Why does Major Geeks try to put spyware on your computer?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Old Coot
  • Start date Start date
O

Old Coot

Everytime I try to access the MajorGeeks site SpyBot Search and
Destroy gives an alert that says, "Spybot-S&D reports that you want to
download "Avenue A, Inc.". This is a known threat. Do you want to
BLOCK this download?" (Yes or No)

Seems a rather crummy way of doing business...

Old Coot
 
Everytime I try to access the MajorGeeks site SpyBot Search and
Destroy gives an alert that says, "Spybot-S&D reports that you want to
download "Avenue A, Inc.". This is a known threat. Do you want to
BLOCK this download?" (Yes or No)

Seems a rather crummy way of doing business...

Old Coot
Click to expand...


Hi:

I get the same from dictionary.com.. I think it is just an advertizing
cookie that S&D is pickling up on.

just my 2¢
 
I have been to the site many times and use AdAware and Spybot. Never got a
warning nor downloaded Avenue A.Inc I have downloaded plenty of file from
them also with no spyware added to my machine.
Did a search on Google and came up with this site and info.
www.ntcompatible.com. Seems like a nice site to check out with clear info
about a lot of computer stuff. Note the link to check if you have that
cookie. I doubt MajorGeeks added it, but somewhere else you sufted to.
You've picked up a cookie that you need to delete:

"Another major advertising network which use cookies is Atlas DMT (formerly
Avenue A, Inc.). Atlas is a member of the aQuantive, Inc. family which
includes Avenue A, an interactive advertising agency, and iFRONTIER, a full
service interactive agency. Atlas DMT, the creator of the AtlasT Digital
Marketing Suite, provides digital marketing technologies for online
advertising agencies. You can optout of accepting Atlas/AvenueA cookies by
clicking this link http://www.atlasdmt.com/privacy/opting.asp. This link
will check to see if you have an active cookie and switch it out for an
OptOut cookie which will therefore no longer track your surfing."

That's the company line. It is best to kill the cookie.
 
Hi:

I get the same from dictionary.com.. I think it is just an advertizing
cookie that S&D is pickling up on.

just my 2¢
Click to expand...

You're right, it is a tracking coocking. I have Spybot block them
silently
 
I get the same from dictionary.com.. I think it is just an advertizing
cookie that S&D is pickling up on.

just my 2¢
Click to expand...

Must be something innocent. I go to Majorgeeks daily and never have any
problems here...
 
Everytime I try to access the MajorGeeks site SpyBot Search and
Destroy gives an alert that says, "Spybot-S&D reports that you want to
download "Avenue A, Inc.". This is a known threat. Do you want to
BLOCK this download?" (Yes or No)

Seems a rather crummy way of doing business...

Old Coot
Click to expand...

A simple tracking cookie.

Go into SpS&D and change your blocking option to "silently", then you won't
get the alert but it will still be blocked.
 
how, I don't see what to check? Thanks
Click to expand...

JoeA ....

Spybot ....

Immunize Button ....

At the bottom of the Immunize page ....

Browser Helper to block bad downloads ....

Drop-down box .... Block all Silently
 
Everytime I try to access the MajorGeeks site SpyBot Search and
Destroy gives an alert that says, "Spybot-S&D reports that you want to
download "Avenue A, Inc.". This is a known threat. Do you want to
BLOCK this download?" (Yes or No)

Seems a rather crummy way of doing business...

Old Coot
Click to expand...

Bugnosis finds nothing,... but that's not really a spyware scanner
compared to Spybot... but Spybot that I ran did not find anything
either called Avenue A, inc... I cleaned my system with Spybot and
than visited Majorgeeks again and browsed some pages... than ran
Spybot once again.. it found nothing... I always considered Majorgeeks
to be trustworthy... how to explain what happened during your visit of
Majorgeeks?
sad...
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Newsfeeds, Entertainment, Searching, Music,
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JoeA ....

Spybot ....

Immunize Button ....

At the bottom of the Immunize page ....

Browser Helper to block bad downloads ....

Drop-down box .... Block all Silently
Click to expand...

What explains why Spybot finds nothing on my pc...
--
Freeware revieuws for your Windows PC:
Honest & No Nags: www.NONDISPUTANDUM.com
Protection, Cleaning, Office, Webbuilding,
Newsfeeds, Entertainment, Searching, Music,
Do the internet addiction test!
 
Bugnosis finds nothing,... but that's not really a spyware scanner
compared to Spybot... but Spybot that I ran did not find anything
either called Avenue A, inc... I cleaned my system with Spybot and
than visited Majorgeeks again and browsed some pages... than ran
Spybot once again.. it found nothing... I always considered Majorgeeks
to be trustworthy... how to explain what happened during your visit of
Majorgeeks?
sad...
Click to expand...

Let me clarify...

Because I have Spybot S&D resident (in its "Tea-timer" mode) I never
downloaded the "Avenue A" cookie (or whatever it is).

I simply choose the option to block the download.

I have scanned my system COMPLETELY (that is, with the option enabled
that scans EVERY file) and nothing amiss shows. I have used Lavasoft's
AdAware, Spybot S&D, Bazooka, SpywareGuard, Norton Anti-virus (with
the latest updates), and a handful of lesser-known proggies thrown in
for good measure.

Nothing untoward or undesirable shows up.

But I just tried MajorGeeks a few moments ago and I still get the
"Avenue A" warning. I cannot explain it. I just report the news! :)

Old Coot
 
Let me clarify...

Because I have Spybot S&D resident (in its "Tea-timer" mode) I never
downloaded the "Avenue A" cookie (or whatever it is).

I simply choose the option to block the download.

I have scanned my system COMPLETELY (that is, with the option enabled
that scans EVERY file) and nothing amiss shows. I have used Lavasoft's
AdAware, Spybot S&D, Bazooka, SpywareGuard, Norton Anti-virus (with
the latest updates), and a handful of lesser-known proggies thrown in
for good measure.

Nothing untoward or undesirable shows up.

But I just tried MajorGeeks a few moments ago and I still get the
"Avenue A" warning. I cannot explain it. I just report the news! :)

Old Coot
Click to expand...

Let me clarify...

Avenue A is a real common tracking cookie, not only MajorGeeks, but MSN
and lots of others. Yes, Spybot blocks it. You get an alert because you
have spybot set to alert you. I, and lots of others here, don't get an
alert because we let spybot block it SILENTLY.

Simply set spybot to block it silently and continue enjoying the
excellent site at MajorGeeks.

And get on with life instead or worrying about minor annoyances like an
Avenue A cookie.

As advised in an earlier post, by Cousin Stanley, 11 hours earlier..

Spybot ....

Immunize Button ....

At the bottom of the Immunize page ....

Browser Helper to block bad downloads ....

Drop-down box .... Block all Silently
 
| ....
| What explains why Spybot finds nothing on my pc...
| ....

Cousin NonDisputandum ....

Can't say for sure, but this may fall
under the same category as ....

NO news is GOOD news ....

I don't think Spybot turned up much
on the first run on my system either,
but I do seem to recall that it removed
a few tracking cookies ....

However, I took that to mean that I had probably
done a fair job of immunizing prior to its installation,
but forgot to empty the TIF folder before scanning ....
 
| ....
| What explains why Spybot finds nothing on my pc...
| ....

Cousin NonDisputandum ....

Can't say for sure, but this may fall
under the same category as ....

NO news is GOOD news ....

I don't think Spybot turned up much
on the first run on my system either,
but I do seem to recall that it removed
a few tracking cookies ....

However, I took that to mean that I had probably
done a fair job of immunizing prior to its installation,
but forgot to empty the TIF folder before scanning ....
Click to expand...

Immunizing helps,.. cleaning helps,... but frustratingly no one sigle
action does a perfect job... cleaning a computer is like cleaning a
car... once you run it after cleaning,.. it gets all dirty again no
matter what you do to avoid it... and in time some dirt becomes
nonremovable...


--
Freeware revieuws, honest, no nags
www.NONDISPUTANDUM.com
protect, clean, office, webbuilding
newsfeeds, entertainment, searching
.... & the internet addiction test!
 
Let me clarify...

Because I have Spybot S&D resident (in its "Tea-timer" mode) I never
downloaded the "Avenue A" cookie (or whatever it is).

I simply choose the option to block the download.

I have scanned my system COMPLETELY (that is, with the option enabled
that scans EVERY file) and nothing amiss shows. I have used Lavasoft's
AdAware, Spybot S&D, Bazooka, SpywareGuard, Norton Anti-virus (with
the latest updates), and a handful of lesser-known proggies thrown in
for good measure.

Nothing untoward or undesirable shows up.

But I just tried MajorGeeks a few moments ago and I still get the
"Avenue A" warning. I cannot explain it. I just report the news! :)

Old Coot
Click to expand...


Would be good if you report also once you found out what is goin'
on... meanwhile i'll take your advice in mind and will be prudent...
thanx
--
Freeware revieuws, honest, no nags
www.NONDISPUTANDUM.com
protect, clean, office, webbuilding
newsfeeds, entertainment, searching
.... & the internet addiction test!
 
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