Problem with 'Pop ups'

[Heinz57]

Hi all,

Bit of a weird one here. I seem to be having a bit of an issue with pop ups on my computer, hope one of you can help.

If I leave the computer idle for about 5 or 10 mins, quite often a pop up decides to open on its own. This only happens if the computer is literally idle, it doesn't work if say I'm watching something on iPlayer. Its been doing it for a week or so now, and its just come out of nowhere. I didn't have any warnings come up from my anti virus software.

The computer is running Windows 7 Ultimate 64 bit. My browser is Firefox and I have three antivirus programs - AVG Free 2014, Windows Security Essentials and Norton Internet Security.

Any thoughts?

Cheers,

Heinz

 

[DownSouth]

Probably an insidious data mining plugin that you unwittingly installed into Firefox, maybe one posing as some kind of search toolbar. Uninstall it from your Firefox add-on screen.

It might also be a good idea to back up your bookmarks (from the All Bookmarks screen) and then completely uninstall Firefox to then do a clean install of Firefox from scratch. You simply don't know what a plugin like that has been doing behind your back.

I would recommend also sticking with Firefox once you've reinstalled. Some people would suggest Chrome but in my experience it's no better, and if you have concerns about data mining it's probably not best to use a browser that almost constantly phones home to Google with who knows what data from your machine.

If you have Norton Internet Security, I would also suggest removing AVG Free. It barely does anything at the best of times, and running multiple security programs is generally regarded as wasteful at best or counter-productive at worst.

 

[Zoidberg]

What kind of pop-ups?

Do different ones appear or is it always the same one?

What do they tell you, want you to do?

 

[Whistlekiller]

What kind of pop-ups?

Do different ones appear or is it always the same one?

What do they tell you, want you to do?

Quite right to ask this. Without further information as to what the OP's dealing with, any advice given could be potentially hazardous.

 

[Donny Dave]

It's probably a good idea to install and run Spybot: Search and Destroy, as anti virus programs can (and quite often do) miss spyware and malware when you scan your system.

 

[Zoidberg]

It's probably a good idea to install and run Spybot: Search and Destroy, as anti virus programs can (and quite often do) miss spyware and malware when you scan your system.

I favour Malwarebytes - but I'd like to know more about what the OP is experiencing.

Free download available from https://www.malwarebytes.org/

 

[Daz28]

There is an advert banner on this website that keeps opening the App Store on my ipad and inviting me to download a game.

 

[Yew]

I find malware bytes and spybot get different things, it's no harm to do both.

 

[Heinz57]

What do they tell you, want you to do?

To be quite honest with you, nothing. These things never actually load properly, I just get a white box. I never read what they are about in the navigation bar.

Now I don't know if it makes any difference but they are always full screen size.

I never fall for pop-ups, I just ignore and close them. I'm still waiting on that ten grand one once told me I won*

I've checked out the add-ons I have installed and there's nothing suspicious. I have Adobe, Shockwave, two from Nvidia, Google Earth, Google Update and Windows Activation Technologies**

Cheers,

Heinz

*I'm joking of course, I never do anything a pop up tells me or fill out any details. I just close them immediately

**what downloaded from the Microsoft site to activate Windows

 

[Clip]

First of all do not have 3 AV progs running on your machine - you only need one.

Secondly, as Zoidberg said use Mbam - its just personal preference as Spybot is just as good.

Also follow the advice to uninstall fireforx once backed up your bookmarks, then run ccleaner then either mbam or spybot(which ever you have chosen, then reinstall FF.

And remember to install Adblocker too and whenever you download anything from anywhere scoure the page for any tickboxes which are already checked.

 

[Crossover]

Windows Activation Technologies as an add-in sounds a bit odd

I can't say I have ever come across it and my quick bit of Googling suggests it is a KB update, rather than an add-in.

My thought would be to ditch that - if it actually is MS, all they are doing is spying on you with it anyway, from what I can gather!

EDIT: I have just looked on my machine and don't have any such add-ins/plugins

 

[DownSouth]

Windows Activation Technologies as an add-in sounds a bit odd

I can't say I have ever come across it and my quick bit of Googling suggests it is a KB update, rather than an add-in.

My thought would be to ditch that - if it actually is MS, all they are doing is spying on you with it anyway, from what I can gather!

EDIT: I have just looked on my machine and don't have any such add-ins/plugins

I gather it is needed if you want to use a browser other than Internet Exploder to manage Windows updates and other Microsoft installation.

Probably better to just activate using IE at the start, then uninstall IE and add a third party browser.

Edit: the confusion is not helped by Moronsoft naming all their updates as KBxxxxx numbers!

 

[Heinz57]

Thanks chaps,

Windows activation has been disabled, and I've gone ahead and re-done Firefox too. So we will see what happens!

I'll keep you posted

 

[Heinz57]

Hi guys,

So its been quite a while now since I re-installed firefox, I also got rid of a few other things that weren't supposed to be there, and I can confirm that I haven't had the 'pop-ups' problem since.

Thanks for your help. Glad we got it sorted out!

Heinz