse
12q and some thing else malware?. i had naively thought i could just put
in
the discs and press the button and go back to the begining!. Any way i
will
try your method. Can you tell me how to print off your instructions please
.
i have highlighted the information but only the section showing in the
window
actually prints.
many thanks
Irene

Hi Mike
I copied and pasted and it worked. Thanks for that. I am going to run
through what you suggested to get rid of the trojans ect. Hopefully i will be
able to use my computer afterwards to say thanks
regards
Irene

"Mike Hall (MS-MVP)" wrote:

Irene


Please try the processes below.. and do them in order.. none of the
processes are beyond the abilities of a newbie user..



You would be better advised to work on the problems rather than start over
now, have the same things happen again, and then have to repeat the
process.. maintaining a computer should be done regularly, and will only
take a few minutes per week..



OK.. start by turning OFF the System Restore function.. click on the Start
button.. right click on 'My Computer', then select Properties.. now select
the 'System Restore' tab..

Check the box "Turn off System Restore" or "Turn off System Restore on all
drives".. now click on 'Apply'.. you will be asked if it is ok to lose all
restore points.. answer YES to this.. now click on 'OK'



Now to the removal process..



Run a one shot virus remover.. I have found that McAfee Stinger works for
people.. download and run it..



http://vil.nai.com/vil/stinger/



Another alternative is ..



http://housecall.trendmicro.com/hous...start_corp.asp



Finish this process first..



You will also need to download Spyware removal software.. Spybot and Adaware
are available at these websites.. both are free.. download and run them..
don't forget to check for updates after you have started them..



http://www.safer-networking.org/en/index.html



http://www.lavasoftusa.com/software/adaware/



.... and this link is for the latest Microsoft helping..



http://www.microsoft.com/athome/secu...e/default.mspx



Spybot has the ability to immunize a system, but there is better for this
function, so download and run Spyware Blaster too.. again, check for
updates..



http://www.javacoolsoftware.com/



Time to turn ON System Restore.. this is obviously like turning it OFF, so
just reverse the procedure..



If you have any sense, you will now remove any programs that are known
carriers of all things bad.. some, like Patchou's MessengerPlus can be
installed such that the sponsor software does not get installed with it..
the sponsor software, if left, will re-infect your system immediately it is
run again.. use ADD/REMOVE PROGRAMS to un-install and then re-install,
taking care to check the box that gives you the option of NOT accepting the
sponsor crap.. if a program installation process does not allow you to do
this, forget about it.. leave it well alone..



If you have had your Internet browser hijacked, that is to say, you get
redirected through a search engine NOT of your choosing, you will need
different tools..



HijackThis is a popular and effective tool.. download it from here..



http://www.spychecker.com/download/d...ijackthis.html



CWShredder will eliminate CoolWebSearch and variants.. there is a free
download here..



CWShredder.. http://www.intermute.com/spysubtract..._download.html



about:blank.. http://www.securiteam.com/securityre...RP0L0UD5U.html or

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



For other tools in the fight against spyware, visit this website and
bookmark it..



http://www.pchell.com



Mark Hasting has put much work into this site.. it is an invaluable site,
both for reference and fix-its..



You must also run a firewall and anti-virus program.. here are some links
for you..



http://www.mcafee.com

http://www.symantec.com

http://www.zonealarm.com

http://www.kerio.com

http://www.sygate.com

http://www.avast.com

http://www.grisoft.com



If you do not run a firewall and anti-virus solution, you are leaving
yourself open to attacks of all kinds.. these two types of program are your
first line of defence..



So by now, your system should be in reasonable shape.. you will have tools
'locked and loaded', ready for weekly use against those who seek to destroy
your pleasure.. incorporate these into a housekeeping policy that includes
running Defragmenter and Disk Cleanup, and you will be able to easily
maintain your system..



Please return to this thread and provide feedback.. it is the only way that
helpers here can determine how effective the advice given has been..



Good luck..


--
Mike Hall
MVP - Windows Shell/user

http://dts-l.org/goodpost.htm





"Irene" wrote in message
...
Hi, my computer is under a year old and has norton protecting it,this is
set
to automatic updates. How ever i have spent a week trying to get rid of
trojan feat 2. I have looked at various sites and downloaded several
including spy bot ad aware ectra but nothing is stopping my pages from
being
hijacked and adds being thrown at me (normally for add stoppers and trojan
stoppers). I should like to restore my computer back to its original
settings. I have the discs but no information on how to use them. can any
one
point me in the right direction please. many thanks
Irene

"Irene" wrote:

Hi Mike
I have run through the list you gave me and tese are the results
stinger said i had nothing on my computer
housecall tren -i could not download it my computer said it would have to
shut down 3 times!
spybot found 3 problems and fixed them
ad aware found 23 critical objects and fixed them
microsoft found about blank
spyware blaster i enabled
i then went to add/remove programes but could not remove/search
extender/shopping wizzard/home search assistant(they just put up open the
internet connection when i clicked on them?
Hijack this i am not sure how to work
the shredder said that about blank is not present also that cool websearch
was not present. I then restarted and i got an error message which read
system fehler code 1400 invalid window handle.
i logged on to the internet and got two adds straight away also lots of
little windows telling me that programes were trying to change settings. Is
the cure going to be worse than the ailment(only joking). It's obviously not
quite right yet. can you help please.
Irene
Irene

"Mike Hall (MS-MVP)" wrote:

Irene


Please try the processes below.. and do them in order.. none of the
processes are beyond the abilities of a newbie user..



You would be better advised to work on the problems rather than start over
now, have the same things happen again, and then have to repeat the
process.. maintaining a computer should be done regularly, and will only
take a few minutes per week..



OK.. start by turning OFF the System Restore function.. click on the Start
button.. right click on 'My Computer', then select Properties.. now select
the 'System Restore' tab..

Check the box "Turn off System Restore" or "Turn off System Restore on all
drives".. now click on 'Apply'.. you will be asked if it is ok to lose all
restore points.. answer YES to this.. now click on 'OK'



Now to the removal process..



Run a one shot virus remover.. I have found that McAfee Stinger works for
people.. download and run it..



http://vil.nai.com/vil/stinger/



Another alternative is ..



http://housecall.trendmicro.com/hous...start_corp.asp



Finish this process first..



You will also need to download Spyware removal software.. Spybot and Adaware
are available at these websites.. both are free.. download and run them..
don't forget to check for updates after you have started them..



http://www.safer-networking.org/en/index.html



http://www.lavasoftusa.com/software/adaware/



.... and this link is for the latest Microsoft helping..



http://www.microsoft.com/athome/secu...e/default.mspx



Spybot has the ability to immunize a system, but there is better for this
function, so download and run Spyware Blaster too.. again, check for
updates..



http://www.javacoolsoftware.com/



Time to turn ON System Restore.. this is obviously like turning it OFF, so
just reverse the procedure..



If you have any sense, you will now remove any programs that are known
carriers of all things bad.. some, like Patchou's MessengerPlus can be
installed such that the sponsor software does not get installed with it..
the sponsor software, if left, will re-infect your system immediately it is
run again.. use ADD/REMOVE PROGRAMS to un-install and then re-install,
taking care to check the box that gives you the option of NOT accepting the
sponsor crap.. if a program installation process does not allow you to do
this, forget about it.. leave it well alone..



If you have had your Internet browser hijacked, that is to say, you get
redirected through a search engine NOT of your choosing, you will need
different tools..



HijackThis is a popular and effective tool.. download it from here..



http://www.spychecker.com/download/d...ijackthis.html



CWShredder will eliminate CoolWebSearch and variants.. there is a free
download here..



CWShredder.. http://www.intermute.com/spysubtract..._download.html



about:blank.. http://www.securiteam.com/securityre...RP0L0UD5U.html or

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



For other tools in the fight against spyware, visit this website and
bookmark it..



http://www.pchell.com



Mark Hasting has put much work into this site.. it is an invaluable site,
both for reference and fix-its..



You must also run a firewall and anti-virus program.. here are some links
for you..



http://www.mcafee.com

http://www.symantec.com

http://www.zonealarm.com

http://www.kerio.com

http://www.sygate.com

http://www.avast.com

http://www.grisoft.com



If you do not run a firewall and anti-virus solution, you are leaving
yourself open to attacks of all kinds.. these two types of program are your
first line of defence..



So by now, your system should be in reasonable shape.. you will have tools
'locked and loaded', ready for weekly use against those who seek to destroy
your pleasure.. incorporate these into a housekeeping policy that includes
running Defragmenter and Disk Cleanup, and you will be able to easily
maintain your system..



Please return to this thread and provide feedback.. it is the only way that
helpers here can determine how effective the advice given has been..



Good luck..


--
Mike Hall
MVP - Windows Shell/user

http://dts-l.org/goodpost.htm





"Irene" wrote in message
...
Hi, my computer is under a year old and has norton protecting it,this is
set
to automatic updates. How ever i have spent a week trying to get rid of
trojan feat 2. I have looked at various sites and downloaded several
including spy bot ad aware ectra but nothing is stopping my pages from
being
hijacked and adds being thrown at me (normally for add stoppers and trojan
stoppers). I should like to restore my computer back to its original
settings. I have the discs but no information on how to use them. can any
one
point me in the right direction please. many thanks
Irene

On Tue, 10 May 2005 08:38:09 -0700, "Irene"
wrote:



"Irene" wrote:

Hi Mike
I have run through the list you gave me and tese are the results
stinger said i had nothing on my computer
housecall tren -i could not download it my computer said it would have to
shut down 3 times!
spybot found 3 problems and fixed them
ad aware found 23 critical objects and fixed them
microsoft found about blank
spyware blaster i enabled
i then went to add/remove programes but could not remove/search
extender/shopping wizzard/home search assistant(they just put up open the
internet connection when i clicked on them?
Hijack this i am not sure how to work
the shredder said that about blank is not present also that cool websearch
was not present. I then restarted and i got an error message which read
system fehler code 1400 invalid window handle.
i logged on to the internet and got two adds straight away also lots of
little windows telling me that programes were trying to change settings. Is
the cure going to be worse than the ailment(only joking). It's obviously not
quite right yet. can you help please.
Irene
Irene

"Mike Hall (MS-MVP)" wrote:
Just my $0.02, but you were given more info than you needed.
Running all the above is possibly causing trouble. A firewall, and virus
program should be all you need for protection from invaders.

Cookies is what Adaware is good for. Tracking cookies. It does do more, but
cookies and hijackers is it's primary target. Adaware isn't necessary to run
real time. SP2 does what Adaware can do, block cookies and popup's.

You needed to remove the crap. Trend pccillin can do it, or Norton should be
able to do it.
Adaware is for the minor crap that trend or Norton miss.
Depending on which version of XP you're using SP1 or SP2, SP2 has it's own
built in security section.
I can only speak about SP2. don't have SP1 anymore. If you aren't running a
firewall, and SP2, turn one of the firewall's off. In most cases a 3rd party
firewall is better than the SP2 built in. so turn that one off if you have one
and use the 3rd party firewall.

You should have some sort of virus protection installed. If not SP2 will tell
you every 2 minutes.

start-control panel-security options. You should see firewall, automatic
updates, and virus protection. They should all be ON.

Too much paranoia ware is as bad as none, or ignorance of what's invading your
machine.

a good virus program, a firewall, and go from there with the other stuff but
not running concurrently with the main defenses. IE6 is the main defense
against cookies, popup's and some malicious code. So no need to run Adaware or
a popup blocker if you're running IE6 and have ie6 set to default settings for
cookies and popup's..

I own Adaware, but only run it once in awhile. Trend I run real time and good
it does. it does something EVERY day. Either blocks something, or updates
itself. And as a double check when it does update. IE6 notices when trend is
off and warns you that you're vulnerable.
Trouble is that I found on the April 23rd, the updates don't take effect until
after a reboot. The trend pccillin virus of April 23 did more damage than any
virus. Everything locked. Had to turn off services to access the machine.
I'll renew with Trend when time comes again. Just shows they're really
modifying their software with updates.

What you should do is join some news group that addresses this subject spy
ware, ad ware, virus, Trojans malware, etc.. specifically.

http://www.dshield.org/
This link can help you to help others. it's FREE It'll show you how many
attacks your machine is getting daily. Requires a firewall to be installed that
writes the attacks to a log file.

I'm thinking the attitude it won't happen to me is based on the idea that these
attacks are coming from individuals, and your machine is hidden by the vastness
of the web. The attacks coming from individuals is minor. In most cases it's
scatter gun automated attacks run from several machines. Possibly your own
machine is doing the attacks without your knowledge.


news:alt.computer.security,alt.privacy.spyware
this news group link here will answer all your questions about what's out
there, what stops it, and where to get it.

GRC.com also has it's own news server with many news groups. just point your
news reader to news.grc.com and browse his security news groups.


Please try the processes below.. and do them in order.. none of the
processes are beyond the abilities of a newbie user..



You would be better advised to work on the problems rather than start over
now, have the same things happen again, and then have to repeat the
process.. maintaining a computer should be done regularly, and will only
take a few minutes per week..



OK.. start by turning OFF the System Restore function.. click on the Start
button.. right click on 'My Computer', then select Properties.. now select
the 'System Restore' tab..

Check the box "Turn off System Restore" or "Turn off System Restore on all
drives".. now click on 'Apply'.. you will be asked if it is ok to lose all
restore points.. answer YES to this.. now click on 'OK'



Now to the removal process..



Run a one shot virus remover.. I have found that McAfee Stinger works for
people.. download and run it..



http://vil.nai.com/vil/stinger/



Another alternative is ..



http://housecall.trendmicro.com/hous...start_corp.asp



Finish this process first..



You will also need to download Spyware removal software.. Spybot and Adaware
are available at these websites.. both are free.. download and run them..
don't forget to check for updates after you have started them..



http://www.safer-networking.org/en/index.html



http://www.lavasoftusa.com/software/adaware/



.... and this link is for the latest Microsoft helping..



http://www.microsoft.com/athome/secu...e/default.mspx



Spybot has the ability to immunize a system, but there is better for this
function, so download and run Spyware Blaster too.. again, check for
updates..



http://www.javacoolsoftware.com/



Time to turn ON System Restore.. this is obviously like turning it OFF, so
just reverse the procedure..



If you have any sense, you will now remove any programs that are known
carriers of all things bad.. some, like Patchou's MessengerPlus can be
installed such that the sponsor software does not get installed with it..
the sponsor software, if left, will re-infect your system immediately it is
run again.. use ADD/REMOVE PROGRAMS to un-install and then re-install,
taking care to check the box that gives you the option of NOT accepting the
sponsor crap.. if a program installation process does not allow you to do
this, forget about it.. leave it well alone..



If you have had your Internet browser hijacked, that is to say, you get
redirected through a search engine NOT of your choosing, you will need
different tools..



HijackThis is a popular and effective tool.. download it from here..



http://www.spychecker.com/download/d...ijackthis.html



CWShredder will eliminate CoolWebSearch and variants.. there is a free
download here..



CWShredder.. http://www.intermute.com/spysubtract..._download.html



about:blank.. http://www.securiteam.com/securityre...RP0L0UD5U.html or

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



For other tools in the fight against spyware, visit this website and
bookmark it..



http://www.pchell.com



Mark Hasting has put much work into this site.. it is an invaluable site,
both for reference and fix-its..



You must also run a firewall and anti-virus program.. here are some links
for you..



http://www.mcafee.com

http://www.symantec.com

http://www.zonealarm.com

http://www.kerio.com

http://www.sygate.com

http://www.avast.com

http://www.grisoft.com



If you do not run a firewall and anti-virus solution, you are leaving
yourself open to attacks of all kinds.. these two types of program are your
first line of defence..



So by now, your system should be in reasonable shape.. you will have tools
'locked and loaded', ready for weekly use against those who seek to destroy
your pleasure.. incorporate these into a housekeeping policy that includes
running Defragmenter and Disk Cleanup, and you will be able to easily
maintain your system..



Please return to this thread and provide feedback.. it is the only way that
helpers here can determine how effective the advice given has been..



Good luck..


--
Mike Hall
MVP - Windows Shell/user

http://dts-l.org/goodpost.htm





"Irene" wrote in message
...
Hi, my computer is under a year old and has norton protecting it,this is
set
to automatic updates. How ever i have spent a week trying to get rid of
trojan feat 2. I have looked at various sites and downloaded several
including spy bot ad aware ectra but nothing is stopping my pages from
being
hijacked and adds being thrown at me (normally for add stoppers and trojan
stoppers). I should like to restore my computer back to its original
settings. I have the discs but no information on how to use them. can any
one
point me in the right direction please. many thanks
Irene




--
more pix @ http://members.toast.net/cbminfo/index.html

Husky wrote:
|| Just my $0.02, but you were given more info than you needed.
|| Running all the above is possibly causing trouble. A firewall, and
|| virus program should be all you need for protection from invaders.

Um just having a firewall and AV will *NOT* protect you from malware.
Malware is NOT detected by AV programs as it's NOT a virus.
Neither will a firewall protect you from malware as you get them (usually)
from a website you are already on. You don't have to open anything, thus the
firewall is not alerted to illegal activity.


--
Gordon Burgess-Parker
Interim Systems and Management Accounting
www.gbpcomputing.co.uk

Irene

Normally, the processes clear up issues that you had.. contrary to the
beliefs of some, none of the programs suggested make anything worse, and
many run them without problems..

You must set a firewall.. if you do not have one, enable the XP firewall for
now.. it will stop any invasion from outside sources.. go to Properties for
your internet connection, then click on the 'advanced' tab.. check the box
to enable the firewall..

Download the free version of Zonealarm.. http://www,zonealarm.com .. and set
it running.. once in place, you can disable the XP firewall..

Hijackthis is not the easiest program to use but it is effective.. there are
forums where you can post the results and people there will diagnose from
them.. unfortunately, it does leave the user having to edit registry, which
can bring problems of its own..

OK.. firewall in place?.. reboot the machine into safe mode by tapping the
F8 key as Windows starts to load.. then run Adaware, Spybot and any other
defence.. hopefully, they will detect any other hidden stuff..

Restart the machine and see what happens.. look in the ADD/REMOVE programs
list for anything that you do not think should be there.. make a list and
report back with it..

Another talked of SP2.. if you do not have SP2 installed on your system, do
nothing about it until all of the bad things have been eradicated.. SP2 does
not like being installed on a corrupted operating system.. we will deal with
that as and when..

I really must apologise for putting you through all of this.. in 99 cases
out of 100, it works fine.. yours is obviously #100.. I feel that we will
get through this, and both learn something.. I will add a section to my set
piece on the importance of having a firewall running before any procedures
are carried out.. it is a sad fact that people like you have to learn this
way.. unfortunately, there are those out there who don't care as they send
yet another invasive and destructive program to the unwary..

If at any point, you feel that it would be better to start over, I will
understand.. I was and still do hope that we can get over this without the
need for you to clean install, and possibly lose anything important.. once
the problems have gone, you will be way more aware, and will have the tools
and the knowledge to at least stand your ground..

If you choose to take it to a local repair guy, have it in writing that he
will save as much data as possible before wiping your system, and do not pay
him until you see your system working with everything in place..

Thank you for being so patient and willing to try all that I suggested..

Here's hoping..

--
Mike Hall
MVP - Windows Shell/User
http://dts-l.org/goodpost.htm





"Irene" wrote in message
...


"Irene" wrote:

Hi Mike
I have run through the list you gave me and tese are the results
stinger said i had nothing on my computer
housecall tren -i could not download it my computer said it would have to
shut down 3 times!
spybot found 3 problems and fixed them
ad aware found 23 critical objects and fixed them
microsoft found about blank
spyware blaster i enabled
i then went to add/remove programes but could not remove/search
extender/shopping wizzard/home search assistant(they just put up open the
internet connection when i clicked on them?
Hijack this i am not sure how to work
the shredder said that about blank is not present also that cool websearch
was not present. I then restarted and i got an error message which read
system fehler code 1400 invalid window handle.
i logged on to the internet and got two adds straight away also lots of
little windows telling me that programes were trying to change settings.
Is
the cure going to be worse than the ailment(only joking). It's obviously
not
quite right yet. can you help please.
Irene
Irene

"Mike Hall (MS-MVP)" wrote:

Irene


Please try the processes below.. and do them in order.. none of the
processes are beyond the abilities of a newbie user..



You would be better advised to work on the problems rather than start
over
now, have the same things happen again, and then have to repeat the
process.. maintaining a computer should be done regularly, and will
only
take a few minutes per week..



OK.. start by turning OFF the System Restore function.. click on the
Start
button.. right click on 'My Computer', then select Properties.. now
select
the 'System Restore' tab..

Check the box "Turn off System Restore" or "Turn off System Restore on
all
drives".. now click on 'Apply'.. you will be asked if it is ok to lose
all
restore points.. answer YES to this.. now click on 'OK'



Now to the removal process..



Run a one shot virus remover.. I have found that McAfee Stinger works
for
people.. download and run it..



http://vil.nai.com/vil/stinger/



Another alternative is ..



http://housecall.trendmicro.com/hous...start_corp.asp



Finish this process first..



You will also need to download Spyware removal software.. Spybot and
Adaware
are available at these websites.. both are free.. download and run
them..
don't forget to check for updates after you have started them..



http://www.safer-networking.org/en/index.html



http://www.lavasoftusa.com/software/adaware/



.... and this link is for the latest Microsoft helping..



http://www.microsoft.com/athome/secu...e/default.mspx



Spybot has the ability to immunize a system, but there is better for
this
function, so download and run Spyware Blaster too.. again, check for
updates..



http://www.javacoolsoftware.com/



Time to turn ON System Restore.. this is obviously like turning it OFF,
so
just reverse the procedure..



If you have any sense, you will now remove any programs that are known
carriers of all things bad.. some, like Patchou's MessengerPlus can be
installed such that the sponsor software does not get installed with
it..
the sponsor software, if left, will re-infect your system immediately
it is
run again.. use ADD/REMOVE PROGRAMS to un-install and then re-install,
taking care to check the box that gives you the option of NOT accepting
the
sponsor crap.. if a program installation process does not allow you to
do
this, forget about it.. leave it well alone..



If you have had your Internet browser hijacked, that is to say, you get
redirected through a search engine NOT of your choosing, you will need
different tools..



HijackThis is a popular and effective tool.. download it from here..



http://www.spychecker.com/download/d...ijackthis.html



CWShredder will eliminate CoolWebSearch and variants.. there is a free
download here..



CWShredder..
http://www.intermute.com/spysubtract..._download.html



about:blank.. http://www.securiteam.com/securityre...RP0L0UD5U.html
or

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



For other tools in the fight against spyware, visit this website and
bookmark it..



http://www.pchell.com



Mark Hasting has put much work into this site.. it is an invaluable
site,
both for reference and fix-its..



You must also run a firewall and anti-virus program.. here are some
links
for you..



http://www.mcafee.com

http://www.symantec.com

http://www.zonealarm.com

http://www.kerio.com

http://www.sygate.com

http://www.avast.com

http://www.grisoft.com



If you do not run a firewall and anti-virus solution, you are leaving
yourself open to attacks of all kinds.. these two types of program are
your
first line of defence..



So by now, your system should be in reasonable shape.. you will have
tools
'locked and loaded', ready for weekly use against those who seek to
destroy
your pleasure.. incorporate these into a housekeeping policy that
includes
running Defragmenter and Disk Cleanup, and you will be able to easily
maintain your system..



Please return to this thread and provide feedback.. it is the only way
that
helpers here can determine how effective the advice given has been..



Good luck..


--
Mike Hall
MVP - Windows Shell/user

http://dts-l.org/goodpost.htm





"Irene" wrote in message
...
Hi, my computer is under a year old and has norton protecting it,this
is
set
to automatic updates. How ever i have spent a week trying to get rid
of
trojan feat 2. I have looked at various sites and downloaded several
including spy bot ad aware ectra but nothing is stopping my pages
from
being
hijacked and adds being thrown at me (normally for add stoppers and
trojan
stoppers). I should like to restore my computer back to its original
settings. I have the discs but no information on how to use them. can
any
one
point me in the right direction please. many thanks
Irene

Hi, Just to clear up some issues, the computer is under a year old and i had
Norton running automatic updates and my firewall was on, i had micosoft auto
updateing. Every thing was going fine until my home page dissapeared and i
was bombarded with adverts normally form virus removers. I down loaded avg
which did a scan and told me i had malware including cool web search and
about blank as i am writing this a warning from avg tells me that
c:/windows/d3wo.exe trojan horse downloader 12D and 12Q is trying to enter so
i have healed it. i am worried by all this as i do my banking ect online.Can
any one help with this? has anyone got rid of this? i think i would really
like to start from scratch, i have my discs but nothing to tell me how to use
them. i am not really very confident re the registery so i am looking for a
fix for dummies.If some one can tell me how to do this and then what to load
after i restart to keep myself safe i would be very grateful. And i just want
to say thanks to every one who has tried to help.
irene

"Gordon" wrote:

Husky wrote:
|| Just my $0.02, but you were given more info than you needed.
|| Running all the above is possibly causing trouble. A firewall, and
|| virus program should be all you need for protection from invaders.

Um just having a firewall and AV will *NOT* protect you from malware.
Malware is NOT detected by AV programs as it's NOT a virus.
Neither will a firewall protect you from malware as you get them (usually)
from a website you are already on. You don't have to open anything, thus the
firewall is not alerted to illegal activity.


--
Gordon Burgess-Parker
Interim Systems and Management Accounting
www.gbpcomputing.co.uk