Strange hidden "Downloading..."

Hi, new here, got a problem…

Every once in a while (every couple of minutes) a window titled “Downloading…” pops (in Windows, not browser), but it’s hidden, so you can only see it if you hit Alt+Tab. Actually, you can see it’s there, but if you try to “activate” it, nothing happens. It disappears after a second or two.

Does anybody know what that is??? It’s really annoying cause it takes focus from the application I work with every time. I even tried formatting my disk and reinstalling everything… and here it is again… installed Avast as soon as I got online.

PLEASE help! ???

It is possibly a trojan downloaded.

If you haven’t already got this software (freeware), download, install, update and run it, preferably in safe mode for item/s 1.

  1. Ewido, a.k.a. avg anti-spyware If using winXP. or a-Squared free if using win98/ME.
  2. Ad-Aware SE Personal Edition
  3. Spybot Search and Destroy

What is your firewall ?
Whilst the windows XP firewall is usually good at keeping your ports stealthed (hidden) it provides no outbound protection and you should consider a third party firewall.

Any malware that manages to get past your defences will have free reign to connect to the internet to either download more of the same, pass your personal data (sensitive or otherwise, user names, passwords, keylogger retrieved data, etc.) or open a backdoor to your computer, so outbound protection is essential.

Thanks for your reply.

I’ve already tried Ad-Aware and Spybot. Didn’t help. I’ll try the other two as well. Hope that solves my problem. If that doesn’t help, I’ll post a reply here… and hope someone can help…

As for Firewall, I have WinXP firewall on. I also have Avast on all the time, updated on regular basis… automatically…

Thanks once again!

Windows firewall doesn’t have out going protection. Anything on your computor has access to the internet. Try zone alarm, kierio,comodo,sygate. A search on this forum for firewall will return many results and links.

Thanks, but I’m afraid none of these helped. Not even Zone Alarm…

:slight_smile: Hi Mald :

 You MAY have a serious spyware problem, best handled by experienced, trained, volunteer
 Malware Experts usually found on antiSPYWARE Support Forums, such as the Ad-Aware
 oriented one at www.landzdown.com or the Spybot one at http://forums.spybot.info .
 They would want to see a "log" from the "HijackThis" program, therefore , download HijackThis© from:  www.thespykiller.co.uk/files/HJTsetup.exe . 

At the download prompt, choose “Save”.
Navigate to the saved file and double-click the installer, HJTsetup.exe.
HijackThis will be installed on your computer at C:\Program Files\HijackThis, making an entry in the start menu and also providing a desktop shortcut.
When the installation is complete, exit HijackThis.

Why not? Couldn’t you install it?
Maybe TCPView could give us a clue. But the better would be a good firewall log.
Did you use the programs suggested by David?

thanks, spiritsongs, did that. waiting for an answer :wink:

To Tech: I tried all of them. None of them reported any serious threats. Just found some cookies, that’s all. :frowning:

The only ‘solution’ I can guess is trying to install a new set of firewall rules since from the beginning.
Or you delete all your firewall rules or you install the firewall again and wait for a new request of that downloader program.
I suggest a rule firewall and not an application firewall like ZA.
For instance: Comodo or Kerio.

This is just for reference so we don’t end up duplicating or conflicting with each other

http://www.landzdown.com/index.php?PHPSESSID=e8cb1871c6ac24f05dc52ad92883c212&topic=14060.0