This thread's last reply is from November 21, 2012, 12:25 PM UTC. Software, malware, and removal-tool
advice below may be out of date — treat specific steps and download links with caution.
After I posted the last message, I tried something. I went into control panel > Flash and disallowed everything. Under developer tools, I also sent everything to c:\newfolder as was suggested on adobe flash web site when I Googled "adobe flash security warning."
I have to wait and see if it stops the warning boxes, but I can tell you my Firefox is flying. It hasn't been this fast for a while now.
Nice work.
If you had "Allow sites to store stuff on this computer" checked, it would be doing that.
That is a non-standard setting, however, so it must have been changed at some point in time.
By getting rid of the junkware, at least we removed many of the likely "phone home" candidates.
It's certainly spying, which many companies try to do, although not by using the camera and microphone.
(On my laptop, the camera peephole in the lid has tape over it) .
Until it gets identified by the Antivirus makers as a threat, you have to make your own settings.
I can see where this could become a problem for Flash Player.
It's really kind of amazing this hasn't gotten more publicity than this. Everyone is always worried about Google spying on them, and here could be the proof of the pudding.
Why though, does everyone not experience this problem?
Would it do me any good to reinstall Windows? Or perhaps Firefox? It doesn't seem to happen in Internet Explorer, for me anyway.
bonnie,
It would not do you any good to re-install anything.
It's obvious that "ytimg" stands for "You Tube image".
How about backing off some of the YouTube videos?
If you wanted to try some of the more technical methods from the ESET blogs (they actually go to part 5) , you could do that.
Or just accepting that 'big brother" wants to track you as a penalty for the looking at free videos?
It's a frustration for a lot of people.
I certainly learned a lot during this thread.
I think we are done with the "malware" aspect of this thread, to the extent that this site can help.
Good luck going forward.
askey127
No ads, no affiliate links — generated on request from this thread's own
archived content, not written by forum staff. Never run a scan/removal tool
as a self-service step if the original thread describes it being done under
a helper's direct supervision, and don't include your name, email, or other
personal details in a follow-up question. See our privacy page
for details on how this works.
