Help!!

system · 2008-02-11T18:45:39.000Z

revanelist, I hope that I got that right!!

I have no firewall, I have a desktop computer… compaq presario. of course ME. and dial up connection. I have uninstalled ppal as instructed to do from peoplepc… they thought that was the reason I was being blocked in trying to get my windows updates… security and otherwise… but uninstalling ppal, did not help at all… still getting blocked.

system · 2008-02-11T18:56:21.000Z

uberrevangelist,
If I understand this correctly; the two files that you mentioned are connected to people pc?? What do I do next? I am so upset by this whole mess… I just want to throw the computer. walking away from the computer is the only thing saving it so far!!

If you or philly 12 have any instructions as to what I should do next… I am willing to give it a try… and I completely beg your pardon in advance for the undue torture that this may pose on you!!

system · 2008-02-11T19:22:21.000Z

people pc’s smart dialer is considered to be a type of adware itself so i wouldnt invest much in their opinion. You should probably get a firewall for your computer. Maybe try zone alarm free edition. Microsoft no longer supports windows ME and will not make any new updates for it.

Here is some quotes from wikipedia:
“Along with Windows 98 and Windows 98 SE, Microsoft discontinued support for Windows Me on July 11, 2006. Microsoft no longer provides any phone support or security updates for these products because Microsoft considers them obsolete.”

“Dan Tynan called it (windows ME) “Mistake Edition” in the PC World article ‘Top 25 Worst Tech Products’.[9] He declared Windows Me the fourth-“Worst Tech Product of All Time” (after AOL, RealPlayer, and Syncronys SoftRAM) because of various technical issues and bugs.” - i had a windows ME computer and i agree

The only support Microsoft gives for windows ME is here:http://support.microsoft.com/ph/6519
(dont expect much)

Seeing that you also have adware on your computer doesn’t make things any easier. I hated my windows ME computer and it was nothing but problems. Have you considered buying a new computer? If you are short on money, there are illegal ways to upgrade your computer to windows xp but i’m not going to get into that on this forum unless u are really interested (and desperate).

system · 2008-02-11T19:46:48.000Z

i want to also help your computer run a little better and clean some probable junk files that you have. A program called ccleaner works with windows ME (i checked). Once you download it, clean ur hard drive and also click the registry tab and scan/fix the registry issues. This may help you somewhat.

system · 2008-02-11T19:52:55.000Z

could you explain more about this: “Now I cannot seem to get my windows updates. Everytime I click on download updates… something is blocking the downloads. I get a message in lower message bar saying “pop up window has been blocked”, and this is after I have disabled Avast.”

Some types of adware will block window’s updates. What type of popup is it? could you take a picture using a screen capture device? If you cant, would it be possible to take a picture with a digital camera and upload the picture? Maybe just a good description of the the message would help.

system · 2008-02-11T20:48:48.000Z

Philly12,
I have CCleaner on computer… I will try that. also, I downloadedutilities tuneup2008… I got that bit of info from this forum… anyway… I dont have a clue as to how to capture pic you are talking about.

and by the way Im really really interested and really really desperate!!! :'(I think my email addy is listed on profile… if not I can get it to you.

Thank you Thank you Thank you!! you dont know how much this means to me… I have been having problems for several months… and simply put off doing a recovery on this #$@! puter!! Because I have dial up… and it takes hours to do simple functions… or what should be simple!

Im going to see if I can explain this more clearly than before… but it just may turn out to sound the same…

I log on to windows update site… I click on scan for updates… the updates appear… 24 ,9, and 1 update for driver… I click on updates to download,… and then my screen blinks… I get a beep sound… in bottom message bar… exact wordage is" A pop up window was blocked." Im sorry that is all I can tell you… except when I downloaded internet explorer (6) to my desktop… just today… when ever I try to open this…I get a brief flash of a black box… and it will not open. I get the same beep sound… and screen blinks.

I am a desperate computer dummy… I know how to navigate the simplest and easiest things… I dont know what regular termenology is… for those that are more computer literate… and if you know anything about Stephanie Plum… the walking disaster… I am her double or maybe shadow… !!
will wait to hear back from you. Thanks a million…

system · 2008-02-11T20:56:14.000Z

ps Ok… I dont know if you have to have a specific vesion of CCleaner or not… Ilooked on it to find how to clean hard drive… and I didnt see any place where hard drive was listed. I am still checking that out… will do the registry clean tho… am looking into downloading other software to help…

DavidR · 2008-02-11T21:14:41.000Z

Run hijackthis again and if even after uninstalling the PPL stuff the entries are still there FIX them, tick the check box beside them and click FIX Selected, before you do that close anyother open windows.

Leave the entries related to the compac, but fix the others, under the Fix: in my previous post and then run HJT again and post the contents of the new log…

system · 2008-02-11T21:27:00.000Z

Hi Sabrina :

 I use a Dial-Up Internet Connection and several yrs ago I used PeoplePC for a
 very short time . Many people complain about them & it would be wise to find
 a different Internet Service Provider. It is recommended that Spybot's
"TeaTimer" programming be temporarily "disabled" while removing any "malware".
 Therefore, I recommend you ask for help on THEIR Support Forums at
 http://forums.spybot.info/  where there are many very skilled Volunteers .
 I assume that once you wipe the ME off your computer, Microsoft will NOT
 download any of THEIR "Updates" AFTER you reinstall it !?

system · 2008-02-12T02:17:58.000Z

Hey sabrina, i sent you a private avast message so look near the top of the screen and click my messages and give me a response.

You said that windows update is able to list the downloads but not let you download them. If you are really wanting to get those downloads they can probably all be manually found somewhere on the internet and i will help you find them if you list them all (see if you can see a number that starts with K and has many other numbers after it…such as K2549343 or something like that. This is microsoft’s own update number and it would really help in finding your updates manually.)

All the adware that the avast users mentioned isnt necessarily adware (except possibly the O4 - HKUS.DEFAULT..\RunOnce: [QRIA] (User ‘Default user’) but we dont know what this is yet). The “adware” that we found are parts of peoplepc, and by definition these things are adware. Peoplepc is an awful company in my opinion because they are installing files on thousands of computers with adware properties. Also, if you decide to go with another ISP (internet service provider), MAKE SURE you are not continually being charged by people pc. I have read many complaints by people who were continually charged on their credit card after trying to switch to another ISP.

And BTW, the cleaner tab in ccleaner is the one that removes things from your hard drive (i guess i could have explained that better). Just analyse it first and then hit run cleaner.

system · 2008-02-12T11:08:07.000Z

Uberevangelist,
Yes I have a compaq presario desktop computer. I have not tried what you suggested yet. Till I told you that I do have the compaq. Do I still need to fix what you told me about in previous reply? I want to make sure that is what I should do, beofore I do it.

Philly 12, still thinking.

system · 2008-02-12T15:55:28.000Z

No sabrina, i wouldnt fix any of what he said except maybe O4 - HKUS.DEFAULT..\RunOnce: [QRIA] (User ‘Default user’) . Definitely don’t fix the compaq items or you may not be able to run your comp. Also, don’t fix the people pc problems yet because you may not be able to access the internet after you do. There may be some entries that don’t affect the overall operation of people pc or compaq, but i’m not sure if there are. An avast admin will have to clarify which entries are okay to fix without messing up your ability to access the internet.

You see, the main problem is that many computer professionals view people pc items as adware, and it does have adware properties (such as it’s smart dialer and it also has an ad rotator). But you are using it as your ISP, so disabling it or removing it would also take away your ability to access the internet.

DavidR · 2008-02-12T16:07:10.000Z

We don’t stand on ceremony here, it is just David.

Yes don’t touch the entries relating to the compac, if you didn’t have a compac then t would have been different.

In this post, http://forum.avast.com/index.php?topic=33232.msg277539#msg277539 there is a line with just Fix: on it, so fix all the entries below that line.

The only exception possibly being leave this alone, for the time being, but there is no such registry entry entry in my XP Pro system.

Unknown, suspect.
O4 - HKUS.DEFAULT..\RunOnce: [QRIA] (User ‘Default user’)

system · 2008-02-12T16:18:13.000Z

DavidR post:20:

In this post, http://forum.avast.com/index.php?topic=33232.msg277539#msg277539 there is a line with just Fix: on it, so fix all the entries below that line.

Um david, these are all parts of people pc (i know they are adware as well). Couldn’t this make her ISP not work?

system · 2008-02-13T10:43:24.000Z

David R and Philly 12, Wednesday

I have had some success!! I deleted one file …(trying one file at a time, to find out for sure which one was causing the problem) using the Hijack this fix.

The problem was connected to yahoo tool bar. I am going to do another scan and post it on here again.If you could look thru this and tell me what you think might be suspect… so that I could delete them too, that would be great!! And I do have a Compaq desktop computer…

I thank you both so very much, for every suggestion, idea, and lead in the right direction to be able to get my updates from windows updates. I am still experiencing some other problems… but I am trying to address each issue, one at a time. And I keep in mind that I do have this stupid Mistake Edition computer… and will probably always have problems.

Philly 12, am looking into suggestion…Im going to see if I can find out if my computer has enough to be able to even think about it.?? Will get back with you on this… soon.

Thanks again!! I would have been very definitely throwing this computer and stomping all over it if it wasnt for your help, both of you!!

system · 2008-02-13T10:51:21.000Z

PS… I didnt fix anything related to peoplepc… as I dont want to lose any internet connection… thanks for the heads up… Philly 12!! I just fixed the one thing… having to do with the yahoo tool bar… I will do another scan… like I mentioned earlier… and post it here.

If there is anything else that needs addressing… you can let me know… but for now… just being able to get my updates… was a very real and wonderful accommplishment… that I couldnt have done with out you!! So very happy on this end!! (And I didnt blow up my computer either!! ) :o

system · 2008-02-13T11:08:22.000Z

So sorry!! I am a do dah head… Im new to this forum … and still dont know how to navigate this site! I just got to the second page… and yes Philly I saw your message… how do you send a message to just one person?? like you for instance… I clicked “my messages” but couldnt find anywhere to put response… please have patience with me!! Im trying to learn as much as possible before it all drains back out of my brain!!

system · 2008-02-13T11:12:52.000Z

sabrina with new scan of my mistake edition…

system · 2008-02-13T16:10:39.000Z

Sabrina -

You can reply to Philly’s message by reading it and then looking at the top right of his message. There you will find 3 buttons … Quote, Reply, & Remove. You can click on either of the first 2 … Quote or Reply … and a reply message box will open for you to make a reply. Using Quote will include Philly’s message to you in your reply.

DavidR · 2008-02-13T16:22:56.000Z

philly12 post:21:

DavidR post:20:

In this post, http://forum.avast.com/index.php?topic=33232.msg277539#msg277539 there is a line with just Fix: on it, so fix all the entries below that line.

Um david, these are all parts of people pc (i know they are adware as well). Couldn’t this make her ISP not work?

There doesn’t seem to be anything there that is related to LSP or connection, just a start page and if my ISP insisted I used their start page or search assistant, I would tell them where to go. I also see no reason to run an uninstall file either and none of those I believe would have anything to do with the internet connection.

Fix: O2 - BHO: (no name) - {A8FB8EB3-183B-4598-924D-86F0E5E37085} - (no file) R3 - URLSearchHook: (no name) - {A8FB8EB3-183B-4598-924D-86F0E5E37085} - (no file) These are considered adware, see http://vil.nai.com/vil/Content/v_136377.htm.
These by implication to the above might also be adware.
R0 - HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Start Page = http://home.peoplepc.com/websearch
R0 - HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Search,SearchAssistant = http://home.peoplepc.com/search

I see no reason why a supposed uninstall file needs to run on boot once or otherwise. Suspect as it seems related to the O2 - BHO and R3 entry above.
O4 - HKLM..\RunOnce: [PPalUninstal] C:\WINDOWS\TEMP\ppaluninst.exe

That is my take on it and the choice is Sabrina’s to do what she feels happy with.

See http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/tutorials/tutorial42.html#RDiag.

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