please help

[muddled]

I am being inundated with pop up ads and every time I click on anything on any page new whole page pop ups and pop unders appear,

I bought a new laptop today and I have installed adblock but although it says its working, it very clearly isn't. Excuse any spelling mistakes, I cannot see what I have typed because adverts cover the page!

Honestly I could weep! I've been trying to get on here all day but the flashing images hurt my eyes and some have been positively p@rnographic.

[veggiechicken]

Is it just on this site, muddled?
I use Adblock plus, with Chrome & Win10.
You should be able to "block element" by ?Right clicking the ad or popup and following the instructions in the Adblock box.
I have to go to bed now but we'll try to sort it out tomorrow.
Don't let it upset you. We'll fix it

[AkionTotocha]

Is it just when you use your Internet browser (chrome/Internet Explorer/safari) or when you use your computer at all?

[Muddy_Boots]

Hi muddled

First question ..... have you installed an anti virus? if not it looks like you have a trojan that's installed itself into your browser and is shoving up those pop-up ads.

Go to here Free Malware Removal Tools | AVG Anti-Malware Protection for a free virus removal tool that I use. Its called AVG and for a free one you can't get better. Click on the 'Free Download' button then scroll down and click on the 'Free Download' button again, NOT the 'Free Trial' button unless you fancy paying. Follow the on screen prompts and it should install and hopefully zap the blighter.

Hope that helps.

[Nicos]

Let us know how you get on

[Bigmallly]

Muddled - You need "Adblock Plus" not Adblock. They are completely different pieces of software.

[DannyK]

If it's new you probably won't have anything stored on it yet. If so go for factory reset, which will restore it to out of the box.

DON"T GO ONLINE.

You'll probably find a trial offer of paid for security software like McAfee. Instal it and then go on line and download the AVG as per Muddy_Boots but don't install yet.

Go off line. Uninstall the McAfee. Instal the AVG, run a scan, and you should be ok to go on line.

When downloading software go for "Custom Instal" and untick any boxes that dump unwanted toolbars etc.

Your problem could be with cookies. Get rid of any you don't need. These often cause pop ups.

[Bigmallly]

It's the vine Danny, without a blocker it's riddled with annoying ads.

[Muddy_Boots]

DannyK is correct, just re-read your post muddled and best thing to do is put it back to when you got it.

If its new at a guess its got Windows 10 as an operating system. To go back to when you got it right-click on 'This PC' on the Desktop and select 'Properties' then click on 'System Protection' on the left side of the new window. Click on the 'System Restore' button, click ' 'Next' and there should be a list of dates when a restore point was created, pick the oldest and then follow the prompts until its finished.

That should of zapped the blighter then make sure you get an anti-virus program on pronto so you don't get anything else.

[Kirk]

As mentioned previously get Malwarebytes: https://www.malwarebytes.org/
Then do whatever and run that, think you get an executable installer and then a data base.
Set it to search out Unwanted Programs (PUPS) and set it to go through everything.
May take an hour or two - mine takes just over 2 hours.

Not sure about an AV, I have found that some of the AV's can be worse then the virus's. It depends on how they are set up. In the "worst" case they check every file that is accessed so when using the PC the AV halts the process and checks each file.

Adverts tend to be more from Malware rather then a virus, so an AV usually doesn't bother with them.

For an ad-blocker I use something called Disconnect, it is an add-on for the browser. Not I expect perfect but it does a reasonable job.

For an AV I use an online one called ESET. Bit different in that the core file sits on your PC but when you run it it goes off gets the latest and runs that, it then asks if you want to remove the checker or leave it on the PC. I remove it as the next time it simply gets the AV again.

What is your home page?
What does the browser go to when you first start it up?
If not something like Google or what you want then run the stuff above then set the home page to what you want. On mine to set it you go to:
Tools (top bar) - Options - General
Then type in the home page you want.
Do it after cleaning out as something may be setting the home page.

[DannyK]

It's the vine Danny, without a blocker it's riddled with annoying ads.

That's how they keep it free. If you narrow your browser by dragging the side in those ever changing ads at sides go. The Vine is benign compared to a lot of sites out there. More than one site has blocked me from viewing it until adblocker turned off.

[Nicos]

Muddled- before pointing to the Vine as the cause, we need to now if you get the pop up ads elsewhere.

[scarey55]

I am not sure that it is only the Vine because Muddled says that the ads cover the page when typing and, although the ads are annoying, I haven't had that happen to me.

...I cannot see what I have typed because adverts cover the page!

Honestly I could weep! I've been trying to get on here all day but the flashing images hurt my eyes and some have been positively p@rnographic.

Keep us posted Muddled though.

[DannyK]

DannyK is correct, just re-read your post muddled and best thing to do is put it back to when you got it.

If its new at a guess its got Windows 10 as an operating system. To go back to when you got it right-click on 'This PC' on the Desktop and select 'Properties' then click on 'System Protection' on the left side of the new window. Click on the 'System Restore' button, click ' 'Next' and there should be a list of dates when a restore point was created, pick the oldest and then follow the prompts until its finished.

That should of zapped the blighter then make sure you get an anti-virus program on pronto so you don't get anything else.

I was meaning the factory reset, not system restore. There's usually a hidden partition on the hard drive, which can be accessed and will restore the computer back to its out of the box state, the only snag is it'll wipe off anything you've stored on it. It'll need a Google to find out how to access it for that model. Not used Windows for ages but from memory nasties can lurk in system restore

[muddled]

Hello everyone, I'm feeling a bit calmer now

I think I may have solved this, at least partially!
I couldn't read your replies (how did I not anticipate that when I couldnt even read what I was typing?) so I turned off the internet, opened the control panel and uninstalled every programme with yesterdays date.

There were quite a few...I bought the laptop at 5.30 pm.
It came with Mc-wotsit antivirus.
I installed adblock plus at about 6pm but by then it was already too late!

I think the nature of some of the ads was making me panic, my OH was on nights and had left for work and I couldn't even reach any online help!

But thank you very much for all your replies!
Mc-wotsit is sacked!
Currently running spyb@t search and destr@y, also 36@ t@tal security and a reinstalled adblock plus.
I will be getting the malware bite thingamy as suggested as well, just to be sure!

So far nothing distressing has popped up....will see when I close this page if anything has popped under but so far I'm optimistic.

Thanks again all,
Time for a large brandy methinks xxx