I need some help here.

[james sluder]

I have a vista laptop usin IE at present,tryed chrome it wasen't working right so i uninstalled it.

I need VISTA driver's updated .i tried to find them but Mirosoft want's to charge me $39.00 for them. im not sure if that would work or not. Any suggestions as to what i should do .

Any help i would be greatfull for !
Thanks .

Jim

[Wiz Feinberg]

Something doesn't sound right here. Why would Microsoft charge you for device drivers that are offered for free via Windows Update (optional updates)?

Did you call Microsoft, or did somebody claiming to be Microsoft Support call you? There is an ongoing fake Microsoft phone tech support scam making the rounds.

That said, have you checked with the manufacturer of your computer for drivers? All manufacturers make drivers available for hardware they sell inside computers and laptops carrying their brand names. This would be my first course of action if it were my computer.

[james sluder]

Hi,i checked the Vista site,they said if i had Microsoft set to auto,update that i would get any driver updates in that !

I went back to the 39.99 site & it showed the microsoft emblem ,,but in the down load link it say's [ Microft Partner } so what i had was a ripoff site i guess.

I just need to get a good search engine ,im using IE at present but it's too slow .any other sugestion would be a big help .I thank you a bunch for what you did to help me !

Jim.

[Wiz Feinberg]

James;
Let me offer some more advice. Drivers are special files that control how actual hardware devices and components interact with the software that runs the operating system. In most instances, the company that manufactures a device is responsible for making driver files and updates available to their customers. Unless a company ceases support for a particular hardware component, their latest drivers for those components will most likely be more compatible than generic drivers offered via Windows Update.

My best recommendation is to visit the website of the manufacturer of your computer for the latest drivers for your Vista operating system based computer (desktop or laptop). It may turn out that you already have the last drivers posted for your computer. Or, drivers with newer release dates may be available for downloading.

Finally, how did you come to the conclusion that your drivers are in need of updating? Did certain hardware stop working properly? Or, did you respond to a fake scan alert?

[Dave Potter]

I just need to get a good search engine ,im using IE at present but it's too slow .any other sugestion would be a big help

Well, some terminology is in order. Google is a search engine. Internet Explorer is not; it's a web browser.

If by "slow", you mean web pages take too long to load, that's much less likely to be caused by the particular web browser you use, and much more likely to be caused by your internet connection. Switching to a different web browser, e.g., Chrome or Firefox, wouldn't be likely to produce any noticeable difference in the time web pages take to load. If they DO, there are issues somewhere else that would be responsible for that, not the browser itself. People choose their web browsers mostly for the features they offer (or don't).

If you want to check to see if your internet connection is providing you the speeds your ISP advertises, there are free websites that you can use to quickly and easily check your upload and download speeds. They're easy to find using Google.

[Wiz Feinberg]

James;
What anti-malware or anti-virus programs are running on your computer? Are they commercial and up-to-date with a valid subscription, or free and out-dated. Do you have Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware installed and updated?

Please list any/all such security programs that are installed and operating. How often do you update and scan for malicious software?

[james sluder]

James;
What anti-malware or anti-virus programs are running on your computer? Are they commercial and up-to-date with a valid subscription, or free and out-dated. Do you have Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware installed and updated?

Please list any/all such security programs that are installed and operating. How often do you update and scan for malicious software?

Wiz i have the paid version of melwarebytes !I got it from [Pilform] site.

windows defender & avg,free anti-virus .

the melwarebytes,i run after im on different sites.I also have Ccleaer i run before shut down everyday. I just downloaded & installed it from there site .

[james sluder]

James;
Let me offer some more advice. Drivers are special files that control how actual hardware devices and components interact with the software that runs the operating system. In most instances, the company that manufactures a device is responsible for making driver files and updates available to their customers. Unless a company ceases support for a particular hardware component, their latest drivers for those components will most likely be more compatible than generic drivers offered via Windows Update.

My best recommendation is to visit the website of the manufacturer of your computer for the latest drivers for your Vista operating system based computer (desktop or laptop). It may turn out that you already have the last drivers posted for your computer. Or, drivers with newer release dates may be available for downloading.

Finally, how did you come to the conclusion that your drivers are in need of updating? Did certain hardware stop working properly? Or, did you respond to a fake scan alert?

The driver update thing was a popup page that looked ligit, it ran a scan & showed 7 driver's [ old ] out of date. 3 not working right,,then came the $ 39.99 to download & install them,,as i looked at the Microsoft emblem ,then [ microsoft pattner } i just closed the whole mess..But now i have the driver download program thing stuck in my pc.I went to controller panel to uninstall & remove it but it's no longer there .
When my computer got slow & freeze up's thats when i got the pop-up about the driver problem.So i just responded to a fake scan alert .

[Wiz Feinberg]

James;
What anti-malware or anti-virus programs are running on your computer? Are they commercial and up-to-date with a valid subscription, or free and out-dated. Do you have Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware installed and updated?

Please list any/all such security programs that are installed and operating. How often do you update and scan for malicious software?

Wiz i have the paid version of melwarebytes !I got it from [Pilform] site.

windows defender & avg,free anti-virus .

the melwarebytes,i run after im on different sites.I also have Ccleaer i run before shut down everyday. I just downloaded & installed it from there site .

Malwarebytes is from Malwarebytes.org. CCleaner is from Piriform.com.

Please update and run a full system scan with MBAM. In the scan options, make sure it is set to check the Master Boot Record and for PUPS (Potentially Unwanted Programs). Quarantine any suspicious toolbars/scanners, and delete any known malicious items found.

Afterward, update and scan with AVG.

You can add this custom path to CCleaner to ensure that concealed malware executables that sneak in cannot remain in place in your %AppData% folder.

Code: Select all

C:\Users\Your_Logged-in_Windows_Username\AppData\Roaming\*.exe

Where Your_Logged-in_Windows_Username is the identity of the user account you log into to use the computer itself. It may be listed on the Windows Welcome Screen, which you have to click on (and hopefully enter a password) to log in, or you may have set the PC to boot directly into that account (unwise).

Example: If you login to Windows using an account named "James" - your custom path would be:
C:\Users\James\AppData\Roaming\*.exe

When you run CCleaner next time, any .exe files that were dropped into that particular location will be deleted. For security reasons, that location is supposed to be off-limits to .exe (executable) files.

[james sluder]

Wiz i just found this driver update $ 29.99 in the AVG free program.I was going to run a virus scan & just looked for full scan and there it is .

I guess i should uninstall AVG free & run cleanup & get another virus program > Any advice ?? .

Thanks a bunch for all your help .

Jim.

[Wiz Feinberg]

Wiz i just found this driver update $ 29.99 in the AVG free program.I was going to run a virus scan & just looked for full scan and there it is .

I guess i should uninstall AVG free & run cleanup & get another virus program > Any advice ?? .

Thanks a bunch for all your help .

Jim.

Could you please clarify what you posted about finding the $29.95 program (I thought you said it would cost $39.95)? Are you saying it was offered to you via AVG Free?

I don't use AVG anymore (for years). I switched to Trend Micro about 2008 and have renewed ever since.

Since you and I both run licensed copies of Malwarebytes Anti-Malware, I will give you a tip I learned. Some anti-virus programs, including Trend Micro Internet Security (TMIS), will not install if MBAM, or other similar programs are installed, until you allow, or cause the deinstallation of MBAM, etc. Since I bought and want TMIS, I learned that you can halt the installation of Trend, uninstall MBAM, reboot, install TMIS, update it, then reinstall MBAM and update it. They will continue to live together until the next actual program update of Trend Micro (which could be once a year).

[james sluder]

Sorry WIZ ,it is offered 39.95 reduced to 29.95 in AVG.and im using the free AVG.

I ran full scan on melwarebytes and now the desktop icon Driver Download is gone .

Thanks a bunch for your help.

Jim.

[Wiz Feinberg]

Sorry WIZ ,it is offered 39.95 reduced to 29.95 in AVG.and im using the free AVG.

I ran full scan on melwarebytes and now the desktop icon Driver Download is gone :D .

Thanks a bunch for your help.

Jim.

I have repair-ed your compooter. There is a no charga

[james sluder]

Yes you did LOL.If it were not for help i don't know how some of us could get by on computer .

Again many thanks my friend


Jim !~~

[Wiz Feinberg]

Before I lock this I will make the closing comments.

What James had on his computer was what we in the anti-spyware field would call Nuisance-ware. This is advertising for side-products pushed by freeware programs to try to get some sale out of the free program users. Adobe does it when you go to the Flash download page.

But, desktop pop ads aren't just limited to freeware programs. Winzip pops up ads sometimes when I unzip a program and I paid for a license. Corel pops desktop ads for other products to Paintshop Pro customers.

Ads are one thing. Anybody can close an ad and move along. But, when one program that you chose to use for one particular purpose imposes another program on your computer, then tries to fool you into purchasing it, it crosses over from adware into "PUPS" category. PUPS stands for Potentially Unwanted ProgramS and the term was sort of coined by Spybot Search and Destroy.

It used to be the exclusive domain of Spybot Search and Destroy to go after these PUPS. With recent releases over the past year, Malwarebytes Anti-Malware has gotten into this field. Through the use of a combination of onboard and in the cloud definitions, PUPS are now identified and flagged for either being ignored, quarantined, or deleted during MBAM scans. The user has the choice.

PUPS includes unexpected, or unwanted toolbars added to browsers, unasked for driver, registry and virus scanners, search engine hijackers, system tuners, and more. They sometimes do work as advertised, but more often use false or dubious results to goad users into making a purchase.

Such was the case for our member, James. Thanks to MBAM, that nuisance is gone.

[james sluder]

And again i say thanks Wiz for your help.And i will make a donation to the forum for using there service.

Jim.

[james sluder]

My donation has now been made .

Im so glad this forum is here !

Jim !~~