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December 28, 2005
Infected
Somewhere along the line this morning, I appear to have picked up a piece of malware or spyware; my computer is infected worse than an 8th Avenue hooker during convention season. The culprit appears to be something called "Spy Axe," which masquerades as a spyware blocker, but is in fact spyware itself. Among the annoying elements is that it produces a perpetual bubble on my screen -- designed to look like a Windows warning -- that informs me that "dangerous malware infection" has been detected on my PC. Of course, the Spy Axe IS the malware; nice that it detected itself.
And it's proving excessively difficult to get rid of. I'm more than ready to commit several violent felonies on the goatsuckers that built this crap -- for real, I'm reporting them to the Better Business Bureau, and I'm looking on line for groups of people taking collective action against this bunch of elephant dung. I doubt that this company will do anything more than laugh at complaints from customers, but perhaps complaints from the BBB and maybe some state attorneys general or something will catch their attention. Either that or flamethrowers outside their homes. ;-)
In the meantime, while I plot violent and painful fantasy retribution against these bastards, if there's anyone out there who knows how to get this garbage off an infected system, I could really use the help.
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Comments
I am proud to report that I have uninfected myself. Now I just need to track down these goat-lovers and harm them.
Thanks to Brent for the personal e-mail offering assistance... by the time I'd gotten it, I had fixed the problem already via some online help, but I appreciate your willingness to help.
Anyone who knows these guys' home address, let me know.
Posted by: Curmudgeon at December 28, 2005 03:05 PM
I can help you with that, too. ...LOL!
Posted by: Brent at December 28, 2005 04:49 PM
Mudge-
go to download.com and download "spybot" it is an excellent spyware and adware zapper.
Posted by: Cuzin Jose at December 28, 2005 05:27 PM
Actually, unless you buy the upgraded version of Spybot, I've found it to be ineffective. And if you're going to spend the money, you might as well use Spy Sweeper.
The thing is, I'll be honest: I'm not positive whether it's Firefox alone that's "protecting" me from spyware; Spy Sweeper may not even be doing anything for Firefox, for all I know. But I do know it's well matched to Internet Explorer.
Posted by: Brent at December 28, 2005 10:02 PM
Sorry to burst the bubble, but I use Firefox too... and I still got infected.
Posted by: Curmudgeon at December 29, 2005 07:30 AM
Well, like I suggested, it may be because of the other stuff I use, too.
You really need to stop visiting those "sites."
Posted by: Brent at December 29, 2005 09:01 AM
Step 1 - curse
Step 2 - throw machine out window
Step 3 - go after that dream stripping job you've always been talking about.
Posted by: thebeav at December 29, 2005 01:53 PM
Brent -
But then where would I get all my pics of your sister?
;-)
Posted by: Curmudgeon at December 30, 2005 12:13 PM
You got an infected computer for Christmas and I got 3/4 of an inch of water in the bottom floor of my house. Pulling 800 sq.ft. of wet carpet and mat can really wear a guy out..... but everyone is healthy and (mostly) happy so WTF, it's just water.
These spyware jackoffs on the other hand are actually killing people. I may be overstating my case, but networks save lives. Communication and information flow to the far edges of the globe spreads economic progress, fights disease, educates and generally raises people above subsistence to the point that they can begin to make wise choices.
The rising tide of malware crap at least slows and perhaps ultimately endangers this progress so in my book it kills.
If you are an African or SE Asian farmer and can check market prices you may suddenly have power to price your goods higher than the local middleman has been paying. Maybe you can send your kids to school, afford medicine, get a well drilled or put a little money aside for the future. If the limited connectivity connection you rely upon is overwhelmed by trojan botnets you loose that power -- and it can kill you or lock your family in another generation of poverty.
This stuff is far worse than inconvenient and mildly criminal... it can be murder.
Posted by: usefulguy at December 30, 2005 03:00 PM
I dont' have a sister, you dingle bag.
Yes, it's a new saying: "dingle bag."
Posted by: Brent at December 31, 2005 09:54 AM
