Anyone know how to disable Internet Explorer without a proxy?

Hey guys does anyone know how to disable Internet Explorer without a proxy? I've been trying to work this out for a while now, i can't find it running in the task manager and i can't stop it. I believe it's being hacked externally to look up sites with spyware but none has been found on my system, i have come to this conclusion because i've been getting phishing emails with stuff i've been looking at on ebay as a hook. rolleyes

I've tried using a dead proxy to stop it from connecting but that messes around with YIM that uses the same connection settings as IE, i don't want to remove it from the system because i don't know what that will do... Microsoft really need to stop trying to force people to use it by integrating it into their systems, i'm running vista home premium if anyone can help it would be greatly appreciated. :major

 

Thanks for the reply. I've already done this and nothing was found.

 

You mean you checked for malware, right? But, you have not tried another browser, have you?

You may be right in drawing that conclusion but I'm a bit skeptical about it. Would be interested in seeing others' comments on that point.

 

Can't you go to Tools, Internet Options, Privacy.
1/2 the way down,click on Advanced.
Next box,click on Override Automatic Cookie Handling.
Then on both sides, select Do not Accept Cookies.
OK your way back out.
Will cause you to have to log in at the sites you go to, but no additional cookies will be installed.

 

Pardon me from stepping in. I'm a total dunce about anything technical, so beware.

I run Crazy Browser, a proxy of IE, on XP. Have done for years. On it right now. It's small and fast, and I don't get any phishing mails on Outlook. Only problem is, once in a while I want to go to Game House to play on line. CB won't allow me to go there.

 

That seems to have slowed it down but not stopped it completely... Every time i start up the PC and onwards i can hear it double clicking. This is Vista we're talking about mate, i'm lucky the computer is running at all. :mad

I appreciate you taking the time to help me out, however if this is a lost cause please don't waste your time... You're a good bloke but i don't want to waste your time.

 

I'll give that a shot, however Microsoft are like toddlers throwing a tantrum over people not wanting to use IE anymore, they have incorporated it into the vista system so it could mess around with something else. Thanks for the input.

 

The emails were supposed to be from 'The ebay insider' they were offering BS offers of what i was looking at on ebay for 30% less from specific sellers overseas.

I believe it was spyware because it showed specific items e.g. Acacia drummondii drummondii, Acacia decurrens, ACACIA FARNESIANA, and ACACIA acinacea. If you're not into horticulture you're not going to have any idea what any of that is, I was looking at all of those on ebay earlier that day before receiving said email which i might add was quite convincing for the most part. :spam

 

Those sound like adware tracking cookies at work.
I get a lot of those from eBay.
They track what you are shopping for to know what you are interested in. Then they can get the proper items to show you,in the hopes of making a sale.

 

No, this one is coming from a non-ebay site and a fake email address designed to look like ebay. The one's i'm getting now are "eBay the big deal!" pretty obvious fake when you look at the email address that it's come from.