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Critical errors message
Posted: Mon May 01, 2006 1:30 pm
by Fiberfar
I've gotten this quite a few times now. When I open an internet page (Gamebanshee or others), I sometimes get a message that there has been descovered a number of critical errors on my computer. All I have to do is to install a program that allows it to check the computer for more errors and remove them. Of course any anti-whatever I have on the computer blocks it as something best kept away from the computer.
Any ideas how to get rid of this annoying thing? It don't do anything except sizing my internet window to the smallest proportions.
Posted: Mon May 01, 2006 1:47 pm
by dragon wench
Are you using IE by any chance? I used to get that a lot before switching to Opera and Firefox.
You might want to consider switching browsers if this is the case....
Posted: Mon May 01, 2006 3:36 pm
by DaemonJ
What you are describing is a typical pop-up that is designed to either sell software (rarely) or put a virus or worm (usually the case) on your system.
You will need to enable a pop-up blocker either by using the one in Windows XP Service Pack 2, one of the search engine (Google or Yahoo) toolbars that are available or switching to a different browser as dragon wench also suggested.
You can also just close the window by clicking the X in the upper right corner. Just remember to *never* click anything within the window.

Posted: Mon May 01, 2006 11:21 pm
by dragon wench
I would also strongly recommend installing a nifty little programme called "Spyware Blaster" on your system.
You can download it here:
http://www.javacoolsoftware.com/spywareblaster.html
It does not scan, and it does not need to remain running in the background. Rather, it essentially "immunises" your system so that the majority of spy-ware etc. doesn't make it onto your computer in the first place. Since using it all of my scans with Spybot, AdAware and Counter Spy (yes, I'm paranoid

) have repeatedly come up blank.

Posted: Mon May 01, 2006 11:40 pm
by Xandax
[QUOTE=Fiberfar]I've gotten this quite a few times now. When I open an internet page (Gamebanshee or others), I sometimes get a message that there has been descovered a number of critical errors on my computer. All I have to do is to install a program that allows it to check the computer for more errors and remove them. Of course any anti-whatever I have on the computer blocks it as something best kept away from the computer.
Any ideas how to get rid of this annoying thing? It don't do anything except sizing my internet window to the smallest proportions.[/QUOTE]
It is a simple add for a "system cleaning software", but an illreputed one that will find problems not there which only it can clean etc.....
Seeing as it is an add you can follow the advice of the posters above me. It is not your system which has any errors (well, perhaps ... however not in regards of this addvertisment)
Posted: Tue May 02, 2006 9:08 am
by Fiberfar
[QUOTE=dragon wench]Are you using IE by any chance? I used to get that a lot before switching to Opera and Firefox.
You might want to consider switching browsers if this is the case....[/QUOTE]
IE, the root to all evil it seems

I'll change to Opera right away then

Posted: Tue May 02, 2006 9:50 am
by dragon wench
[QUOTE=Fiberfar]IE, the root to all evil it seems

I'll change to Opera right away then

[/QUOTE]
Well, in addition to being more secure generally, both Opera and Firefox have built-in popup blockers

Posted: Tue May 02, 2006 10:07 am
by Luis Antonio
[QUOTE=dragon wench]Well, in addition to being more secure generally, both Opera and Firefox have built-in popup blockers

[/QUOTE]
And they also have far less spyware developers developing spyware for them. It is really huge the ammount of people who dont bother picking up another navigator.
Posted: Tue May 02, 2006 10:37 am
by DaemonJ
Another thing that you can do is find the url the ad originated from and add it to your hosts file to resolve to your local system. This will also keep certain ads from displaying on websites.