Technical problem

[gerbie]

A computer getting slower is a signal that there is spyware working. How can I be sure? At the moment 45 processes are running, including the dodgy 'webrebates1.exe' This can't be right, can it? Please somebody help me, someone who knows what they're talking about preferably...

Comments

[ex-spiralsta884.livejournal.com]

Doesn't sound too good Gerbie. On average I'm running about 16 processes (although of course our setups differ, no doubt).

Do you use any anti-spyware programs? I use two free anti-spyware programs regularly that, together, seem to keep me clear of junk.

1. Ad-aware (http://www.download.com/Ad-Aware-SE-Personal-Edition/3000-8022_4-10319876.html?tag=pop)
2. Spybot (http://www.download.com/Spybot-Search-Destroy/3000-8022_4-10289035.html?tag=prod)

I find that they compliment each other. For example, occasionally one will find a problem that the other one has missed.

But for your ongoing security, probably the best thing you can do (if you haven't already) is to download and start to use a browser with the decency to ASK you if you want to download a particular program (such as "webrebates1.exe"), rather than letting it discreetly install itself on your computer without your knowledge. For a hundred other reasons that I won't go into, you should download and use the latest Firefox browser:

Mozilla Firefox 1.0 (http://www.mozilla.org/products/firefox/)

That way, you deal with the problem of spyware before it reaches your hard drive.

[gerbie.livejournal.com]

I do use Ad-aware and run it regularly (though not daily), but it does not eliminate any of the processes. Can I just delete dodgy looking files from the task manager?

I though 46 was extreme as well, since I 'only' use 6 programmes at the moment. I'll have a look at Spybot and Mozilla. Thanx for your help!

[ex-spiralsta884.livejournal.com]

I wouldn't recommend deleting those files just yet.

The best thing that you could do to deal with any malign requires some investment of time, but here goes: get the "Hijack This" program (a very small download), run it, and post the results on a knowledgeable forum. The moderator(s) will advise you about what to delete.

Running Hijack This will give you a list of all the processes that are active when your computer starts up. You can save this 'log file' in the form of a text file. Copy the list and post it in a forum, such as the one at SpywareInfo (http://forums.spywareinfo.com/index.php?b=1) (moderated amongst others, by the chap who wrote the Hijack This program, I think), and no doubt someone will come to your rescue (they do it every day).

Hijack This (scroll down the page) (http://www.spywareinfo.com/~merijn/downloads.html)

As far as the long term goes though, you really should be sure to check out Firefox (http://www.mozilla.org/products/firefox/). There's a bit of an Internet revolution going on around it. As far as browsers go, it's a constant delight. You don't have to be a techie to get the most out of it - in fact it's far easier to adjust to your needs than Internet Explorer.

Hope you sort your computer out before it becomes completely zombified.