Getting rid of unwanted pop ups - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

kerry · #1 10-09-2009, 10:24 PM

I'm getting persistent unwanted antivirus pop ups on my screen. Anyone know how to get rid of them? I have Avira Antivirus and I ran a scan but it didn't stop the pop ups.

tankdriver · #2 10-09-2009, 10:53 PM

DL CCleaner and run it. Then Malwarebytes anti-malware. You probably have a virus, but those just might catch it. There are a lot of these anti-virus and anti-spyware scams around. If you can re-boot in safe mode, google the name of the one you're getting. (Don't click the popups anywhere, even the little red X to close. Close it with ctrl/alt/delete)

Do you use Explorer or Firefox?

Brian Carlton · #3 10-09-2009, 11:26 PM

Firefox stops all Pop-ups..........it's excellent.

kerry · #4 10-10-2009, 10:13 AM

I was in Firefox when it happened. The pop up is opening various sites in Explorer and I'm getting a Windows security alert and then a pop up for an anti virus program. I'm on my wife's computer now. Think my laptop is screwed.

aklim · #5 10-10-2009, 10:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kerry

I was in Firefox when it happened. The pop up is opening various sites in Explorer and I'm getting a Windows security alert and then a pop up for an anti virus program. I'm on my wife's computer now. Think my laptop is screwed.

What is the default browser on that system?

kerry · #6 10-10-2009, 10:26 AM

I'm pretty sure I have Firefox set as the default browser. Maybe not.

aklim · #7 10-10-2009, 10:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kerry

I'm pretty sure I have Firefox set as the default browser. Maybe not.

If you did, why should any pop ups be in IE?

powerpig · #8 10-10-2009, 11:01 AM

The malware will activate windows explorer. The perfect advice was given earlier. Download and install the Malwarebytes free edition and run it. It will remove the popups and the causes. You may have to reboot in safe mode (F8) to run it.

tankdriver · #9 10-10-2009, 11:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kerry

I was in Firefox when it happened. The pop up is opening various sites in Explorer and I'm getting a Windows security alert and then a pop up for an anti virus program. I'm on my wife's computer now. Think my laptop is screwed.

Yeah, it sounds like you have a virus. There's usually a procedure of programs you have to run to get it off, or you can do a system restore, or reformat. If you google on your computer fake anti-virus, or fake anti-spyware, you'll get some websites that may have the procedure for removing the one you have. It happened to me once, and I got the procedure to remove it from a site called pc hell. I searched the name of the fake anti-spyware.

It's probably happening in Explorer because the virus can open IE easily. How it got on is a mystery if you never use IE.

Crazy_Nate · #10 10-10-2009, 11:11 AM

FYI...

Avira FREE has antivirus "popups" aka advertising. I'm sure it goes away if you buy the full version. Not a virus, even though it may seem like one!

I haven't been able to figure out how to get it to stop doing so (it must be time based). I'll probably go back to AVG or Avast one of these days.

Now, if it's not one of these (i.e. a firefox or IE popup), well...I agree with the above

link · #11 10-10-2009, 11:17 AM

Your computer has some problems that are hidden, by design. It amounts to the pop-ups behaving a lot like repressed anxieties.

There is no easy way to solve the problem. Try all of the following programs:

Spyware doctor (you have to pay for this one, the others are free)
Spybot search and destroy
Malwarebytes
Ad Aware

Also run MacAfee, Symantec or another of the traditional anti-virus programs.

For the programs above it works best when you install and update them first, but don't run them until after all are installed and updated.

After all are installed and updated do a reboot. After the reboot click on start, then run then type msconfig. From msconfig, select diagnostic startup and follow the directions.

Following the reboot after msconfig, run each of the locally installed programs. You can run them all at the same time if you want.

After they’ve all completed restart again. If any of the programs advise you a reboot is needed leave the program running and let the program do the reboot. but again, wait until all have completed before doing the reboot.

After all have completed, inclulding any reboots and/or re-runs of the software, do another reboot but start in safe mode with network support.

Once at the desktop, go to the housecall.trendmicro.com site and f-secure.com site install, update, and run both of these. You can run both web based scans concurrently if you want.

The culprit is probably a browser add-in, but it could also be java script or active-x, or really anything that hooks your browser.

When all has finished, do another reboot. Msconfig will come up each time after a reboot. At this last pass tell msconfig to do a normal startup.

It will take most of a day to get through but after the computer will probably be squeaky clean. If there are remaining problems you will be able to identify them pretty easily. If problems still remain there are scores of programs designed to target specific known maladies.

FWIW the so-called Anti-Virus 2009 rogue spyware is a program that pretends to be a tool to identify and remove spyware, but, in fact it is a form of extortion-ware. It pretends to fix a problem for you if you pay. Otherwise it is a problem. This has been highly prevalent in recent months.

All repressed issues should be so easy to solve!

kerry · #12 10-10-2009, 11:25 AM

How do I get it to run in Safe mode? I tried f8 and nothing happened.

link · #13 10-10-2009, 11:28 AM

watch the keyboard lights. Right after a boot, the keyboard lights will flash, usually 1x. After that tap the F8 key about 2x per second. That should bring up a boot option menu.

Crazy_Nate · #14 10-10-2009, 11:29 AM

You have to hold F8 while booting (Between the POST and the windows logo usually does it). If you can't get it working that way...then try this:

Start your computer, go into windows, and force power down the computer (hold down the power button if you don't have a switch on the power supply (toggle on the back)).

When you reboot, windows will know that it wasn't "shut down properly" and ask you if you want to boot into safe mode.

kerry · #15 10-10-2009, 11:57 AM

It wouldn't boot in safe mode. It kept aborting. However, the Malware program is now scanning in normal mode so perhaps that will work. If it doesn't I'll try Link's procedure.