Annoying Pop ups on boot up!!!

[bxhood]

Hello all. I have a cable modem connection and everytime I boot up I get these annoying popup windows. I tried to go back to My Last known good but me being a numbskull didnt create a restore point far enough back. I tried running ad-aware to get rid of them but to no prevail. I also checked my msconfig start ini to see whats loading but didnt see anything in there out of the norm. I also checked the startup folder but didnt see any programs in there that would initiate it going to a certain site. I am running win xp. If anyone has any other Ideas before I get so frustrated and format my whole harddrive I would appreciate it.

Thanks
Hood

 

[Inaris]

Check the following registry Key...
HKLM\software\microsoft\windows\current version\run
also check your IE path for the shortcut to make sure that it's going to the correct location.
Then check the startup folders for all users and for your logon. This should cover all the bases...

BTW, what kind of popups and when do you get them? Like when you Launch IE or when you logon/startup (before you launch an app) What is it that it displays? An IE subwindow or an application window?

 

[bxhood]

It seems to be a IE sub window that displays. It is definitely not an app though. It also happens right at the end of boot up after logging in.

 

[Inaris]

if this is the case (IE subwindow) look at the registry key referenced in my earlier post. If something is opening up right after log in, then it is running in this key, or as a service. Microbell is right about the messenger service too. Disable that, and that should stop popups that are being sent to you from outside the OS.
Something else to try, when you log on, Keep the "shift" key depressed. This stops things from loading from the startup folder.

 

[bxhood]

first I have Cable modem. Its a sub window from what seems to be an internet site. What I will try is disconnecting my cable modem and than booting up to see what happens to be certain. I checked the regedit and didnt see anything that was suspicious. I did run ad aware and spy bot but still it appears. Checked all the start up folders but still it appears. Tried to uninstall IE and reinstall it but it wouldnt uninstall totally.

I do thank you for your responses and if you have any other Ideas I would appreciate it. Will let you know what happens. Again thanks.

 

[bxhood]

the only thing that I did download was history killer but uninstalled it. But they still keep popping up. And I havent been to any sites I dont normally visit.

 

[Apokalipse]

what about a program called Window Washer
what do the popup ads point you to?
http://www.webattack.com/get/freesurfer.html

 

[bxhood]

Sorry! I just got on to check. I am going to post the Msinfo32 file. I points to exitexchange or something of the sort the next time it pops up I will copy the down the site. In my next post will be the msinfo information. And thanks for all the help.

Hood

 

[bxhood]

had to delete this post of my msinfo

 

[bxhood]

Sorry about the long post. My utmost apolgizes.