Problem with spyware protection.

This may not be appropriate for the Dell Forum as it seems to transend the logo. Since I have a Dell, I figured I should start off here. Move it as you see fit.

This may be a stupid one, but I find this so disturbing I want to reformat almost immediately. All my spyware protection, except crudy norton. Seems to have completely vanished without a trace. x.X; I have looked threw every corner of my harddrive. Spybot, MS AntiSpyware, Spyware Distoryer, even AOL's [censored] excuse for spyware protection is gone. I could of sworn. MS Anti-Spyware was running in the task bar last night if now earlier this morning. I couldn't have deleted it myself (I'm not that stupid and my lappy stays hidden in my backpack, shoved under the bed when I'm not using it. (I'm more worried about another member in the household damaging it than anyone else.) At school on Thursday night, which seems an awefully long time ago. I left it in the room on break (Hey, their are some much nicer ones than my 6000 I'd place bets on would be the ones tampered with and stolen first.) but I always lock it with a password before leaving. I'm guessing its some nasty virus or another malicious entity. x.x;

I would appreciate subjestions and comments. ;

thanks!

 

hmm, that is a bit weird. I've never seen several programs being removed without the user authorizing it (not saying that it couldn't happen). I've seen junkware interfere with those programs.

Have you ran a virus scanner?

Have you done a clean install since you got your 6000?

[edit] last question (i promise ), have you checked add/remove programs to see if they are listed?

 

Norton ofcourse has nothing to show after a full scan. Wish I had Zone Alarm installed for some more reliable results. I've been looking threw my primary disk for any strange folders. Sometimes spyware and trojins leave strangely named folders inside the windows one if you look very, very hard. So far I haven't seen anything. I haven't really noticed the performance drop normally associated with some malicious infestation. But I'm not much of a power user, so I know that means absolutely nothing.

EDIT: xD! --- ( errr... I need to put on my upset face really, don't I? -.-; ) They are not in my add/remove list.

 

I just notice that second part. The first thing I did when I got my machine, the very first time I hit the power button. I did a fresh install. I knew all about what I was getting into with a bloatware. Except for XP all the software I've loaded since are my own copies with nothing distributed from Dell. I've heard superstitious stories of putting copies of software distributed from dell on machines, making the machines as slow as it was from the factory. Yes, I have stupid AOL and even it is a disk I picked up at the grocery store and not the one that shipped with the notebook. Geeze, rambling.

Sorry for the double post.

EDIT: It has however been a little more than a month and a half. I know it doesn't take long or much to mess up windows.

 

could it be that someone came up with a program to uninstall your virus programs? that seems pretty unlikely.

this is stupid but make sure that it is your 6000 maybe someone decided they liked yours better than theirs haha

 

grr, this is driving me nutz. I can't even imagine how you must feel right now. I tried googling, but I haven't found anything that would cause this. I even thought the same thing that circa did, but I highly doubt either of those scenarios would explain what is going on.

Normally, Norton is pretty good with catching virus/worms, but in this case, I think you should download another virus scanner -- just to be on the safe side. Also, I would redownload spybot, and see if it came up with any results.

Alot of the admins/moderators use the free version of AVG if you want to try that for a virus scanner. http://free.grisoft.com/doc/1

 

Rofl! Everything thats supposed to be on the machine seems to be here. =) Beside, I know this is hard to beleive, the opposite is the norm. But my 6000D is one of two at the school. Most have lattitudes exclusive to ITT. They are something like B120's with a lattitude logo on them instead of the inspiron. The rest have much more impressive gaming rigs.

EDIT: I'm going to try and reinstall a few spyware programs and see if they vanish again. If they do then there is something screwy on here.

P.S. Back to school, thinking about it and reminded myself I don't have a powerful firewall installed. There are a few scumbags who like to hack notebooks on the wireless. That one just crossed my mind.

Another Edit: Thanks SG. Everything helps. ^^

 

Hmmm...the same thing happened to me at university too actually. I was at the library all day with my notebook [working on a project], using the wireless service, and I left the computer idle for a few hours (it was plugged in with the AC cord)...while it was on, apparently someone hacked into it and deleted MS Office, Norton Anti-Virus, Zone-Alarm and deleted some of my project files. I was able to use system restore and most of the stuff came back (luckily), but it was definitely a pain in the butt (and a little scary too!).

I know that doesn't help much, but your gut is probably right I'm guessing...

 

That could have happened. I saw a story on that a year or two ago, where the user didn't even know that they had been hacked into. They thought they had a pretty secured system if I remember right. If that is the case, I wonder why they only deleted the spyware programs though.

If you need firewall suggestions, I would go with Zone Alarm since it is a pretty good firewall and is free.

 

Thats starting to sound like the most logical explanation. I guess my time tables are a little messed up. I know the sharks who would of done it to. They're looking at the possibility of getting a keyboard upside the head Monday, if it turns out that's what's behind this.

Actually, I have the full version of Zone Alarm. I just... for one reason or another decided to live with norton for a while. Because the Norton disk was closer to me than the Zonealarm one. I think I found my motivation. Nortons coming off immediately since the two don't co-operate well together and Zone alarm is moving in. Used to do a very good job. I can't recall how many time's it alerted me to someone trying to get into last notebook when I was taking it to school.

It does seem weird they only took off spyware programs though. that doesn't seem like a very good trick. I mean, they left the virus program intact even.

 

I don't know much about computers. My first thought would be " they removed the spyware to do...what?" Could it be they know of a flaw in your virus program and needed to disable the spyware to get in? I know I can't help much, but it might point you in a direction you haven't thought of. Just trying to help.

 

It seems like you have a serious virus problem Niki. I think the best thing to do is to re-install and then look after your PC properly. I had a similar problem when shortcuts to programs kept on being deleted out of the Start - Programs list. I scanned with AVG Free to find 208 viruses and the problem stopped, which is quite impressive for a free program. I would also recommend using Ad-Aware Personal which is another free program. Also keep Zone Alarm, these three programs make the best anti-virus protection.

http://free.grisoft.com/doc/1

http://www.download.com/3000-2144-10045910.html

http://www.zonelabs.com/store/content/company/products/znalm/freeDownload2.jsp?dc=12bms&ctry=GB&lang=en

 

I have removed Norton since it conflicts with Zonealarm and installed my copy of the full version of Zonealarm Pro Security Suite. It ain't free but I believe it is worth every penny and hands down the best firewall and virus protection around. It has detected both a trojin and a virus, and killed both. I may do a full reinstall later on. But I would like to avoid it if I can. Although I'm avid about backing my stuff up. A full reload it awefully time consuming. I have long papers to right this week and another project do, as I'm approaching the end of the quarter at school. I'll probably reload it during the break in about three weeks. I have also readded MS Anti-Spyware, Spybot, and also have SpyDistroyer which came with Zonealarm and always worked great. I should point out that Ad-ware and Spyware are not nessicarily the same thing. But SpyDistory handles Spyware and Ad-ware, Zonealarm itself also scanns for both. So it thats not enough... lord help me. All three spyware detection programs are working great. I have SpyDistoryer scheduled to scan at each start up, and I'll let alll three will start and sit on my task bar (hogging my resources) so I can watch them closely for a little while. Lastly. I know the three sharks who probably did it (Phenomenons like an optical drive ejecting randomly in class are common place.) and they're going to get it on Tuesday.