Copyright © 1997-2008 Elizabeth Boston, The Computer Lady

Dear Computer Lady,

 

Yesterday while I was searching for some information about the guitarist Dave Wilcox, Xupiter.com commandeered my home page and placed their toolbar beneath what I already had. Sometimes I can get my att.net homepage back but then next time Xupiter grabs it again.

 

How can I make this unwelcome visitor go away?

 

Thank you so much for any help you can give me! Evvie

Dear Evvie,

 

I am starting to get a lot of e-mails about this pest.

 

Thousands of people have been hijacked by Xupiter.

 

The Xupiter toolbar changes a browser's home page, redirects searches to pre-selected sites, and automatically opens a back door into a computer to let in ads and games.

Once installed Xupiter changes a browser's homepage, forwards searches to its own site, downloads other games, bombards people with pop-up ads and blocks attempts by users to re-assert control.

 

The program also aggressively checks to see that all its parts are intact, downloads missing parts and nags users to re-install the toolbar.

 

I was able to remove it using the free program, Spybot -- Search & Destroy.

 

Elizabeth