[Rhodes22-list] Dummy with computer needs help--badly

[piratesam]

The easiest thing to do is to simply disconnect the phone line from your
modem when not in use on the internet - then nothing will come of go.  Then
find out what is wrong .good luck
----- Original Message -----
From: "Todd Tavares" <sprocket80 at mail.com>
To: "The Rhodes 22 mail list" <rhodes22-list at rhodes22.org>
Sent: Wednesday, November 26, 2003 1:39 PM
Subject: [Rhodes22-list] Dummy with computer needs help--badly


> HELP MJM, Mark, Will, Steve, Rik, or any of you smart computer guys, HELP!
>
>    I am ready to trash my computer and start over and do not want this
particular problem to reoccur with a new computer.
>
> I have been having problems with my computer for about a month now.  I use
win98SE and have slow dial-up service.
>
>    About a month ago I started getting pop-up ads trying to connect to the
internet, even when I was sitting down watching TV and not near the
computer.  I had no idea where they were coming from. Deleting the history,
cookies, changing my security settings didn't stop them.  I brought the task
window and viewed the properties for the files running, but when I did a
search in the directies named...these files did not exist...not hidden,
archive..nothing.
>
>    I have a Norton 2000 maintenance software package (Norton Works 2000?)
that monitors, cleans, defrags etc.  Half or more of the Norton items
wouldn't run.
>
>    I deleted all unfamiliar downloaded programs and items.....still the
pop-ups came.   They only stopped after I went through windows explorer and
deleted or uninstalled unfamiliar files/directories.
>
>    I thought I was a genius until I opened my telephone bill and today
found a $398.00 internet charge.  It seems that I had picked some sort of
downloaded software that dialed up and connected to the internet at 2:00 AM
while I was sleeping and went to a pay site somewhere in the Camoros Islands
off the coast of West Africa.  I know it wasn't wifey or the kids.
>
>    This charge was an add on from ATT.  I do not use ATT.  ATT CSR said
this is happening with increasing frequency, but refused to remove the
charges from my bill.
>
>    So my questions are  (yes there is a question in here somewhere) what
can I do to stop this from happening again?  How can I be sure this software
is not still in my computer hiding? Is there software that I can buy to
prevent this?  Can my McAfee Virus or Norton firewall software be configured
to catch it?   Short of trashing the computer and getting a non-telephone
internet service...what should I do.
>
>     And a second subject,  my windows defrag keeps restarting because a
file is trying to write to disk.  How can I stop this?  Are these two
problems related? (hopefully this is an easy fix)
>
>
> Todd
>
>
>
>
>
>
> --
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