Web page sounds?

Somebody please help, I am about to jump through my skin! My computer has started making that stupid chat-room water drop sound when I first log into websites. What in the world is causing that?

 

Oh, yeh. It's worth mentioning that it also happens in this website.

 

I realize that I should have mentioned more background here. Before posting, I updated and scanned the following: Norton anti-virus, PestPatrol, Spybot S&D 1.3 with tea timer running, Adaware, Bazooka, HSRemover, and CWShredder. I also have Zone alarm set for auto update. I don't use Windows XP restore function. Windows updates are current as of 2 weeks ago. I regularly scan (more than once a week) all of the above named programs. In this particular instance the only new bug I found was ISTbar, via PestPatrol. I removed that, then logged off, the rescanned with all of the above mentioned programs. Everything came up clean. I am running a dual MP2200 processor amd scsi motherboard with 512mb ddr ecc ram, a Seagate 10k and two Western Digital 10k drives. A very generic sound card with a CMI8738 chipset. I also have the windows sound schemes turned off in "Sounds and audio devices", that way I don't get all the log on and log off sounds blasting at me at music levels. My video card is a basic NVidea FX-5200 256mb. I also have a Winfast PVR card that has been running since my last Windows install. Other than picking up a bug from somewhere online, I can't think of a thing I have done new that could be causing the "plop" sound.

 

Oh yeh, and here is the hijack this log:


INCOMPLETE INLINE HJT LOG DELETED! DO NOT CUT OFF TOP INFORMATION. ALSO READ GUIDELINES.

NOTE: You should read the tutorial in this Sticky thread < Hijack This Tutorial And How To Post Your Log File > Do not post a HijackThis log until we ask you to and when we do it must be text document attachment to your message.

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I was trying to post just the essentials. The os is XP Pro, the i.e. is 6.0. I ran scans on all three posts you listed. All three came up clean. I have PestPatrol and Adaware set for scanning of all files. Is there anything else I can try?

 

I was trying to post just the essentials. I have Windows XP Pro. I.E. 6.0. I have all my services set to Black Vipers "Safe" settings. I have all file extensions and folders set open. I haven't bothered to boot into safe mode because no program has shown that I have a problem file or program running. I don't want to run CCleaner because I have ran into problems in the past by trying to clean my hard drive. My installation is only a couple of months old and there isn't a heck of a lot on it that I don't use. I clean everything I can manually. Temporary internet files, cookies, auto complete is off, pre-fetch etc. I usually do that several times a week. I also have temporary internet files set to delete after I log off. Is there anything I might be missing?

 

Oh yes, I got my hijack this from this website today, so whatever one is available today is the one I used.

 

O.K., now this has gotten weird. All of those scans I ran, both online and from my own software, not one of them showed anything bad on my computer. But suddenly that "plop" sound has gone away. But now when I go to empty my prefetch folder, I notice that every single item in the folder has a little brown box icon in front of it. Any idea what that's all about?

 

Actually I did mention that I didn't want to run CCLeaner. I have had trouble with cleaning my hard drive in the past with apps not running afterwards. Also, in the link you gave me for the list of things to do, it said to not worry about running the scans in safe mode unless you have an item that won't delete in normal mode. Well none of the scans showed as much as one single item. The Ad-aware I am using is in the actual program executable shows aaw6181.exe And in the program list , it shows up as Ad-aware 6. In the prefetch, I don't know why, but everything shows up as opening up with stuffit expander. I guess that is harmless?

 

I can understand your frustration, believe me. I have to at least once every month or so fix my buddy's computer after he has ignored every safe computing tip I give him, and it winds up taking 2-3 hours to fix, every time. And I mean EVERY time. It sucks being helpful sometimes. So I don't take anything lightly as far as instructions go. The run through on the spyware stuff absolutely says that running scans in safe mode is only necessary if you find items that won't delete in normal mode. And nothing showed up in any of the scans I did, not even the 3 online scans you had me do. I guarantee you that I have the very most up to date Norton anti virus, PestPatrol and Spybot S&D. I ran just like I said, the update function on every single program that I used. Not all of them of course have any updates available today. I even ran a program applet that I found on a Microsoft IT page, it's called KB873018-ENU-V1.exe that gets rid of some random problem microsoft has trouble with. As far as the Ad-aware that I am using it actually has some very in-depth settings that I have tweeked so that it is scanning all 3 of my hard drives in all files and folders.

 

Although I think it is a moot point now since the sound thing has stopped happening when I visit websites, I downloaded the newer version of ad-aware. I did three separate scans. One in full system mode. One in scan volume for ADS. And one in custom scan with some extra functions turned on. I got zero objects in all aspects on all three scans. I am sure one of the online scans must have fixed something, even though it didn't tell me there was a problem found. The only remaining question to me is what the prefetch files should have been connected to, as far as what the default would be. It obviously wasn't Stuffit expander originally.

 

P.S., I actually didn't have a problem with the online scans at all. I did them immediatly after seeing your link for them. It was only when you mentioned them again that I simply pointed out, again, that I actually had done them. I don't have a problem with doing scans at all. How many people keep as many spyware/adware programs running on their computer as I do? Not a lot I think. About the only place you would find those people would be maybe in here.

 

I just want to say thanks for all the help. Everything is back to normal. I wish I knew which program scan it was that fixed that water drop sound. I looked very carefully at the results of each program I ran and none of them showed any problems. In fact the only thing that showed up at all was when I ran the new Ad-aware program (SE). It shows files that are "negligible risk". After digging into the ones that came up it turned out that they were the rmu files. Which I deleted per a Microsoft help site. I then noticed that the url list was wiped clean. Odd. Doesn't matter since I clean that all the time anyway. And my pf association is back to normal. I just had to go into stuffit expander and uncheck the file association. All is well that ends well eh?

 

Thanks for all the help. I wish I knew which program had fixed the sound. I looked very carefully at the results of all three online scans and none of them showed me anything, yet one of them must have fixed it. Oh well. Alls well that ends well. To change the pf association, I just went in and unclicked it in the settings for the Stuffit expander. Thanks again.