Help is needed.

It starts out like this, I accidentlly clicked on a link that popped up on a friend's away message. I clicked it and a download came up and in tryingto click cancel, I clicked open instead(don't know how that happened).

Well anyways this program was on my comp and now I tried tracking it down, did not work and every 15 mins or so it pop ups as my away message. Like the gift that keeps on giving. I also cannot open my task manager because of it I fear.

it is www.stonegardendenproductions.com...
Or www.stonegardenproductions.com...

Please Help me.

Shattered OUT...

P.S. DO NOT CLICK THE LINKS!!!

[edit on 7-11-2004 by ShatteredSkies]

It may of put something in your registry...Hubby is hte computer whiz here and he not on right now...if no one else can help by the time he gets up and on...he will be able to.

jayloden.com...

I've gotten fooled with a # of things like this -- and as a result my Internet Explorer got hijacked with this bogus search engine that only takes me to places where I can get penis enlargements or valium. I have found no way to get it off, virus scans don't work.

I read an article about this problem, it said that some of these programs are so sophisticated there is no way you can go into your hard drive and "pick them out." The solution given was take the computer to a specialist & have them get at it. Isn't there a 24-hour service called "Geeksquad" or something you can call that can help you out if you are in an emergency?

One of these programs could get rid of the things.

Before you run them, change your IE/Firefox/Netscape homepage back to what you want it to be. If you don't, every time you run your browser you'll just be sent to a site with a virus/Spyware in a vicious circle.

Adaware

Spybot

Good luck

[edit on 7-11-2004 by Pisky]

I'm no wiz and I surf without a firewall or anti-virus. When this happens to me I don't spend a whole lot of time trying to track down the offending program (these bastards are smarter and sneakier than me) I simply re-format my hard drive. I email myself anything I wish to save then re-format and re-install. It takes a bit of time but not much effort and you know you are starting clean. It used to piss me off but now I just see it as part of freewheeling on the net and It doesn't bother me. Good Luck.

SS,

Try LavaSoft's Ad-Aware Personal Edition SE (It's free, why not?)

Here's a link: www.lavasoftusa.com... I recommend the Cnet download link for speed an reliability. After installing make sure you update the reference file, then run a full system scan. After the rather rude noise click next, then right click on the list and select all (you probably have all kinds of internet crud, we all do ) clicking next will remove the malicious cookies, hijackers, etc.

Hope this helps.

Thanx for the help guys.

I hope someone else knows what the program itself is.

Shattered OUT...

Pisky has the right answer. Adaware and Spybot will remove 99% of these types of garbage. The are both free downloads, just google them and get the latest version. Be sure to update them both before you use them. Spybot includes an Imunization feature that will prevent some of these malwares from even installing themselves. I use both programs on almost a daily basis on a large number of different systems, and they haven't let me down yet.

Originally posted by deevee
I'm no wiz and I surf without a firewall or anti-virus. When this happens to me I don't spend a whole lot of time trying to track down the offending program (these bastards are smarter and sneakier than me) I simply re-format my hard drive. I email myself anything I wish to save then re-format and re-install. It takes a bit of time but not much effort and you know you are starting clean. It used to piss me off but now I just see it as part of freewheeling on the net and It doesn't bother me. Good Luck.

DV,

With all the free firewall, ad ware and antivirus software available you chose to live and surf like this? Deny ignorance, No one should casually put themselves at the mercy of the hacks in cyberspace. Would you walk down a dark street in a bad neighborhood with $100 bills hanging out of your back pocket?

Thank you so much Banshee, my Task Manager now works and I can defend against spyware programs.

I figured out a trick with Task Manager.

Shattered OUT...

Its a virus and a nasty bugger to boot ...

Bestfriends.scr AIM Virus

Originally posted by Mirthful Me

Originally posted by deevee
I'm no wiz and I surf without a firewall or anti-virus. When this happens to me I don't spend a whole lot of time trying to track down the offending program (these bastards are smarter and sneakier than me) I simply re-format my hard drive. I email myself anything I wish to save then re-format and re-install. It takes a bit of time but not much effort and you know you are starting clean. It used to piss me off but now I just see it as part of freewheeling on the net and It doesn't bother me. Good Luck.

DV,

With all the free firewall, ad ware and antivirus software available you chose to live and surf like this? Deny ignorance, No one should casually put themselves at the mercy of the hacks in cyberspace. Would you walk down a dark street in a bad neighborhood with $100 bills hanging out of your back pocket?

I don't have firewalls, but do have Anti Virus.

I also take care of my own comp, I make sure no programs that let in spyware are running. And I use Ad-aware on a daily basis. I haev been using it for months now, and has protected my comp.

Shattered OUT...

Thanks again guys, I just saved the comps of some of my other friends as well.

I now know how to combat this virus, I can't thank you guys enough.

Shattered OUT...

I also agree about using Spybot and Adaware, great programs that work well and do what they say they will. I run Spybot with Teatime to lock my registry and let me know anytime something trys to change the settings.

Originally posted by Mirthful Me

Originally posted by deevee
I'm no wiz and I surf without a firewall or anti-virus. When this happens to me I don't spend a whole lot of time trying to track down the offending program (these bastards are smarter and sneakier than me) I simply re-format my hard drive. I email myself anything I wish to save then re-format and re-install. It takes a bit of time but not much effort and you know you are starting clean. It used to piss me off but now I just see it as part of freewheeling on the net and It doesn't bother me. Good Luck.

DV,

With all the free firewall, ad ware and antivirus software available you chose to live and surf like this? Deny ignorance, No one should casually put themselves at the mercy of the hacks in cyberspace. Would you walk down a dark street in a bad neighborhood with $100 bills hanging out of your back pocket?

I found Ad-Aware no better than dumping my cache and cookies and the program itself takes up valuable space. I used to use Norton but found it did nothing but give me a false sense of security. I decided it was easier and less stressful to only keep a few dollars in my wallet as it were, and simply hand it over on the rare occasions that I get mugged.

The hour or so spent re-formatting frees me to crack open a book and I feel great knowing my laptop is clean again

Let's move this out of RATS so everyone can benefit from it.

These bugs only affect IE users, since they always use exploits in IE to get the bug through.

Yet another reason to not use IE.

Originally posted by dreamlandmafia
These bugs only affect IE users, since they always use exploits in IE to get the bug through.

Yet another reason to not use IE.

Amen to that, DLM. Firefox is the way to go! Click my banner to make the magic happen for YOU.

IE is so darn bug-ridden. It stinks at rendering HTML, also. Firefox is MUCH BETTER.

[STAY COOL)
-prophetmike