Windows keep closing on there own

[Mahdi]

Just turned n my computer and my IE windows keep closing on there own.  Little help?

[Mahdi]

A thing just popped up saying it's Microsoft Internet Explorer with the message:

Notice:  If your computer has errors in the registry blah blah blah might cause freezes blah blah blah click here to install windows fixer 2005 for free (recommended)

Should I do it or is this some kind of trick?

[Andrew]

Firefox?

Google only provided me with

http://windowsxp.mvps.org/IEFIX.htm

Actually I found a winfixer download page, looks good. Might work. Dunno

[erjin999]

*Never* install programs that popup by themselves.

It might have caused the problem, or at the least, it walked in uninvited (quite rude, dont you agree ?).

Download:

Spybot search & Destroy

Ad-aware

Update both, and run full scans, then use the resident protection in spybot. Becuase you mentioned the program poping up, I imagine it will turn out to be spyware. Specifically, run the "browser helper" part of Spybot. Look for programs that are embedded into your browser.

Thats the minimium, also you can run a full virus scan Trend Online Scan and repair

[Gobalopper]

Windows XP? ;)

[Mahdi]

Ok, windows arn't closing anymroe but I'm getting pop-ups occasionally, and now words or phrases on my page are highlighted and underlined....

[erjin999]

DEfinately Spyware/adware. I have read about one that does exactly what you seem to have, but I'd be buggered if I can remember the name. It highlights the words on normal pages you view, turning them into ads...

Did the two spyware removers work ? Have you tried them ?

[Mahdi]

I used the trend link you gave.

[gryphon]

If I am correct both Spybot and Microsoft Anti-Spyware have the option to reset all IE settings and keep them from being changed by 3th party software. You might want to try that. :)

[GhostHunter]

Yet again, Microsoft Antispyware comes to kick ass.

[Mahdi]

The microsoft anti-spyware seemed to do the trick.

Thanks everybody! 

[Dragoon Knight]

Be careful with Microsoft Anti-Spyware... it treats Messenger Plus as a malicious program and tries to stop you using it / un-install it. :O

[gryphon]

be carefull how you judge programms. . you are basically saying...

"don't use antivirus software, every now and again they quarentine or delete a file which has something they call a virus or so in it."

MS anti spyware is an anti spyware programm. You can't blame it if it really reports malissious programms. ...

[erjin999]

WE dont, but Msgr plus! isnt spyware.

[gryphon]

so. . you install a programm which allows you to save, record or adjust (messenger) settings from another programm. . and that is not considered spyware ?

the definition of spyware can be verry subjective .. take for example the Novell client for Windows. . which isn't spyware. Although it does capture the login credentials before Windows does. Seems like a form of spyware stricktly put.

No software is perfect. Viri get passed antivirus software and mallicious programms might be mistaken for a normal word document. . .or you might get a warning something is spyware when you think it's not. ... ;)

I personally have Windows or any MS software warn me 10 times to often, then 1 time to less..

[erjin999]

so. . you install a programm which allows you to save, record or adjust (messenger) settings from another programm. . and that is not considered spyware ?

No. Simple answer.

Is TweakUI spyware ? By your definition it is. It lets you tweak windows reg settings that you cannot normally tweak.So it changes the settings of another program.  Yet M$ dont copnsider it as such, and it was being (when I last checked) offered as a download.

Spyware is any malicious file that spy's on you. Hence the spy part of the name ;). There are other types of programs with different names, I am no expert on those. But Msgr plus spyware ? hehe !

Try it out, its actually very good. Also, get the A-Patch plugin or something by that name, lets you get rid of ads in version 7.