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05/25/2005 06:23:07 PM · #1 |
Hi,
On behalf of my husband I am asking for urgent help from anyone computer people out there -
My husband just his laptop in the shop and they found many spywares and removed them $150 charge and told him to switch from McAffee to Norton firewall/spyware/virus program.
Now suddenly something is causing a problem - the error message is:
Error message 1001 - Unknown control - Alexa command. My husband is trying to get Alexa on the phone - it seems to have TAKEN CONTROL OF HIS COMPUTER.... We are panicking here - can anybody help?????
P.s. he needs his computer for work so this is really important - anybody have this happen to them and if so do you know what to do????
update: he got alexa on the phone and they said it is nothing to do with them, it is someone imitating them and just re-run spyware program (he already did that). Can anyone help more than this? Thanks!!!!!!!!!!!
Thank you!!!!!!!!!!
UPDATE::::::: my husband removed his toolbar, put back in and seems to have fixed the problem. Thank you for looking though. Don't know how to remove this post, if you do please remove it so I don't waste anyone's time. Thanks.........
Message edited by author 2005-05-25 18:26:54.
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05/25/2005 06:31:50 PM · #2 |
Just an FYI about Alexa; they ARE a search service that tracks searches, but they DO NOT install spyware or adware on your computer. I have had the Alexa toolbar on both of my computers for 2 years and have never had a problem.
Was the computer company able to remove ALL of the spyware/adware? |
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05/25/2005 06:35:49 PM · #3 |
sounds like there is somethig serious . I will point you to this site
Short Media Forums
I have gotten great help from these guys. Register, READ and follow the site/forum rules and they will help you find/fix the problem. Once registered on the site you will need to download the Hijackthis program (only get it from this site)
also I HIGHLY recommend downloading, installing and updating the following programs
spybot Search and Destroy
Adaware SE
go to the windows web site and search for any updates
also I recommend this free online scanner
Panda Active Scan
If you have Windows XP, get their anti-spyware download also
Good Luck
James |
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05/25/2005 06:38:22 PM · #4 |
looks like you posted an update while I was gathering links for you.
any way I STILL recommend doing what I posted, for EVERYONE
James |
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05/25/2005 06:42:55 PM · #5 |
Thanks for the responses! It's good to know Alexa is alright. Also I will pass along your advise to the site and download the windows xp anti spyware info to my husband. It is quite possible they did not find everything on his computer. (they did find an aweful lot - it's scary!). Thanks alot!!!!!
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05/25/2005 06:50:55 PM · #6 |
Originally posted by lhall:
Just an FYI about Alexa; they ARE a search service that tracks searches, but they DO NOT install spyware or adware on your computer. I have had the Alexa toolbar on both of my computers for 2 years and have never had a problem.
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Alexa doesn't need to install spyware, it IS spyware and considered to be so by most spyware/virus removal tools.
From the first two paragraphs of their privacy policy (sorry for the annoying caps, that's how they post it):
ALEXA'S TOOLBAR SERVICE COLLECTS AND STORES INFORMATION ABOUT THE WEB PAGES YOU VIEW, THE DATA YOU ENTER IN ONLINE FORMS AND SEARCH FIELDS, AND, WITH VERSIONS 5.0 AND HIGHER, THE PRODUCTS YOU PURCHASE ONLINE WHILE USING THE TOOLBAR SERVICE. ALTHOUGH ALEXA DOES NOT ATTEMPT TO ANALYZE WEB USAGE DATA TO DETERMINE THE IDENTITY OF ANY ALEXA USER, SOME INFORMATION COLLECTED BY THE TOOLBAR SERVICE IS PERSONALLY IDENTIFIABLE. ALEXA AGGREGATES AND ANALYZES THE INFORMATION IT COLLECTS TO IMPROVE ITS SERVICE AND TO PREPARE REPORTS ABOUT AGGREGATE WEB USAGE AND SHOPPING HABITS.
IN ADDITION, WHEN YOU PERFORM SEARCHES USING THE SEARCH FUNCTION AVAILABLE ON ALEXA'S TOOLBAR SERVICE SOFTWARE VERSION 6.5 AND HIGHER OR ON THE ALEXA WEBSITE, YOU OFTEN WILL BE TAKEN TO A WEBSITE DETAIL PAGE AT AMAZON.COM. IF YOU HAVE AN ACCOUNT ON AMAZON.COM AND AN AMAZON.COM COOKIE ENABLED, YOUR SEARCH RESULTS WILL BE TRANSMITTED TO AND LOGGED BY AMAZON.COM AND MAY BE CORRELATED BY AMAZON.COM WITH ANY PERSONALLY IDENTIFIABLE INFORMATION YOU MAY HAVE PREVIOUSLY PROVIDED TO AMAZON.COM. |
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05/25/2005 07:02:53 PM · #7 |
Originally posted by BJ:
My husband just his laptop in the shop and they found many spywares and removed them $150 charge and told him to switch from McAffee to Norton firewall/spyware/virus program. |
Even if the problem is fixed, your real problem lies now in the hands of norton. One of the worst virus/spyware protection there is.
//www.Avast.com - Free home use virus protection.
//www.download.com for Spybot and Ad-Aware. Both free.
I worked at a computer shop for a while where we repaired pcs and removed the bad stuff ;-) We used avast to clean norton and get the comptures to work again.
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05/25/2005 07:04:59 PM · #8 |
Originally posted by mk:
Originally posted by lhall:
Just an FYI about Alexa; they ARE a search service that tracks searches, but they DO NOT install spyware or adware on your computer. I have had the Alexa toolbar on both of my computers for 2 years and have never had a problem.
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Alexa doesn't need to install spyware, it IS spyware and considered to be so by most spyware/virus removal tools. |
Very true, but the problem can exsist when a program (adware) is designed to use the Alexa soft to exploit your computer. Then you end up with a Trojan effect with spyware. Unfortunately it can be very difficult to remove or impossible to remove Alexa, because it comes with Windows XP components.
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05/25/2005 07:17:47 PM · #9 |
Originally posted by dpakoh:
Originally posted by mk:
Originally posted by lhall:
Just an FYI about Alexa; they ARE a search service that tracks searches, but they DO NOT install spyware or adware on your computer. I have had the Alexa toolbar on both of my computers for 2 years and have never had a problem.
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Alexa doesn't need to install spyware, it IS spyware and considered to be so by most spyware/virus removal tools. |
Very true, but the problem can exsist when a program (adware) is designed to use the Alexa soft to exploit your computer. Then you end up with a Trojan effect with spyware. Unfortunately it can be very difficult to remove or impossible to remove Alexa, because it comes with Windows XP components. |
The Alexa search service is a default used by Windows/IE, just as he says above.
I know many people who use Alexa, and understand the terms - that it collects data; but I do not consider it to be a "malicious" spyware/adware, and it does not download malicious programs to your computer as many people seem to think.
I use Alexa almost daily, and use it with Firefox, and have never had any kind of problem with it.
As with anything online, you need to be sure you understand what you're getting into before using it. I use Alexa for business, and I accept what it does, I guess that's what it boils down to.
Message edited by author 2005-05-25 19:19:21. |
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05/25/2005 07:51:45 PM · #10 |
Originally posted by dpakoh:
Originally posted by mk:
Originally posted by lhall:
Just an FYI about Alexa; they ARE a search service that tracks searches, but they DO NOT install spyware or adware on your computer. I have had the Alexa toolbar on both of my computers for 2 years and have never had a problem.
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Alexa doesn't need to install spyware, it IS spyware and considered to be so by most spyware/virus removal tools. |
Very true, but the problem can exsist when a program (adware) is designed to use the Alexa soft to exploit your computer. Then you end up with a Trojan effect with spyware. Unfortunately it can be very difficult to remove or impossible to remove Alexa, because it comes with Windows XP components. |
Huh... Microsoft uses a lot of others peoples stuff for example Giant Softwares anti-spyware software which MS has tweaked and is now passing off Their beta Anti-Spyware.
Alexa is not one of them it is not a component of Windows XP...
Most BHO's (browser helper objects) appear harmless but all are collecting and passing info along. Read the fine print in Alexa's EULA they even state that they may (unintentially) collect personally identifiable information about you when you type that into forms on pages that you may visit. Now that makes me feel dandy.
None of these toolbars (BHO's) are considered spyware once you click "YES" or "I Agree" on their EULA's...If you don't read all that mumbo jumbo they throw at you, it is not their fault.
All of em are trackers. Names, IP's, Domains, eMail Addresses (some the fine print you are allowing them to look into your address book)...browsing habits...pick your poison.
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05/25/2005 08:02:38 PM · #11 |
Ad-aware will remove the alexa component from Windows xp.
The paragraphs mk has quoted in caps is practically a definition of spyware. And the presence of the alexa components in xp make it very easy for the trojans to get in, as dpakoh has alluded to. I urge anyone running Alexa, or who has not removed the alexa components from xp, to rethink their approach to computer security. Even if you don't care about everybody in the world having access to every bit of info on your computer, you could unknowingly be enabling the spread of malicious programs that will harm other computer users.
And if there is anyone out there not using a firewall, get ZoneAlarms now. It's free and it works very well. The firewall in xp is not enough because it does not monitor outgoing traffic.
Want to know how secure your computer really is against unwanted intrusions? Go to Gibson Research and click on LeakTest, it's about two thirds of the way down the page. Lot's of great info about security on that site. And all of Steve Gibson's security aids are free.
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05/25/2005 09:04:54 PM · #12 |
In all fairness, I stand corrected. MSN used the Alexa engine for their related sites link on their site in the past. They would pass information on to ALEXA to gather related search information. It was installed as part of IE6 or the SP for IE6.
But the Alexa Toolbar and the Alexa engine that MS uses is two different animals (not by much).
ED: Also Microsoft implemented components (nothing more than a redirect) for Alexa are removed from your system when an XP system is upgraded to SP2. They must have had a falling out.
Message edited by author 2005-05-25 21:24:40.
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