Yes. I googled before I asked the question and found that this
Microsoft Ad Server problem is VERY COMMON and that the cleanup &
hijack & Ad-Aware & SpybotSD & SpywareBlaster programs all IDENTIFY &
REMOVE the problem dynamic linked libraries and the dozen or so files
installed by Microsoft if you say OK just once, but all these programs
are powerless to PREVENT the request from being transparent to the
millions of us poor users!
Following the helpful suggestions, I just doublechecked using the top
three web browsers (IE 6.0.2900.2180.spxp_sp2_gdr.050301-1519, Netscape
8.0.2, & Firefox 1.0.6) by logging into my hotmail email account and
clicking around. Here are the results for the many others with this
problem to help solve together.
NETSCAPE:
For each repeated attempt to connect to the onerous Microsoft
Advertising Server (rad.msn.com), Netscape 8.0.2 constantly pops up
forms saying "That domain name cannot be found", probably due to the
127.0.0.1 loopback interface I added to the WinXP hosts file for that
Microsoft Repeat Advertising Server "rad.msn.com". So this is a
workaround, but, not a good one.
INTERNET EXPLORER:
Instead of popping up a separate dialog box, IE displays an inline
warning for every repeated Microsoft ADSAdClient Advertising Delivery
Service attempt, saying:
"The page cannot be displayed. The page you are looking for is
currently unavailable. The Web site might be experiencing technical
difficulties, or you may need to adjust your browser settings."
Again, this is probably due to the hosts file localhost loopback I
added for the rad.msn.com repeate advertising server.
FIREFOX:
Only in Firefox (my preferred browser), does the separate request to
download the Microsoft Advertising Server dynamic linked library (dll)
repeatedly pop up as noted in the original posting (even though I have
the rad.msn.com site listed in my standard hosts file from
http://www.infonomicon.org/text/hosts
IMPORTANT NOTE:
This rad.msn.com (spyware adware trojan) is so very commonly a problem
for so many users that it is in almost all (if not all) hosts files I
could find on the Internet, for example all these have "rad.msn.com"
redirected to localhost!
http://forums.springheadmedia.com/PHPexamples/viewtopic.php?p=38
http://www.genericgeek.com/index.php?q=node/538
http://forums.us.dell.com/supportforums/board/message?board.id=si_hijack&message.id=16799
END RESULT:
1. This is a very well known problem which the spybot and others fail
to remove (according to my google searches) but which can be worked
around for all but the Firefox browser by redirecting the loopback for
the rad.msn.com repeat advertising server.
2. For now, I'm forced to use Netscape or (heaven forbid) IE as my
browser but I really really prefer Firfox (and so do many other people)
so I think this is still a problem that isn't solved yet (for Firefox).
3. Since this is so very well known, anyone who tested it who does NOT
see the problem is probably ALREADY infected! Apparently the standard
Ad-Aware, Spybot Search & Destroy, SpywareBlaster, etc programs can
REMOVE the problem but they can't PREVENT the annoyance each time
(which is the main intent) as noted in many google searches today.
http://defectivehw.blogspot.com/2005/04/msn-messenger-7-is-out.html
http://forums.serverlogistics.com/viewtopic.php?p=522&sid=82f7afe392df201533f5ec9d90873603
http://forums.spywareinfo.com/lofiversion/index.php/t45897.html
So, I think we STILL have a huge problem considering the millions of
hotmail users who also use any of the browsers above (Firefox is the
worst, but it's not transparent even on IE or Netscape).
I do very much thank you for the advice (which I've followed to a T,
having had all the spyware/adware scanners & blockers already
installed) that we still need is a Windows expert who can solve this
problem for the millions of us who use Hotmail and any of the three
browsers above.
Do experts know how to totally prevent the Microsoft Ad Delivery
Service from bothering the user EVERY time they log into their Hotmail
account on Firefox?
Thank you in advance, for all of us,
Susan Harm
