help, problems every where

  • Thread starter Thread starter Carrie
  • Start date Start date
C

Carrie

Nothing on Microsoft is working right. Sometimes I can
get in and sometimes I can't. Can't access Windows
Update, can't use anything in MSN that requires my user
name and password. Usually says page unavailabe. Some
websites I've used previously won't work either.
 
Carrie said:
Nothing on Microsoft is working right. Sometimes I can
get in and sometimes I can't. Can't access Windows
Update, can't use anything in MSN that requires my user
name and password. Usually says page unavailabe. Some
websites I've used previously won't work either.
Click to expand...

Possible QHOST infection.
Possibly other spyware/trojan/adware/malware.

Turn on that firewall...
http://www.microsoft.com/WindowsXP/home/using/howto/homenet/icf.asp
(It has been reported that it now works with AOL 9.0+)


Make sure you have all the updates (critical) installed from:
http://windowsupdate.microsoft.com/
(Scan for updates, Review and Install)


Get rid of the spy/ad/mal-ware..
(Yes - using MORE than one of these..
I recommend at least the first three.)

Spybot Search and Destroy
http://www.safer-networking.net/

Lavasoft AdAware
http://www.lavasoft.de

CWSShredder
http://www.spywareinfo.com/~merijn/downloads.html

Hijack This!
http://mjc1.com/mirror/hjt/

I also like "The Cleaner" and "SpywareBlaster" and "SpywareGuard".
- http://www.moosoft.com/
- http://www.javacoolsoftware.com/

The first is a PAY product, but useable for 30 days - it has found and
eliminated problems in the past the others did not. The latter two are
prevention mechanisms. I like SpywareGuard for those with enough processor
to have something running like antivirus software - and it prevents browser
hijacking quite well.


And Assortment of Others:
http://www.merijn.org/downloads.html


After you cleanup your PC somewhat of spy/ad/mal-ware, verify your antivirus
software is updated and run a full scan of your computer. If you have no
antivirus software - get one NOW! Grisoft AntiVirus:
http://www.grisoft.com/us/us_dwnl_free.php


Empty your Temporary Internet Files and shrink the size it stores to about
80 to 120MB (seems to be an optimal size for the normal user)
- Open ONE copy of Internet Explorer.
- Select TOOLS -> Internet Options.
- Under the General tab in the "Temporary Internet Files" section,
do the following:
- Click on "Delete Cookies" (click OK)
- Click on "Settings" and change the
"Amount of disk space to use:" to something between 80MB
and 120MB. (Betting it is MUCH larger right now.)
- Click OK.
- Click on "Delete Files" and select to
"Delete all offline contents" (the checkbox) and click
OK. (If you had a LOT, this could take 2-10 minutes or
more.)
- Once it is done, click OK, close Internet Explorer
- Re-open Internet Explorer.


Uninstall any software you do not use often/ever. (If you have something
installed but never use it, uninstall it.) If you go through Control
Panel -> Add/Remove Programs and see things you seldom if ever use, it is to
your advantage to remove it.
 
It could be a lot of things unless its a new virus i'm not
aware of. Do you have a third party (non microsoft)
firewall setup? Are you using Internet Explorer with the
latest updates? Microsoft requires cookies enabled and
uses javascript so you may need to check your browser
settings. I would do that first by clicking tools then
internet options in the dropdown menu. Click the security
tab then the earth icon and then the restore defaults
button at the bottom of the menu, then click apply. Next,
click the privacy tab and adjust it to accept cookies from
at least first-party sites, then apply. If that doesn't do
it you may need to run a check for spyware. I use spybot
and adaware, both are freeware and can be found with a
google search. Some sites won't recognize some browsers
like opera, netscape, mozilla, etc..

Hope this here helped..
 
Oops, didn't mean to step on your toes Shenan, it just
takes me a long time to type my message. I'll have to try
the CWSShedder. Spywareguard/blaster never did block much
for me, still found spyware after browsing.
 
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