Is my computer being hacked??

[hsmom4Jesus]

Hi,

I'm new here.  I am desperate for an answer.  I have an old desktop and a 1 year old emachines notebook, with Athlon.  We have a Linksys network router.  I'm running Windows XP on the notebook.  I use Internet Explorer and AOL, and gmail.  I have several problems.  I have plenty of memory, etc.  

The first and most urgent is that AOL has denied us access 2 times in the last month, saying that we violated TOS.  They said we were sending out over 400 spam emails at one time.  We have done nothing of the sort.  One of the times, they even said they were coming from my son's screen name.  At the time, he was in bed!    I'm afraid that someone has hacked into our system and is using our computer for this.  Someone please help me!!  This is very scary!  

Also, my computer is making lots of sounds like I'm clicking on links when I'm not.  Many times, the bar at the bottom that shows how far along the loading is, is also showing activity upon the clicking.  I've made sure that my hand is nowhere near the keys or the mousepad, to make sure that I wasn't hitting something.  Sometimes, it will just be one click, and sometimes it's multiple clicks, one after another.  Is this a sign that someone else is accessing my computer??  

Also, even though we have cable, the pages are loading excruciatingly slowly, and sometimes not at all, but this is just on my screen name, and not the others.  

Lots of times I get the page that says that it can't display that page, and asks you to refresh, but that doesn't help.  

Many times, I click on the back button, but I have to do it 3 or 4 times to get it to go back.  

We have a spyware detector that continuously checks for spyware, which is always telling me that there is no spyware.  We have Norton Antivirus.  We have 2 firewalls--one through AOL, and one through Linksys.  

Also, one other question--this laptop is always getting overheated and shuts down.  Is this a sign that it has been on too long, and if so, how long is too long?  Or is this a sign that the computer is defective?  It gets so hot that it leaves red marks on my legs through my blue jeans, and you can't touch the back, where the hard drive is.  Even when I have it on a special laptop desk, which is supposed to make sure that it gets plenty of ventilation, it shuts down.  This happens numerous times every day.  It especially shuts down if I try to run a crossword puzzle game, which is a full screen game, even when I'm not even on the internet.  Before it shuts down, it is always loud, and the air coming out the back vents is very hot.  It always sounds like a car that will not gear up when it needs to.

Oh, one other thing.  All of a sudden, the laptop kept getting knocked off the internet when anyone uses the microwave, which is in a direct line between the laptop and the router.  From what I've read online, this is probably interference from the microwave.  Is there anything I can do about this?  It didn't happen, and then all of a sudden it just started doing this (right after emachines replaced the hard drive!).  We've had SO many problems with this laptop.  I would recommend that you do NOT buy an emachines laptop!!  We sent the first one in 3 times, and they kept sending it back worse than it went in.  We now have a refurbished replacement and are having the same problems!!  

Can anyone help me?

Blessings!
DonnainAL

[dl65]

hsmom4Jesus.......Where to start , you seem to have a number of issues going on here and on two machines as well .  

Lets start with the laptop .......First microwaves and wireless connections don't like each other . Is it possible to relocate the wireless router to another location away from the microwave .  Next , when was the hard drive replaced , and why was it replaced .  
Also if your laptop is burning your legs throught your pants , there's something seriously wrong ......) perhaps the fans not running . I would be going right to the top in the E Machines organization and demanding they fix their problem .........( It's theirs not your's ) There could well be serious damage done to the interior componets.

Now on to the spamming pc .......Sounds like the pc has been hacked ..........Tell your son to shut down his pc when ever he's not using it ...and then they wont be able to route their junk through his machine .......( its possible its one of his aquaintences.......)

"they even said they were coming from my son's screen name"  .........does the ip number match his as well .......
I have no idea what kind of a firewall AO *censored* offers , but do you have the linksy firewall set up properly .......( it may block a lot of incoming stuff but I would be surprised if it deals with outgoing transmissions .) I would be using something like Zone Alarm or Sygate .....but they must be properly configured .

I dont believe you mentiond which spyware scanners you use .......as this may be what's causing the slowdown . Please let us know .
If possible , deal with one issue in one post ...it's less confusing .
We will wait for your response .

dl65  

[hsmom4Jesus]

Hi, dl65,

Thanks for answering!

OK.  I'm not big on computer knowledge, so you might have to talk baby talk to me!  

First of all, my ds doesn't "have" a computer.  We're talking about our ds that doesn't even live with us....he just happened to be spending the night that particular night.  I was on the laptop in the same room as the desktop and he was in our other ds' bedroom, sound asleep when this was happening.  He only uses his screen name when he's here, as he doesn't have a computer, or access to one.  I don't know what you mean by "does the IP match his as well".  All AOL told me was that I was sending out numerous spam mails.  They had no idea what could be happening.  I had to talk to two different people, trying to understand their broken English!  

hsmom4Jesus

[hsmom4Jesus]

Hi, again,

No, there's no way to move the router.  We've moved into a mobile home that has only 2 cables, in 2 rooms, on two ends of the house.  The router has to be hooked up to the desktop.  The room I use the laptop in is our bedroom, which is on the other end, diagonally across the mobile home (I have 5 chronic health conditions, and am often bedridden).  Like I said, it wasn't a problem before, don't know what happened.

hsmom4Jesus

[hsmom4Jesus]

Lets start with the laptop .......First microwaves and wireless connections don't like each other . Is it possible to relocate the wireless router to another location away from the microwave .

Oh, I also meant to say that the microwave is 2 rooms away from each of the computers, but happens to be at the center of the double wide (the only place in the kitchen with an outlet), and in a direct line, diagonally, between the two computers.

hsmom4Jesus








 Next , when was the hard drive replaced , and why was it replaced .  
Also if your laptop is burning your legs throught your pants , there's something seriously wrong ......) perhaps the fans not running . I would be going right to the top in the E Machines organization and demanding they fix their problem .........( It's theirs not your's ) There could well be serious damage done to the interior componets.

Now on to the spamming pc .......Sounds like the pc has been hacked ..........Tell your son to shut down his pc when ever he's not using it ...and then they wont be able to route their junk through his machine .......( its possible its one of his aquaintences.......)

"they even said they were coming from my son's screen name"  .........does the ip number match his as well .......
I have no idea what kind of a firewall AO *censored* offers , but do you have the linksy firewall set up properly .......( it may block a lot of incoming stuff but I would be surprised if it deals with outgoing transmissions .) I would be using something like Zone Alarm or Sygate .....but they must be properly configured .

I dont believe you mentiond which spyware scanners you use .......as this may be what's causing the slowdown . Please let us know .
If possible , deal with one issue in one post ...it's less confusing .
We will wait for your response .

dl65  [/quote]

[hsmom4Jesus]

Hi,

The hard drive was replaced a month or two ago.  Can't remember--it's been in the shop so many times...oh, wait...it was in Dec., because my phone bill was outrageous!

The entire computer had crashed and wouldn't turn on at all.  They sent 2 different hard drives, neither of which would go into the computer.  We were trying to avoid having to send it in, because it always comes back worse than when we sent it in.  But we had to send it in.  When we got it back was when the microwave started knocking it off the internet.  Sometimes it does it, but then other days, we'll go all day, and the microwave won't phase it!  

hsmom4Jesus

[hsmom4Jesus]

I HAVE been to the top--have conversed with a guy in the office of the VP.  It does no good....do you know who I could contact to get the help I need before the warranty runs out?  I want my money back so I can buy something decent, but they just keep wanting to do RMAs on it.

[hsmom4Jesus]

I'm on the laptop just about all day every day...checking mail, surfing, helping the kids with schoolwork (we homeschool).  That's why I wondered if it was getting hot because I'm on so much...that's what my dh claims. So...the desktop has to be on, also, for internet access and to use the printer.  

[hsmom4Jesus]

My 15 yo ds, who is much more computer savvy than me, hooked up the Linksys, and he says he followed all the directions implicitly.  AOL has McAfee Personal Firewall Express.  We didn't have it enabled until after the 2nd incident with AOL, because he said that the Linksys firewall was much better and we didn't need another one, and he was afraid it would interfere with the printer.

[hsmom4Jesus]

DS installed Zone Alarm, but it keeps popping up all these questions about whether I want to allow or not and I have no clue what to do, so I disabled it.  

[dl65]

hsmom4Jesus.....Ok , reading your reply suggests to me that the spam issue has been corrected via AO *censored* firewall.  
Then , the slow loading issue .....which computer is this on the laptop or the desktop.......Is it possible that its all clogged up with spyware and adware ?  
What spyware programs do you use to clean that out ?

The hard drives that have been replaced in your laptop.....who replaced them ?

What is the model number of your laptop? ( this info would help)

Zone Alarm.........the messages you see with Z/A running is it doing its job ........its telling you what is trying to access the net from your end and that that program is trying to send out info about something ........
You must take the time to look at each of those messages and decide if you wish to allow the connection .....

As far as the wireless problem with the microwave.....
think about your mobile home as a big tube ......we have the wireless router at one end and the laptop at the other end ........the microwave is in the middle .....when the micro wave is on its creating interferance .( from what I have read, theres no regulations in place to prevent this ) .......I have no way of knowing your habits .....but I would be inclined to have the router at one end and would run a cable to the other end.....and use that for your connection ...when thats where you are ......( this may or may not be a practical solution )

As far as E machines is concerned , I wouldn't settle for talking to the monkey , you want the organ grinder.......
Speak to the president .........( the organ grinder ......not some flunkie in the VP's office )

Tell him or her ......that your fed up with their crap ...you want you laptop to  work ..........You want a new one or your money back or you will talk to the press about their inability to fix your laptop.......( remember the sqeaky wheel will get the oil.)  

Let us know

dl65