to err is human, but to really screw things up takes a computer.

[chicafrom3]

Would anyone be able to offer some technical support? :|

I got an error message earlier telling me there was a hardware installation problem and "ActivityMonitor" is not verified by Windows and might screw up my computer. (This came at the same time as a popup notice telling me to restart my computer to complete my AdAware update.)

This set off my alarm buttons for many reasons, not least of which that I was not installing any hardware. Or even using my external drives (SOMETIMES THEY LIKE TO REINSTALL THEMSELVES idk idk, but they weren't plugged in so that issue is moot).

I googled it and found a discussion on AdAware's support forums, which resulted in no clear answers but AdAware insisting it had nothing to do with them and was probably just malware piggybacking the program.

Regardless, I turned off AdAware, installed Malwarebytes, and ran a scan. Which turned up nothing. But I uninstalled AdAware anyway, just to be safe. While uninstalling, the hardware installation error message came up again.

A little more googling led me here. However, checking my task manager showed none of the ActivityMonitor-related processes and a search turned up none of the related .dll files, so, again, idk.

So...should I be taking this as "my AdAware was corrupt but now that I've gotten rid of it no problems!" or should I be trying to find a better anti-spyware program to beat it?

Comments

[revyrie.livejournal.com]

My dad recommended Avast as a virus scanner to me, and it seems to work well...it's free! Try that!

[chicafrom3.livejournal.com]

I've got a virus scan running now, so...we'll see what that turns up! :)

[ageless-aislynn.livejournal.com]

AdAware has broken my faith in them. :( They were awesome up until one of their last upgrades, after which it became thoroughly stupid. :S It got to where it wouldn't run a scan (and this is on all of the computers, not just one) because "the scanner was already in use." :S Then finally it just refuses to open at all. *sigh* So I'd think it's probably something goofy with it.

Unfortunately, the only real way you'll know is to see if you get that message again now that you've uninstalled AdAware. *keeps fingers crossed that you won't* Hopefully it was just the last gasp of whatever was wrong in AdAware sending out that message as it uninstalled.

How do you like Malwarebytes? I've seen it mentioned a bunch of times now and so have been considering taking it to replace AdAware. ;)

Good luck, hon! Hopefully it was just a one-last-gasp sort of message and it won't come around again! *hugs* ♥!

[chicafrom3.livejournal.com]

I'm kinda mad about this, AdAware was my favorite of the antispyware programs I've ever used. :| But if it's gonna screw up on me like this, then out it goes!

Malwarebytes seems pretty good, so far. It doesn't seem to have a real-time protection (at least, the free version doesn't seem to), or at least I haven't found it if it does, but meh, neither did the last program I used before AdAware. As long as I remember to run scans regularly, it should be fine.

Keeping fingers crossed that getting rid of AdAware got rid of the problem! *hugs* <3

[tallyen.livejournal.com]

http://www.safer-networking.org/en/download/index.html

Sbybot: Search and Destroy. Best anti-malware tool I know. Download, disconnect from the net, install, run a scan.

<3

[chicafrom3.livejournal.com]

I'll give it a shot!

♥

[chicafrom3.livejournal.com]

Spybot found a few things -- mostly tracking cookies -- but no ActivityMonitor.

This is deeply confusing me.

(On the other hand, I have also not had any more recurrences of the ActivityMonitor warning. So...maybe it's gone? *confused*)

[assiduous1.livejournal.com]

just switch to ubuntu. linux solves everything. eos.

[tallyen.livejournal.com]

Ubuntu 9.10 ftl.

[assiduous1.livejournal.com]

i actually like 10. also: you can totally access your system via a start up disk of ubuntu.

(figures it's worth a try)

[chicafrom3.livejournal.com]

Linux is scary, though!

...I've been intending to eventually teach myself how to use Linux, but I don't really know where to start. :|

[assiduous1.livejournal.com]

if you were up here i would show you it is not.

https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Installation/FromUSBStick

you can run it from this first to see if you like it. it comes with all sorts of free stuff, and also all the software you could ever want is free.

:)

Move to bosotn, and i will get you using this :-P

[chicafrom3.livejournal.com]

I will hold you to that!