Stop the popups!

from WinCustomize Forums
What is with this "free scratch card" crap that this site uses as some sort of pop up ad/data miner? Why does it install it self onto my computer when I dont have my blockers running? I just ran ad aware 6 after this poped up while here on wincustomize and it installs a file in the registry from a vendor called FreeScratchCards labeled as "malware(?)". And 2 data miners ( 2 exe files ) installed in Temp internet files, and my downloaded program files. also a cookie which isnt that nig a deal. now before I get flamed, this is the only site I had been to tonight, 1st one, and I have seen this before but wasn't 100% sure it was from here. Now I am. I understand that this site needs to support itself to offer all the great things it does. I have been a big fan of this site for about a year now, and I DO appreciate all the hard work that goes into it as well as the works that are uploaded.

I don't have a problem with advertising on the site, I don't have a problem with a few pop-ups. What I do have a problem with is something being installed into my registry and taking up space and resources.

-end rant.

erik
4,334 views 20 replies
Reply #1 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Well... I have this silly thing called a mortgage... It installs it's self once a month in my pocket.

Reply #2 from WinCustomize Forums Top
I have Adaware and Spyware and I have not seen this.I run them fairly often.

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Reply #3 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Hoooly, Molly!!! I just ran AdWare 6 and found (52 files) named malware for tracking on Adult Porn sites and I don't even go on those sites!!! >
Another 10 files named data miners for Advertise trackers
They were stated as medium (To hijack browser information)
That is a little scary! I had not performed a scan in a couple of weeks.

I do know that *Search a Lot* got installed as my homepage and I can't get rid of it. I can see in Adware that this is the problem!!!
Reply #4 from WinCustomize Forums Top
To me there is no excuse to use pop-up windows, and self installing spyware and adware. I have a right to have control over my own machine and a site's coporate needs should not override my right. I use programs like Sygate Personal Firewall and Adaware to minimize corporate spying on me. I love Windows XP, but I hate the features that dial home to Microsoft. I have disabled these features using a program called XP-AntiSpy. The funny thing is non-internet programs like Notepad attempt to dial home to Microsoft, but thankfully I have my firewall to put a stop to that. I'm sick of corporations thinking they can upload MY private personal data from MY private personal machine.

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Reply #5 from WinCustomize Forums Top
apparently... somehow someone can install something just be going to thier site seems out of the scope of Eplorer.

h'uh

what I mean is, is it true, should I get spyware? or is spyware putting this stuff on my machine?
Reply #6 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Defiantly do a scan J the B,it may durn well surprise you.I again want to stress though,,I scan frequently and have not seem these items in post #1.

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Reply #7 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Spyware is the software that is installed to track data about you. Usually the companies that own the spyware programs try to sneak them past you. What you want to get to remove spyware is anti-spyware. Adaware is an excellent program for doing that.

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Reply #8 from WinCustomize Forums Top
spybot is good also

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Reply #9 from WinCustomize Forums Top
How do you get rid of those pop ups that pose as windows messenger chats? I dislike any pop ups but those are the worst.
Reply #10 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Do you mean that pop ups that look like messenger svs (not the same as MS Messenger) alerts? For those run a firewall and/or disable the messenger service (again, not the MS IM program). If you mean something else that is actually associated with or comes through an IM program, then I don't know.

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Reply #11 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Every time I disable it, It just comes back when I start IE. Someone told me to turn off something in the control panel under sevices or something like that. Can't remember. It was in another thread.
Reply #12 from WinCustomize Forums Top
As I said, turn off the messenger service. That has nothing to do with MS Messenger the IM program. (BTW, you can set MS Messenger---the IM program---not to run on startup. Look in the program itself to turn it off.)

Anyway, either run a firewall to block your ports which is how the pop up alerts are coming through or diable the MS messenger service (again, that is not the IM program).

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Reply #13 from WinCustomize Forums Top
I know it is not the IM service. I do not use the IM service, I dislike chatting or chat rooms. Message boards are better. I am running bullguard firewall and Norton firewall. The messages coming through are coming from messenger because it says "messenger service notice" at the top. I can't turn off the messenger sertvice witout turning of internet explorer and outlook. I have tried MSCONFIG to turn off messenger completly but XP just starts it up anyway.
Reply #15 from WinCustomize Forums Top
If you ctl-alt-del and select Services, you will see a program running called messenger. It's nothing to do with msmsgs (Windows Messenger). The 'messenger service is used for notifications, and these pop-ups exploit that. The messenger service can be disabled in 'Computer Management/Services and Applications/Services', right click 'messenger' / properties/ General and set 'Start up Type' to disabled. Click 'OK' and re-boot. The pop-up should now be gone.

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Reply #16 from WinCustomize Forums Top
That killed it, thanks. Hey Sig101 you wrote: The messenger service has nothing to do with IE or Outlook Express.
Yes it does. go to your taskbar and right click thewindows messenger icon next to the clock and try to exit out of it. It will tell you that it can not exit because sevseral programs including IE, outlook, outlook express are dependant on messenger.
Reply #17 from WinCustomize Forums Top
you have to exit all the other apps before you can kill messenger, but XP starts it next time you start the computer unless you do what Fuzzy says. Those pop ups go right though messenger.
Reply #18 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Kona, I don't have the Messenger icon running (that is the IM program, whether you use it or not) because I turned it off from within the program itself and I also set OE not to trigger MS Messenger. Thus, no icon in the systray. And as I said that program has nothing to do with the messenger service that is related to the pop ups. That's why I said the mesenger service (which is not MS messenger with the icon in the systray) has nothing to do with IE/OE. (Also, btw, using msconfig is not the proper way to turn off services in W2K/XP.) What Fuzzy told you is what I've been trying to tell you. They are two diffent programs and only the messenger service (not MS Messenger) is related to the pop up spam.

Here's a web page from the guy who first clued into the pop up spam phenomena explaining how it works and how to prevent it (further down the page):
http://mynetwatchman.com/kb/security/articles/popupspam/index.htm

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Reply #19 from WinCustomize Forums Top
OK got it.
I was a little confused. The icon in my system tray is windows messenger and did what fuzzy said and it went away.

thanks guys.
Reply #20 from WinCustomize Forums Top
it dosen't matter anyway, this is a friends computer. I use a mac.