wifixer, winantivirus, winantipsyware

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.general (More info?)

I`ve been getting these pop up ads from winfixer which it tries to scans my
pc to see if anything needs to be repair. I also get pop ups from winantvirus
and winantispyware which ties to scan my pc for viruses and spyware. I used
Norton and Microsoft antispyware to see if anything is wrong and sure enough
there isn`t. Does anyone know how to get rid these annoying pop ups?

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.general (More info?)

Download, install, update and run all of the following.

Ad-Aware
http://www.pcbutts1.com/downloads/aawsepersonal.exe

Spybot search and destroy
http://www.pcbutts1.com/downloads/spybotsd14.exe

Ewido Security Suite Trial version
http://www.pcbutts1.com/downloads/ewidosetup.exe

Microsoft Windows AntiSpyware (Beta1)
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads [...] laylang=en

If none of the above fixes the issue then download Hijack this, run it, save
a copy of the log file and cut and paste it back here to this group so that
I can analyze it. Ignore anyone especially the troll Leythos, who will tag
along a nonsense post to this message, who tells you to post it elsewhere. I
need to see it not them.


HijackThis
http://www.pcbutts1.com/downloads/HijackThis.zip


The authors of the above programs, with the exception of Microsoft has given
the owner of pcbutts1.com express written permission to redistribute their
software.

--


The best live web video on the internet http://www.seedsv.com/webdemo.htm
NEW Embedded system W/Linux. We now sell DVR cards.
See it all at http://www.seedsv.com/products.htm
Sharpvision simply the best http://www.seedsv.com



"flare" <flare@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:B4655E49-BDE7-40DC-B8BB-2B788E54D57E@microsoft.com...
> I`ve been getting these pop up ads from winfixer which it tries to scans
> my
> pc to see if anything needs to be repair. I also get pop ups from
> winantvirus
> and winantispyware which ties to scan my pc for viruses and spyware. I
> used
> Norton and Microsoft antispyware to see if anything is wrong and sure
> enough
> there isn`t. Does anyone know how to get rid these annoying pop ups?

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.general (More info?)

flare wrote:
> I`ve been getting these pop up ads from winfixer which it tries to scans my
> pc to see if anything needs to be repair. I also get pop ups from winantvirus
> and winantispyware which ties to scan my pc for viruses and spyware. I used
> Norton and Microsoft antispyware to see if anything is wrong and sure enough
> there isn`t. Does anyone know how to get rid these annoying pop ups?


What specific kind of pop-ups are you seeing? There are at least
three varieties of pop-ups, and the solutions vary accordingly.

1) Does the title bar of these pop-ups read "Messenger Service?"

This type of spam has become quite common over the couple of
years, and unintentionally serves as a valid security "alert." It
demonstrates that you haven't been taking sufficient precautions while
connected to the Internet. Your data probably hasn't been compromised
by these specific advertisements, but if you're open to this exploit,
you may well be open to other threats, such as the Blaster Worm that
swept across the Internet last year and the currently active Sasser
Worm. Install and use a decent, properly configured firewall.
(Merely disabling the messenger service, as some people recommend,
only hides the symptom, and does little or nothing to truly secure
your machine.) And ignoring or just "putting up with" the security
gap represented by these messages is particularly foolish.

Messenger Service of Windows
http://support.microsoft.com/defau [...] -us;168893

Messenger Service Window That Contains an Internet Advertisement
Appears
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=330904

Stopping Advertisements with Messenger Service Titles
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp [...] opspam.asp

Blocking Ads, Parasites, and Hijackers with a Hosts File
http://www.mvps.org/winhelp2002/hosts.htm

Oh, and be especially wary of people who advise you to do nothing
more than disable the messenger service. Disabling the messenger
service, by itself, is a "head in the sand" approach to computer
security. The real problem is not the messenger service pop-ups;
they're actually providing a useful, if annoying, service by acting as
a security alert. The true problem is the unsecured computer, and
you've been advised to merely turn off the warnings. How is this
helpful?

2) For regular Internet pop-ups, you might try the free 12Ghosts
Popup-killer from http://12ghosts.com/ghosts/popup.htm, Pop-Up Stopper
from http://www.panicware.com/, or the Google Toolbar from
http://toolbar.google.com/. Alternatively, you can upgrade your WinXP
to SP2, to install IE's pop-up blocker. Another alternative would be
to use another browser, such as Mozilla or Firefox, which has pop-up
blocking capabilities. (But I'd avoid Netscape; it carries too much
extraneous AOL garbage.)

3) To deal with pop-ups caused by any sort of "adware" and/or
"spyware,"such as Gator, Comet Cursors, Xupiter, Bonzai Buddy, or
KaZaA, and their remnants, that you've deliberately (but without
understanding the consequences) installed, two products that are
quite effective (at finding and removing this type of scumware) are
Ad-Aware from www.lavasoft.de and SpyBot Search & Destroy from
www.safer-networking.org/. Both have free versions. It's even
possible to use SpyBot Search & Destroy to "immunize" your system
against most future intrusions. I use both and generally perform
manual scans every week or so to clean out cookies, etc.

Additionally, manual removal instructions for the most common
varieties of scumware are available here:

PC Hell Spyware and Adware Removal Help
http://www.pchell.com/support/spyware.shtml

More information and assistance is available at these sites:

Blocking Ads, Parasites, and Hijackers with a Hosts File
http://www.mvps.org/winhelp2002/hosts.htm

The Parasite Fight
http://www.aumha.org/a/parasite.htm

Neither adware nor spyware, collectively known as scumware,
magically install themselves on anyone's computer. They are almost
always deliberately installed by the computer's user, as part of some
allegedly "free" service or product.

While there are some unscrupulous malware distributors out there,
who do attempt to install and exploit malware without consent, the
majority of them simply rely upon the intellectual laziness and
gullibility of the average consumer, counting on them to quickly click
past the EULA in his/her haste to get the latest in "free" cutesy
cursors, screensavers, "utilities," and/or wallpapers.

If you were to read the EULAs that accompany, and to which the
computer user must agree before the download/installation of the
"screensaver" continues, most adware and spyware, you'll find that
they _do_ have the consumer's permission to do exactly what they're
doing. In the overwhelming majority of cases, computer users have no
one to blame but themselves.

There are several essential components to computer security: a
knowledgeable and pro-active user, a properly configured firewall,
reliable and up-to-date antivirus software, and the prompt repair (via
patches, hotfixes, or service packs) of any known vulnerabilities.

The weakest link in this "equation" is, of course, the computer
user. No software manufacturer can -- nor should they be expected
to -- protect the computer user from him/herself. All too many people
have bought into the various PC/software manufacturers marketing
claims of easy computing. They believe that their computer should be
no harder to use than a toaster oven; they have neither the
inclination or desire to learn how to safely use their computer. All
too few people keep their antivirus software current, install patches
in a timely manner, or stop to really think about that cutesy link
they're about to click.

Firewalls and anti-virus applications, which should always be used
and should always be running, are important components of "safe hex,"
but they cannot, and should not be expected to, protect the computer
user from him/herself. Ultimately, it is incumbent upon each and
every computer user to learn how to secure his/her own computer.


To learn more about practicing "safe hex," start with these links:

Protect Your PC
http://www.microsoft.com/security/protect/default.asp

Home Computer Security
http://www.cert.org/homeusers/HomeComputerSecurity/

List of Antivirus Software Vendors
http://support.microsoft.com/defau [...] n-us;49500

Home PC Firewall Guide
http://www.firewallguide.com/

Scumware.com
http://www.scumware.com/


--

Bruce Chambers

Help us help you:
http://dts-l.org/goodpost.htm
http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html

You can have peace. Or you can have freedom. Don't ever count on having
both at once. - RAH

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.general (More info?)

=?Utf-8?B?ZmxhcmU=?= wrote:
>
> I`ve been getting these pop up ads from winfixer which it tries to scans my
> pc to see if anything needs to be repair. I also get pop ups from winantvirus
> and winantispyware which ties to scan my pc for viruses and spyware. I used
> Norton and Microsoft antispyware to see if anything is wrong and sure enough
> there isn`t. Does anyone know how to get rid these annoying pop ups?

http://www.bootdisk.com/xptop20.htm#3