Nasty PopUp only on PALM GEAR

[Anjum T]

It is Enigma Software Group,

http://www2a.enigmasoftwaregroup.com...wnload383.html

I have contacted them (foolish to give them an EMAIL as well, but what the hell, I can always block them or get another one and save the first for JUNK like this!)

I mentioned that I have complained on several forums regarding their practices and will be contacting both Freeware Palm and PalmGear about the problem as well. It is a "come-on" to get you to download their "free" spyware analyzer, which of course will tell you what you've got and then they'll charge you to get "rid of it." Well, with 2 others running and saying I'm clear, I don't need their aggravation.

Many thanks to all of you; if you've got time to kill it might be nice to drop them a line and complain in harmony - they might stop it (HA HA HA HA HA??!!)

[sarah!!!]

That's good news Paul.

That is a nasty window that came up.
So have you got them blocked out now?

I was going to suggest that you track the popup to a website
via viewing properties or your Temp Internet Files, but you got them.

I tracked mine to abetterinternet.com that provided a link to remove their software. The link was another company that wants to sell you a software solution.

It's a dangerous "Internet" that we live in lately with all the adware, spyware, spam and viruses.

I caught a boot virus for Christmas that ruined my life for 2 weeks and I lost everything not backed up and had to rebuild from the OEM disks. So much for Norton Utiilies.

Now I have an external usb 2 drive and do a complete image backup weekly. It is left powered down inbetween.
I can completely restore my PC in 16 minutes if needed, or if the
harddrive had to be replaced.


Herb

[spider486]

I backup desktop files, palm archive & backup, documents and internet favorites to a Nero Burned CD whenever I add more than 4-5 files; it is incremental and reliable. HOWEVER, I would have to load Windows, all the programs one by one and their updates in the case of a crash (I've done that once due to "CookieMuncher," a cheap app, about a year ago -- emailed the guy and his response was "further contact will result in email bombs . . . . (and other harmful threats) . . ."

I would like to know how to "image" the entire thing -- the hwole drive as I have it set up now -- and of course that would require an additional hard drive which I don't have. Guess that's a priority for after the weekend . . . what software does that (I believe windows has a backup facility -- is that what you use?

[Emina H]

I use both Drive Image and Norton Ghost for imaging. I haven't got the latest versions, but I've had most success with Ghost, even if it doesn't have a user-friendly front-end. The Ghost I have has the advantage that it will burn an image directly to a CD writer. I think all this is well worth doing. When you've got your computer 'just how you want it', you can image it and know you should be able to get back to that point without spending a day installing software. We all know software installation is like a game of snakes and ladders without the ladders.

This has become an interesting thread. I'm using SpyBot because there was a time when Ad-aware went a long time without updates. Should I give Ad-aware another try? I think one of the most effective things I've done is to install an anti-advertising hosts file, which sends calls to advertising servers to the loopback address, 127.0.0.1, ie oblivion. If anyone tries this they should be aware that these huge hosts files can slow Win2K (and maybe WinXP, not sure) to a crawl, and the fix is to stop/disable the DNS Client service in Windows.

I'll now set about checking out the other anti-spy software that's been mentioned in this thread.

[tweekduece]

After trying (first) Meaya's freeware AdRemover (limited), SpySweep free version with 20,000 signatures (much better), Spybot (I believe the best) and AdAware, I would say that AdAware LOOKS impressive but Spybot is still the best.

ALL OF THESE say I'm clear of spyware, but I got a response back from PalmGear this morning ("Kenny," very nice chap) telling me it is NOT THEIR site, but rather spyware as others above suggested.

Nice of him to write back, though. If 4 different programs can find spyware ANY TIME, but not in this case, I'm flummoxed as to where or what it is -- but I'll find out if I have to search file by file by date if necessary.

I would not charge out and buy AdAware; Spybot is free and I think VERY comprehensive, written by someone who genuinely CARES (not that AdAware don't) about spyware removal. It also performs other functions and is quite powerful.

[beth.12323]

You're running the latest and greatest updates for Spybot and AdAware, right? If there's spyware there, the latest updates to one of those great programs should be able to find it. Also try the browser checker at Doxdesk

[alec_higdon2001]

Now we;re gettin' somewhere. Doxdesk was full of good info; and led me to Spyware BLASTER, freeware, which innoculates AGAINST even taking on the file. Spybot does the same immunization, so combined I should have something.

Still getting the popup despite AdAware, Spybot, Meaya, EZClean, SpySweep ALL saying I;m clear, plus a trial of SpyHunter which also came up with nothing. Freeware Palm Webmaster's MAILBOX IS FULL, so that complaint with accompanying jpegs was returned "refused."

I'm gonna find this little SOB . . . .

[Matdoz]

I second on that one
Btw, Paul, are there any set patterns on the popups. On my older computer, whenever Internet Explorer was opened or closed, at least 5 popups popped opened. If so, then you definetely have spyware.

Abid

[DJ @sagatattoo]

Check upstairs (2 posts) to Ryber's comments re: doxdesk. Notice I went there and got SPYWARE BLASTER, which innoculates against any website even TRYING to plant spyware.

Even though 4 programs sweeping found nothing, there was the popup time and again. Well, I'm here to tell you all to get SPYWARE BLASTER 3.1, freeware, and CHECK ALL and innoculate. There are no more popups on FreewarePalm. I also combed my folders for "weird stuff", and found "HiDownload" folder -- that's outta here. I've tried 6 times and will continue off and on to try it, but since loading SpywareBlaster the popups aren't getting through. Remember I have a popup filter - non obtrusive, but powerful -- made my Meaya. Recommend it. But as soon as FreewarePalm popped up (no pun), I heard Meaya "beep" and then there was an "echo flash." After closing, there was the window.

Well not any more - it must be one of the ones on Spyware Blaster's lists (there are three rows of stuff to choose from, and I picked ALL of them. Like Gary Oldman in "The Professional," when he shouts "E V E R Y O N E ! ! !" I checked 'em all - and it worked.

Thanks Ryber -- big-time!

I recommend you hit Ryber's link because it's FILLED with information; you can get to SpywareBlaster from there, but here is their DIRECT LINK if you're interested:

http://www.javacoolsoftware.com/spywareblaster.html

Many thanks for all you kind words and contributions. Now I'm happy. Now I'm just gonna sit here bein' happy.

[Dont Treed On Me Hussein]

Paul,

I was figuring that what you have is so new that ad-aware and spybot
have not updated the definitions to catch it yet.

Good that you found one that worked.

Here is how I found my WIN32BI from abetterinternet.
I went back to the day I first got the the popups that I couldn't block.

I did and explorer search by date and reviewed every file that
was created on my PC that day. I saw a a cookie from
americangreetingcard or americangreeting.com from my wife.
The next file was a zip and then a series of files from an
obvious install of something. Getting all of this off the
hard drive was easy enough, but the registry entries where more difficult.

In my case ad-aware and spygot found the registry entries and also
found some more files that went into a hard drive restore
folder that I would have never thought to check.

I bet if I had done a restore from checkpoint, I would have gotten
this bugger back.

I image my system weekly with Norton Ghost 2003.
It works best from the DOS level with a Floppy that Ghost creates
for image and restoring.

I found a deal I could not refuse at Staples for a Western Digital
external 120GB USB2.0 drive. $99 after rebate, which I got.
Best $$ I have spent for peace of mind. I don't want another
Christmas like my last. It ruined me for weeks.

The ghost images are compressed
and take about 9GB each. So it will be a long time before I have
to delete any past images. Like I said, at this point I create or restore
the entire PC in 16 minutes.

I'm with you. It is no fun installing and updating each and every
program and drivers on your PC. Plus trying to figure where each
one came from can be difficult. Hopefully with this setup, I'll
never have to do that again.

In the case of the spyware, It was comforting to know that if I failed
to get the crap off my PC, all I would have had to do was go back
to my Sunday night image and restore my whole PC.

Herb