Uninvited internet software installed on my PC - How do I clear it?

[Vicious cycle]

Thinking about purchasing. Would this take care of any pre-existing bugs ?

Yes it will. I had an Internet Explorer Hijacker on my home PC and nothing would rid me of it, not AdAware, Spybot, hijackthis (which I think is more of just a reporting tool and not an actual cleaner) or Microsoft Anti-spyware. Ewido installed and bang, it was gone. If you do a full scan it will take well over an hour (depending on the size of your PC). I just do the updates manually and didn't purchase it. I'm not sure what other functionallity you lose after the free trial is over. It would be one of the few things I would consider buying though.

 

[BrothaBill]

Ive posted this before
http://www.techsupportalert.com/best_46_free_utilities.htm

It has the link to ewido which is the best Ive used so far. Nowadays the popular thing is rootkits, most programs wont protect you against them

 

[maxpain]

Yes it will. I had an Internet Explorer Hijacker on my home PC and nothing would rid me of it, not AdAware, Spybot, hijackthis (which I think is more of just a reporting tool and not an actual cleaner) or Microsoft Anti-spyware. Ewido installed and bang, it was gone. If you do a full scan it will take well over an hour (depending on the size of your PC). I just do the updates manually and didn't purchase it. I'm not sure what other functionallity you lose after the free trial is over. It would be one of the few things I would consider buying though.

What exactly does the ewido do? I am computer dumb.

 

[digger]

What exactly does the ewido do? I am computer dumb.

"Virus" means something pretty specific to the nerds. There's all of this other crap that Microsoft leaves you exposed to that isn't technically a virus. So you have all these "anti-spyware" programs now.

For whatever reason, spyware needs to be handled differently, and Ewido is apparently pretty good at that.

 

[PICK3]

"Virus" means something pretty specific to the nerds. There's all of this other crap that Microsoft leaves you exposed to that isn't technically a virus. So you have all these "anti-spyware" programs now.

For whatever reason, spyware needs to be handled differently, and Ewido is apparently pretty good at that.

Creating computer viruses is illegal. Why isn't this uninvited hijacking bullshit illegal?

 

[digger]

Illegal in what country?

Some forms of it are. They'll try to get around that by asking you to click on something (anything!) that gives them "permission" to use your computer, in exchange for some bullshit dancing icon ("Comet Cursor" was the bane of my existence at my last job), or a talking toucan, or some crap like that. Then they can say "But you gave us permission to use your PC as we see fit!"

Or they figure they'll never get caught.

You pay someone $7.00 for a sugar pill thinking it's Viagra... are you going to file a complaint and thereby tell the world you couldn't get it up? Same deal, you get your PC 0wned by going to a porn site, or site with serial numbers for cracked software -- are you going to admit that to your wife and the District Attorney?

Just out yesterday -- the bastards can take over a Windows box now if you hit a webpage with a PICTURE on it. You don't have to click on a damn thing. The built-in Windows Preview program tries to open it and boom, you're now helping a Romanian teenager conduct a denial of service attack against eBay, or sending out Russian porn spam.

Is it a virus? Well, the virus scanners are being updated to cover it (not fast enough), but it's still a gray area, believe it or not.

The Ewido people are using the term malware, which I like. It is more inclusive. Who cares whether it's a virus, a worm, a trojan horse, or a "browser-helper exploit"? It's just "crap I don't want on my computer."

Like Windows.

 

[riverrock]

ewido worked guys!!!

I ran it last night and it put some serious manners on that spyaxe crap!!!! I agree with Digger's point that most of these are picked up in Web-sites where you are less likely to complain about having "agreed" to an installation. I think I picked mine up off a geocities site offering gambling tips. (I hold my hands up)

When I paid for my Broadband, I paid that little extra for Anti-Spyware software. Obviously didn't pick up the trojan from Spyaxe, but it does show the importance of having a good up to date anti-virus kit.

Thanks Guys, you are the best!!! I'll try to hit you all with a bit of K!

 

[Vicious cycle]

ewido worked guys!!!

I ran it last night and it put some serious manners on that spyaxe crap!!!! I agree with Digger's point that most of these are picked up in Web-sites where you are less likely to complain about having "agreed" to an installation. I think I picked mine up off a geocities site offering gambling tips. (I hold my hands up)

When I paid for my Broadband, I paid that little extra for Anti-Spyware software. Obviously didn't pick up the trojan from Spyaxe, but it does show the importance of having a good up to date anti-virus kit.

Thanks Guys, you are the best!!! I'll try to hit you all with a bit of K!

Glad to hear everything worked out for you; sure beats a re-install.

 

[HiDnGoD]

Just out yesterday -- the bastards can take over a Windows box now if you hit a webpage with a PICTURE on it. You don't have to click on a damn thing. The built-in Windows Preview program tries to open it and boom, you're now helping a Romanian teenager conduct a denial of service attack against eBay, or sending out Russian porn spam.
Is it a virus? Well, the virus scanners are being updated to cover it (not fast enough), but it's still a gray area, believe it or not.
The Ewido people are using the term malware, which I like. It is more inclusive. Who cares whether it's a virus, a worm, a trojan horse, or a "browser-helper exploit"? It's just "crap I don't want on my computer."
Like Windows.

My Norton causes pictures not to open on my emails unless I click an accept button.

 

[digger]

My Norton causes pictures not to open on my emails unless I click an accept button.

Uh-huh. How about web sites? How about .doc files? How about any file type that Windows thinks it recognizes?

The way this thing is coded, Windows oh-so-helpfully says "Gee, that's not a Word document, it looks like (wait for it) a picture! I'll be nice and open it in the Image Viewer! Gosh, why do I suddenly have this hankering for vodka and borscht?"