Thanks Jenny100 -- I'm checking out the patch (and Demosthenes's experience with it) now.

Becky,

Go to Trend PC-Cillin's site and download housecall & scan your computer. You can also download the free 30 day version.

This anti-virus program is far superior to Norton in my opinion. I've used it for years, after trying Norton, Mcaffee and others. It's the best.

It automatically updates at least once a week & I have never had a virus attack that it did not catch & clean or quarantine, if it didn't clean it.

You should also have a spyware program. I use Pest Patrol & I Hate Spam. They're great programs & well worth the money. Also have automatic updates. I'd be willing to bet that you have a bunch of spyware/adware files on your computer.

Melanie

Actually, Becky, you can download free trials of the Pest Patrol also.

Melanie

Hey Melanie -- thanks!

In addition to Norton, I bought Spy Sweep while at CompUSA. It's running right now, and yes it is finding lots of ad ware.

This new version of Norton found two adware programs that have files that must be manually deleted in the registry. I'll do that later today.

Just curious -- what didn't you like about Norton and McAfee?

I installed the Microsoft Critical Update patch with no problems.

So I now have a new antivirus program, a new firewall and new spyware on the computer. Shields are up. Hope they work.

Hi Becky,

There are several things I didn't like about the big 2 anti-virus programs.

They're not as user friendly. They charge for updates by making you take a subscription & they have let viruses slip by that they could not remove. Your registry that has to be manually changed is just one example of that.

Both PC-Cillin & Pest Patrol remove all traces or quarantine them in almost every case. There is no subscription or charge for updates, including new versions. They give you a year for free & will extend that with a grace period. They also constantly update their products (much more often then the other 2).

I'm glad you got rid of that bug & the adware and hope all goes smoothly now.

Melanie

One other important thing I didn't mention, Becky, is that Trend's customer support is very good! You would never get a reply like you did with Norton.

Melanie

Hmmm. Almost you persuade me to try yet another antivirus program, even after just laying out bucks for Norton.

Manually removing items from the registry is a BIG PAIN, especially since at the moment the computer won't let me back up the registry -- just freezes whenever I try to do it.

I have a message in to Microsoft. I seem to be out of the frying pan and onto the hot stove.

Just a thought, Becky. Have you tried restoring to an earlier point before downloading the anti-virus that caused the problem?

You would have to reinstall any & all new programs you just installed, like Norton & your adware program, but it might bring you to a point before you caught the virus & allow you to back up the registry. I've done that in the past when a program caused havoc on my computer.

Btw, PC-Cillin is also cheaper.

Melanie

Becky, I don't want to make you feel worse - - but I have to warn you about the Webroot SpySweeper program. I have it also, and have NOT been happy with it at all! It misses a LOT of adware/spyware. I've sent the company messages TWICE now about pests I found on my own, that their program didn't catch. I'm paying THEM for this??? I don't plan to renew, when my subscription ends.

BTW -- make sure you click on the button for "Update Program" -- because you get one free program update when you buy it. Then you have to keep checking the "Update Definitions" button when you're online, because the automatic update checker has never worked for me. Their updates are infrequent, and take FOREVER to complete! (on dial-up, anyway)

I found the website for PEST PATROL, and they impressed me with their online (fast!) adware/spyware scanner. THEY found the adware and stubborn registry entries that SpySweeper kept missing, and couldn't seem to get rid of. I haven't downloaded their trial version yet, but I plan to do that. Mjartisian -- can you buy Pest Patrol in local stores, or must you order it from them online?

I still like Norton Anti-virus, though; as well as their SystemWorks utilities. I disliked McAfee AV, and only tried it because I was offered a free trial period.

Katsmom, you have to buy it online. I bought a combo special they had: I Hate Spam & Pest Patrol both for $50 & they automatically update or I can manually update at any time. I'm very pleased with them! Pest Patrol automatically scans every time I boot & cookie patrol grabs all cookies from my email. It also warns me when my computer tries to dial out.

They painlessly remove all spyware/adware/cookies & most spam. Occasionally a spam will sneak through but you can enable learning in the programs & when you mark something as spam, it won't get through again.

I recommend them both highly.

Melanie

Edited:
Pest Patrol is now $20!

Melanie -- I haven't thought about restoring yet, though that may be the next logical step.

I've been through two levels of Microsoft tech support in the last two days, and whatever it is that is happening to my computer is flummoxing them. I wish they could solve the problem, though for some odd reason I feel kind of special for being so very difficult. Strange, isn't it?

My computer now won't go into Safe Mode. All I get is lines and lines of what looks like driver files. Yes, I'm something special at the moment.

Oddly, other than being a bit slower than usual, my computer is functioning just fine. I just REALLY want to get rid of those pesky adware programs nestled in the registry.

BTW, the Microsoft tech admits that the Adware "pirates" (my term) have gotten way out ahead of the Spy Sweepers or SpyBots of this world in terms of sophistication and deviousness. Of course, he didn't admit that the pirates are way out ahead of Microsoft techs in deviousness.

Yeah, Katsmom the microsoft tech ignored my brand new SpySweeper and had me install another spyware program from CNET. I guess he wasn't terribly impressed with SpySweeper either (though he wouldn't say anything negative about it).

It's good to use several spy catcher programs, and one will catch what the other doesn't.

One thing about Pest Patrol, which I have and love, is that the free version will find the spyware but you have to manually delete it. If you have a paid subscription (like I do) Pest Patrol will take care of deleting them for you. You should know, though, that after a year you do have to pay $19 for Pest Patrol's renewal.

I also use Ad-Aware (throught lavasoftusa.com) which is really good. Do not do a search on the name Ad-Aware because there is another company out there with a different product that has a url adaware.com, but is not the same thing. lavasoftusa is the correct vendor for Ad-aware. This is also a paid subscription.

Than, I have x-cleaner (www.xbblock.com) which is quite good (paid subscription).

I use Webroot Spysweeper, no problem so far. Also use Spybot, which is free.

I'm using Zonealarm as a firewall, and have Norton Utilities, which includes Norton Antivirus.

Each of these products seem to catch what the other's don't, so it's good to have a few. I run all of my stuff daily, so my computer is pretty clean. It's amazing how much spyware and adware is out there. You can't be too careful.

Jean

Well, my beloved computer has just cut itself off from the net (I'm typing this on my older computer). Interestingly, it will run checkdisk/scandisk now that the internet is no longer hooked up. As soon as the scandisk is finished, I'm trying to reboot in Safe Mode and see if that will work now.

Odd and odderer.

Jean -- after being forced to run several adware-cleaning programs, plus a virus checker every day or so, then backing up the registry and going in to clean it up whenever adware loads something there -- is it even worth it to surf the web?

I've told my family to only go to their favorite, legitimate sites and not to download anything at all, not from anywhere. School isn't in session now, but how will these new adware and virus dangers effect the ability to do research online? I'm not going to want them following just any old link Google tosses up.

We've all become dependent on the web, but if it

Hi Becky:

I'm the only one who uses my computer, so it's probably a lot easier for me than for others who have families to share.

One thing I do is schedule my virus check to automatically run at 10:30 pm when I'm usually in bed, and Spysweeper to automatically run at 2:00 am. That way at least those two get done. PestPatrol, XBlock and AdAware get run when I'm doing dishes or something else that I'm away from the computer. Of course, with kids you have a harder time.

So far I've been lucky and only had to manually go into my registry a couple of times. PestPatrol and XBlock are pretty good about automatically cleaning stuff. Now that I've said that, I've probably jinxed things and my computer will crash. We all know computers have minds of their own. They're kind of like cars -- never let a car know you have extra money or it will break down!

I sure hope you get your problem figured out soon. There's nothing worse than not being able to get online, or play a game.

Jean