"Text Enhance"

[Yvonne G]

Since I've got my computer back, it seems to have developed a weird program that I really would like to get rid of.

This program chooses a word or two on the screen and "enhances" it by making it into a link that you click on. When you click on it, a window opens up offering me to be able to win something...a notebook, a lap top, etc. It is very disconcerting. I don't want it there.

Being a moderator, when I see a word that is underlined, I have to click on it to be sure its not a spam link. So how do I get rid of this Text Enhance program?

 

[JoesMum]

Is this happening when you browse the internet only or in other programs like word or excel as well?

Is it happening in one particular website or in all websites?

What internet browser do you use?

It is a feature of some websites - it's use is programmed into the website and you can't turn it off. I don't get it on here, but it does happen on some other websites.

 

[Yvonne G]

It's something that has infected my computer. For instance, in YOUR post above, the word "programs" shows up on my screen in green print and underlined. When I click on that word a window pops up telling me I have a chance to win a lap top.

I haven't opened anything else yet, just the forum.

 

[JoesMum]

OK, time for some drastic action. You've got some malware on there.

The rograms I am going to suggest will need to do a full scan of your computer and they can take a few hours to run, so I suggest that you go to the power setting for your computer and making sure they are set to "Always On"

Download Microsoft Safety Scanner from here: http://www.microsoft.com/security/scanner/en-gb/default.aspx
It is free and it does not need installing. Close all other programs and then double click on the file you have downloaded. Set off a full scan and go to bed! It will have finished by the morning!

If that doesn't have the desired effect, my next favourite is Malwarebytes Anti Malware (MBAM). This is shareware, but you can use it for free. Download it from here: http://www.filehippo.com/download_malwarebytes_anti_malware/

This time, install the program making sure you opt for the free version, let it update and again set off a full scan. It will take a a few hours to run, so you might want to do it before you go to bed again. Delete everything it finds.

If both those two have failed turn up anything more than a few cookies, then go for A Squared Free. Download it from here: http://www.filehippo.com/download_asquared/

Like MBAM, install the program making sure you opt for the free version, let it update and again set off a full scan. It will take a a few hours to run, so you might want to do it before you go to bed again. Delete everything it finds.

After you've been through it with those 3 there is unlikely to be anything unexpected left on your computer. It's VERY bad that it's come back from a repair shop infected like this; I'd complain Don't let them offer to fix it... they'll charge you for the pleasure and probably make matters worse.

I actually run all 3 of these programs on the PCs and laptops in my house once a month to make sure that they stay clean.

 

[TylerStewart]

I just switched over to Apple computers (and iPad and iPhone) a few years ago, and all my problems like this magically went away

 

[JoesMum]

RE: "Text Enhance"

I just switched over to Apple computers (and iPad and iPhone) a few years ago, and all my problems like this magically went away

Don't get too relaxed. With the increasing use of Apple products, malware writers are now targetting those as well. It's very productive for them to do so as people wrongly think they don't need any amtivirus or firewall on apple computers.

I think the next big headache will be smart phones. As people increasingly run their lives through these, the malware writers will exploit every loophole... probably by attaching it to a free app that looks innocent. I foresee smart phone anti virus being essential very soon.

 

[jaizei]

Since I've got my computer back, it seems to have developed a weird program that I really would like to get rid of.

This program chooses a word or two on the screen and "enhances" it by making it into a link that you click on. When you click on it, a window opens up offering me to be able to win something...a notebook, a lap top, etc. It is very disconcerting. I don't want it there.

Being a moderator, when I see a word that is underlined, I have to click on it to be sure its not a spam link. So how do I get rid of this Text Enhance program?

You use Chrome, right? You can probably disable this in Chrome by going to tools -> extensions. One of the extensions that does this is called "I Want This". If that isn't listed you might try disabling them one at a time til it stops. You'll need to restart your browser to see the changes. You may also need to go to the add/remove programs to see if it is there as well.

 

[Kerryann]

I just switched over to Apple computers (and iPad and iPhone) a few years ago, and all my problems like this magically went away

Security by obscurity for Apples is long gone my friend. I hope you have anti virus or you could be one of the over half a million apples infected with a bot that is poised to attack soon. The obscurity went kaput when apple decided to market that it was hip and PC was square. A lot of hipster wanna bes bought into that garbage and the market share of apple went high enough to catch the eye of the malware gods.
People think the same thing about linux but there are viruses being developed for that too.

I usually run malware bytes and avg free to fully cleanse a PC. After the AVG free cleans the PC you should keep the malware bytes running because it is lighter and won't slow your PC.

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I just switched over to Apple computers (and iPad and iPhone) a few years ago, and all my problems like this magically went away

Don't get too relaxed. With the increasing use of Apple products, malware writers are now targetting those as well. It's very productive for them to do so as people wrongly think they don't need any amtivirus or firewall on apple computers.

I think the next big headache will be smart phones. As people increasingly run their lives through these, the malware writers will exploit every loophole... probably by attaching it to a free app that looks innocent. I foresee smart phone anti virus being essential very soon.

You could not be more right
This is what pays for my job security

 

[TylerStewart]

Regardless of a future "weakening" of Apple's stability/security, I still use (brand new) Windows based computers at work, and all Apple at home, and the Apple computers are night and day more stable than the PCs are. They don't freeze up, they don't get pop ups, they don't ask you stupid questions and give you error messages every day that you have to ignore for years. I've never run an anti-virus program on the Apple, and it seems like that's all I do on the PCs is update them. I was frustrated as hell in the first few weeks using my Macbook Pro, but beyond that learning curve, I would never go back. I plug my printer in and it just works. I plug in a new mouse and it just works. I don't have to search the internet for the current drivers and then figure out how to install them.

 

[JoesMum]

<snip> I've never run an anti-virus program on the Apple<snip>

Maybe reading this will make you realise how the position is changing on Apple

600,000 infected Macs are found in a botnet

I wouldn't be so relaxed... I'm an IT network manager.

 

[Yvonne G]

I ran several scans with several different anti-virus/bot-a-cides and have gotten rid of the problem.

Thank you all for your help.

And Tyler...if I ever decide to change what I'm using right now, I'll go to the same operating system that my sister has. I can't think of the name of it right now, but she never has virus problems..oh, I remember...its linex.

 

[JoesMum]

I ran several scans with several different anti-virus/bot-a-cides and have gotten rid of the problem.

Thank you all for your help.

And Tyler...if I ever decide to change what I'm using right now, I'll go to the same operating system that my sister has. I can't think of the name of it right now, but she never has virus problems..oh, I remember...its linex.

And Linux is free Now that rarely does get problems

Glad your PC is healthy again Yvonne.

 

[Kerryann]

<snip> I've never run an anti-virus program on the Apple<snip>

Maybe reading this will make you realise how the position is changing on Apple

600,000 infected Macs are found in a botnet

I wouldn't be so relaxed... I'm an IT network manager.

I know..it's scary isn't it We have two departments at work of creative people who are apple lovers. I had to fight them like crazy to get anti virus on their machines. I finally just pushed the anti virus and removed any admin access they had.

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I ran several scans with several different anti-virus/bot-a-cides and have gotten rid of the problem.

Thank you all for your help.

And Tyler...if I ever decide to change what I'm using right now, I'll go to the same operating system that my sister has. I can't think of the name of it right now, but she never has virus problems..oh, I remember...its linex.

Yay