Check your start up list and compare to here:  http://www.pacs-portal.co.uk/startup_pages/startup_full.htm

I just got done fixing a machine that was doing pop-ups every 10 minutes (sometimes two at a time). I found a lot of parasites and spy software in the start-up.(ex. BSX3, Download Ware, msbb, Sentry) and a program called n_Case that can't be removed through Add/Remove.

And as mentioned above, disable the Messenger service.

Okay, first suggestion, try this program to verify that Messenger Service is disabled: http://grc.com/stm/shootthemessenger.htm

Next, you didn't mention having a firewall.  You can either turn on the Windows Internet Connection Firewall, or download Zone Alarm as a free firewall.

In Spybot, did you have it download updates?  Did you turn on Immunize?

Message Edited by AllynKC on 09-30-2003 07:37 PM

Thanks Guys

I verified that Messenger Service is disabled. I also have the built in firewall that comes with XP Pro turned on. I ran the Immunizer in Spybot and I still was getting a pop-up. My server was down for a while so I didn't get much else done tonite. I did update Spybot and re-ran the Immunizer when the server came back on. so far (1/2 hr) I haven't had a pop-up

One thing I did notice while the server was down. I still get a pop-up! It says in the title "Web page unavailable while offline" and it asks me to connect or work offline. In the body it says that the page I "requested" is unavailable! I'm assuming that this thing is dug in deep! I also loose focus in the current window i'm working in? I had to click back on this window several times while typing, not sure if its the pop-up blocker?

This thing is realy startin to get under my skin! Maybe someday Microsoft will get it right for the consumer (We can dream, can't we?)

Once again thanks for the help. It's gettin late and I'll check tommorow to see if the updated immunizer did the trick!

Jeff

It sounds like the pop-up is something installed on your machine that is trying to call out.  Either a virus scan or a spyware scan should be able to locate it.  If not, try installing Zone Alarm (link to free version is in an above post).  You have the standard windows XP firewall turned on, but that only monitors incoming activity.  In this case, it's something that's already in that's going outbound.  The Win XP firewall will not catch those, but Zone Alarm will and will tell you what program is trying to call out.

Message Edited by AllynKC on 10-02-2003 06:13 AM

If the POP-UP comes back & creates a Taskbar  tab use Task Manager   (Ctrl+Alt+Delete)  , Applications , right click on Application & select  "Go to Process"  , this will then give program name which you can do Search Advanced for  right click &  Delete.

OK guys, heres the latest in my saga to stop that dam pop-up (gettin realy fustrated!)

I am still getting the pop-up that looks like a certificate. I updated McAffe and did a complete scan and it found nothing. That cost me $30 because its a free trial with a new machine. I thought it was the full version for 90 days. Oh well, It should keep me safe for the next year, maybe?

I left the computer on for a while and when I came back there was that pop-up again! I couldn't do the taskbar because it wasn't running on it. That was a bummer! It sounded like a good way to kill it.

I did look in the temp dir and found cookies and temp files from a few places while the computer was sittin with nothing running.

http://69.28.210.175/media/9634860/1064970995, Cookie:dad@69.28.210.175/, Cookie:dad@servedby.advertising.com/, http://www.spyblast.com/quickinstall.html?site=221561/refMediaID=0000100422/refSiteID=0000201242/bnum=1, Cookie:dad@advertising.com/, http://servedby.advertising.com/site=201242/bnum=11010565/pops=1, Cookie:dad@ads.valuead.com/

Reconize any? The first one was the most common one. SOMETIMES EVERY 5 MIN! There is even one that I couldn't delete! I cleared history, temp, and cookies through IE, Pop-up Stopper Pro, and tried to delete it through Explorer and it's still there! I even tried MSDos window but I couldn't see it when I got to the directory and did a DIR.

I think I found out why I'm loosing focus of my current window. I noticed when I loose focus ther was a clicking sound. It was comming from the Google pop-up blocker. Every time google stopped a pop-up I'd loose focus so I deactivated it. I seemed like google would catch the pop-up before Pop-up Stooper Pro. Google "clicks" Pop-up Stopper "boings". I still loose focus with Pop-up Stopper Pro, I'll loose focus then a second later window flashes. This is a nusince! I didn't notice a flash with google. Google didn't catch my problem pop-up but it didn't flash a window. Pop-up Stopper Pro seems to catch my "problem pop-up" sometimes (acording to the times on temp files). is there a better pop-up stooper out there?

I'm going to setup Zone Alarm sometime this weekend to see if it can track it down.

I never had this problem with my old Dell running ME. I have only been running XP for a few weeks and considering going back to ME if I cant get this fixed!

Thanks to all for the sugestions. I kill this thing yet! Startin to look like a Fdisk in my future!

Jeff

Hi

As this may be a new type of popup or at lest a variant on an existing one, it may be that you should post this on a specalist forum for spyware.

Try :- (they have members of the spybot team in attendance.)

http://forums.spywareinfo.com/index.php

If you go there do read the FAQ forum first and follow instructs on what to do first before posting. (E> download and run hijackthis etc.) Please also post back with how you get on.

I too have been having this problem for the past 4 days, it is driving me up the wall. If anyone knows of a definate way of getting rid of this blasted pop-up, please post a reply.

I'm in the middle of downloading recommended spyware, pop-up stoppers etc, lets hope they help for now.

Many thanks.

I “think” I fixed the problem! I think it was a program called Second Thought. I found it allover the different users I have setup.

I downloaded Spybot Search and Destroy and Immunized. The only problem that I discovered using Spybot is that I had to run it on all the users I have setup. For some reason it didn’t search other user settings. I might have just been me?

I also installed Zone Alarm, the free version and Panicware Pop-up Stopper.

All these three fixed my problem so far. I feel Spybot got rid of the nusince and Zone Alarm keeps it from coming back.

I’m going to run this configuring for a while until I can find a package that “does it all”. Zone Alarm Pro has a pop-up stopper and some other stuff. I’m going to try it when I get some free time. Need to cool the computer affair for a while, wife gets a little testy (I also spend a lot of time gamming online )!

Try the above programs Cleg. I also did some of the other suggestions listed in this thread like the Messenger service. Also goto the site http://forums.spywareinfo.com/index.php. All kinds of info there. Actually too much, it was overwhelming!

Thanks All

Jeff

Thanks for the advice, i have downloaded Zone Alarm and a Pop-up stopper.

I should have mentioned that the problem is when i'm offline, not when i'm online. It's weird that i'm getting pop-ups if i'm not online, don't quiet understand how that can happen?? but there we go...........

I'm still being plagued by the web page unavailable while offline pop-up, and other advert pop-ups, but no problems while being online, any help would be excellent.

Cheers, cleg.

Clegg,

If you get it off line, as was stated earlier in this thread, it is some malware already installed on your PC, probably by stealth when you visited some web site, or before you installed zone alarm.

Have you tried Chris' advice about Hijack This?

Download Hijack This from

http://www.tomcoyote.org/hjt/

Let it scan. Do not fix anything it reports, since many of the registry entries it lists are OK, indeed essential. Instead, save the scan log and post it at

http://www.spywareinfo.com/forums/

in the Spyware and hijackware removal support forum.

Visit the forum first for details on how/where to post. Their experts will quickly respond to tell you which entries in the Hijack This scan you should let it fix., and anything else you should do.

Very highly recommended!

Many thanks for the advice, i will give that download a try, however fingers crossed, i think Spybot may have eliminated the problem, have to wait and see.

Thanks again,

cleg.