Confusion

[happyshiner]

Hi,

I am pretty confused. I have downloaded various software to protect myself from spyware, my personal hate. But, being a member of various yahoo groups, I have found I'm unable now to enter the chat facility in them. The message I get is 'Your current security settings prohibit running ActiveX controls on this page. As a result, the page may not display correctly'. I am completely unable to enter chat, the resulting page I get is blank. Firstly, I don't even know what this is, let alone how I go about changing it. Now, I want protection, yet I want to be able to chat if I want to also. I should say here that I am no computer expert, I hold no degree in them, so if someone could give me any advice in an easy to understand language, I'd really appreciate it *S*. The software I have downloaded is 'SpyewareGuard and Repel', although I'm not certain this is the cause. I have already looked at my Internet settings and there are no clues there. Help.

Happyshiner

[HappyShiner]

Oh,

Forgot to mention, have MRU-Blaster on there too. I should also say I have kept up to speed on all the updates on each of the programs I've mentioned.

HappyShiner

[subratam]

hey Happy,
welcome to wilders, mate
see if this helps you:

If using Internet Explorer:

1. Click on View then click Internet Options.
2. Click on the Security tab.
3. Under Internet Zone, choose Customize and then click on the Settings button.
4. Under the Settings, set the following to ENABLE:

* Script ActiveX controls marked safe for scripting
* Run ActiveX controls and plugins

5. Set the following to DISABLED:

* Initialize and script ActiveX controls not marked as safe.

6. Set the following to ENABLED :

* Download signed ActiveX controls

( But Happy,
if you got spywareblaster

-{ Quote: " quoting: LowWaterMark link=board=34;threadid=18132;start=0#msg111835 date=1071877100]
SpywareBlaster does not scan at all. It's main protection is that it sets "kill bits" for known malicious ActiveX controls. These kill bits prevent those ActiveX controls from being able to run. They disable those ActiveX controls.

Now, it is true that the main source of malicious ActiveX controls are from websites meant to infect computers with spyware. So in that sense, SpywareBlaster does protect your system from that kind of malicious website. In fact, if a kill-bit is set on such an ActiveX control, it can't even be downloaded to your system from a website. So that's probably what was meant in the post you are referring to.
" }-
maybe your chat pages are not safe..
plz DO wait for some expert to guide you through with more advices

[HappyShiner]

;) Well thanks a lot for the great welcome and your very expert help. I think that was actually the problem, since I did actually have to change the settings you indicated. That was new as they couldn't have been like that before, as I was able to enter chat just a couple of weeks ago and would not have been able if the settings were as they just were.

In fact, lately I have been having another problem (these things always seem to be linked) with yahoo groups. I use them frequently and have never befire had a problem, yet now, for no apparrent reason, I get up a '999' page saying 'this page is currently unavailable', yet I know this to be not the case as my friends online are on it themselves. My hope, is that the the advice you have give has solved that problem. What is unmistakable though, is that the spyware protection software has been causing me a few problems.

As for the chat pages perhaps being a security threat, I would say this is most unlikely, as these are run by yahoo and are within groups. Nearly every yahoo group has its own chatroom and this has been a problem with them all. What the programs may not like though, is the fact when in yahoo, you are rrequired to accept cookies, although, yahoo puts no spyware on your computer I'm aware of.

Once agin, thanks for your help, I only hope I don't have to bother you again with another problem *S*

Big Smiles

HappyShiner

[subratam]

-{ Quote: " quoting: HappyShiner link=board=34;threadid=20038;start=0#msg122793 date=1074807122]

Once agin, thanks for your help, I only hope I don't have to bother you again with another problem *S*

Big Smiles

HappyShiner




" }-

hey happy
you are welcome...
Its better to be Problem Free.... because...
You will continue to have "Big Smiles" ;D ;D which is wanted from you

thx

[HappyShiner]

Hello again

Sadly, it would seem my problems have been continuing. Over the last two weeks or so, i have been having problems entering yahoo groups. What seems to happen, is I get disconnected (I'm on dial-up so it happens frequently), then on logging back into the Internet, I am completely unable to access any yahoo group. Instead, I get a number 999 page 'This page is currently unavailable'. However, this only seems to happen with groups, not my yahoo email, Messenger, or any other section of yahoo. I have checked with friends who live in a similar location to me and they have not had the same problem, it is limited to 'my' computer. I am then unable to access groups for a long period of time, hours sometimes, then all of a sudden and for no apparent reason, I can suddenly get into them all. I have been using groups for a very long time, and have never experienced this problem until now.

What has changed over the past couple of weeks, is the software I've obtained. I've downloaded some anti-spyware programs. These are SpywareGuard, MRU-Blaster and Spyware-Blaster. I am no expert with these, I just wanted protection from all the adware out there. So, what I wanted to know, is there some specific adware from yahoo groups that I need to allow, or something else that this software may be blocking that I need to change? Your advice regarding group chat and ActiveX controls worked and allowed me to enter chat, but has not solved my overall groups problem. Since I actually own a group, Moderate another, and am a member of many more, this is a major problem. Can anyone help, as I haven't got a clue?

Big Smiles

HappyShiner


Removed the excess copy/paste of the ComputerCops forum posting - LWM

[LowWaterMark]

Hi unHappyShiner, ;)

Hmm, the only problem with any of these Javacool tools being the source of the problem is that it shouldn't work sometimes, then stop working and later start working again. If the spyware protections in SpywareGuard or SpywareBlaster were stopping you from accessing yahoo groups, then you should never be able to access them.

So, it sounds like we need to determine once and for all if the problem is related to these Javacool products or not. The best way to do this is to disable them and run for a good period of time and see if the problem occurs in spite of these tools being off.

First, what are your MRU Blaster settings? If you have MRU Blaster clearing cache, history and/or cookies, then obviously this could affect your access/status if it wipes something needed while you are online. Do you have MRU Blaster set to periodically wake up and clear these kinds of things? If so, turn it off completely. You can always have it clean everything after you've debugged this problem.

Next, here's an image that shows how to fully disable and exit SpywareGuard:

http://www.wilderssecurity.com/attachments/sg21-disableandexitprogram.gif

And here's how to disable all SpywareBlaster settings:

http://www.wilderssecurity.com/attachments/spywareblaster-disable-all.gif

Obviously, disabling these protections could mean some spyware can sneak through. I'd limit your usage to the groups you are testing, and other trusted sites while testing. Then you can run Spybot S&D after to scan for any possible spyware and clean it off, if needed.

If you disable these tools and run long enough, either the problem will occur, showing it is not related to these tools, or it won't occur which might indicate it is related. However, there is a time factor here and also the coincidence factor to determine.

If everything runs fine with these disabled, you should re-enable them in reverse order of likeliness to cause the problem. SpywareBlaster should be turned on first. Since it is totally passive (based simply on setting flags in the registry) it is extremely unlike that access to those groups "could vary" at all - working sometimes and not other times. Turn this on and run awhile to confirm it is not affecting this access.

Next, SpywareGuard should be turned back on. Since SG runs constantly the same, always blocking what it's going to block, it's again unlikely to be the cause, but you never know.

Lastly, assuming you did have MRU Blaster running periodic cleanups (at time intervals), re-enable it last and see if it is cleaning something that is knocking you offline.

In spite of giving this advice on how to test, I'm not really convinced that these tools are causing the problem, but again, without testing we'll never know.

[HappyShiner]

Hi there LowWaterMark,

A big thank you to all of you for trying to help.

I must say, I have to fully agree with your first statement that if it is these programs, I should either be unable to access groups every time, or unable every time. I cannot myself see any rhyme or reason as to why it's happening in this way. The only constant, is it seems to happen more often if I have just been disconnected from the Internet and then reconnected. However, even then, it does not 'always' happen when I have just been disconnected. It sometimes happens while I am still connected. I'm in groups and I refresh, and up comes the '999' page. Then on looking at all the other groups, I'm unable to get into those either, including the one I actually own and moderate. Also, This does not happen 'every' time I get disconnected. Many times I will reconnect and there is no problem. It just seems to be the most 'common' time that it happens.

However, as you say, we also have to take into account 'coincedence'. These problems have only begun to happen within a similar timeframe to that in which I incorporated these programs.

Of course, I was hoping that someone would be able to go 'ahhhhh.....I know the problem here', lol, but failing that, your process of elimination seems to be the only option. I think this may take a while to establish. I'll let you know what happens, just in case anyone else comes along with similar problems and needs your help *S*.

Thanks once again to all those who have helped me, top drawer.

Big Smiles

HappyShiner