Anyone has the AOL virus?
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I use AOL 6.0 on my Windows 98 to connect to the internet at home. Previously I was using AOL 4.0 and never had a major problem besides the ugly interface and annoying pop up dialogs. Now I have a BIG problem. Everytime I run a client program that tries to connect to a server (on the same machine) using socket, AOL will start itself and dial the access number. In the mean time, my client problem will block until I manually kill AOL. I rebooted my machines several times and made sure that no program was running when I started my client program. But the problem did not go away. The only possible cause I can think of is that AOL has hacked the system dlls and inserted the following "virus":
if(anyone tries to open a socket connection)
{
he must be thinking about AOL
so we will save his time by starting AOL for him
what else can he possibly do without using AOL?
}:mad: :mad: :mad:
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I use AOL 6.0 on my Windows 98 to connect to the internet at home. Previously I was using AOL 4.0 and never had a major problem besides the ugly interface and annoying pop up dialogs. Now I have a BIG problem. Everytime I run a client program that tries to connect to a server (on the same machine) using socket, AOL will start itself and dial the access number. In the mean time, my client problem will block until I manually kill AOL. I rebooted my machines several times and made sure that no program was running when I started my client program. But the problem did not go away. The only possible cause I can think of is that AOL has hacked the system dlls and inserted the following "virus":
if(anyone tries to open a socket connection)
{
he must be thinking about AOL
so we will save his time by starting AOL for him
what else can he possibly do without using AOL?
}:mad: :mad: :mad:
AOL might have replaced the winsock DLLs. Lots of stuff does that, especially spyware. --Mike-- Just released - RightClick-Encrypt - Adds fast & easy file encryption to Explorer My really out-of-date homepage Sonork-100.19012 Acid_Helm
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I use AOL 6.0 on my Windows 98 to connect to the internet at home. Previously I was using AOL 4.0 and never had a major problem besides the ugly interface and annoying pop up dialogs. Now I have a BIG problem. Everytime I run a client program that tries to connect to a server (on the same machine) using socket, AOL will start itself and dial the access number. In the mean time, my client problem will block until I manually kill AOL. I rebooted my machines several times and made sure that no program was running when I started my client program. But the problem did not go away. The only possible cause I can think of is that AOL has hacked the system dlls and inserted the following "virus":
if(anyone tries to open a socket connection)
{
he must be thinking about AOL
so we will save his time by starting AOL for him
what else can he possibly do without using AOL?
}:mad: :mad: :mad:
Black Cat wrote: Anyone has the AOL virus? AOL is a virus. :cool:
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Black Cat wrote: Anyone has the AOL virus? AOL is a virus. :cool:
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AOL might have replaced the winsock DLLs. Lots of stuff does that, especially spyware. --Mike-- Just released - RightClick-Encrypt - Adds fast & easy file encryption to Explorer My really out-of-date homepage Sonork-100.19012 Acid_Helm
AOL might have replaced the winsock DLLs. Lots of stuff does that, especially spyware. That's what I thought. But is it legal for them to do that? What happens if windows automatically starts IE whenever you try to run netscape (not that you ever want to)? I am sure that there will be new law suits filed against Microsoft if that is the case. :(
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AOL might have replaced the winsock DLLs. Lots of stuff does that, especially spyware. That's what I thought. But is it legal for them to do that? What happens if windows automatically starts IE whenever you try to run netscape (not that you ever want to)? I am sure that there will be new law suits filed against Microsoft if that is the case. :(
Black Cat wrote: But is it legal for them to do that? It's your choice not to install it. If you have time and want some fun, go complain at the AOL customer service with your programming problem. Whatever they say and do and refer you to, insist that it's their fault.
We are ugly but we have the music Leonhard Cohen [sighist]
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I use AOL 6.0 on my Windows 98 to connect to the internet at home. Previously I was using AOL 4.0 and never had a major problem besides the ugly interface and annoying pop up dialogs. Now I have a BIG problem. Everytime I run a client program that tries to connect to a server (on the same machine) using socket, AOL will start itself and dial the access number. In the mean time, my client problem will block until I manually kill AOL. I rebooted my machines several times and made sure that no program was running when I started my client program. But the problem did not go away. The only possible cause I can think of is that AOL has hacked the system dlls and inserted the following "virus":
if(anyone tries to open a socket connection)
{
he must be thinking about AOL
so we will save his time by starting AOL for him
what else can he possibly do without using AOL?
}:mad: :mad: :mad:
Here is my solution for your problem. A few years ago I had a similar AOL virus - my connection was always slow, often disconnected, and the customer support was terrible. 1. Uninstall AOL completely from your machine. 2. Get a real ISP. :-D I also found a use for those CD's that AOL keeps sending me - I now have a set of 5 (and counting..) coasters for when guests arrive. :-D Even if you win the rat race, you're still a rat.
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I use AOL 6.0 on my Windows 98 to connect to the internet at home. Previously I was using AOL 4.0 and never had a major problem besides the ugly interface and annoying pop up dialogs. Now I have a BIG problem. Everytime I run a client program that tries to connect to a server (on the same machine) using socket, AOL will start itself and dial the access number. In the mean time, my client problem will block until I manually kill AOL. I rebooted my machines several times and made sure that no program was running when I started my client program. But the problem did not go away. The only possible cause I can think of is that AOL has hacked the system dlls and inserted the following "virus":
if(anyone tries to open a socket connection)
{
he must be thinking about AOL
so we will save his time by starting AOL for him
what else can he possibly do without using AOL?
}:mad: :mad: :mad:
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I use AOL 6.0 on my Windows 98 to connect to the internet at home. Previously I was using AOL 4.0 and never had a major problem besides the ugly interface and annoying pop up dialogs. Now I have a BIG problem. Everytime I run a client program that tries to connect to a server (on the same machine) using socket, AOL will start itself and dial the access number. In the mean time, my client problem will block until I manually kill AOL. I rebooted my machines several times and made sure that no program was running when I started my client program. But the problem did not go away. The only possible cause I can think of is that AOL has hacked the system dlls and inserted the following "virus":
if(anyone tries to open a socket connection)
{
he must be thinking about AOL
so we will save his time by starting AOL for him
what else can he possibly do without using AOL?
}:mad: :mad: :mad:
A few things to try: - Unistall AOL and see if the problem goes away. Most likely AOL will "forget" to remove its dlls. - Reinstall windows in repair mode. This will most likely trash AOL in the process. While you are doing this, take a snapshot to the system dirs to see what AOL is changing. - Get zone alarm to see who is doing what on your machine. This way you can at least track what AOL is doing. - If AOL insists on using its version of Winsock, try putting the AOL version of the winsock dll in the AOL directory and perhaps fiddling with the search path or registry. - Create a separate boot partition for AOL and switch back and forth. - Switch to a better ISP. You should be able to find more for less elsewhere.
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A few things to try: - Unistall AOL and see if the problem goes away. Most likely AOL will "forget" to remove its dlls. - Reinstall windows in repair mode. This will most likely trash AOL in the process. While you are doing this, take a snapshot to the system dirs to see what AOL is changing. - Get zone alarm to see who is doing what on your machine. This way you can at least track what AOL is doing. - If AOL insists on using its version of Winsock, try putting the AOL version of the winsock dll in the AOL directory and perhaps fiddling with the search path or registry. - Create a separate boot partition for AOL and switch back and forth. - Switch to a better ISP. You should be able to find more for less elsewhere.
Thanks for the advice. Yes, I agree that not using AOL is probably the best solution. However, switching to another ISP can cause other problems I don't want to deal with right now, my mid-life crisis went away peacefully last year, don't want to start another one so soon ;)
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Black Cat wrote: But is it legal for them to do that? It's your choice not to install it. If you have time and want some fun, go complain at the AOL customer service with your programming problem. Whatever they say and do and refer you to, insist that it's their fault.
We are ugly but we have the music Leonhard Cohen [sighist]
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Trollslayer wrote: Would you like to meet my teddy bear ? I've never heard it called that before.... Christian I am completely intolerant of stupidity. Stupidity is, of course, anything that doesn't conform to my way of thinking. - Jamie Hale - 29/05/2002 Half the reason people switch away from VB is to find out what actually goes on.. and then like me they find out that they weren't quite as good as they thought - they've been nannied. - Alex, 13 June 2002
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I use AOL 6.0 on my Windows 98 to connect to the internet at home. Previously I was using AOL 4.0 and never had a major problem besides the ugly interface and annoying pop up dialogs. Now I have a BIG problem. Everytime I run a client program that tries to connect to a server (on the same machine) using socket, AOL will start itself and dial the access number. In the mean time, my client problem will block until I manually kill AOL. I rebooted my machines several times and made sure that no program was running when I started my client program. But the problem did not go away. The only possible cause I can think of is that AOL has hacked the system dlls and inserted the following "virus":
if(anyone tries to open a socket connection)
{
he must be thinking about AOL
so we will save his time by starting AOL for him
what else can he possibly do without using AOL?
}:mad: :mad: :mad:
Remove the AOL adapter. If you have aol 6, go start --> programs --> AOL --> system info tool --> utilities tab --> click on uninstall aol adapter. Then repair IE and if that doesn't work then remove DUN... start AOL and it will reinstall DUN and RAS... that will def fix your problem.
"When a friend hurts us, we should write it down in the sand, where the winds of forgiveness get in charge of erasing it away, and when something great happens, we should engrave it in the stone of the memory of the heart, where no wind can erase it" Nish on life [methinks] "It's The Soapbox; topics are optional" Shog 9