Need Help with computer

[Robert_Flowers]

Today got up turned on the computer and hit the connect to the internet button an it came up http://compaq-desktop.aol.com not http://compaq-yahoo.com and i can't get it to open up to yahoo it will only open to compaq-desktop.aol even after i change the home page to yahoo. and i can't find  out how to un install aol    can anybody help?

Robert

[glenn-k]

Sounds like a browser hijacker may have got you.

Try Spybot search and destroy -- and Ad-aware.    Don't let other hijackers rip you off - these are free programs.

http://www.safer-networking.org/   for Spybot

http://www.lavasoft.de/software/adaware/  for Ad-aware


http://www.javacoolsoftware.com/spywareblaster.html  Spyware Blaster to immunize your system

Update every so often -- few weeks or so.

[Amanda_931]

After they take 135 pieces of spyware out of your computer you may be a believer!  I use AdAware.  Only bad thing about it is that you get to update and run it manually--every couple of days or a week.  It really is free in that form.  A friend of mine swears by Spybot Search and Destroy--although that one is, I think shareware.

The rule seems to be:

use only one virus protection device.  although if you want to occasionally run House Call (from Trend Micro--free) you can.

Two or more spyware protections are fine, though.  In fact they're encouraged.  There are more from Webroot (spysweeper--good if sometimes annoying, it costs money) and Trend Micro (also makes P-C-Cillin a decent--for sale--virus program) has a couple of stand-alone and free ones, including one that is specifically for programs that hijack your home page, lumped by them under the category coolwebsearch.  CWShredder.  

It took two or three different companies' products for me to finally get rid of Trojan Vundo.

http://www.trendmicro.com/cwshredder/

[glenn-k]

Looks like HP/Compac made a deal with the devil ---- AOL is coming up on my HP site now also.  Don't they get the hint that I don't like their censorship when I throw their CD's away?  Maybe if I told them. :-/

[MtnmanMikeM]

What are viruses, spyware, hackers etc. etc.??   I have had an eMac for three years now and very very few problems.    If this computer freezes which is once every three months or so and I cannot get anything going which is rarely I just unplug it and restart.    Then also I click repair on the disk utilities icon...    Mac computers are getting better and better.  Maybe someday I will get a Super Mac but I would rather get a better cabin... etc.    I never have had a computer class either...  

[glenn-k]

All that good stuff is mostly written for Internet Explorer for getting people to view adds, steal your homepage and send you to their home page or website etc.  Viruses are written by malicious programmers for various purposes, possibly to take over or destroy your computer - get it to send spam etc.

Most is written for Microsoft systems as they have the majority of browsers and programs.  Mac's are not as popular for them  as there is a smaller audience.  Firefox helps but is getting more popular so is getting attacked a bit too.

[Amanda_931]

Rumor (possibly spread by Microsoft   ) hath it that the Mac Operating System is at least as vulnerable to viruses and other horrible and annoying things as Windows, maybe even Windows from the 90's.  That one of these days the guys who are doing virus and hacking and so on will turn their gaze on Apple, who will have a long long learning curve to catch up to Windows on the subject of computer security.

I don't--yet--have a problem with AOL as the new home page on my computer.  But I'm using refdesk (Matt Drudge's brother's site) as my home page.

[Robert_Flowers]

Has anybody recieved a notice from compaq that on June 8 it will switch to AOL as default homepage i got mine today it's about 20 days late  .

AOL's faq
Q. how do i set another homepage  as my default?
A. compaq customers can change their default homepage through windows control panel in network and internet connections section.

My question is how i went to control panel in network and internet connections and can't find how to do it. the help page says to go to tools internet options and change it there i did that but when i connect to the internet it still comes up AOL .

Does anybody have an idea how to get rid of AOL ?

sorry to be a computer pain in a**

Robert

[jraabe]

If you are using Internet Explorer as your browser you just go to Tools, Internet Options and the first setting is the homepage URL. You type in somthing like: http://www.google.com

The other browsers have a similar setting in an option menu. Just look around.

If that isn't working and you continue to be sent somewhere else then the registry may have been messed with.

I use this product to clean up the registry and speed up my system. http://www.winaso.com/. Install the free trial. It may do the trick.

[glenn-k]

John made that pretty clear but just in case -- this setting is found right on Internet Explorer or other browser itself - not in control panel.  Usually the list of items starting with File, Edit, etc.

[Amanda_931]

Aha, that may have been what's happened to both my computers (HP and Compaq--same company) Now I don't GET a home page when I head to the Internet.  I've still got refdesk set as my home page. In fact I've reset it a time or two, including just now, I'll see if it works in a minute or two.  

I've got that Google Desktop nonsense--don't like it on the smaller screen--so I can go through that.  That puts a column of "stuff" on the right side of the screen.  But there's a (second, for me if internet explorer is turned on, otherwise that's the only one.) Google search on the bottom.

Vote for "Net Neutrality."  Send a note to your congressperson and senators.  My congresswoman is voting against.

[glenn-k]

Check for adware and browser hijackers, Amanda.  MS Internet ExploderExplorer is especially vulnerable to this problem.  Firefox is much better about it but could get an occasional problem.

[Amanda_931]

I run adaware frequently, last night I did House Call.  

What I've not done is set home page to "default."  That may take me to AOL

[Daddymem]

Want to fly on the net? Try Opera 9.  Lots and lots of features, not terribly fond of the email but tabbed browsing like FireFox.  Tested to be extremely fast: http://www.howtocreate.co.uk/browserSpeed.html#winspeed  Paranoid about spyware, etc?  Try a virtual machine: http://www.countryplans.com/cgi-bin/yabb2/YaBB.pl?num=1138594432/24#24
Spybot Search and Destroy combined with Lavasoft Adaware is a great combination and use them behind a firewall like ZoneAlarm, but the best tool is common sense...read before you click, don't go to questionable sites, use adblocking software (google bar or FireFox plugins, etc.), and know how many processes usually run on your computer and ctrl-alt-del-taskmanager to check it every once in a while.  Another, more advanced tool is HiJackThis, Major Geeks explain it better than I could and have some house cleaning assistance.

[Amanda_931]

I changed the opening page to "default," didn't help.  So I'll just have to claim it's the computer breaking down.

Keyboard problem on the other one has been tentatively identified as a motherboard problem by someone who knows more than I ever will on the subject.

I love computers!  

[Mommymem]

I changed the opening page to "default," didn't help.  So I'll just have to claim it's the computer breaking down.

Keyboard problem on the other one has been tentatively identified as a motherboard problem by someone who knows more than I ever will on the subject.

I love computers!  

Can you switch over to usb keyboard?  Might fix that one up that way.

[Amanda_931]

I wish.  What the computer guru thinks is that if it were either the keyboard or software a new USB keyboard would work just fine.  Since the little messages assure me that the new USB device is working but it's not, it's not either of the two easiest to fix problems.

So right now I'm putting off saving some really important files on removable media and taking the silly thing in.

[RonDay]

If you're gonna run Windows, you need to be sure you're running XP/Service Pack 2, that you're using an up to date virus program (like AVG or PCillan - Norton and McAfee are far too invasive, IMO), keeping the definitions files up to date, and run both Spybot - Search & Destroy and the free version of Ad Aware from Lavasoft.de. You need to keep the definitions files on both of those up to date, too.

Even on one of the new Intel-chipped Macs, if you're running XP to use Windows only apps these same programs need to be installed and run regularly since you are, in fact, running the Windows OS and are just as vulnerable.

On my PCs at work and the lone PC at home the anti-virus updates and runs automatically every night and I'll run Ad Aware and Spybot every couple of days. If I get indications of more than three or four possible problem files, I'll run both a second and sometimes a third time until I get  files listed.

Am I paranoid? You bet! But I have few problems with the PC, fewer with the Macs.

[Amanda_931]

I knew that Norton used to be dreadful about causing about as many problems as it solved.  Sorry to hear it still has that reputation--that may be what has totally messed up one of the computers.

I kind of like the anti-spam--polite, and it keeps the suspect messages it takes out by itself where you can look at them--from them, but I'm not really planning on keeping Norton as my virus protection.

[glenn-k]

PDF Security flaw in Firefox and IE <7


http://www.surfingtheapocalypse.net/cgi-bin/forum.cgi?read=163966

Note that the check box to remove the PDF in browser is not in Firefox..  It is in Adobe reader preferences - at least in Adobe Reader 7.0.  Go to preferences and uncheck the open in browser button.

Restart Required.