Allen writes:

<<For the past
few days whenever I start my computer it automatically dials
up my Internet connection. ....I don't know what WNAD.EXE is but it was
created on my
machine just yesterday and apparently 'modified' on my
computer about six hours before it was placed there.
Another file, wnad-update.exe was created about the same
time.  What is this thing and does it have anything to
do with my computer's need to dial me up?>>

I don't know what this is, but it sounds suspiciously like a piece of
Adware--have you downloaded or installed any "Freeware" lately? Perhaps
something that looks too good to be true?

Some of these things can be very insidious and difficult to eliminate once
they're into your system.  It could be extracting data from your computer
and transmitting it to some unknown recipient.  Which may or may not be
sinister.  (Comet Cursor is one such insidious nasty, but there are lots of
them out there.)

It's probably inserted itself into one of the startup registry
locations.  See my tutorial on "Computer slow to start" if you need details
of where to look.  The startup file may be cunningly disguised under
another name.  Disable whatever you don't recognise and see what happens.

Then delete those unwanted files.  But don't be surprised if they
regenerate or pop up elsewhere on your system.  You just have to track them
down.

Maybe someone on the List will have specific detail on these files. I could
be way off on the wrong tangent.

I doubt it's anything to do with your deletion of Outlook.

If I'm correct, and if you can identify the program which inserted these
files, we'd be interested to know the name of the offending software.
Uninstalling the original program, unless you use an install monitor such
as Cleansweep, usually doesn't eliminate these rogue files.

Don Penlington







Free computer tutorials at: http://www.geocities.com/donaldpen/
Also Fractal Galleries,  free icons,  poetry,  and beautiful Queensland beaches.

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