Trish writes:

<<have a porn programme on my computer. At least I
think it is!! It claims I have to pay to view. I tried to delete it with
Add/Remove programmes but all I get is the arrow with the window flag moving
over it until I finally have to manually switch off. I have sent the desktop
icon and deleted the program from the programme listing and sent to the
recycle bin successfully. But if I go to Control panel and go to add/remove
it is still there. It often comes up saying it has performed an illegal
operation and is closing down the programme.

My machine has slowed down as a result of it - I am sure. I have three times
updated Norton Antivirus, SpyBot SpywareGuard and Ad-Aware and run them but
it is still there.>>

Sometimes these spywares/malwares can be quite pernicious and devious in
thwarting attempts to remove them.

Searching the registry is unlikely to uncover it, as they usually
masquerade in non-recognisable names. But you could check the Run sections
if you know how to find them.

Possibly part of it is running at startup. Windows won't allow you to
delete running applications----that's how these things protect themselves
sometimes. Run Msconfig and see if you can spot anything in the startup tab
which you don't recognise---it may be running under the most innocent or
important sort of name, like "Vitaltoyourcomputer.exe"!  Msconfig does not
pick up everything, though, so it may escape detection that way, too.

Reboot to Safe Mode, which will prevent any non-system applications from
starting, then run AdAware etc and see if that can now eliminate it.

Don Penlington




 From the beach at Surfers Paradise.
http://www.geocities.com/donaldpen/
for sunny Queensland photos, fractal art, free computer tutorials, and more.

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