Problems with Google Chrome

[Broadback]

Since yesterday (now have Windows 8.1 an use Chrome for browsing) when I open this web site after a couple of seconds the first column of the headers are replaced by a think balloon type of symbol. Any idea of the case and cure please?

[Simon]

It's most likely to be a local cache issue, as others haven't reported it.  Try clearing your cache and see if that helps. 

[Broadback]

Done that Simon, no difference. 

[Glenn]

What happens with other browsers?

[Broadback]

I'll try and let you know

[Simon]

A screenshot might also be useful.

[Broadback]

I'm sorry for the repost but I am just getting to the state thtI can type seasonably well.
when I download and run Chrome all is ok for a day or so, then I get this problem when opening IdNetters: The left hand column is just large blue "thought" bubbles. I have taken a screen shot but not sure if it attached here..
Secondly I get an awful lot of adverts, but worse still often when I click to a link in a page it opens a new page with an advert, often for a search engine, GRR
Any help appreciated

[Simon]

I've merged this with the other thread, BB.

All I can suggest is to try another browser.  I suggested this to someone the other day, and they seemed quite favourable towards it:

http://www.srware.net/en/software_srware_iron_download.php

[Clive]

I once tried the browser Simon is suggesting but found it to be very invasive.  I uninstalled it within a day! 

[Simon]

More invasive than Google? 

[Gary]

I once tried the browser Simon is suggesting but found it to be very invasive.  I uninstalled it within a day! 

Chrome without Google, thats pure heaven 

[Clive]

More invasive than Google? 

I don't have a problem with Google.     Adblocker is your friend. 

[Gary]

I don't have a problem with Google.     Adblocker is your friend. 

Does adblocker on Chrome have the privacy subscription as well to stop web bugs, tracking scripts and information collectors?

[pctech]

Or you could just clear your cookies on a regular basis, no bloatware needed.

[Gary]

Or you could just clear your cookies on a regular basis, no bloatware needed.

Bloatware? The adblock plus  add on for firefox is pretty small and does not get in your face at all.  Its would be hard to empty cookies and block web bugs and scripts on the fly. Its not bloatware by any means. Same for the ones for Chrome and Safari, they are really useful and make the internet a ad free script invading nasty place slightly more bearable place.

[pctech]

I'm afraid I'm not a big fan of add ons Gary.

I have seen situations where the browser struggles to start because people have installed this or that to combat what they see as threats or annoyances such as advertising and have sometimes installed stuff inadvertently that injects advertising.

Good maintenance is better than software IMHO, the only stuff I have is Flash, Shockwave, the Netcraft toolbar, Java and Rapport purely so that if I ever have an issue with the bank they can see it was always present.

[Clive]

Does adblocker on Chrome have the privacy subscription as well to stop web bugs, tracking scripts and information collectors?

If you are worried about being tracked you can always open an incognito window in Chrome.   

[zappaDPJ]

Since yesterday (now have Windows 8.1 an use Chrome for browsing) when I open this web site after a couple of seconds the first column of the headers are replaced by a think balloon type of symbol. Any idea of the case and cure please?

Today I cleaned up two PCs that exhibited exactly the problem you've described. The cause is Trojan Horse Dropper generic8.CKIV which is a nightmare to get rid of. I had to clean both PCs manually which took me most of the day. The payload is really quite nasty and not limited to disabling your antivirus/firewall, disabling various system applications, deleting application data, destroys the registry and generally slows your system to a crawl. It also spams you with advertising and installs what I would assume to be additional malicious programs.

[Gary]

Today I cleaned up two PCs that exhibited exactly the problem you've described. The cause is Trojan Horse Dropper generic8.CKIV which is a nightmare to get rid of. I had to clean both PCs manually which took me most of the day. The payload is really quite nasty and not limited to disabling your antivirus/firewall, disabling various system applications, deleting application data, destroys the registry and generally slows your system to a crawl. It also spams you with advertising and installs what I would assume to be additional malicious programs.

What AV were they using, Zap? I would have though a good AV with signatures and decent heuristics and self protection would help for a start.

[Gary]

I'm afraid I'm not a big fan of add ons Gary.

I have seen situations where the browser struggles to start because people have installed this or that to combat what they see as threats or annoyances such as advertising and have sometimes installed stuff inadvertently that injects advertising.

Good maintenance is better than software IMHO, the only stuff I have is Flash, Shockwave, the Netcraft toolbar, Java and Rapport purely so that if I ever have an issue with the bank they can see it was always present.

Mitch, I have to say adblocking is my first and only add on you, you actually  have more addons than I do. I would consider the JRE more of a security worry than a simple adblocker, which in many cases stops the invasive adds with malware on in the first place. Never seen a page I need Shockwave for in years hence I never install it. All I have is adblock plus, Flash (reluctantly) and quicktime as its on a Mac anyway.

[zappaDPJ]

What AV were they using, Zap? I would have though a good AV with signatures and decent heuristics and self protection would help for a start.

MSE on both PCs. I did actually try to see if a number of leading antivirus products would deal with it but none would hence the manual removal. I have however now been told that BullGuard will recognise and remove it.

[Gary]

MSE on both PCs. I did actually try to see if a number of leading antivirus products would deal with it but none would hence the manual removal. I have however now been told that BullGuard will recognise and remove it.

Surprised the likes of Kaspersky didnt get it. Shows that AV comparative scores mean very little in real life. Actually it looks like Kaspersky removes it as well from what I just read but its very nasty. AVG looks pretty useless these days tbh

[Simon]

Certainly with AVG Free, you get what you pay for. 

[Gary]

Certainly with AVG Free, you get what you pay for. 

Many of the paid ones wont get rid of it either it seems, Simon. 

[Technical Ben]

I once tried the browser Simon is suggesting but found it to be very invasive.  I uninstalled it within a day! 

s
I'm lost there. SWIron is Chrome without any invasive tracking. Have I been miss advised?

I'm afraid I'm not a big fan of add ons Gary.

I have seen situations where the browser struggles to start because people have installed this or that to combat what they see as threats or annoyances such as advertising and have sometimes installed stuff inadvertently that injects advertising.

Good maintenance is better than software IMHO, the only stuff I have is Flash, Shockwave, the Netcraft toolbar, Java and Rapport purely so that if I ever have an issue with the bank they can see it was always present.

Good thing we're not talking about snake oil then. We are talking about spanners and proper tools. All an adblocker is is a whitelist/blacklist to advertising DNS/web addresses/IPS. There are multiple options (HOSTS file being the most basic, but needing more user knowhow, and Adblock software being the most automated). It's the difference between a macro app for file backup and a manual "copy paste". No bloatware at all, and the only addon that I use (so again not "overloading the PC")!

I'll not judge you, but I'd not use any of those addons except the required Flash and Java, cos sites insist. I'll not go into Rapport here (have other places). So again, it's tools for jobs and we all do different jobs, so need different tools.

[Technical Ben]

Surprised the likes of Kaspersky didnt get it. Shows that AV comparative scores mean very little in real life. Actually it looks like Kaspersky removes it as well from what I just read but its very nasty. AVG looks pretty useless these days tbh

The test showed the parachute saved 100% of lives. Pity they never tested it against sharks!     

[Simon]

Ben, I'd always understood SWIron to be a 'Google free Chrome'.  I don't know what Clive is on about, but that's nothing new! 

[Gary]

SWIron as I had seen it was Chrome without Googles constant phoning hone and half a dozen unneeded services operating in the background. 

[pctech]

Some ad blockers work that way, some work on the script.

Irrespective of what add ons we are referring to the fact remains if there are too many it will slow the operation of the browser because a lot of what I would refer to as cr*pware does both of the following:

Takes up screen area which the browser has to allocate during startup which slows down the startup
Calls out to remote servers to pull whatever to display (usually advertising graphics) but purports to do something useful such as provide a search function.

Website advertisements are usually there to help those running the site pay for the servers and bandwidth so I think it is legitimate.

[Gary]

Website advertisements are usually there to help those running the site pay for the servers and bandwidth so I think it is legitimate.

I don't care if its legitimate or not its intrusive to me, oh and some run by proxy like admuncher. I find adblock plus increases browsing speed because the ads dont load, not even in the background, and with the privacy subscription being part of my installation nothing follows me from one website to another, and I can unblock sites of just pages at will if needed. Great ad on, and makes the internet clean and refreshingly neutral. If I want ads I'll start not recording my TV shows so I cant fast forward though them 

[pctech]

Sadly servers, power and bandwidth don't come for free Gary so I side with the webmasters on this.

Here's a question for you, would you pay to access a lot of the information you use from the net on a daily basis?

[Gary]

Sadly servers, power and bandwidth don't come for free Gary so I side with the webmasters on this.

Here's a question for you, would you pay to access a lot of the information you use from the net on a daily basis?

Id pay to get rid of advertising, that's why I use pay version of apps so I don't see adverts within them where possible, Mitch.

[Simon]

Unless they're particularly intrusive, like those bloody floating popups, ads don't bother me all that much.  I don't think I'd pay not to see them.

[Gary]

Unless they're particularly intrusive, like those bloody floating popups, ads don't bother me all that much.  I don't think I'd pay not to see them.

Each to their own on this one, I hate all advertising even on TV so I'll happily pay not to have it. Its a blessing at xmas too I hate xmas ads the most 

[Simon]

I couldn't live without the skip button, and haven't seen a TV advert for years! 

[Technical Ben]

Sadly servers, power and bandwidth don't come for free Gary so I side with the webmasters on this.

Here's a question for you, would you pay to access a lot of the information you use from the net on a daily basis?

While fair enough, I'd sadly just not go on the site then. Stopped watching TV because it was all adds, and I did pay my license. Kept on for as long as I could for what was on the beeb, but even then it was not worth the money.

[Gary]

I couldn't live without the skip button, and haven't seen a TV advert for years! 

[pctech]

I used to quite like the Hamlet, Tango and Dry Blackthorn ads.