[computer help] What does the program rundll32 do?

[schporto]

A few points...
First - run regedit and look for those keys. Let us know what you found and someone will try to help.

Second - find & run some antivirus software if you haven't already. Run ad-aware too, just get the latest updates for both.

Third - Well, actually, these popups are normal. They're intended and unfortunately there's little you can do about it without doing something odd. When the first folks put popups into the web browsers they intended them to be used for good - alerting you of errors on that form before you submitted it, that kind of thing. Then, as is bound to happen, the dark side entered. Marketing. They found the power of the popup. And they used it. And ads appeared and all was cluttered.
Now the way some folks correct this is to use popup blockers (like cedric suggested). Others (like me) run mozilla. It has a nice feature where whenever a page pops up an ad I right click on the page and select "Block popups from this site". Poof. No more popups. Its not perfect, a very few pages force you to use IE, a few look bad under mozilla, but at this point I haven't opened IE in about 3 weeks. You can get it at www.mozilla.org

-cpd

 

[herald]

Running ad-aware isn't much help unless you using ad aware 6.0. It has an update feature built into the program. But if you are using the free version, you will have to run it manually. Make sure you do that before you run the program.

As for popups, here are somethings I have to tell my clients just about everyday.

If you have free programs that sync your clock, or tell you the weather, chances are that you have spyware on your computer, and its reporting what you do across the internet to third parties, and they are selling that information to the highest bidder.

Look for things like "Gain", "Morphius", "Bd3 Projector", "Modem Test" in your add/remove program list. There are hundreds of program that can cause popups, so listing them here would be difficult.

One of the most insidious is Kazaa. Kazaa will install Bd3 projecter to your system to give you popups, and it won't work with out it. It also modifies your host file on your system wich also can cause you to get popups. If you have this program on your system. I recommend that you uninstall it and Bd3 Projector, and replace your host file with a known good copy from a machine that is not having the same problem, with the same operating system.

(There is a program that works much like kazaa, but is popup free, but out of respect for the admins, I shall avoid naming it.)

Be carefull in using Ad-aware, it will modify your regestry, and you could destroy th OS if something goes wrong. Ad-Aware 6.0 should make a quarenteen of regestry keys that are spyware before removing them, incase you have made a mistake. I have never used the restore function for those keys, so good luck on that.

Last but not least, check your startup folder, it's the oldest trick in the book, but many scumware makers have gone back to putting programs back into that folder. The program will launch, and prevent you from deleteing the file. Dropping into safe mode or DOS will allow you do delete the offending file.

And also purge your "Temp" directories. You should have one for your profile and one for windows directories. Purging your temporary internet files would hurt either. There really shouldn't be anything in the temp folders that you should need to keep. don't use the disk cleanup program to do this manually look for your temp folders and then manualy empty them. This is the only way to be sure.

I hope that this information helps.

 

[MarauderX]

Chances are you got spyware. It can operate in a multitude of ways, from timed pop-ups to every other page you visit it pops up. They often come packaged with file sharing programs like kazaa, but you can remove them. Try this site to download a decent free spyware neutralizer - www.ad-aware.com - and see if it helps any.

 

[Dinkeldog]

And you know better than putting this here than in the Software & Computers forum. Bad Wickett! Bad!

Couldn't have said it better myself.

 

[Plane Sailing]

Do you know what 'internat' is, and what it does? I'm using Windows 98, second edition, for the record.

INTERNAT.EXE is the windows Keyboard Language Indicator Applet... hence the EN down in the corner. Should be mandatory for all ENworld supporters

If you don't intend to switch keyboard layouts, you don't need it running (but it isn't anything to do with popups)

Cheers

 

[Henry]

ON RUNDLL32...

Most likely what rundll32 is running for you is the screen resolution preferences. It is turned on and off from your Control Panel --> Display icon, and under the "setting" tab, and clicking the "advanced" button. You will see a checkbox that says "show setting icon on tack bar."

As for your pop-ups, are you certain your ISP is not funnelling those in? A good (read: pay money for) pop-up stopping software can funnel out any extraneous windows popping up when you visit a web page. On the down side, if you have a web page that intentionally opens a pop-up (like say the address book in Yahoo! Mail) then those would be filtered too, requiring you to take an extra step when clicking a link that opens a new page.

 

[Datt]

Try out Panicware.com's Pop-Up Stopper.


Cedric.
aka. Washu! ^O^

I second this. I have used this software for a number of months now with great pleasure. I almost never get a Pop-Up add. It is the greatest thing of all time. And the best part of it, is that it is absolutely free! That is right, stop all those annoying pop up ads for free! There will just be a little red X in your status bar down by your clock. You can turn it on, red, or off, grey, as you need. Some things, like pictures that pop up when you click on them, will be blocked as well so you have to turn it off. But that is a small price to pay to not have pop ups everywhere you go!

It's here for those of you with IE or Netscape. If you use another browser you can download the basic version for $19.99.

 

[Psionicist]

1) Run Ad-Aware. Of course, update the reference file before you do. If you use Ad-Aware 6 this is very easy to do. Ad-Aware will determine if you have any kind of spyware or other oddities in your system

2) Run a full system virus scan.

3) Start -> Run -> "msconfig". There should be an Autostart-tab there. Every item that's checked will load when you start your computer. Check for odd items and post them here.

 

[Deadlar]

Better than Adaware try SPybot: Search and Destroy. http://security.kolla.de/

The other thing is that some insidous spammers are using a windows "feature" that is meant to be used on LANs to send you pop up spam. If you are running 2000 or XP have a look at your services and disable Messenger Service. instructionns can be found here

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;[LN];Q330904

 

[herald]

Please don't use spybot, I've personally seen a few machines ruined by it.