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Wincustomize: Nasty Pop-Ups Continuing

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Wincustomize: Nasty Pop-Ups Continuing

WC/Stardock Webmaster(s) Need To Do Something, Please

from WinCustomize Forums
I put up a post about this a while ago, and many others agreed they were getting the same thing.

Now, it's becoming intolerable.

I just got nailed with a "general" Trojan, from a pop-up (off main page, and WB page) just entering the site.

Now, just sitting within a forum page reading a thread, I had a giant pop-up occur every 30 seconds or so.

When I go to download something, 90% of the time, I get a pop-up when entering that page.

Sometimes it starts as a small pop-up in the lower right-hand corner of my monitor, then expands to a large full-screen one.

Other times, a small pop-up in the upper left-hand portion of my monitor, which is the one I just got the Trojan from (yes, it's possible to get a Trojan from just opening a site; malicious HTML; I'm a coder, so I know and it's been happening for years).

Other times, just one giant pop-up behind the main browser.

Damn, you've got to be kidding me! I just got one now while sitting here typing this!

This is ridiculous, and I and others have already made complaints about this.

I've posted screenshots in the past, and nothing was done. I have more screenshots now, but I really don't have the time to be uploading a ton of these just to "prove" it's coming from here... it is!

All I'm asking, as a patron of Wincustomize for the last 3 years, is that the webmasters removed the embedded coding that seems to plague this site these days, which is allowing these pop-ups.

Please, do not "argue" with me here... there's another thread I started a while back with many people having the same problem... it's true... and yes, I know what I'm doing and I know what I'm talking about... just to avoid those who would "flame" out of lack of maturity.

I'm 31 years old and a programmer/graphic artist and build pcs... so please, don't tell me I'm not having this problem with this site... it's ONLY from this site, and it started sometime around the beginning of this year, and only got worse.

I'm hoping I can fully weed-out this damn trojan, but I'm asking you guys again... PLEASE look into this, alright?

It's becoming such a problem, I almost cannot visit WC anymore.

I'm running hardcore anti-virus, firewalls and totally updated IE... so I cant even imagine how these pop-ups are getting through, but the trojans (2nd one I've gotten from a pop-up here) attach to cookies... which, while might seem easily deleted, trojans are notoriously hard to completely get rid of, and that's a problem... not to mention the spyware coming from these pop-ups (yes, I'm protected, but it still gets through) and it just being a general huge annoyance.

I'm a long-time Stardock customer, and would appreciate someone finally looking into this and resolving the problem.

Thank you.
14,758 views 44 replies
Reply #26 from WinCustomize Forums Top
if you can afford it, use gold-pressed latinum - you won't regret it
Reply #27 from WinCustomize Forums Top

You might want to check your configurator abstraction wizard settings, there is quite possibly a hole in the patched inversion coupling that has caused a buffer relay overprotection induction. I had this problem until I was able to pin down a configuration for my WCSUB.pay files. Now I have gotten pretty cleaned up.

Crap...Symantec flagged mine as a Trojan ActiveX control so I deleted it.

Anyone got a crack to the Abstraction Wizard proggy?......Mine now has black menu buttons so it won't induct and the coupling broke, too.....

Offworld Trading Company
Reply #28 from WinCustomize Forums Top
~
I have a supercharged inversion coupling...
~
Reply #29 from WinCustomize Forums Top
This again?

The only timess I ever had a pop up on WC was when I had somethingon my computer.

That reminds me, recently I got a pop up (wasn't signed in) while one Netscape (of which in itself seems funny cause it has a pop up blockers too).

I don't remember what site I came from, though... Oh well.


Besides, pop-ups are so lame. Its cheap quick money, but in the long run (long run meaning more than 3 months because people just don't like pop-ups...) its not a good idea. Its better to use text ads, well placed image ads and possibly either intro ads (like what GameStop has) or full page color matching ads (like Billboard.com did with T-Mobile Boost or like Yahoo does with Yahoo Music (formally known as Launch))

Besides, this site:
http://frogboy.wincustomize.com/Articles.aspx?AID=90929
will probably become a subscription site, so pop-up ads won't be nessiciary. What is available to the public will be there to show what is available if you subscribe.

I am sure there will be libraries to browse and images to see, but not enough to need to pay for it by using pop-up ads.
Reply #30 from WinCustomize Forums Top
use gold-pressed latinum - you won't regret it


So 5 minutes ago-- mine's niobium
Reply #31 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Nonsense. It's obviously a sub-space tachyon pulse generator creating an unstable wormhole - easily cured with a couple of strips of latinum


Too many large scary words - it's fair doing my wee blonde head in!

*cries*

Happy place, where's my happy place......
Reply #32 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Mine now has black menu buttons so it won't induct and the coupling broke, too.....


And you wondered what happened to your boot sector?
Reply #33 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Come on now. I've been a subscriber for three years now. If I don't log in, this site is terrible, with pop ups. And we all know that.


I have come here lots of times (in the past few years) without being logged in, and I have never...ever seen one single popup. I see a few ads, but thats it.
Reply #34 from WinCustomize Forums Top
There's rumor of a patch for TPG instability, but you have to download and install Norton Security Suite and, then, uninstall it. The noibium is a myth, it only works if you hold onto the TPG while a major radiation leak is being mind-melded by a Vulcan.

Posted via WinCustomize Browser/Stardock Central
Reply #35 from WinCustomize Forums Top
I havent seen a popup either... however i wonder if you run some sort of cleaner like ad-aware or antiviral sweep on your system. Do you have the messenger service turned off?

You could always wipe and reload your system. Check the site using another PC.. etc.
Reply #36 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Besides, pop-ups are so lame. Its cheap quick money, but in the long run (long run meaning more than 3 months because people just don't like pop-ups...) its not a good idea. Its better to use text ads, well placed image ads and possibly either intro ads (like what GameStop has) or full page color matching ads (like Billboard.com did with T-Mobile Boost or like Yahoo does with Yahoo Music (formally known as Launch))

Agree with joe here. Isn't it better to provide better spesialiced ads than just piling on any random ad. I Adblock sites bloated with loads of random adverts. Google ads I leave. Also ads related to the content of the site.
Reply #37 from WinCustomize Forums Top
1.) Use Firefox 1.5 (http://www.firefox.com).
2.) Shaw Secure (https://secure.shaw.ca/apps/shawsecure/default.aspx)
Reply #38 from WinCustomize Forums Top

WinCustomize does not support popups/spyware/etc etc.    We do have various ads being being displayed through out our site. These ads come from a couple different sources as we uses third party companies to serve ads to our site.  On accasion it is possible that an undesirable ad may come through.  If we are aware of those ads we contact our ad service agents and have them remove them.

So if you do see an ad that causes a popup, or tries to install something like gator or a virus or anything please take a screenshot of that page and send it to me (pford@stardock.com) and let me know what the URL to that page was and which ad (as there may be more than one ad per page) that you believe is causing the problem.  If you can copy the shortcuts for the links to the ads  and send those links that will also be extremely helpfull in determining which ad may be causing the problem.

And after you have sent this data and since we do not have any malicious code in our site and do not support these type of ads please check your system with anti virus and anti spyware software as it is possible that the popups may be caused from a program on your system.

Reply #39 from WinCustomize Forums Top

Straight from the T-Man.....

Reply #40 from WinCustomize Forums Top
"WinCustomize does not support popups/spyware/etc etc. We do have various ads being being displayed through out our site. These ads come from a couple different sources as we uses third party companies to serve ads to our site."

If you know that spyware and trojans come from the ads displayed by the third party companies, and you continue to allow ads to come from the third party companies, you are supporting spyware and trojans.
Reply #41 from WinCustomize Forums Top
If you know that spyware and trojans come from the ads displayed by the third party companies


Well there's the point isn't it? As T-man states
If we are aware of those ads we contact our ad service agents and have them remove them.


Clearly SD and WC are not supporting malware.
Reply #42 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Where are you reading this?

If you know that spyware and trojans come from the ads displayed by the third party companies, and you continue to allow ads to come from the third party companies, you are supporting spyware and trojans.




On accasion it is possible that an undesirable ad may come through. If we are aware of those ads we contact our ad service agents and have them remove them.


All I see is that it's possible on occasion that an undesirable add (may) come through. Not that they do.
Reply #43 from WinCustomize Forums Top

Ad Service Companies go about displaying their ads in many different ways.  Sometimes the ads they display are through other ad agencies as well. And sometimes the ads are not hosted on their servers.  So because the ads are not always coming from a controlled source its possible that legitimate ad companies will occasionally have undesirable or malicious ads sneak through. 

We have in some cases already quit using some ad services because of repeat offences.  The ad services that we are using now we have not had any prior problems.  So yes, if we have continued problems with an ad service we do quit using it.  At the moment we have been unable to narrow down as to which ad service this is coming from (if any) and which ad is causing the problem.  We have not been able to view the problem internally yet and have not received sufficient information in order to pin point the culprit.

Again, if you see a popup/popunder or the wmf exploit please send me an email and include screenshots and url of the page.  Also please provide me with URL's that ads on the page go to so we can investigate further.

And if for some reason you later on find out the the problem was coming from spyware on your system please let us know that too.

 

Reply #44 from WinCustomize Forums Top
I'mn not a subscriber and I don't get popups.

Can we say "Internet Explorer popup blocker"?

Posted via WinCustomize Browser/Stardock Central