Re: Really need computer help
 

If you have an old PC, you can make it into a nice firewall appliance. High end would be to load ISA server on it. But you can also do it for free with nix and one of the free nix firewall apps. Just add a second nic card and load the software, instant firewall. And old 500MHz PIII would work fine.

Re: Really need computer help
 

500 MHz is even overkill for that. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/wink.gif

Re: Really need computer help
 

Ya, but with slower systems, you'll need high end nic's to get high bandwith.

Re: Really need computer help
 

Dunno if spybot's been sugested, but try that.

Re: Really need computer help
 

Norton always works for me. And if you don't like it (like me) you can just let it do it's work and uninstall it when you are done http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/laugh.gif

Re: Really need computer help
 

You can't uninstall Norton. It leaves a lot of junk all over your system. There are specialized utilities out there to disinfect your PC from Norton...

Re: Really need computer help
 

Thanks for all the help though I can't appear to fix the problem. I installed the MS antispyware program and it found a few things, also it blocks the same stuff as Venus spytrap. Anyway I'm afraid I don't understand how to stop messenger. When I installed MS antispyware there was some sort of messenger service that I stopped (not MSmessenger)and until I can work out that bit I'm not sure if it will be worthwhile replacing the hosts file as something seems to keep trying to change it which I can't find. As for my AntiVirus, I use Pccillin by Trend micro which updates a few times a day. I trust it but on this occasion what happened was that someone, who should have known better (not me), downloaded and opened something without thinking that it was malicious http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/mad.gif

Edit: incidentally, if it's any help I know exactly exactly what time it happened as I was walking past and shouted "What the hell did you do". I can search for files created at that time but don't know what to do with them.

Re: Really need computer help
 

Post a Hijack This log report and info on what you have tried on DSL Reports and get advice from the experts there.

Re: Really need computer help
 

I searched for files made that time and there are a few titled wiwm. I googled this and found it is an ad site.

Edit: ok i'll ask the experts

Re: Really need computer help
 

Here's a link to a page describing Window's services, which one's you ought to disable, and how to do it. {web page} You'll find the Messenger Service is one on that list. Usually, Windows XP Service Packs disable the Messanger Service, but you might want to poke around anyway.