Question on computers - getting rid of spy programs

[Lohman446]

Ok, rumor is that there may be a "spy" program that is extremely hard to find (the commercial ones wont) that hides itself in computers. I have reason to beleive someone has put this on mine. How do I tell if my computer is signing on and sending out packets of information by itself? How do I get rid of this, and any "folding" programs that may be there that I can't seem to find. Any ideas? I have run both Norton and Macaffee (sp) with no problems found, maybe I'm just paranoid, but even that doesn't mean there not out to get me

[bleachit]

got a firewall? like zonealarm?

it will monitor what is going in and whats going out. maybe thats a place to start? meh, not really sure otherwise. worth a shotI guess

[BobTheCow]

"Folding" program? Like... this?

I'd advise you to run Ad-Aware and Spybot S&D. These catch far more than your basic spyware junk, and will probably find a lot more crap than you'd expect, especially if you've never used either program before.

Could you maybe provide some more details as to exactly what you might think you have?

[Lohman446]

I should mention I do not have broadband, only dial up

Supposedly the "folding" program downloads information from some medical database, scans it, sorts it, and then uploads it. Which I totally don't understand and frankly would like to maximize my computer speed so I want it gone. However the person who put it there is the person who normally fixes my computer and insists its all for a good cause. I want it gone but cannot figure out how it runs in the background or get to it to get rid of it. yes, I think that one you have put up may be exactly the folding program.

I have also seen first hand a program he has running somewhere else that is a keystroke recorder. It uploads the information it collects every so often. I don't know if this is on mine or not, but am concerned that it may be there.

[BobTheCow]

Folding@Home is indeed a legit program. Any computer with the program installed, while idle, builds protein chains or something along those lines. It should only run while you're not using your machine for anything else, so you shouldn't experience any slowdown. It IS for a good cause. However, if you still want to be a cruel heartless bastard and kill blind deaf mute AIDS-infested crippled orphan children and kick a puppy too, you can just uninstall it like any other program. My Computer > Add/Remove Programs.

Although, it sounds like you're talking about a work computer or something that's run by a tech guy. In which case you may not have access to uninstalling the stuff they put there, in which case you're stuck with helping science... DAMN!

As for the keylogger, you may be in the same boat. I'd suggest just talking to the guy about it and voicing your concerns. (I don't really know how this keylogging business works, sorry)

e: Hmm, upon reading your reply again, it seems like this is a home computer, and the guy you're talking about just helps maintain it? If so, then I take back giving you crap about wanting F@H gone, he's got no right installing that crap on your own personal machine if you don't want it there. And ESPECIALLY not a keylogger. Hmm... so is it business or pleasure?

[Lohman446]

Folding@Home is indeed a legit program. Any computer with the program installed, while idle, builds protein chains or something along those lines. It should only run while you're not using your machine for anything else, so you shouldn't experience any slowdown. It IS for a good cause. However, if you still want to be a cruel heartless bastard and kill blind deaf mute AIDS-infested crippled orphan children and kick a puppy too, you can just uninstall it like any other program. My Computer > Add/Remove Programs.

Although, it sounds like you're talking about a work computer or something that's run by a tech guy. In which case you may not have access to uninstalling the stuff they put there, in which case you're stuck with helping science... DAMN!

As for the keylogger, you may be in the same boat. I'd suggest just talking to the guy about it and voicing your concerns. (I don't really know how this keylogging business works, sorry)

e: Hmm, upon reading your reply again, it seems like this is a home computer, and the guy you're talking about just helps maintain it? If so, then I take back giving you crap about wanting F@H gone, he's got no right installing that crap on your own personal machine if you don't want it there. And ESPECIALLY not a keylogger. Hmm... so is it business or pleasure?

This is my home computer, the work network is setup and maintained by a single person that I have full faith in. Frankly he has a key to the building and every employee has been told if he comes in and asks for all the cash in the drawers he can have it. Unfortunately its not the same person who handles my home computer. And the concerns I have are about my home computer. A keylogger, home or work is severe cause for alarm, though this one is home.

[BobTheCow]

This is my home computer, the work network is setup and maintained by a single person that I have full faith in. Frankly he has a key to the building and every employee has been told if he comes in and asks for all the cash in the drawers he can have it. Unfortunately its not the same person who handles my home computer. And the concerns I have are about my home computer. A keylogger, home or work is severe cause for alarm, though this one is home.

Home computer? That's crap, he's got no right dropping any of that on your personal machine. Have you tried looking through your add/remove programs list? The F@H should definitely be removable that way. The keylogger, like I said before, I know nothing about.

[RapidTransit]

There's a program that I forget what its called that detects any keyloggers, its run within the windows shell/kernel. It's not a search and delete tool it detects any type of legit or malicious keylogging


also if your using a spyware tool find out what the names are google it and remove manually its alot more thorough

Alot of spyware tools require you to reboot your pc to unload a DLL file so programs can be deleted, there's an easier way: regsvr32 /u <path>filename.dll it saves alot of time and trouble

[thecavemankevin]

the tools any broadband internet user should have running in a windows based environment (and i know you said you're dial up but in your case you should have them too) are:

Spybot, search and destroy
Ad-aware by Lavasoft
Microsofts anti-spy
Microsofts malicious software removal ap

these will detect many keyloggers (especially MS's antispyware)

Another very good program is clamav http://www.clamav.net/
it is a free antivirus program that looks for almost everything, not just virus's. It found 19 critical items (before i formated and rebuilt) after i ran a ton of antispy/virus programs. It finds trojans, keyloggers, tracking coockies viruses and many spyware programs.

If you need further advice i am pretty good when it comes to combating spyware, and i have plenty more resources too. But the above 5 programs are all free, updated regularly and do a very good job.

but like bob said, if you want to kick pupies you can simply delete the program in your control panel, add/remove programs.


***in the end, the only 100% sure way to kill a virus/spyware is to formate!!

[wad04]

renew your ip address?

go to the command prompt, type ipconfig /renew. or try using netstat

i'm not sure if that'll help

[Beemer]

in the end, the only 100% sure way to kill a virus/spyware is to formate!!

Well that just isnt true. Maybe for some but not 100%. Thats old school.

I didnt see it said or asked but what OS ya got lohman?

Peace Out

____________

[wad04]

as terrible as that is, reformatting sometimes is the only thing you can do. Actually, you should do it on a yearly basis if you want your system running smooth.

[RapidTransit]

Some spyware programs actually modify windows DLL's so reformating is the easiest and best way. Heres something that you should always do, separate programs etc by creating a separate partition for the OS makes formatting alot easier.

[thecavemankevin]

Well that just isnt true. Maybe for some but not 100%. Thats old school.

formating IS the only 100% guaranteed way. Even though your scanners may not return any results and say your system is clean, you very easily could still be infected.

Usually formating is not necessary, but if i have a clients computer that is severly bogged down, rather than waisting several hours and running up their costs i recomend format (after i back up their my docs etc....).

[nippinout]

Seriously, if you are using IE as your browser, that is the main problem.