Computer help!...smart people come hither.

[BrianWilly]

Okay here's the issue.

My Internet Explorer, and only my Internet Explorer(all other programs such as netscape and WinMX run just fine), has been lagging. The internet connection itself is fine, and like I said Netscape runs as well as can be expected, but everything else on IE is lagging...as I type this right now, the little vertical text slash is moving right along but the text itself isn't appearing until I actually stop typing. Right-clicking takes up to two seconds to actually get the little box to appear, and scrolling is an absolute nightmare of AshtonKutcheresque proportions:angel:.

Also, although I've repeatedly set my homepage to http://www.yahoo.com/ , everytime I reset my computer the homepage goes to a weird little search page of some sort.

My brother thought there might be some sort of virus, but I did system check and the Norton Antivirus thingy and they both said my comp was fine. Now okay, my Norton Antivirus is something like two years old and I haven't updated the subscription yet due to the cost(what the heck? Pay us so we can protect you?), and I'll probably update it sometimes this week.

Is there any other advice anyone can give me about this in the meantime?

[GoalGrl21]

I would assume the virus. I know earlier this school year my campus got attacked by one and that's exactly what happened. Have you updated your Internet Explorer? And maybe trying going to the Windows Website and download the patches, sometimes that can help fix the problem the virus has created even though you have it still in the computer's system.

Good luck. Sorry I couldn't help any more.

[Just4ashley21]

I didn't wanna be a peeper.... but i am no help at all! sorry!

I know that my school had a really big virus problem at the beginning of the year and a lot of people had problems with the internet....

My computer seemed fine and my updated norton didn't detect any viruses... but when the school checked my computer there were 2 on here... so you never know!

I would guess maybe a virus... ??

[Katlin]

Originally posted by BrianWilly
Also, although I've repeatedly set my homepage to http://www.yahoo.com/ , everytime I reset my computer the homepage goes to a weird little search page of some sort.

The EXACT same thing has been happening to me the last couple days!

[KareNsync2000]

You probably had some program install itself. I just got Virtual Bouncer and Ad Destroyer loaded on mine.

You can do Ctrl Alt Del to bring up a list of programs running. See if there is anything there that might be something like that.

You can also look in Program Files and see if there is anything there that you don't recognize.

Uninstall or delete these. Hope this helps.

[anonymous_peeper]

My advice would be to definitely renew your subscription with Norton and scan your computer for viruses, run Windows Update to download important program fixes, and maybe even run disk cleanup and disk defragmenter. :)

[Katlin]

Brian, if your problem is the same as mine (which it sounds like it is), I figured out how to fix it without running anything or paying anything.

Do you know what "weird little search page" is called?

[Terrence Jamal]

When you use IE, is it through AOL? If so then I think I can help you... If not, I hope I can try. I had the same problem on my computer for the last couple of weeks as well.. Msn.com is my homepage, but ever so often it would change to some off the wall search page that would take up the whole screen when opened. Something with a LONG web address... I also had a problem with mutiple IE pop ups. First I went to download.com and downloaded a program called Ad Aware. This program is GREAT! It's free. It scans your computer and picks up all of the little bits of spy ware on your harddrive, and then deletes them if you want. This worked for me. However know that if you use Kazaa the site will delete a function that Kazaa uses and it will not work unless you reinstall it. (you will not loose any information in the reinstall)

After that I ran my AOL system check up, and it pointed out like 5 or 6 things that was wrong with it. One of the things was the computer and/or certain parts were acting slowly. I did the autocorrect and it fixed it fine. It cleaned out my internet history, deleted the useless cookies and what not, and reset the size of my personal storage bin. It decreased the size so less junk is stored on my hard drive. If you have that function then do it... If not then try to do that stuff manually. But I can tell you that it was not a virus. It was b/c I had too much spy ware, and b/c my storage space was too high...

[SummerB]

It's a hijack. You can read about them here:

http://www.pcsympathy.com/article123.html

[Terrence Jamal]

Wow... So I wonder how it gets in your system? I assumed it was from some spyware left by Kazaa or something else. A friend suggested I use Ad Aware to clean it up and it worked. Since then I have had no problems. I have since reinstalled Kazaa and have not had a repeat of the problem yet...

[BrianWilly]

Thanks everyone for the advice!

TJ was right...I dled that Ad Aware thing and I had something like 518 unknown files on my computer in the most ambiguous of places:susp2:. Everyone should probably check their own comps out for stuff like this.

Everything is settled now, hopefully.

[Terrence Jamal]

ME TO!! I had like 500 and some change bits of spyware... I was like what? lol... I'm thinking I'll have like 50 bits etc... maybe 100 tops. But when the counter hit 300 and it was STILL scanning I was like uhm... you can stop now...

[Just4ashley21]

Originally posted by Terrence Jamal
I was like uhm... you can stop now...

ROTFLMFAO!.... sounds like something i would say!:p

you are cracking me up tonight/mornin.... :laugh: :roll:

I SHOULD SO BE ASLEEP... WHY WHY WHY DID I DECIDE TO PULL AN ALL NIGHTER???! o yeah... maybe cuz i have 2 exams tomorrow that i haven't studied for!:o

[azalea911]

I have been using Ad-Aware for quite some time, and it is one of the best free tools there is! I run it at least every other day, and it usually finds something. The spyware and malware can get on your computer just by visiting perfectly innocent websites. Some common ones mine finds are Doubleclick, Gator, SearchSeeFind. There are more. I just can't think of them right now.

Just a tip: If you clear out your cookies and temporary internet files first, Ad-Aware will not find as many files when it scans.

I have also heard of a similar program called Spybot. Some people run both of them. What Ad-Aware doesn't find, Spybot does, and vice versa.

Zone Alarm is another good free program to protect your computer with. I did not realize so many programs on my computer contacted websites when I turned my Internet on. I think you are more vulnerable to getting garbage on your compu if you have a cable modem than you are with dial-up.

A good free anti-virus program is AVG made by Grisoft. They have a pay version also that is, I think, $33.00 for two years.

Then there is a free online virus scan you can do (no download) called Housecall.

There is lots of free stuff out there for those who need it! Hope this helps someone.

Ad-Aware:

http://www.lavasoftusa.com/

Spybot:

http://www.safer-networking.org/

Zone Alarm:

http://www.zonelabs.com/store/content/home.jsp

AVG:

ttp://www.grisoft.com/us/us_index.php

Housecall:

http://housecall.trendmicro.com/