Urge to kill rising...

That's right, my computer is giving me problems again.

Simply put, Windows XP has multiple users. And on my mom's user, google (her home page) was replaced with some "Web Search" thingy. Plus we had a search bar and pop ups and other spyware crap.

But luckily, I had Ad-aware, Norton Proffessional and Spybot. I ran them both and they picked up a number of things. Then in Internet Options I changed the homepage back to google, and found a way to disable the toolbar. When all was said and done, the problem was fixed, and It Was Good.

But then...

That was yesterday. Today, the exact same crap happened. I did everything again, and once again my computer was sparkling clean. This time, I restarted the computer and even moved about a bit on the web (from google to a university homepage, just to check if mouvment was impeded) but there was no sign of the problem.

This leaves me with two possibilities and options. ONE, someone yesterday, after the problem was fixed, went back to the site / reopened the e-mail / whatever that got all this stuff on the computer in the first place. TWO is that the stuff reinstalls itself not straight after deletion and not after a reboot and not even after contact with the internet, but at some timed interval.

My two options appear to be ONE delete my mum's user (She doesn't keep anything on it, she just checks her e-mail) and remake it, without the adware. TWO find more and/or better adware fixers.

Any suggestions?

Replace IE with Firefox. Problem solved.

I would guess that it's the first option, someone re-did something. It could be the second option, but Ad-Aware usually gets them all. You could download Spybot Search and Destroy, and run that too, sometimes that will snag a few that Ad-Aware misses (and vice versa).

Replace IE with Firefox, and you won't have this problem. You can even download a Firefox skin that looks just like IE. Tell your mum it's a new version of IE, heh.

I have spybot.

Anyways, sure, it SOUNDS good on paper, but to download Firefox I need my dad's permission, and if I ask my dad about downloading a new browser he'll want to know why. And if I convince him its' safer he'll wonder why I'm worried about security, and inevitibly say its' my fault the problems occur.

If I can fix the problems and THEN ask him, he'll be far more receptive.

I kind of have the same problem. This stupid websearch pops up every so often, although it doesn't replace my home page.

I have on my computer Stopzilla and this thing works like a charm. It prevents spyware, pop-ups, and adware from infecting your computer. You can give that a try after getting rid of the spyware with your ad-aware.

www.stopzilla.com

Dolash02

Anyways, sure, it SOUNDS good on paper, but to download Firefox I need my dad's permission, and if I ask my dad about downloading a new browser he'll want to know why. And if I convince him its' safer he'll wonder why I'm worried about security, and inevitibly say its' my fault the problems occur.

If I can fix the problems and THEN ask him, he'll be far more receptive.

Then do nothing next time. Let your mom fuck shit up and let your dad do the work. That will get him off his ass.

I have a Google toolbar. I never get popups.

I run my computer with the amish theory, simplicity is bliss.

Seriouslly, my computer has four programs on it. AIM, Conquer, IE, and WarcraftIII. Oh, and of course windows. No microsoft office, no windows updates, nothing. And it as run fast and smoothly, and has never gotten infected, for a very long time.

Not going to spy-ware sites helps.

Milkshake uses the K.I.S.S. principle.

My desktop is cluttered with icons. Here are all my games:

Cossacks
American Conquest
Enigma: Rising Tide
Battlefield 1942
Battlefield 1942 Road to Rome
Battlefield 1942 Secret Weapons
Battlefield Vietnam
Axis and Allies
Axis and Allies Iron Blitz
War of the Ring
Loco-Commotion
Star Wars Rebellion
Rise of Nations
Train Simulator
Railroad Tycoon 3
Sim Theme Park
Medieval: Total War
Mechwarrior 3

No Strip Poker?