Can someone help me with an adware problem?

There seems to be some adware on one of our computers. We get pop-up ads saying "Brought to you by Surf SideKick" and we also get an ad for WinFixer. Whether you click OK, Cancel, or close the dialog box, it takes you to a site to start downloading and you have to click the "Back" button. I went to the Surf SideKick website and followed their instructions about going to the Control Panel and clicking Add/Remove Programs but I couldn't seem to find the Surf SideKick program on our list of programs.

Does anyone have any suggestions for what I can do?

And - on a different note - some of you may find this amusing, but is there any chance of finding out the physical location of the people who run the Surf SideKick website? You see, I emailed them saying I would be charging them $10 for each ad. I also tried that trick with the WinFixer people.

Rupert,

Both programs should have an entry in the Add/Remove programs, but they're sometimes obscure or seemily unrelated to the software. I'd suggest posting a HiJackThis log in the HiJackThis forum, and letting one of the experts there see if there's anything else (like other adware/spyware - since those things almost never come alone) on your system that needs to be removed/uninstalled.

Instructions for posting the log should also be found in the forum.

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Mike.

must admit, cannot help wondering why you have e mailed them,as now they know your mail address amongst other details from your pc ; and have you got adware and spyware protection programs on your PC? and an active and functioning antivirus program ?

( I cannot see a log posted anywhere so wonder if you have posted one on here for the experts to review?)

I posted a log to the HijackThis forum just now. I think we've got an antivirus program, I'm not aware of us having adware and spyware protection.

I didn't realize they would have details from my PC, and, if they had, that they would be able to match them to my email address.

I think you have Norton on there; however, if you did click on one of the ads or went to the Win fix or whatever site, I believe they will then know your ISP address ( I am sure someone will corect me if I am wrong on that ?); by mailing them you have also exposed your e mail address to them for them to "do with it as they please";maybe the log you have psoted may shed some light on your problems; the experts will soon advise you on that

you should hopefully have read this section READand had a decker at the basic anti spyware and adware programs they ask members to put and run on machines to detect and remove malaware.

I for one stear well clear of clicking on any ads in or on pages ; if you would like advise on a good pop-up stopper/blocker I am sure it will be forthcoming

EVEN THIS BIT

sorry; should have been more specific about which thread of that section to look in; this bit gives a part on bits to have on your machine to run first to check for adware and spyware; I for one have adaware, spybot and A2 ( a squared) programs on my pc, updated daily

as you should be getting mail responses that this reply is on your thread;how is this issue getting on?

I ran AdAware and that seems to have fixed the problem.