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The Computer
Helper |
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By Jay Dougherty In
recent weeks Internet Explorer 6 has been crashing periodically, giving me
the message “IExplorer.exe has generated an error.” I’ve determined that the
crashes happen when I’m working in forms online, typing messages in forums or
filling out requested information. I’ve installed or changed nothing on my
computer. Crashes
such as this can be caused by spyware or malware. But more specifically, they’re often caused by
ActiveX controls or add-ons to browsers that may have been installed with or
without your knowledge. Spyware and malware can fit into this category. First, download,
install, and run a free spyware removal tool such
as Ad-Aware (http://www.lavasoftusa.com). There’s no point in taking further
steps until you know you’ve taken some effort to rid your PC of malware, which can cause such issues. If this
doesn’t solve the problem, pare back any changes you’ve made — or allowed to
be made — to Internet Explorer or another browser on your system. Such
changes would include the installation of toolbars, integrated stock tickers
or weather modules, search features tied to the browser, and so on. Finally,
make sure that your browser has been updated with the latest patches and
security fixes. Sometimes as a last resort, a complete reinstallation of the
browser itself can help. You can generally find the full installation files
for any browser by visiting the browser maker’s Web page. Every
time I launch my browser, dozens of browser windows pop up, and then one
appears that advertises a spyware removal tool. When
these windows open, my system slows to a crawl, and the entire computer is
rendered unusable unless I manage to close all the windows. I tried using
several spyware removal tools, but nothing worked. Any
ideas? Your
computer has been infected with what’s known as a browser hijacker. The
simplest of these hijackers changes the page that your browser displays upon startup. The motive is transparent: someone wants you to
see the page to which you’re being directed. Simply going into the options
menu of your browser and setting the page back can fix this type of browser
hijacking. But the more pernicious browser hijackers change settings in your
Windows registry, settings which enable the browser to spawn multiple
instances of browser windows of all sizes — and it can all happen so quickly
that your computer is effectively disabled. Your
best hope of removing such severe cases of browser hijacking is to download
and use the following adware removal software: Spybot S&D (http://www.safer-networking.org),
Ad-Aware (http://www.lavasoftusa.com), and SpySweeper
(http://www.webroot.com). Each of these products has its strengths and
weaknesses, and each may find spyware that the
others miss. If none of these programs works and you feel you’re a fairly
advanced computer user, try downloading Hijack This from
(http://www.spywareinfo.com/~merijn/programs.php), but be sure to read the
tutorial and the user forum before deleting anything with the program. Hijack
This will list for you every search and start page setting on your system,
and you can use the tool to delete any entry that you have not specified
yourself. As a last resort, you may need to reinstall your browser or use the
windows system restore utility to roll your PC back to a previous, working
state. System restore is located in the start menu under programs,
accessories and system tools. Once system restore is open, you can click
“Restore my computer to an earlier time,” and click Next to follow the
instructions. I use
my Windows computer for online banking and credit card management. I’m very
concerned about the reports I read regarding financial and identity theft
online. How can I be sure my computer is protected? To be as
sure as possible that any computer on which you have sensitive financial data
has not and will not be compromised, you’ll need to enlist the help of
real-time anti-spyware software. One of the
important differences between the free anti-spyware
packages such as Ad-Aware and those that cost money is the real-time
monitoring that goes on constantly in the background. Free scanners are
on-demand products, meaning that they run only when you ask them to. Lots of spyware can infect your computer when you’re not thinking
about it. So constant, behind-the-scenes monitoring makes sense. Ad-Aware Pro
and Spy Sweeper are highly regarded products that offer real-time monitoring. Also
consider upgrading your operating system to Windows Vista if you haven’t
already. One of the primary advantages of |
30/06/2007