Dear PC Gurus

[Achilles3]

I have ad/spyware on my PC. OMG this thing is pissing me off. I have used Spybot, Ad-Aware, and PC-cilling (all 3 had the latest updates) to scan and delete all possible threats, but it is still there. Whenever I reboot my PC, there's this ad that replaces my desktop wallpaper, and when I click on it, it takes me to this website http://www.topantispyware.com/overview.php?271 and I don't know how to delete this. There's an icon on the bottom right of my screen, it's a yellow triangle with an exclamation point inside. Also in my Windows Task Manager, under Processes there's this exe file called winupdate49270585. When I "end process" it doesn't seem to do anything. Please help me to remove this thing.

Windows XP Pro

 

[Floppy Mohawk]

Boot your computer in SAFE MODE and update and run Norton Utilities.

Don't ask how to boot in safe mode go to your computer manufacturers website and/or do a www.google.com search on the web.

Or if you have windows xp do a restore to a point that didn't have this problem and watch what you let onto your computer. You may have to do this in SAFE MODE also.

Again, don't ask how to do a restore. Search Microsoft's website.

Floppy

 

[Dragonis.Lou]

If that doesn't work... you should locate the file or files... right click it, and check to see if it is read only... if it is, uncheck it the read only option, and delete it. It sounds like you might have a situation where once you delete a file it is remade during boot up. check your registry (find a reg cleaner of some sort).

 

[Martin C]

In addition to the good advice above, try MSCONFIG (Start/Run/msconfig).

It'll tell you what runs on your PC at startup from the registry (HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Current Version\Run), the Startup Folder under Programs or in the win.ini file.

You can enable/disable things safely in MSCONFIG which should help you determine where the file is from.

I saw an issue before where an entry in the registry was running a registry file in a TEMP folder making the home/search pages change. Clear out the TEMP folders on the PC too, just to be sure.

Martin

 

[Achilles3]

Thanks for the tips guys I will give it a try and see, if all else fails I will reformat my PC. This is a pain.