Windows spyware problem: automatically closing certain windows

[KennyR]

I've just cleared spyware from my family's PC for the 50th time. I think I got it all, and certainly that annoying custom IE toolbar doesn't appear any more, but it seems that the spyware made changes to my system.

Specifically, any window called "Mozilla" is automatically closed. That includes explorer windows and the Mozilla browser window itself. This means nobody can use Mozilla on this machine.

I've searched the registry and run AdWare, Spybot Search and Destroy, Norton AntiVirus 2004 and several other spyware removers. My system seems clean.

How can I get rid of this annoying automatic window close "feature"? Anyone had a similar problem and know how to fix it?

[KennyR]

Ok, found the problem and eliminated it. vpamicue was right - i went to PopupBlocker and found the Mozilla window listed in its block list. How the hell did it get there? Why didn't I think of that myself? Arrrghh!

Still, it was hard to find because of all the secret data files Windows keeps. Registry, javascript, java, javavm, ActiveX controls... any of those could have been to blame.

This family PC uses XP. I "repair" the XP installation (which is actually reinstalling, lets get this straight) only as a totally last resort. Why? Because it (a) almost never fixes problems like these and (b) always breaks lots of stuff, including the VIA drivers its taken me ages to get stable.

Well anyway, thanks to everyone for their suggestions. I can genuinely say that if it wasn't for AO coming to the rescue again I'd still be looking at this computer and scratching my head.

[KennyR]

I should also tell you where the problem came from. Two weeks ago, I also cleared out a lot of spyware, adware and malware - including a nasty browser hijacking trojan. Then the system was clean.

But the source of all the crap seemed to have been a program called Messenger Plus!, a fairly innocuous addon program for MSNMessenger. None of the spyware removers tried to remove it so I thought it was ok. Then yesterday a popup appeared saying "A Messenger update is ready. Would you like to download now?"

Someone clicked yes. And it downloaded all the crap again.

So Messenger Plus! is gone and I've told my family not to install it again, or to install any of these other kinds of things like SmileyCentral or Comet Mousepointers that also seem nice but are actually spyware too.

This spyware issue - and in particular, the browser hijackers - are becoming a HUGE problem in Windows. Virus killers don't catch them and they seem to be being added to every popular piece of freeware or shareware software, not just crap like P2P clients.

The design of Windows is totally to blame for these problems. Whoever thought integrating all of the system services like that should be slapped and drowned in warm custard. What a crazy, useless idea.

[KennyR]

Well Mike, I'm not the system admin. If I locked off their ability to install stuff completely then I'd have to install things whenever they wanted something installed - which is often. I don't have the time or the inclination to do that. And I don't want the computer's functionality crippled like that. They paid a lot of money for it, they need to use it. I clean the mess sometimes.

It's a learning curve. My sister uses the computer most and installs most crap on it. I teach her what not to install and what to do if something breaks. Hopefully in time she'll learn. Hopefully.

I'd just like to know who at Microsoft had the bright idea of merging Explorer and Internet Explorer. As far as ideas go, that ranks closely to peeing on an electric fence, invading Russia, or clicking any button that says "Click here for TOTALLY FREE porn!"