How to identify spyware...

[Politically Incorrect]

Downloaded the patch for XP 64 bit and it won't let me install it, says something about it not being a valid WIN32 application

[Wing Nut]

Forgot about the firewall, I have a different firewall I use and when I have the XP firewall enabled it messes up everything!
The pop up appears occasionally so I guess if the patch doesn't help I can live with it??? Not to mention since most problems like this have to do with something M$ I don't trust thier firewall the least bit

Fret, I have a small program that I could e-mail you that will stop those things.  If you like, I could e-mail you it...

[Ivan]

Don't click on the gator popups...

for the rest:
- adaware
- hijackthis
- Spybot search and destroy
All that combined with google search

[Politically Incorrect]

Hi Ivan!
I use NoAdware, spyware blaster in conjunction with Spyware seek and destroy.
After running NoAdware and Seek and Destroy I come up with nothing???
I did get the patch mentioned and yet to see the pop up so maybe it worked? It has to be something in my computer because I have a pop-up blocker that stops all pop-ups, except for the one mentioned?
I did notice the other day, the RAM being sucked out of the computer for no apparent reason (768MB) I couldn't figure it out, I thought maybe spyware so i scanned, also did a virus scan and came up empty. Knock on wood that has only happened twice in past year.

[toffeemen]

to turn the messenger services off on win xp goto control panel click performance and maintinace click adminisrative tools click services scroll down to messenger then right click goto properties ther you will see startup type,diabled then click apply and no more anoying grey boxes easy ehh

[Politically Incorrect]

Thanks!! I didn't even know that "services" thing exsited!!!
What is that anyway, from the discription that it list it is nothing but M$ "spyware" !
It says it has nothing to do with Windows Messanger, so why is it called that??? I wonder what other wonderfull M$ spyware lurks inside of my XP???

[toffeemen]

not exactly sure why the msg services was put in there for!!:-/ but to give you some more idea on what nastey suprises lurk in xp click start then in the run box type msconfig click ok then goto services and see whats running and who it belongs too you may be in for a shock :-/

[Ivan]

Messenger services is meant for corporate usesrs, to sent messages about printer availability and the like.

it's active on a certain port (forgot which one it was).

get zonealarm to get rid of these messages.

[bm_727]

Windows messenger service was originally designed to "allow system administrators on client-server networks to send out brief system-wide messages to everyone connected to the network."

[Politically Incorrect]

not exactly sure why the msg services was put in there for!!:-/ but to give you some more idea on what nastey suprises lurk in xp click start then in the run box type msconfig click ok then goto services and see whats running and who it belongs too you may be in for a shock :-/

HOLY CRAP!!! My Windows XP is full of Microsoft applications running!!!!!!  ;D
That is kind of amazing all the M$ stuff that is running, and over half of it isn't anything I know??? I would like to know how I can get this computer to stop thinking its on a network! I'm not even connected to another computer! and I notice allot of what is running is used for networked computers, what gives???

[Wing Nut]

Fret, follow the link here, and use the page at the beginning of this thread and you'll find 99.999 percent of the spyware on your system.  :)

http://www.simviation.com/cgi-bin/yabb/ ... 1083631173

[Politically Incorrect]

Thanks Pippin, just noticed that link, great bit of information there!!

[Scottler]

To shut down some of those services, you can either CTRL+ALT+DEL it (not recommended), you can get a program like "EndItAll" (Google it and you'll find it), or you can set up a separate gaming profile on your system.

Get more info at

http://www.blackviper.com/WinXP/supertweaks.htm

You can set your system up so that these "extra" services (which aren't needed for gaming) don't start on boot up.  Then you just select the hardware profile you want (in this case, gaming) and you'll start with very little running.