A question for the computer savvy

[grinningghost]

SOMETHING keeps changing my home page to an ad for internet privacy. It's very annoying. Not only does it keep getting changed, but now my CD-ROM drive keeps popping open whenever that stupid page comes up.

I go in and change the home page back to Yahoo, and a few minutes later, there's that stupid ad again. Have I been attacked by a virus?

 

[Lewski709]

Did you open an email that said something like.........check out the new drinkholder?

 

[Otto's Doll]

I would definetly run the virus protection program you have, just to see what might be going on.
If not, sometimes when you visit a site a pop up will come on, and ask if you want to change your home page. Could you be hitting okay instead of no?
Just some thoughts.

 

[WDWisTheBest]

I would run my virus protection software, if I were you.

 

[geffric]

my guess is that you got spammed...

 

[Alex]

Chances are that antivirus software will not pick up on this.
Try going to www.lavasoftusa.com and downloading their free ad-aware program, that often works for cases like this. Usually you can go in and edit a registry key to fix this but you should find someone that knows what they are doing, editing a registry incorrectly can permantely trash your puter.

 

[jfulcer]

You should also check out Spybot, which is a good companion to Adaware that Alex linked. There are things that Adaware finds that spybot doesn't and vice versa.

Spybot

 

[oogieboogie]

I think you got hijacked. Hijacking is a growing trend in line with spywares, adwares, etc. Hijacked computers are a little tougher to clean up. Spybot and adaware doesn't clean it up thoroughly.

Go to this site. It'll help you get rid of it. Unfortunately it means you have to do some manual labor on it.

http://www.spywareinfo.com/articles/hijacked/


Hope you can get rid of it.