Octopus Overlords

So, somehow I got some spyware on my computer. It is a weird one that every once in a while just opens an IE window to a random search page. The search pages are mainstream ones like Yahoo or Altavista. When it opens it, it minimizes it and if you click on it in the taskbar it won't maximize. You have to right click on it and hit maximize. If I just leave that window there it won't open up another one, so it isn't really hurting anything, but I hate the idea that it is on there. I use Firefox, but the wife has been getting on my computer and using IE.


I have downloaded about 4 different Spyware detectors, including AdAware and Spybot S&D) and none of them see it. I used Hijack This and when I look at the log I don't see anything out of the ordinary. What a tricky one. Anyone run across something similar?

Not sure, but try www.spywareinfo.com and their online scanner from that page. I've had luck with it taking care of some spyware that I couldn't get off of the systems with AdAware or Spybot.

Microsft Anti-Spyware (beta) works really good. It actually got rid of that CoolWeb crap on my roomates PC.

[edited to add:] And of course it's made by Microsoft. I mean who the hell would know more about XP and it's exploits than those responsible for them?

Faldarian wrote:Not sure, but try www.spywareinfo.com and their online scanner from that page. I've had luck with it taking care of some spyware that I couldn't get off of the systems with AdAware or Spybot.

Tried it, and while it found a couple things the others didn't, it didn't find whatever is doing this.

CeeKay wrote:Microsft Anti-Spyware (beta) works really good. It actually got rid of that CoolWeb crap on my roomates PC.

[edited to add:] And of course it's made by Microsoft. I mean who the hell would know more about XP and it's exploits than those responsible for them?

Tried this as well and it found nothing on my system. Thanks to both of you for the suggestions.

Try SpySweeper. Do a google for it as I don't know the link offhand since I bought the boxed version, but they have a free 30 day trial you can use, and it's found everything that's been put on my system before I got ZoneAlarm. It's worth a try at least.

Disco, check out my thread on removing crapp, I got the same problem as you. There maybe something there not covered here that may help you.