Pop Up Ads in FS2004

[BigJoe]

Somehow I know have pop up ads jumping on the screen when I am flying.  The reason I posted this in this forum is because it only does this when I have the sim going.  Last night I was looking at the screen shot contest and then looked at the payware screen shots that have been posted.  I had one or two pops up come up and i carefully closed them and went on about my business. I then deceided to download (CGS or GCS, whatever its called) the program to help me take screenshots.  It would appear that either right before download, during, or shortly thereafter I started getting bombarded with pops up. So much so that my blocker want block them.   Any suggestions.

I have a direct cable connection to the Internet as I fly only real world weather with updates every so often, so I assume that is why I am getting hit so hard.  I just hate being on final and it stopping the sim and putting it in pause mode while I get offers for a college education or low home morgage rates.

thanks
Big Joe
KARG

[SaVas]

I have no popups, and no unfriendly ads on any site. I run admuncher, webroot spy sweeper, and adaware. I havent seen a pop up ad in months.

[Chris_F]

Is this the appropriate forum for this thead?  The original post was regarding FS2004.

Rant time:  Mxtarget used to do nasty things to me too.  Every now and then, at random, it would pop up a movie trailer in full screen view.  I couldn't disable it and would have to watch the entire trailer before it let me have my computer back.

I consider Mxtarget to be a virus because it sometimes commonderes your system.  According to Twaintech (the company that makes Mxtarget) their program can only be loaded with my concent, usually as a result of an agreement one makes when using shareware.  According to them you can uninstal the software by uninstalling the relevant shareware.  Well, I uninstalled the shareware which gave me mxtarget and their damn program refused to uninstal.  It even made copies of itself in different locations in order to prevent you from deleting it.  Only adaware and Norton were able to finally get rid of it.

Adware is sleazy.  I now go to great lengths to keep my computer free of it (including not downloading free software which requires me to install it).  I'd rather pay for something then turn my computer in to a fancy billboard.

[codered]

The way I avoid having this problem is to not have my FS computer on the internet.  All downloads come from my internet computer via a clean memory stick.

On my internet computer my Nortons Antivirus also comes with ad blocker.  So when I run a scan, it will find that junk and delete it for me.  

Spy-bot is another good adware destroyer.

[Scottler]

It may not be infected at all...if you're running XP make sure to disable the "Messenger Service" in your control panel...ESPECIALLY if you're on a cable connection.

[chomp_rock]

Get Adaware and Spybot S&D (both of them because they both miss things sometimes but usually one or the other gets the missed bug), when I first those programs them I was shocked at how much spyware/adware they detected.

[BigJoe]

OK here is something else I have noticed,  my pop up blocker works while I am on the Internet.  But while flying the sim, they pop up...   Does 2004 disable virus/pop up protection.

Also where in the control panel is the messanger service button that i need to turn this thing off.  

the reason i put this thread here is because this only happens when I have 2004 going,  sorry if I have offended anyone

Big Joe

[RollerBall]

I think that you've been infected with an obnoxious little XML program that runs these things. I had a similar thing a few weeks ago which I tracked back to a UK 'marketing' company who was using it and even the Canadian company who I think created it.

I use Pop-Up Stopper and it worked must of the time but some pop-ups still made it. I was noticing regular flickering so the program was constantly stealing my CPU resources.

Personally I think that if our politicians had any balls whatsoever they would make it totally illegal for any party to cause any software to be remotely loaded onto anyone's computer without their express consent.

The trouble is the XML program could be sitting in your system or system32 folder or elsewhere because obviously they try to hide it (being bona fide operators of course  >:( ). When you are connected it uses live data and when not it uses data that's cached on your PC.

If this is so, you will have to locate it and delete it manually as AV software does not seem to recognise it as a virus, I think.

Do a search for *.XML and if you find a program with a recent date that's the one. You can open it with Wordpad or Notepad and see that it's an ad handler.

Good luck. The people responsible need to be put out of business in my view - the people who create such software and the firms who use it. That goes for all data miners and trackers as well.

[Politically Incorrect]

  Does 2004 disable virus/pop up protection.

Curious, before starting FS9 do you use FSAutoStart or EndItAll???

[Scottler]

Personally I think that if our politicians had any balls whatsoever they would make it totally illegal for any party to cause any software to be remotely loaded onto anyone's computer without their express consent.

I completely agree.  The computer thing is still relatively new though, compared to other things....but it would be illegal for a mechanic to put something on your car without asking first, so why are computers any different?

[Politically Incorrect]

I too agree with the above statement, it is also illegal to operate anything that might interfere with UHF/VHF signals of any kind. So basically if your shaving with a electric razor and it messes with the neighbors TV you are breaking the law and it carries heavy punishment!

[BigJoe]

It may not be infected at all...if you're running XP make sure to disable the "Messenger Service" in your control panel...ESPECIALLY if you're on a cable connection.

where do I disable the Messenger Service, I have looked for it but cant seem to find it.

thanks
Big Joe

[Scottler]

Start>Control Panel>Administrative Tools>Services