"Bart" <bartnws@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:bfc1fs$9ev$1@reader08.wxs.nl...
>
> "Paul" <paul@streetka.biz> wrote in message
> news:z9MZJgAopOG$Ewxk@clara.net...
> > In article
> > <36XRa.99677$1aB1.33766@news02.bloor.is.net.cable. rogers.com>, YK
> > <YKnot@home.invalid> writes
> > >JimFor wrote:
> > >> Hi,
> > >>
> > >> I'm having a problem with ads which appear in the middle of my
> > >> computer screen when I am on the Internet. Don't know where they
> > >> come from but I have two computers and the ads just appear on one
> > >> computer. I have just started asking questions about this and am a
> > >> bit overwhelmed as to the number of possible programs to use to
> > >> prevent this. Any suggestions? What I need to do is to remove the
> > >> program which may generate the ads and make sure ads do not appear
> > >> again.
> > >>
> > >> Thanks
> > >
> > >That is an indication that your system is wide open to the Internet.
> Just
> > >disabling Messenger Service is like sticking your head in the sand and
> > >hoping the problem will go away. There is a CRITICAL update available
> from
> > >MS that closes one of the vulnerabilities that you should install
> > >immediatly. See the MS Windows Update page for info.
> > >
> > How old is the critical update? I'm using W2K Pro with SP4 applied and
> > if I turn the messenger service on I still get the pop-ups.
> >
> > >Firewall info. (I use Kerio and very happy with it because it uses
very
> > >little system resources)
> > >http://www.firewallguide.com/
> > >
> > Echoed... Kerio is very good, and easy to configure.
> > --
> > Paul B The irony of the Information Age is that it has given new
> > respectability to uninformed opinion. - John Lawton
>
> Everybody seems to be convinced that it is messenger, but adware is also a
> good possibility. Download ad-aware (freeware). It removes all spyware and
> ad-ware. No more pop-ups.
>

AdAware free version is great software but it definitely does NOT remove all
spyware and popups. The paid version deals with ads but not the free. I
have no clue how the paid version stacks up against SpyBot Search and
Destroy but Spybot catches a ton of things that the free AdAware does not
touch. Spybot is also free - I use both.