Lois & Clark Forums Forums General Discussion Technical Help and How To's Spyware and Trojan Horses

For a while now, there are some spyware and/or trojan horses on this computer which I can't seem to remove the normal way. But it would help a lot if they actually can get deleted.

In the registry keys, there's this thing calle FunWeb. I'm assuming you can't just delete it, so how do I get rid of something like that?

Also, a Norton scan I did today found three threats it wouldn't delete, and I can't do it manually. They are m7.exe vxiewer.ocx and fastvideoplayer.dll

Does anyone have any ideas on how to get rid of them? Help would be greatly appreciated! Thanks.

Saskia

Saskia, unfortunately there are some Trojans and spyware programs which can only be deleted by editing the registry - which, I hasten to add, should NOT be done unless you're very comfortable about what you're doing. I won't edit my own registry - John always does it for me if something like that gets into it.

When Norton shows you a file it can't delete, you should be able to click on the filename and you will be taken to a page about that particular piece of spyware/virus on the Symantec website. That page will have detailed removal instructions. Print those out before you start to follow them - you'll have to reboot at least once and may have to start the PC in safe mode.

Good luck!


Wendy

Wendy gives good advice.

You can also try booting in safe mode and running AdAware (and/or SpyBot, etc.) from there. It can uproot some things that way that cannot be gotten at if running in normal mode.

It's one of the fun things I'll be doing this week while there's no school -- killing the stupid pop-ups that just WON'T DIE on two computers that have many users. Silly people who click yes, and download things from who-knows-where. >_<

A few tips:

Abandon Norton. It doesn't work as well as programs like AVG, and has actually caused quite a few people problems running it. After a while it froze up my computer, and only once I uninstalled it was I fine. AVG is good for antivirus, and you should ALSO have Spybot AND AdAware installed--each of them catch spyware that the other doesn't. Being free, you also save money.

And the other tip is to make sure you don't use IE more than you have to. Get Firefox from www.mozilla.org, and install that. It's cleaner, MUCH more customizable, far more secure, and doesn't allow the ActiveX controls that give you all those bugs when you didn't even click "yes". It also adds another layer of protection--if a site tries to install something on your computer, instead of popping up a dialog box that you could accidentally click "yes" to, you're notified that it tried to do so, and if you're quite sure you need that file installed, you can allow the site to install it. But otherwise, it won't. IE is necessary for a few sites, like Windows Update, but more and more sites are becoming Firefox-friendly, and it's a nicer browsing experience, imho, besides all the security pluses.

(If you couldn't tell, I love working with computers. Not a computer minor or major or anything, but I've been fiddling around with them for several years. They're lots of fun to figure out.)

I've always wanted to try Firefox, but I'm terrified installing it will mess up something somewhere. I don't have much luck with these things. How easy is it to get rid of and back to your old settings, if need be?

LabRat (all for reducing Bill Gates' monopoly... <g>)

Firefox runs seperately from IE (and everything else), Lab, so all your old settings will remain. You can use both both browsers at once, switch back and forth, whatever you like. For example, I like Firefox, but Dad likes IE. IE is, of coruse, intergrated with Windows. I couldn't uninstall it even if I wanted to (and it is still useful from time to time. For example, I've found it handles Java better than Firefox). So, we keep quicklaunch icons for both. Dad clicks IE and there it is. I click Firefox and I'm ready to go. Sometimes, we even leave both running at once.

It just depends on which program(s) you choose to open. Firefox can even import your IE favorites list to help with the switch.

The only setting to change is your default browser, and you can choose at any time whether or not you want it changed.

If you want, you can download it, give it a try (I suggest getting some extensions while you're at it, so you can really see what it can do. Adblock, for example, lets you selectively block images, iframes, and flash displays based on filters you create. It saves you from the vast majority of online ads.) and take your time deciding. If you like it, make it your default.

If you don't, then uninstall it and stick with IE. Even if you do make it your default, it's not hard to make IE your default again. In either program, all you have to do is go to Tools -> Options. In IE, there's a little checkbox on the Programs tab. In Firefox, it's a little checkbox on the General tab.

Paul

Firefox doesn't mess anything up. It will import your favorites (which it calls bookmarks) from Internet Explorer, and the only real setting you'd have to switch back is which browser is your default browser. Of course, if you add any bookmarks while you're using it, and want those added to IE if you switch back, there is an extension you can add that will let you export them, I believe. It really is quite easy. The big thing with Firefox is the expansionability (is that a word? lol) with extensions. One extension (perennially popular for good reason) blocks ads from appearing (works with most sites, though certain banners are elusive), another lets you zoom in and out on images, and more incorporate RSS feeds, Chatzilla (freeware IRC client, for those who don't know), save your session (in case it crashes--every page will be reloaded, complete with position of the scroll!), and much more! Another plus is that Firefox is open source, which means there is a HUGE community of users who work with it, spot and fix bugs, dream up ways to improve it, etc., something Microsoft will never have--with Firefox, people can really have a part in it, and many developers respond to that. Version 1.0.2 is the latest release, and it's quite stable. The ONLY time it ever crashes on me is if I try to switch tabs REALLY fast.

So the short answer is "no, it won't mess up anything, and yes, it's easy to reverse". If you want to reduce Bill Gates' monopoly, by all means, get Firefox! (And switch from Windows Media Player to dBpowerAMP, and from Outlook or Outlook Express to Mozilla Thunderbird, and from the Microsoft Office Suite to OpenOffice.org--which I'm just doing now, or will be when I have the time to learn the differences.)

Interesting. Paul - I've found exactly the opposite. IE seemed not to close down Java properly, whereas when I close a Firefox window which has been running Java it does end the process. So now I always use Firefox when I play Java games on Yahoo, for example.

I haven't yet made the switch to Firefox to the extent that it's my default browser, but I do like it.


Wendy (who also loves Norton Internet Security and thinks it's an excellent AV/firewall)

Thanks, guys. Think I'll give it a go. Sounds like fun.

LabRat