Plea for help: any techno-savvy folks reading?

[doyle]

Writing this on my dad's PC as my laptop's internet access has given up the ghost.

The good news: I worked out the problems I've been having all week was some sort of spyware screwing up my net connection.

The bad news: in trying to fix it, I've managed to completely wreck the connection. Before I could at least sometimes use MSN and email, now even when I get connected it's just this error message:

The connection to the server has failed. Account: 'mail.exitseraphim.net', Server: 'mail.exitseraphim.net', Protocol: POP3, Port: 110, Secure(SSL): No, Socket Error: 10061, Error Number: 0x800CCC0E

I've done system restore, didn't work. The spyware's gone. Can anybody help?

Comments

[mallyns.livejournal.com]

ad aware ver 6. Helps with spywear. Also you could dl hijack this, and that will help with removing those items. I too have had this problem.

*hugs*

If you need links or more help just let me know.

[doyle_sb4.livejournal.com]

Thanks! Looking for them now...

[nikitangel.livejournal.com]

I've also used Spybot: Search and Destroy, if neither of those others ones work.

[remember-nomore.livejournal.com]

(Pardon for butting in)
Spybot actually get's paid to over look and leave certian spywares on your computer.

Download Ad-aware 6.0 and you will see the diffrence.
Can't hurt to try it.

[nikitangel.livejournal.com]

Really? I had no idea. How did you find that out? I'll definitely try Ad-Aware.

[remember-nomore.livejournal.com]

A friend of mine was over and was helping me do some smarty computer stuff.
He told me about an article he saw in a puter news letter.
I scanned the first program and said the puter was clean. I downloaded and ran Ad-Aware and there were over 400 diffrent spywares on the computer.
Some were major keystroke spys.

It's better to be safe then sorry.

[flyergirl.livejournal.com]

I actually had just the opposite happen. I've always used Ad-Aware, but read somewhere that a lot of techies use Spybot. So I dl'ed and tried it. Ad-Aware had said I was clean, but Spybot came up with 60-some hits.

[remember-nomore.livejournal.com]

I haven't heard that.
I have found that I get more results with Ad-aware.
Spybot will show 'results' when there really isn't any.

[flyergirl.livejournal.com]

I think a lot of what it marked were cookies, but it caught a few things. I use both programs now. Better to be safe than sorry. I dont' really have much Spyware problems though. Between using Mozilla Firebird, Norton Internet Security, and watching what I dl, I've not had any real spyware in ages.

[remember-nomore.livejournal.com]

Exactly.
Better safe then sorry.

[flyergirl.livejournal.com]

A. That could possibly be a problem with your ISP, but if your Dad's computer is fine then that's probably not it. I did a quick search on Google for that error and it sounds like something is blocking the needed ports, possibly Spyware or a hacker.

B. Do you have a firewall? If those settings aren't right it can block connections.

C. Try 1 or both of Ad-Aware or Spybot (beware, make sure if you dl Spybot that you get it from the maker's site. There are apparently hacked copies out there with Spyware on them).

D. DL HijackThis and post your log file. Someone should be able to look at it and see if there is anything malicious affecting your comp.

[quinn222.livejournal.com]

When are you getting that message? Can you surf the web? Is it only when you try to get mail?

You might want to go into your DOS window and type:

ping 127.0.0.1

See if you get a reply. If you do, type:

ipconfig, then after it loads that type ipconfig /refresh

If you don't get a reply to the ping your tcp/ip settings have probably not been configured. You need to find out from your internet provider how they want them set. It depends on if you have a network etc.

[doyle_sb4.livejournal.com]

I can't surf the web either - will try the ping now

[doyle_sb4.livejournal.com]

Okay - got a reply to the ping but it won't let me refresh because it says my media is disabled :cries:

I've run ad-aware.

[quinn222.livejournal.com]

Don't worry about ad-aware, this just sounds like an addressing problem. media being disabled is a new error message to me but it means that wherever you're getting your IP address from is not available.

Go to your network connections. Right click on whatever connection you have there and choose 'properties' Highlight tcp/ip properties and see if it's choosing an ip address automatically. Actually make sure TCP/IP is actually installed. If it isn't that's your entire problem. I don't think that's it though because you were able to ping the loopback.

Since you have a connection try going to your provider's web site and see what they want for the IP settings.

[doyle_sb4.livejournal.com]

I'll try that now (you are my computer god! Thanks so much for helping me out)