Give the MVPS hosts file a try. It effectively blocks many sites, especially add sites like ad.doubleclick, as well as sites known to be dangerous (so called drive by infectious sites). MVPS hosts file
If that does not help, I'd like you to switch to having XP manage your wireless connection instead of Broadcom as follows:
Open Network Connections.
Right click on Wireless Network Connection, select Properties.
Click the Wireless Networks tab and check the "Use Windows to configure my
wireless network settings" box.
Click OK.
Shutdown and reboot to have this take effect.
You will see an icon in the System Tray (far right of TaskBar). Right click on that and select View available wireless networks, select yours and connect. See how that runs.
I didn't see it mentioned in your malware thread, but are you using any kind of encryption on your wireless network? If so which one, WEP, WPA, WPA2, ???
Thanks for the speedy reply! I need to run out for the evening so I will try your suggestions tomorrow around this time when I get in from work. To your question about encryption; i have no idea if i have any or how to figure out if I do. Can you please guide me?
If you don't know then you don't have any as it requires you to set it up. This is not a good idea as it allows anyone near you to piggy back on your wireless internet connection and also allows them inside your home lan setup, making it very easy to hack into your computer.
It may have been set up by the person from whom I bought my laptop that is why I asked if you could guide me on where to find it on my laptop. I read the articles you posed and do understand the vunerabilities. I also followed your instructions from yesterday aso far I haven't froze up but so far tonightI've only been tothe 2 sites you gave me the links to and this site.
Sorry got frozen out right after I submitted that post.
I was talkig about reading the linksyou sent. I tried to do the wireless connection change but couldn't find the properites you spoke of . when I right-clik on network connections I saw no properties but seleted "open wireless network connections" and it show the wireless connection but no properites so i dont see how to make the change.
One more question before I call it a night. Do you have a Windows XP Install CD? If you do try running System File Checker
To use System File Checker, you need a XP CD at the same service pack level as the XP installed on your hard drive or you need the I386 directory tree from a XP CD at the same SP level on your hard drive.
Click on Start then Run, type sfc /scannow and press Enter or click GO.
It can take 30 minutes or more to run and when it finishes, it just goes away. If it finds any missing or corrupted system files, it will ask for your XP CD and restore them from there.
My Inspiron doesn't appear to have those options. When I go to netork connections and properties I see only an option to configure a new network. No option is there to select Windows.
I don't have the install CD as I purchased the laptop from a o-worker in the IT department of my former job and he configured everything for me buthe has since moved to antoher state.
What do you think is causing my issues?
Are you right clicking on Network Connections and selecting Open? If you do it should look like this: [attachment removed]
When you right click on Wireless Network Connection, you should get this window: [attachment removed]
and when you right click on the Wireless Networks tab, you should see this: [attachment removed]
That is where check the "Use Windows to configure my wireless network settings" box.
