Windows Security Alerts?????

[DEViante]

What is this crap. I come home one day and it is on my computer. The damn girlfriend must have been downloading stupid stuff from Microsoft again. First could you tell me what it is. Second, and most importantly, how do I get rid of it because it is annoying the crap out of me. Thanks again. Your boards are the most informative I have found and you have helped me with questions before.

DEViante

[Shane R. Monroe]

Can you provide a screenshot? "Windows Security Alert" could mean a number of different things.

Get yourself a copy of BHO Demon ; http://www.pcworld.com/downloads/file_download.asp?fid=23611&fileidx=1

It will find and identify bad BROWSER HELPER OBJECTS in IE. Even if you're too smart to use IE, your girlfriend probably isn't, and now your box is infected with 20+ forms of adware and spyware, along with crap to interfere with IE.

Second, drop Norton (I know you're using Norton - people using real AV software don't write) and pick up a copy of AVG (there is a free version) from http://www.grisoft.com - I've been using it a year (I paid for it - that should tell you something) and haven't been hit once.

Third, if you're running XP, GO GET SERVICE PACK 2 RIGHT NOW. It will take forever to install it - but its worth it.

Finally, post your Operating System here (Win 9x, WIndows 200, XP, etc) and, if you can, post a list of active tasks running (just a screenshot will do). Close all your programs - then if you're running Windows 2000/XP, just hit CTRL-ALT-DEL, select TASK MANAGER, the click the PROCESSES tab. You should see something around 20-30 processes at MOST. If you see something like 40-70 (I've seen 72; poor bastard), you're heavily infected.

That should give you enough homework for today :)