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Annoying little links

Discussion in 'Techno-Magic' started by Jaguar, Nov 26, 2004.

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  1. Jaguar Gems: 27/31
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    Remove all ads!
    Lately, I have been having a problem with links. The problem is that they shouldn't be there. Something is causing certain words on websites to become links.

    For example, here on SP, the word 'Game' in my name above my avatar is a link, as are the words register, music, download, HTML, ect. And this is on all sites. When I hold my mouse above said links, it usually appears as 'Best whatever', where 'whatever' is the word that has become a link. (Hell, half the words in this post appear to me as green underlined links)

    Now I have tried Ad-aware, as well as my internet provider's adware program, and have also run a virus scan, but I still have those links. Anybody have any ideas?
     
    Jaguar, Nov 26, 2004
    #1

  2. teekc Gems: 23/31
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    a bit curiosity here, where are those links pointed to?
     
    teekc, Nov 26, 2004
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  3. Jaguar Gems: 27/31
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    Some site called toolbardesktoptraffic.net. From there, they redirect to more specific pages, like virus scanners, how to remove adware (cocky little buggers), ect.

    Quite annoying actually, as it is slows down my page load time in order to search for words to use as links.
     
    Jaguar, Nov 26, 2004
    #3
  4. Kitrax

    Kitrax Pantaloons are supposed to go where!?!?

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    Sounds like a trogan or a virus is on your PC that's altering the web sites that you go to.

    If I were you (and I'm quite glad that I'm not ;) :p :D ) I would get either Ad-Aware, Spy Sweeper, or both; some sort of virus scanner; and the Zone Alarm firewall. The I'd check for updates of all the afore mentioned software, install them, and then scan my computer until the cows come home! :rolling:
     
    Kitrax, Nov 26, 2004
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  5. Rednik Gems: 21/31
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    Are you using IE?
     
    Rednik, Nov 26, 2004
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  6. Takara

    Takara My goodness! I see turnips everywhere

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    If it isnt being picked up by a virus scanner, it could be imbeded in your browser. If I even open up IE these days, I get all sorts of infections. I think the files have been infected. Dont get picked up though. You might want to install a new web browser.
     
    Takara, Nov 26, 2004
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  7. Jaguar Gems: 27/31
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    Well, it hasn't been picked up by two scanners and a virus checker, all fully updated, and nothing has worked.

    I do have IE, but I have never had a problem like this before. Is there any less drastic approaches?
     
    Jaguar, Nov 26, 2004
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  8. Kitrax

    Kitrax Pantaloons are supposed to go where!?!?

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    Re-install windows and stay away from any web sites that you might question the integrity of...SP not being one of them of course!

    But that seems to be a more drastic approach...for a less drastic one, try waiting a while. The longer a nasty peice of trojan software is out there, the better the chances of anti-virus/anti-adware companies taking notice and adding the fix to their software. :rolling:
     
    Kitrax, Nov 26, 2004
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  9. Rednik Gems: 21/31
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    There's a simple answer: Don't use IE.

    www.getfirefox.com

    [ November 26, 2004, 11:05: Message edited by: Rednik ]
     
    Rednik, Nov 26, 2004
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  10. Taza

    Taza Weird Modmaker Veteran

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    Well, enjoy... thanks to the new exploits, even SP isn't safe anymore. That is some kinda 'smart' links, uninstall any IE 'extensions' you got?

    And change to Firefox or you'll be having more and more of them. IE the swiss cheese browser. :p
     
    Taza, Nov 26, 2004
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  11. Wordplay Gems: 29/31
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    Ad-aware + Spybot S&D, as a recent article has proved that those kind of tools are rather louzy in finding pests (Ad-a found 80 out of 150, and Spybot only 40).

    Really, get as far as you can from IE. I would uninstall that piece of crap if I could, but since M$ has integrated it too tightly to Win2k... :nolike:
     
    Wordplay, Nov 26, 2004
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  12. Morgoth

    Morgoth La lune ne garde aucune rancune Veteran

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    If you are thinking thet Firefox makes you immune to virii, remember that FireFox uses Windows libraries and therefor was as powerless against the JPEG exploit.
     
    Morgoth, Nov 26, 2004
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  13. Takara

    Takara My goodness! I see turnips everywhere

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    I dont believe there is such a thing as an impregnable browser. Firefox is good, but it certainly wont be totally immune. That said, it does cut down on a hell of a lot. And as has been mentioned... IE has more holes in it than swiss cheese.
     
    Takara, Nov 26, 2004
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  14. Morgoth

    Morgoth La lune ne garde aucune rancune Veteran

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    Funny you mention the holes in IE, Firefox is build on the same engine as IE and while it batters down some obvious holes, most of lethal holes in IE can also be found in Firefox
     
    Morgoth, Nov 26, 2004
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  15. Rednik Gems: 21/31
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    I thought Firefox is built on netscape navigator while IE is still based on Mosiac?
     
    Rednik, Nov 26, 2004
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  16. Morgoth

    Morgoth La lune ne garde aucune rancune Veteran

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    Correct, but Netscape is too based on Mosaic
     
    Morgoth, Nov 27, 2004
    #16
  17. Taluntain

    Taluntain Resident Alpha and Omega Staff Member ★ SPS Account Holder Resourceful Adored Veteran Pillars of Eternity SP Immortalizer (for helping immortalize Sorcerer's Place in the game!) New Server Contributor [2012] (for helping Sorcerer's Place lease a new, more powerful server!) Torment: Tides of Numenera SP Immortalizer (for helping immortalize Sorcerer's Place in the game!) BoM XenForo Migration Contributor [2015] (for helping support the migration to new forum software!)

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    It's only safety through obscurity with Firefox, not because it actually were a safer browser. Most exploits are written only for IE because that's what most people use, but that doesn't mean Firefox couldn't be exploited if anyone bothered to do it.

    Jaguar, I recommend you uninstall IE completely and download the latest version and install it again.
     
    Taluntain, Nov 27, 2004
    #17
  18. Kitrax

    Kitrax Pantaloons are supposed to go where!?!?

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    You can do that? I thought that M$ had IE so intwined with the Windows OS that uninstalling it is not an option...now upgrading IE is another story... :rolling:
     
    Kitrax, Nov 27, 2004
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  19. Jaguar Gems: 27/31
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    Well, I will try what Tal suggested. But if I don't come back, you all know why.


    -EDIT-

    Uh, anyone know how to remove IE from WinXP?

    [ November 28, 2004, 07:19: Message edited by: Jaguar ]
     
    Jaguar, Nov 28, 2004
    #19
  20. Taluntain

    Taluntain Resident Alpha and Omega Staff Member ★ SPS Account Holder Resourceful Adored Veteran Pillars of Eternity SP Immortalizer (for helping immortalize Sorcerer's Place in the game!) New Server Contributor [2012] (for helping Sorcerer's Place lease a new, more powerful server!) Torment: Tides of Numenera SP Immortalizer (for helping immortalize Sorcerer's Place in the game!) BoM XenForo Migration Contributor [2015] (for helping support the migration to new forum software!)

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    Go to Add or Remove Programs in the Control Panel and click on the Add/Remove Windows Components button. You can select IE from there. Also, make sure to empty all temp dirs from IE and Windows before reinstalling - such malware usually nests itself in temp directories.
     
    Taluntain, Nov 28, 2004
    #20
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