This is a post to share my current experience / problems with some stubborn adware.
I originally got a virus/trojan while trying to view an internet stream. I was running MS Security Essentials, which caught and removed the virus. I thought everything was back to normal.
Then I noticed that once in a while, I would randomly get redirected in my browser to a "primawega" ad site, or sometimes "nysearchengine" or other such nonsense. After much research, I learned that there was no adware program that would detect this adware, and yet many people are having the same problem. It looks like the only resort is to reformat your pc!
At first, I thought it was a FireFox only problem, and switched to IE. Then I got the same error in IE. While it doesn't appear to cause any damage, it is extremely annoying.
Then one day, I noticed a link in my start programs for IE 64-bit (which isn't the default IE, even on Win 7 64-bit). I figured with a 64-bit PC and OS, I should use a 64-bit browser. It works well, except for one small problem: Adobe Flash does not work in 64-bit browsers (but they say they are working on a 64-bit version). Oh well, I figured I would just use the 32-bit when I need Flash (i.e. Youtube and other media streams).
After a while of using the 64-bit, I noticed I was no longer getting redirects! It is therefore my conclusion that the adware redirect problem is due to some script or plugin associated with Adobe Flash. A re-install of Flash did not help. This thing is really buried somewhere.
I still feel a reformat of my PC is needed, but at least I know now how to avoid the adware for the most part (except for the times where I need a media stream and have to use the 32-bit browser).
So, if anyone else is experiencing this problem, at least now you know what is causing it, and a way to avoid it. Alas, my only solution at the moment is not a good one (reformat), but perhaps this post can enlighten others.
I originally got a virus/trojan while trying to view an internet stream. I was running MS Security Essentials, which caught and removed the virus. I thought everything was back to normal.
Then I noticed that once in a while, I would randomly get redirected in my browser to a "primawega" ad site, or sometimes "nysearchengine" or other such nonsense. After much research, I learned that there was no adware program that would detect this adware, and yet many people are having the same problem. It looks like the only resort is to reformat your pc!
At first, I thought it was a FireFox only problem, and switched to IE. Then I got the same error in IE. While it doesn't appear to cause any damage, it is extremely annoying.
Then one day, I noticed a link in my start programs for IE 64-bit (which isn't the default IE, even on Win 7 64-bit). I figured with a 64-bit PC and OS, I should use a 64-bit browser. It works well, except for one small problem: Adobe Flash does not work in 64-bit browsers (but they say they are working on a 64-bit version). Oh well, I figured I would just use the 32-bit when I need Flash (i.e. Youtube and other media streams).
After a while of using the 64-bit, I noticed I was no longer getting redirects! It is therefore my conclusion that the adware redirect problem is due to some script or plugin associated with Adobe Flash. A re-install of Flash did not help. This thing is really buried somewhere.
I still feel a reformat of my PC is needed, but at least I know now how to avoid the adware for the most part (except for the times where I need a media stream and have to use the 32-bit browser).
So, if anyone else is experiencing this problem, at least now you know what is causing it, and a way to avoid it. Alas, my only solution at the moment is not a good one (reformat), but perhaps this post can enlighten others.
